Page 8 of Rough and Rugged

And searching for mates? There was an app for that.

But a fated mate? I shook my head in disbelief—or should I say wonderment, at finding the one who completes me…

The slam of a screen door drew me out of my thoughts. Then a smile crested my face and I knew what I had to do. I needed to woo my freaked out human. Just how, I wasn’t sure, but I had two days before my cousins stormed in and caused trouble.

Chapter Six

Axton

Iplasteredmyselfagainstthe door, my heart hammering in my chest. Was all this for real? My eyes darted around the house, hoping to catch sight of a weapon. Then I realized that was a stupid idea.

Beare was a… bear. A frickin’ bear!

I raced into the bedroom, changed into my hiking boots and then grabbed my backpack that still had some of my clothes and a few snacks in it. Then I went back into the kitchen. Why? I didn’t have a clue until I saw the knife set on the counter. As I grabbed the largest knife, someone started knocking on the door. Almost certainly Beare.

I practically jumped out of my boots, as I gripped my new weapon. I had to get out of there. Remembering the back slider, I rushed toward the glass door and quietly opened it.

As the pounding on the front door became louder, I bolted out of the house and ran like hellfire was at my feet. I didn’t stop, either. I ran until I couldn’t move my legs anymore. On and on, through the dense woods, I went until the sky went from the morning hues of blues, oranges and pinks, to evening shades of grays and purples. Then dark encroached, and I couldn’t see a thing.

The sounds of various bugs and animals surrounded me. My instinct was telling me to run and hide. But where? And how, when I couldn’t see past my own feet?

Then I remembered my cell. I carefully tucked the knife in the backpack side pocket and pulled out my phone. My heart dropped into my stomach at the battery power. Twenty percent.

Hopefully the light lasted enough to get me to safety. I tapped on the app, and the area lit up. Just beyond several oak trees was a clearing. I retrieved the knife, stepped out into the open and came to an abrupt halt.

It was a village—like the ones you’d see on television from the wilds of the Amazonian jungle. Except there were no villagers. Some of the tiny homes were caved in from years of neglect, but a few were intact.

Flashing the phone light inside the closest one, a sense of relief came over me as I took in its sparse details. There was an odd shaped fireplace, a small wooden table and two chairs. And… “A bed?”

I glanced over my shoulder and scanned the area, but nothing jumped out at me, specifically a bear. To my relief, I wasn’t followed. I stepped inside the home, and closed the door.

After I set the knife down on the small table, I studied the door. There was no lock, only a latch. I carried a chair over to the door and tucked the back under the handle. It wasn’t foolproof, but it was enough to alert me if someone tried to break in.

Next, I approached the hearth. I spotted a pile of wood stacked beside it, and the knot in my chest loosened. “One less worry.” Gathering firewood in the dark wasn’t ideal. Especially when there might be a bear looking for me.

I was thankful that my mother had enrolled me in cub scouts at age five, because I could start a fire like any good scout should.

Also, it was handy that I carried a lighter in my backpack at all times—in case I had to escape a bear and start a fire in the wilds of… Wisconsin.

I chuckled at the absurdity of my thoughts. And how my life had changed into the obscure. I still couldn’t believe what I’d seen. A bear shifted into a man. Into Beare.

Now that I had discovered there was more in the universe than just ordinary humans, I wondered what else was out there that I didn’t know.

Beare.

Thoughts of that man and how he shifted, and naked… I shook off those lustful thoughts and got working on a fire. Before long, I had a small blaze going. I turned off my phone to save what battery life I had left.

The fire lit up the single-room structure, and I could see more clearly. It wasn’t a hut, as I had thought, but almost a cabin. Cozy and perfect.

After I placed another small log onto the fire, I went looking around the space.

To my surprise, the mattress had a fitted sheet, the two pillows were cased, and there were a couple of blankets folded neatly at the end of it. It was as though someone was actually living here.

I didn’t care. I was tired, hungry, and felt like I was going out of my mind.

I opened my pack, snagged a granola bar and ate it. However, I had no water to drink. I wandered to the makeshift sink at the opposite side of the cabin, pumped the handle a few times, and shocker… water flowed out.

After rinsing out a wooden cup I found in the cabinet, I filled it and sniffed the water. There was no smell. So, I took a tentative sip, and the cool liquid was heaven in my parched mouth.