I’d made it a fair distance from the cabin. That meant my car was close. Hopefully.
Fenris’s gaze pinned me.
“Are you going to run away, Eliana?”
“How can I when my toes are two seconds from freezing off?”
“Let me carry you.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m using today’s ‘Fenris, stop pushing me’ card. I think I’ve been pushed enough for one day, don’t you?”
His scrutiny was no less piercing than the cold.
“Do you think one of my kind can get frostbite?” I asked.
“We’re not done, Eliana. Leaving when I turn my back won’t change that.”
His form shimmered. In his fur, he gave me one last look then trotted back the way he’d come.
With a shaky exhale, I hurried in the direction of my car. It was only once I saw it ahead that I realized I had no keys or phone.
“Crap on a cracker, why can’t anything go right for me?”
It didn’t matter that I wouldn’t be able to start the car. I needed to get out of the snow so I could warm my feet and so I could think of a way to get out of there.
A backup plan wasn’t necessary, though. All my things were already in the passenger seat with my car keys waiting on top of the pile.
As I started the car, I lifted my gaze and searched the illuminated trees for Fenris. Nothing moved, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. Nervous that he would interpret my hesitation as an invitation, I left.
The air flowing from the vents gradually warmed as did my hands and feet. However, my phone didn’t vibrate with any incoming messages on the drive to the Quills’. I should have been relieved, but after Fenris’s display in the woods, his silence concerned me. Fenris wasn’t the silent type.
After parking in the Quills’ garage, I grabbed my things and quietly let myself into the kitchen. A murmur of raised voices was coming from the second floor. I glanced at the grandfather clock in the dining room in confusion. It was almost eleven. Why would—
Like a switch flicked on in my head, I remembered everything that had happened just before I’d almost fed from Fenris. There’d been an earthquake.
I fumbled for my phone and found several messages that must have come after I left the cabin.
Mom: Please let me know you’re okay as soon as you wake up and see this.
Megan: Council called Oanen in a panic because Adira heard that I’m coming home soon and Uttira just had an earthquake. We’re in NY as planned. Chasing leads isn’t going as planned. Call me tomorrow.
Eugene: The girls and I are in the closet. Just in case you need to search for after-quake bodies.
Although I felt pity for them and wished I could send Eugene a reply that would make them feel safe, I wasn’t sure any of us were. At least they were together. Fears were easier to face with help.
I briefly thought of Fenris alone in the woods and felt pangs of guilt and regret. Staring at my phone, I stifled the need to text him. What would I even say? Stay safe? He’d only take that as a sign of affection from me, and that was the last thing he needed.
Rather than text Fenris or Eugene, I answered Mom that I was okay then snuck up to my room. The world might be falling apart around me, but I was cold and exhausted. Everything else could wait until after I had a hot shower and some more sleep.
The voices from the office surged loudly enough that I recognized Raiden. I couldn’t make out the words and didn’t care to get any closer to try. After finally seeing the truth of what I’d accidentally done to his son, I no longer held any resentment or hurt over how Raiden had treated me. Only shame. And I didn’t want to face Raiden and admit he’d been right to tell me to leave.
Fenris would be fine if he stayed away from me for a few days. I clung to that desperate thought as I hurried down the hall.
Safely in my room, I stripped from my inadequate pajamas. The shower, even when it started out cold, was warmer than my feet. A hissed breath escaped me as the water slowly heated and created a painful burn as my feet warmed. I lifted one foot to make sure standing in the snow hadn’t caused any permanent damage. The skin looked red but otherwise fine.
