Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

DAKOTA

D akota followed in Landon’s wake, his figure looming tall and powerful against the fiery backdrop of the afternoon sky. The four-wheeler sat squat and silent, an iron beast awaiting its riders. She watched his hands as he checked the ATV, strong and sure, capable, she supposed, of both gentleness and ferocity. It was those hands that made her trust him, against the instincts that told her to run from the danger she knew followed her like a persistent shadow.

Dakota hesitated for just a heartbeat, uncertain yet compelled by the magnetism that seemed to radiate from Landon. His name was a whisper in her mind, evoking images of untamed wilderness and unrestrained passions. She smiled as she climbed onto the four-wheeler behind him, her hands sliding around his waist. The heat of him rolled off him like a brand straight out of a fire, and Dakota worried for an instant if it might burn and mark her forever.

The air between them was thick with unspoken words, laden with the scent of earth and man. With her body pressed against his broad back, she felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the coolness of the evening. Wrapping her arms around his waist, her fingers brushed against the firmness of his abdomen. The contact sparked a heat within her that rivaled that from the midday sun.

The engine roared to life, and they took off across the prairie, the wind whipping around them as the ranch stretched out ahead. Her hands stayed on his sides, light but steady, and Dakota felt every inch of that connection like a live wire running through her veins.

The tension between them seemed to crackle like electricity in the air, a storm brewing on the horizon. As they rode, a sense of fate seemed to cling to her skin, almost as tangible as the soft layer of dust that rose from where the wheels kissed the earth. It was as if the universe had conspired to bring them together, their paths destined to cross on this dusty path under the blazing sun.

"Everything all right?" Landon asked, his voice low and rough, as if it had been shaped by the wind that swept through Copper Canyon.

"Yes," she lied. Nothing was all right; everything was charged with an intensity she hadn't known she could feel.

As Landon turned his head slightly, she caught a glimpse of his profile—sharp angles defining his chiseled jawline, a stern brow softened by the dark locks that fell carelessly over it. His eyes, intense and unreadable, were like pools of obsidian, holding within them secrets and mysteries untold. They seemed to reach into her very soul and stirring something deep inside. He exuded an otherworldly aura, blurring the lines between human and something more. His presence was both alluring and unnerving at the same time.

A curious sense enveloped her—a premonition that whatever lay ahead was irrevocable. As they surged forward, the wind tugged at her hair, whispering of change, of endings and beginnings entwined. In the embrace of speed, Dakota leaned closer to Landon, seeking an anchor in the maelstrom of emotions that threatened to consume her, amidst the rush and the wildness of it all. She found herself wondering if she might finally belong to something greater than her solitary flight from the past.

A simple life, yet one so far removed from the transient existence she'd known since her grandfather's cryptic last words. From the time she’d left New Mexico, Dakota had been chasing the east, seeking the wolves he spoke of—a metaphor that felt more elusive with each passing mile. Her life had become an unending road, her destinations dictated by the prickle of intuition that warned her whenever her former fiancé was near.

The wind whipped through Dakota's hair, carrying whispers of freedom that enticed her restless spirit. Riding with Landon, she felt a momentary release from the weight of her anxieties, the relentless pursuit that haunted her steps. Here, in the embrace of the wilderness, with the thrum of the ATV beneath them, she could almost believe she was just another soul seeking adventure, not a woman on the run.

Landon maneuvered the vehicle with an ease that spoke of years spent mastering the rugged terrain of Copper Canyon. The muscles of his back shifted under her cheek, a silent testament to the strength that lay beneath the surface. She couldn't help but lean into the curves with him, their bodies moving in unison, a dance dictated by necessity yet charged with an energy she dared not name.

With every mile that passed, Dakota felt herself more drawn to Landon than she had any reason to be. It made no sense, and she was sure he didn’t feel the same. Even if he did, what could explain it? She had no words for the pull between them, but every so often, she thought she caught a flicker of something in his gaze. He didn’t feel like just some guy passing through her life. No, he was more like a storm on the horizon—fierce, unpredictable, and impossible to ignore. And as much as she tried to fight it, she wasn’t sure she wanted to let him pass without seeing where it might lead.

“You ever ridden a horse?” Landon’s deep voice broke through her thoughts, and Dakota glanced at him. He glanced over his shoulder, watching her again, his eyes intent as if trying to read her. She caught the way the sunlight played on his dark hair and the confidence, almost swagger, in the way he carried himself. There was something rugged about him, a raw strength that made her pulse quicken despite what she knew would be the safer, saner course.

She arched a brow, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “Once or twice.”

His grin was slow, his voice low and rough. “Stick around long enough, and I’ll show you how it’s really done.”

A laugh escaped her, light and unguarded, surprising even herself. She saw the way his expression shifted, just slightly—how his confident smile softened for a heartbeat. Dakota thought she saw something flicker in his gaze, something that sent a strange warmth fluttering through her chest.

“I might just take you up on that,” Dakota said, her voice laced with challenge.

"Seems to me you're a long way from anywhere," he said, his tone light but eyes searching. "Sure hope you weren't planning on walking this whole stretch alone."

Dakota’s laugh was like the sound of rain on a parched landscape—unexpected and refreshing. "I guess I didn't plan that far ahead."

"Must admit, that's a rare kind of bravery—or recklessness," he said with a mischievous grin.

"Maybe a bit of both," she conceded, feeling as though her unguarded honesty might have given him a glimpse into her private thoughts.

Dakota steeled herself for the journey that awaited. She would continue on—so far she’d heard wolves, but hadn’t seen one. The miles stretching before her, each one a step away from the past that clung to her heels like a persistent shadow. The comfort of the four-wheeler beneath her was a temporary respite, sparing her weary feet a bit of distance, across the fields of the Savage ranch, yet it was a kindness she accepted gratefully.

Landon's voice, deep and slightly amused, broke through her reverie. "You know where you’re headed?” he called back over his shoulder.

"Sometimes," Dakota laughed, but her voice was tinged with a weariness she couldn't disguise. “Maybe you can point me in the direction of the nearest town."

“That would be Redstone. When we get to the gate, follow the path up the road and then head west. It’s about thirty miles. You can’t miss it. You need a ride?”

“No, I’m good.”

"Whatever brought you out here," Landon ventured, "I hope it leads you to good things."

She smiled at him. “I keep reminding myself that often good things find us when we least expect them."

The air seemed to thicken, heavy with possibilities and the bittersweet promise of more. But the ever-present undercurrent of danger of her current journey reminded Dakota that some paths were riddled with peril—and that some encounters were destined to leave people forever changed.

As they neared the main road, the hum of the engine grew louder, a reminder of the world beyond the mountains. Dakota's gaze fixed on the horizon, the crests and troughs of the land painting a picture of endless possibilities. She allowed herself to entertain the thought of what might lie ahead—a life unfettered by fear, perhaps even alongside someone who stirred her soul as this stranger did.

The wind spoke of secrets around them as the ATV surged forward, its engine a deep thrum that matched the erratic rhythm of Dakota's heart. She leaned into Landon's back, the scent of worn leather and earthy pine from his jacket teasing her senses in waves of untamed wilderness. Clutching at the solidity of him, she felt an inexplicable pull, a connection tethered not by logic but by an instinct as old as the land they traversed.

There was a raw charisma to Landon Savage, one that eclipsed the memory of any man who had ever held her close, even her former fiancé. Just being around Landon made her feel a restless energy coiling within her—sparks catching on dry kindling. The air between them seemed to hum with promise, the flame of something untamed flickering in her chest, casting shadows that hinted at everything they might become.

Landon slowed the ATV as they approached the metal gate, the engine rumbling low before cutting off with a final sputter. He swung a leg off and moved to unlatch the gate with a fluid ease that belied his rugged exterior. Dakota climbed down, taking a step back, she brushed off the fine layer of dust that clung to her jeans. She didn’t need to be close to him to feel the kind of primal magnetism he carried—an undeniable pull that eclipsed the memory of every man who had ever tried to hold her close, even her former fiancé.

With a silent nod from Landon, Dakota started forward, her feet dragging slightly through the dusty, barren landscape. The scorching Texas sun bore down on her, its oppressive heat her only real companion in this desolate stretch. She trudged toward Redstone, a town that might offer the solitude she desperately sought and a fleeting chance to escape her fears. But deep down, she knew true peace would remain just out of reach, no matter how far she walked.