1. Savannah

ONE

SAVANNAH

My running shoes hit the asphalt beneath me rhythmically as I continued at a slow jog. It was early morning, and the sun barely peeked through the trees ahead of me, but this was my favorite time of day. It was quiet outside still. The only exception were the birds singing to one another in the trees.

As I inhaled the crisp morning air, filling my lungs completely, a sense of calm washed over me. With each stride, my stress melted and my head cleared. I pushed myself harder, loving the rush of endorphins pumping through me.

It had been forever since I'd run—not since high school, which felt like ages ago—but my soul remembered how good this used to feel.

My body—not so much.

I'd barely gone twenty minutes at a slow jog and my legs were already protesting. Alex's voice popped into my head. I could hear him say running was bad for my knees and a slew of other reasons I shouldn't do it.

Pressing my lips into a thin line, all I could think about was how much I hated that even though we weren't together anymore, I still heard him ridiculing me inside my head.

Lifting my chin, I dug in deeper. I pushed myself harder and shoved all thoughts of him and his stupid opinions to the side.

This was my moment. Heck, it was the summer of me.

I had big plans to get back on track with doing things I enjoyed. Running. Meditation. Journaling. Reading for fun.

Oh, that was a big one.

I'd taken a job at the local library nearly a month ago, but I hadn't read a single thing outside of work-related things. Reading had always been something I loved. In fact, it used to be a rare occasion to see me without my nose shoved in a book. Now, I wasn't sure how many months had passed without me reading a single one during my downtime. I'd stopped because Alex picked on me for the books I read. He thought anything besides certain genres of non-fiction were a waste of time, especially when it came to reading paranormal romance. He always said it ranked up there with watching crappy reality TV.

Man, breaking things off with him had been the best decision I'd made in years.

Even though things seemed unsettled when I looked at my future now, I was relieved to see it didn't involve him anymore. I'd dedicated too much time to Alex, and he'd taken advantage of my generosity too often.

Pulling in another deep breath, I shifted my gaze to the woods while attempting to snuff out thoughts of Alex.

Nature had always been a place of solace for me. As I pulled in another breath of cool morning air, I lost myself in the steady rhythm of my footfalls again and the picture-perfect scenery.

The moment of bliss only lasted a second before my mind wandered back to thoughts of Alex.

For some reason, my thoughts kept circling back to how the place I now considered home was once a joint dream between us. We'd wanted to own several rental properties to secure a steady, passive income together. The little house I'd moved into when we split was our first and only venture into property ownership, though. Something with Alex's work would always come up, preventing us from going any further with the dream. A deal could fall through or money would need to be shifted around to pay for something within his company.

I exhaled a long breath, trying not to get worked up about the many failures of our relationship again as I rounded a bend in the road.

A rustling noise coming from the bushes nearby caught my attention. I slowed my pace, my gaze sweeping the area. When it sounded again, followed by a low growl, my heart skipped a beat as panic jolted through me.

What the heck was that?

I picked up my pace again, ready to get out of there, my gaze scanning the woods. Another growl sounded from somewhere close, this time louder than the last.

Where was it coming from?

I pushed my legs to move faster, trying to put distance between myself and whatever it was. Even so, in the next instant, a ragged-looking dog burst through the underbrush in front of me. His eyes were wild and foam frothed from his mouth.

I froze, my legs locking beneath me. The dog snarled, its gaze fixed on me, and every muscle in my body grew tense.

What should I do—run, standstill, or try to back away slowly?

When the dog bared its teeth and then crept closer, I knew my time to decide was running out. I took a cautious step back, my breath shallow in my chest, but the dog didn't approve of the movement. He growled again as he crept closer, erasing the distance I'd placed between us. I took it as a clear warning not to move again.

Crap! Crap! Crap!

I'd really gotten myself into a pickle. There wasn't even traffic on this road this early in the morning, which meant there would be no one to save me from being mauled to death by this rabid dog.

Splaying my hands out in front of me, I took another tentative step back. The dog sounded his disapproval again, causing a gasp to escape me this time.

I froze once more.

Exhaling a slow, shaky breath, I struggled to keep my wits about me. I knew I couldn't let fear take over. If I was going to get out of this, I needed to think.

Without warning, the dog lunged forward, and I released a scream. Somehow, I managed to sidestep its attack, but without a weapon I doubted I'd be able to do it again. Running seemed like a good option, but I knew I wouldn't be able to outrun him.

Before I could decide on a course of action, a blur of black sprung from the edge of the woods. My eyes widened as a majestic panther landed between me and the dog with a force that shook the ground.

What the heck was happening here?

The panther glanced at me, and my breath hitched as I held its stare. Its eyes burned with an intensity that seemed almost human. I remained where I stood, frozen, and utterly unsure of what to do next. The very real fear I was about to be mauled to death by a rabid dog and a freaking panther filled my head.

How was this even real life?

Another growl spurred from the dog, drawing my attention back to him. He was no longer focused on me. His attention had shifted to the panther.

Thank goodness.

Hesitation seemed to pulse through the dog, and I wondered if he was now rethinking his attitude. As the panther let out a catlike roar that startled me as it ripped through the air, the dog cowered and then backed away. I watched as the panther stalked toward him, forcing the dog back into the woods.

Relief powered through me, causing my legs to tremble. Unable to hold myself up any longer, I sank to the ground. I placed a hand over my racing heart, struggling to calm down before I passed out.

But then, I remembered the panther.

Ice traveled through my veins when my gaze met with the majestic creature's. The panther stared at me, its gaze piercing and intense. Again, I felt as though there was a depth to its gaze, one that had me thinking it understood my shock and fear—that it was concerned for me.

I blinked, and the panther turned, disappearing into the woods as quickly as it had come.

Exhaling the breath I hadn't realized I was holding, I remained seated in the road for several moments, staying as still as possible. My mind struggled to make sense of what happened, to process it all.

Had a panther really just saved my life?

The whole encounter felt surreal, like something out of a dream or a book of fiction. Yet, the adrenaline coursing through my veins, the strong pumping of my heart, and the shallowness of my breath all served as stark reminders that it was real.

It had happened.

After a few deep breaths, I stood on shaky legs and headed home. My gaze scanned the woods as I walked, searching for the dog or the panther. Thankfully, neither seemed to be around anymore. A chill had settled into my bones, though. I quickened my pace, my feet hitting against the pavement in sync with my rapid heartbeat as I raced back home.

When my house came into view, I dashed inside and slammed the door closed behind me. Leaning against it for support, my mind spun.

What the hell had just happened?

I replayed the scene in my head. The rabid dog. The panther. The whole entire event had been terrifying, but there was also something exhilarating about it. That panther—its eyes had been so human-like, so filled with emotion, with concern. The way it had looked at me left me questioning things I shouldn't and had my imagination running wild.

Shoving off the door, I headed to the kitchen to make myself a cup of calming tea. I needed something to ease my nerves. The more I thought about the whole situation, the more I realized how dangerous it had been. Jogging through there so early in the morning seemed like a foolish thing to do now. The risk of encountering another wild animal was all too real. I needed to find a safer way to jog, a place where the unpredictability of nature didn't pose such a threat.

The local fitness center popped into my head.

I'd passed by it countless times without a second thought, but now it seemed like the perfect solution. In fact, the idea of joining lit me up. Before, it had felt like too big of a commitment. Now it seemed perfect.

Grabbing my tea and my phone, I made my way to the couch in the living room to look the fitness center up online.