Excerpt: Hideaway Hollow (started Nov 10)

“This is the happiest thing to happen to me since Friday,” she declared and kissed him. She let the images that came roll over and through her mind until there was just the two of them. Dimly, she realized Jeremy and Lorelei had moved away to give them some privacy, but she also realized there were others with their eyes on them. For once, it didn’t bother her. 'Let them watch', she boldly thought as the kiss continued. 'Let them see that he’s with me; he’s mine.'

“Wow,” he whispered when they finally parted. She giggled and grabbed his hand, a wild abandon taking hold within her. Dark had fallen, making her feel giddy with anticipation.

“Let’s run,” she told him. She kicked off her shoes, sure she wouldn’t be able to run through the trees in three-inch heels. She wished she’d thought to wear shorts like Lorelei instead of another mini skirt, but it was too late now. Now she just wanted to feel free.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked doubtfully, meaningfully looking at her outfit.

“I don’t care. I want to run; I want to be free,” she declared. A wolf howled somewhere nearby and she grinned. Her dad was coming home. Anything felt possible, even running with the wolves. She felt triumphant as Jay squeezed her hand and led the way into the trees.

* * * * *

Sam felt like she was moving outside space and time as she and Jay ran through the woods. Her night vision had suddenly improved so much that she could see even in total darkness. She dodged tree branches and roots without an incident. All the while Jay kept up with her, his hand in hers. He let Sam lead the way. As they ran, a solid image of the black and white wolves settled in her mind, as though this was the way it was meant to be. She let the image stay, a backdrop to her freedom, as she wound her way around fallen trees and low branches. She crouched down low to miss a tree branch and found she wanted to run on all fours, but it was too uncomfortable. She was frustrated that she couldn’t. She put on more speed, everything becoming a blur, and then suddenly she burst through the trees onto the top of a hill. The forest was behind them and the mountains were ahead. She felt like she could scale the mountains.

She grabbed Jay and crushed his mouth with hers. She pressed her body as close to his as possible. She wanted to feel his body beneath hers. She had an image of biting his neck, insisting on her dominance, and she wanted to do it. She reached up on the tips of her toes and bit down with enough pressure that he fell to his knees before her.

“I am yours,” he groaned as he plunged his hands into her hair. He tugged with enough force that she let go and looked at his face.

“I have always been yours,” he told her reverently and captured her mouth again. She moaned as they collapsed to the ground, pawing at each other’s clothes, trying to get as close as possible. Then suddenly he stopped and sat up, his head cocked as though hearing something she couldn’t. Her heart pounded, as much with fear as with hormones.

“Shit,” he swore. He jumped to his feet and pulled her up with him. “We have to go.”

“What? Why?” she questioned and he shook his head. He was already starting back into the forest.

“There’s no time. We just have to go,” he told her. “You have to trust me.”

Sam knew if there was one thing she was sure of, it was that she trusted him. She didn’t ask anything more as they sprinted through the trees, their night vision as handy as their speed. She heard growling and barking a moment before they burst into a clearing. She saw Lorelei first, cowering at the edge of the clearing. Then she saw the two wolves fighting a few feet away.

“Stop,” Jay roared and the wolves glanced at him. Sam’s eyes widened as both wolves stopped and cowered before him. She looked at him, too. She stumbled back to Lorelei. This wasn’t the boy who’d just held her and kissed her. This was a man of power. He was someone to be listened to and obeyed. And the wolves obeyed. They’d stopped fighting the minute he yelled the word. She felt like she suddenly didn’t know him at all. She started shaking and Lorelei put an arm around her shoulders.

“Get her out of here,” he told Lorelei. Sam stared up at him, awed that he could be so cold when he’d just been so warm. She stood when Lorelei did and walked out still staring at Jay.

“Who are you?” she whispered and fled from the clearing.