Page 63 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“Thank you.” She took the food and then considered his question. “I’ve seen pictures of New Zealand. It looks magical with all the lush, green, rolling hills. Sort of like something out of a fairy-tale. That’s where I’d want to go. What aboutyou?”

He stared at her, brow raised. “Something out of a fairy-tale, and you gave me shite about woodnymphs?”

She couldn’t help but laugh and appreciate his good sense ofhumor.

He shook his head, a small grin on his face, and then continued. “I’d go to New Zealand, too. It reminds me of the hills where I grewup.”

Tara took a bite of the sandwich. It was just turkey, nothing fancy, but she was hungry, and that made it the best turkey sandwich she’d ever had. “This is great,” shesaid.

“I’m glad you like it.” It was a simple statement, but she could tell he really meantit.

After they were done eating and the trash and water bottles were packed back up, Elias stood and held out his hand to her. “We should probably start headingback.”

She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. When she began to pull away, Elias entwined their fingers and held on. He didn’t say anything as he started back down the path, and Tara wasn’t about to let go. She liked the way his larger hand engulfed hers. It made her feel safe to be so close to him, and she really liked that he’d been the one to initiate the contact. It made her feelwanted.

They were about halfway back when the wind picked up. Tara looked up and noticed there were dark clouds forming overhead. “I didn’t think there was rain in the forecast today,” she said. She’d specifically checked the weather app on her phone when they’d arrived at thetrail.

Elias had stopped. He was frowning up at the sky. “Therewasn’t.”

Thunder boomed across the sky, and the temperature dropped suddenly. She shivered as the tree limbs swayed in the near-violent wind. The blowing leaves sounded like loud applause, and the once-peaceful forest now seemedsinister.

“We need to go,” Elias said, his voice low and laced with anger. She didn’t understand why he was angry, and she didn’t have time to ask because he started running, pulling her behind him. His legs were long and hers were not, which made it especially difficult to keep up. As they ran, the sky opened up, and cold rain pelted them. In seconds, Tara was soaked, her hair matted to her head, her clothes sticking to her skin, and her socks squishing in her wet shoes. But that really was the least of her worries. The biting rain was turning tohail.

The missiles disguised as ice beat at her head, face, and body. In short, it hurt. She heard Elias curse under his breath and quicken his pace. Tara forced her feet to move faster, but the ground had turned to slick mud, making it hard for her to find purchase. Somehow, maybe by sheer will alone, they made it to his car withoutfalling.

Elias quickly opened the passenger’s side door and helped her in. He closed it, but instead of hurrying around to get in the driver’s side, he walked to the front of the car, looking back the way they’d just come. His back was to her so Tara couldn’t see what he was doing or what he was seeing. His hands fisted at his side, and his shoulders seemed to tense as he pulled them back. Finally, he turned and stalked to the driver’s side and climbedin.

“What was that?” she asked as he started thecar.

“I thought I saw someone in the woods,” he said, backing out of the parking spot and pulling out onto the road. “I wanted to make sure if itwassomeone that they didn’t needhelp.”

“But no one was outthere?”

He shook his head. His hands were tight around the steering wheel. The hail was still beating down, pinging on the hood and roof of thecar.

“Was it just me, or was that weird?” Tara said, feeling like a broken record after having said the same thing about the squirrel. She shivered and wrapped her arms aroundherself.

“Bloody hell, you’re cold,” he said as if he thought he should have realized it sooner. He turned on the heat. “Sorry aboutthat.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said, though she wondered what her face would look like after the hail beating it hadtaken.

By the time they reached her house, the hail and rain had stopped, and the sky was clearing. It was the strangest spring storm she’d ever seen. She started to get out of the car, but Elias grabbed her hand and stopped her. She turned to look at him, and her breath caught at the worried look in hiseyes.

“Are you all right? I wanted to check the minute I got in the car, but I was in a hurry to get us out of there.” He reached his hand up and ran his knuckles across her face, just a whisper of a touch. “Your face is red from the hail,” he said as his jaw clenched. “I’m sosorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Elias,” Tara assured him. “You can’t control the weather. And there wasn’t any warning that there was going to be bad weather or else you wouldn’t have suggested we go on a nature hike. Unless you’re an idiot. Are you anidiot?”

“I’d actually rather you think I was batshit crazy than an idiot. Damn, you’ve got a wicked tongue, little bear,” he muttered and then leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I imagine you’ll want to take a shower and getwarm.”

Move those lips a little lower and I’ll be plenty warm.A rush of heat moved up her face. She needed to get out of the car. Wet Elias was doubly dangerous. “Warm would be good,” sheagreed.

“I’ll call you later, ” he said, holding her chin so she looked athim.

“I might answer. If I’m notbusy.”

He shook his head as his lips turned up in a crooked smile. “Perhaps I should call you a vixen instead of a little bear. Or even better, I’ll call you myprincess.”

“Don’t you dare,” she growled as she pulled out of his hold and opened the door. She needed to get out of the car before she embarrassed herself more by climbing into his lap. Tara eased out of her seat, realizing she was already feeling bruised from the hail. When she turned back to look at him, the playfulness was gone, and in its place was something possessive anddangerous.

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