Page 33 of Wolf Fated
Before I could ask any other questions, he closed the door and the limo drove off.
I turned back to the cabin and followed the winding path. Well, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about seasickness. I chuckled at my joke.
A howl of a wolf had me freezing on the stone path, my heart hammered in my chest. It sounded close. Like just beyond the ridge of trees. I hustled to the door and knocked quickly before trying the door.
Locked.
The feeling like something was stalking me trickled down my back.
I knocked again, louder this time.
The huff of an animal sounded like it was coming toward me, but I was too terrified to turn and look.
“Come on, Nathan, this isn’t funny,” I yelled and banged on the door.
A shadow rose behind me. My voice squeaked out a scream and a hand fell heavy on my shoulder. I spun backing against the door. My hands raised to my throat.
“Wow,” Nathan shook his head, “what the hell did Axel do to you on your date for you to be this jumpy?”
“Jumpy?” I lowered my hands and straightened despite my stomach twisting in knots. “There was a wolf a-and the door was locked.”
“You sure it was a wolf?” He reached around me to the doorknob. “Could’ve been a dog.”
I crossed my arms. “No, it was a wolf. And before you ask, it wasn’t a bear either.” Not that a bear would be better.
He was so close to me, his scent of woods and a musky smell caressed me. “You saw this wolf?”
“Well, no, but I heard it howling.”
“Dogs howl too.” He pushed the door open, and I rushed inside, rubbing my arms.
Inside the cabin, a small fire flickered and cast shadows along the logs making up the walls. A rug was thrown in front of two beige couches. Half a dozen colored pillows were scattered across both pieces of furniture. The living room merged with a dining room of a table with four wooden chairs and a kitchen beyond.
Nathan passed me with two rabbits hitched over his shoulder, their legs dangled down his back as he walked to the kitchen.
"What is that?" I asked.
He looked over his shoulder at me. "You mean dinner? I caught them a little while ago when Axel texted that you guys would be here in an hour."
"I'm not eating rabbit." I swallowed back the bile that crept into my throat.
"It'll be great." He kept walking into the kitchen, and I marched in after him. "Just give me a bit to skin them and get them roasting on a fire."
"No thanks." I leaned against the counter, taking in the small, cozy kitchen complete with an old-timey-looking hearth complete with a spit over a fire. "What is it with you guys and eating what you catch?"
Nathan laid the rabbits on a cutting board, and I flinched backward.
"Are you going to do that...here?" I frowned. "Shouldn't you skin them outside or something?"
He looked up at me like I'd lost my mind. "And lure the wild animals here? Fine. I'll take them a ways away. Why don't you get yourself situated? There's a guest bedroom with a small shower in the back."
I should be grateful he wasn't asking me to skin the rabbits or go help him. Part of me felt a touch guilty about that, but I'd just survived a deep-sea fishing expedition, I didn't need to tear the flesh off an animal to add to the list.
So instead, I left the kitchen and headed to check out the rest of the cabin. There was a bedroom just off the other side of the living room, but the door was locked, and I figured it was Nathan's. Then a long hallway ended at another door. This one opened to a small bedroom with a queen-size bed that took up three-fourths of the room. A nightstand was squashed between the window and the bed. There were two doors in the room, and I moved deeper inside to check out more.
A patterned quilt of blue flowers lay over the bed and a pair of jeans and a T-shirt were on top. I checked the tags. Huh... my size. Guess I wouldn't have to wear my fish-smelling clothes any longer. I opened one of the doors to find a closet with shelves and stuffed with clothes that all appeared to be in my size.
The second door was the bathroom. It was super clean, like no one had ever used it. There was a sink, shower, and toilet with shelves of towels over the back. Since I wasn't going to eat, I figured I might as well get cleaned up.
