Great. Just what they needed. Another snowstorm was coming. That meant Frankie would be stuck in town with her stalker and no protection. Unless he could talk her into staying at the cabin with him. He doubted it, though. His mate loved her independence.
Stepping outside, he took a deep breath of fresh air. Glancing up at the gray, overcast sky, he could believe they were going to get snow.
He needed to replenish his stockpile of firewood for the fireplace to be sure he had enough to get him through. Maybe he could entice Frankie to stay with him using the fireplace. Chuckling at the thought, he headed to the pile of logs to get started chopping them up.
Half an hour later, he had worked up quite a sweat and had a nice pile started. He stopped to take a drink of water and wiped the sweat from his brow. Despite the cold, he removed his flannel shirt and tied it around his waist to cool down. He thought he heard something in the nearby woods, but when he looked he didn't see anything so he brushed it off and went back to work.
He paced in the shadows cast by the trees, watching the cabin. The lion was inside, safe and warm while he was out here, freezing his ass off. It was gray and overcast, the temperature was dropping, but he couldn't leave. Not yet. The lion would need more firewood, and then he could strike. So he waited.
A grin split his face when his waiting paid off. The lion stepped outside, grabbed the ax, and went to work.
Still, he waited. He wanted to give him time to be distracted before he attacked.
He watched as the lion removed his flannel shirt and wrapped it around his waist, and moved forward to get a better view of his prey, inadvertently stepping on a twig. He stepped back into the shadows in time to keep from being seen when the lion looked around.
He waited until he got back to work. It was time. He stripped out of his clothes and shifted, then stalked forward on silent feet. He paused at the edge of the treeline before he lowered himself to the ground and slunk forward until he was right behind the lion. He wasn't giving him a warning, or time to shift. A growl erupted from him, and then he pounced.
Yaeger smelled him and heard him at the same time. He turned and was hit by the beast that attacked, knocking the ax from his hand. He went down hard and had the wind knocked from him. But that was the least of his worries. Pain radiated across his chest as claws raked his skin, leaving deep gashes. Teeth tore into his arm where he lifted it to protect his throat. The attack lasted only minutes, but it was enough. He lay there panting as he bled out.
"You never should have touched my precious gem," a voice growled at him, and then he was alone.
As blackness ate at his vision, all he could think wasthis isn't how it was supposed to end. I'm sorry, darlin', I failed you.
He shifted back to human form and got dressed. Whether the lion lived or died now mattered not. He'd made his point. He made his way back through the forest to where he'd parked and looked up at the sky. If no one found the lion where he lay bleeding out, the storm would get him, anyway. A wicked grin split his face. His precious gem would need consoling and he was just the man to do it. He climbed into his vehicle and headed home, plotting his next move.
Chapter Nineteen
Frankie
Frankie hummed as she packed the picnic basket she was taking with her to surprise Yaeger. They were calling for snow again and this might be the last time they see each other for a few days, so she wanted to make it special. She put the fried chicken, potato salad, and homemade biscuits in it, then two slices of fresh-baked apple pie and a bottle of wine, and closed the lid. She checked her makeup one last time, put on her coat, tugged on her hat and gloves, and headed out.
She glanced at the low-hanging clouds and took a deep breath. She could smell it in the air. It was definitely going to snow.
She listened to the radio as she drove the couple miles to his cabin from her house and sang along, not caring if she looked like a loon.
She pulled up to the cabin and parked beside Yaeger's truck, then got out and grabbed the basket. As she approached the front door, the scent of blood wafted on the breeze, wrinkling her nose, and she frowned.Where's that coming from?she wondered.
She stepped inside, expecting to find Yaeger, but the living room was empty. "Yaeger, are you here?" she called out and got no response.Maybe he's out back,she thought. She set the basket on the counter and made her way to the back door.
She stepped out onto the back porch and looked around the backyard. That's when she saw him lying in the snow. "Yaeger!" She rushed across the yard to where he lay, saw the blood marring the pristine, white snow, and screamed. "No! Oh gods, no. Help! Someone, please! Help!" The cabins weren't too close together, and she didn't know if anyone would hear her, but she had to try.
As luck would have it, Yin was just pulling up with a load of firewood for Yaeger when Frankie yelled out and he came barreling around the side of the cabin like the hounds of hell were chasing him. "Frankie, I heard you calling for help. What's—Fuck!" he said, spotting Yaeger. He kneeled beside the lion and searched his neck for a pulse. It was weak and thready, but it was there.
"Frankie, sweetheart, he's alive, but we've got to get him out of this snow. I need you to open the back door for me so we can get him inside. Can you do that for me?"
"He's alive? Thank the gods," she breathed. Then his words sunk in and she nodded. "Yes, I can do that."
Yaeger wasn't a small man, but Yin picked him up like it was nothing. Frankie scurried ahead of him and got the back door open so he could carry her mate inside.
"Now the bedroom door," he told her, his voice showing strain.
She rushed to open it and watched as Yin gently laid Yaeger down on the bed. Then he pulled out his phone. "Lucas, I need you at Yaeger's. Bring your bag. It's bad, real bad. That fucker got him," he growled into the phone. Then he hung up.
"Lucas? Who is that?" she asked.
"He's our resident medic. He'll patch Yaeger up in no time."
"You said 'that fucker got him'. So you know about my stalker."
