The door at the end of the hall opened. Cage stormed out, his face red and fists clenched. His angry steps faltered as his eyes met hers. Kat stared, her brain blank, trapped in his gaze. Her heart beat a thousand time per minute, lips parted, no words came out.
Cage’s finger came to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. He nodded and gestured for her to go outside. Pulling the door open, he followed her out. Taking her hand, he led her into the trees surrounding the house.
“Where were you going?” he asked when they’d ventured further into the trees.
Katalina snapped out of her daze and went on the defensive. “Why, are you going to tell them?” she countered crossing her arms.
“No.”
“Oh.” Her arms dropped limply to her side. She felt kind of mean for being so snappy with him. From what she’d heard, he was in just as bad a position as her. “Well, I want to go home.”
He studied her for a minute, his eyes focusing on her injured parts before coming to a stop on her face. “Okay then, if you follow this tree line until you reach the road, it’s about a five-mile walk to the nearest bus stop. I’ve no idea when the next gets in. If you haven’t noticed already, we’re in the middle of nowhere. It’s at least a half-day’s drive. I’d drive you myself but they’d notice if I took a car.” He rummaged around in his jeans pocket. “Here, it’s all I’ve got on me, but it should pay for the bus ride home and some food.”
“Why are you helping me?”
“One of us should get to choose our life. I’m sorry if I upset you. I’ve been told my whole life we were meant to be together. I suppose I was just so excited to finally meet this girl everyone had always told me about.”
“So you were just happy to do as they told you?”
He considered her question with a frown. “I was brought up differently to you, Katalina, and, well, I wouldn’t mind belonging to someone as beautiful as you.” Cage brushed his thumb gently over her cheek and quickly dropped it, as if realizing what he’d done. “Be safe, Katalina Winter,” he whispered.
Katalina stood and watched him run deeper into the forest. He jumped and changed into a wolf before his feet hit the ground again. Her mind reeled. Part of her wanted to get to know Cage, the other rebelled against doing as she was ordered. For a second, she stared at the miracle she’d just witnessed, transfixed with the wolf becoming smaller and smaller in the distance, until Arne whined and nudged at her leg.
“Okay, okay, let’s get out of here.” Katalina took one last look at the wolf, just the tiniest speck in the distance, before turning and walking away.
Chapter 3
“Shit!” Her leg gave way under her. Katalina sprawled face first into the snow, the cold shocking the breath from her. She lay in the piercing cold, feeling the snow bite into her fingers, the chill frigid against her skin. “What was I thinking, boy?” she asked her dog as she sat up with a grunt. “I’m never going to make it to the bus stop, and even if I did, they’d never let you on anyway.”
It was tempting to lie back down and not move, to allow the snow to numb her body to the point beyond pain. A trickle of wetness rolled down her face. Katalina so desperately wanted to be home, in her family’s front room, watching TV. The fire roaring, its crackle and hiss the homiest of sounds. Only Katalina could never have that again. She’d never have the chance to go on another Sunday family dinner, or listen to her parents’ playful banter. She buried her head in her hands, tears dripping through her fingers and freezing on the snow. Arne whined, trying to comfort her with a lick and nudge.
“I know, boy,” she mumbled through her broken sobs, “I know.”
There was a rustle up ahead, further into the woods. Katalina lifted her head, squinting into the gloom of the trees. She scanned the area for movement. Arne growled low, the slightest of rumbles vibrating up his chest. Slowly, she climbed to her feet, her eyes never leaving the woods.
Arne barked.
“What is it, boy?” He positioned himself in front of her. “Show yourself!” she called, taking a few steps into the trees.
The wolf stalked from its hiding spot, eyes wary, hackles raised. Its dark fur startling against the white snow.
“You,” she whispered, recognizing it as the dark wolf she’d felt drawn to in the shed.
Arne barked louder, jumping forward.
“No boy, come here!” she commanded, stopping Arne in his tracks.
The wolf studied her for what seemed like forever. Katalina couldn’t stand the silence anymore. “Are you a shifter, too?” she asked.