Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
It was him. Wilder.
He had an axe over one shoulder, wearing his familiar red plaid jacket that smelled like him—campfires and cedar. She nearly melted in relief, but even an axe wouldn’t be enough against a pack of wolves.
“Wilder,” she whispered. “They’re everywhere.” She tried not to move a muscle.
He didn’t stop walking, not even a pause to assess the situation. Wilder came straight to her and pulled her into his arms, holding her against his heat like they were in some kind of romance movie. She closed her eyes and cried into his jacket.
“You’re safe, Poppy.”
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked up at him. There was no fear in his dark eyes. She looked to the side, then the other side, finally stepping away from him and doing a full circle as she tried to catch sight of the wolves.
“Where did they go? You saw them, right?”
“They’re gone. Flighty things.”
“What? No, they were ready to kill me. What did you do?” she demanded.
He shrugged. “I don’t know, Poppy. Animals are unpredictable.”
They held hands as they walked back to the cabin because she was still uneasy, but now had even more questions.
“Don’t you ever get scared? Are you even human? I mean, there are wolves and bears living right next to your house.”
“We have an understanding.”
She wanted to scream. This wasn’t normal. Or was it?
“Why were you out there, anyway?”
This time he stopped. He held both her shoulders. “Something tripped one of my cameras,” he said. “I found boot marks.”
She swore she’d hyperventilate, but he squeezed her shoulders a bit to ground her.
“They’ve found me! Those poachers. Oh my God. Do you think they’re watching us right now?”
“The house is secure. I’ll figure things out and keep you safe.”
This couldn’t be happening. Maybe there was a logical explanation.
“Maybe it was a hiker?” she asked.
“Maybe.” But he didn’t sound confident about that.
They got to the house and he made sure his dogs were inside, and he locked the doors. She didn’t like this. He was right—humans did ruin everything. She sat on the couch and hugged her knees.
“Don’t be nervous,” he said. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”
“They have guns, Wilder.”
“And they’re in my forest.”
She didn’t know what that meant but she was tired of trying to second-guess everything. If they made it out of this alive, she’d never question him again.
****
Wilder slipped from the house after making sure Poppy had eaten and calmed down. He didn’t want her to hate his home and return to the city. After finally finding his one true mate, he couldn’t risk losing her. If those poachers tried to fuck this up for him, he’d make them live to regret it.
Right now, he had to secure his property and make sure Poppy was safe. Since she’d been staying with him, he hadn’t been doing his usual reconnaissance of the shifter lands. He made scaring off the poachers and protecting wildlife a high priority. For years, he’d kept his land safe, earning him some sort of reputation as a giant bear in the human world. Poppy had come to photograph him, only there was no giant bear. It was only him in his shifted alpha grizzly form.
It wasn’t just bears he helped, but even deer or other wildlife that needed rehabilitating. He’d bring them to his cabin and help them recuperate.
As for trespassers or threats, that’s when his grizzly came out.
He followed the tracks and scouted the area around his home. The faint scent of diesel caught his attention, so he travelled farther down the ridge. There was evidence of a firepit, cigarette butts, and the litter they left behind. He bent down, picked up a butt, and sniffed it. It was the same as the ones he found at the murder scene of the mother bear. They were still looking for Poppy. They wanted the evidence that could be used against them, but they would get much more than that.
Wilder wasn’t naïve about guns like his parents were.
He knew about humans and had blended into their world from time to time, but preferred to stay away from them.
Wilder moved along the trail, knowing they couldn’t be too far based on when they’d tripped his camera. They had to have seen his cabin. What were they waiting for? Maybe they were unsure if Poppy was staying at the cabin. He’d have to keep her inside and out of sight, unless they already knew she was there.
Five minutes later, he slowed down. He’d found the men. They were fixing a UTV that had been damaged over a downed log. Only a fool would try to bring any type of vehicle his deep into the unforgiving wilderness. The only way through was hiking by foot.
“We don’t have the part,” a man said.
“Well, what the fuck do you expect me to do? I’m improvising.” The other man was laying on his back, grease on his hands as he worked on the UTV.