Chapter 1

What a way to go. I might honestly freeze to death because this paper map is useless.

How the heck did our ancestors use the sky to find north when it"s completely cloudy? I really should"ve paid more attention to that summer camp orienteering talk when I was nine.

Another blast of wind attacks my tiny one-person tent. I tried to find a rocky outcrop to block the breeze, but nature apparently didn"t read the same survival guide I skimmed before coming here.

It"s getting dark fast. Even with my flashlight, this is probably my last good chance to pee. Pulling my beanie on tightly, I abandon my tent to go out into the forest.

The fragrance has been all around me since I arrived, but it hits me all over again, fresh, damp, and lush. Until yesterday, I didn"t realize that the color green really does have its own scent, and I think I"m in love with it. After the stress I"ve been through, it"s almost relaxing.

About fifty feet from the tent, I dig a small trench with my heel, pee carefully, then kick leaves and dirt over that spot when I"m finished. I click my flashlight on again and start walking back toward my tent.

Suddenly in the gentle rustle of the deep woods, I hear a twig snap. I freeze. Then I hear another.

Don"t worry. It"s not him. It can"t be.

I try to calm my breathing, but my heart has jumped up into my throat. There"s no way he could find me here. But then, he"s clever, and a self-proclaimed expert at everything.

Walking as quietly as I can, I approach my tent from the rear. It looks like the wind is really shaking it.

Then I stifle a gasp as a giant beast of a man pulls his head out of the front flap and stands up to look at me. His eyes lock with mine in the fading light. "Don"t run." The command is startling. "I won"t hurt you, but you"ll hurt yourself running in the dark."

There is no way I could disobey that gruff tone. My feet are so rooted to the ground they might as well be in two blocks of ice.

He approaches slowly, always keeping his hands in view. There"s just enough light for me to get a decent look at his huge shoulders, rugged jawline, and piercing eyes. He"s absolutely striking?—

He"s also twice my size, and I"m alone in the dark with him.

"This isn"t a campground, you know." His dark growl says that he means business, but his whole demeanor softens slightly as soon as he gets a better look at me. At five foot nothing, it"s obvious I"m not a threat.

"I"m sorry." I shift from foot to foot. "It was kind of an emergency."

His eyes narrow as he peers around. "What kind of emergency?" I don"t answer. "At least tell me, are you injured?"

"No. I"m fine."

He comes another few steps closer, and his stern expression eases a bit. "Pretty sure you"re not a poacher…" It almost seems like he"s trying to force a smile to put me at ease. "Few years ago there were a bunch prowling around up here. But you don"t look big enough to lift a bobcat or a deer."

"No. I… Please don"t turn me in. I need…" Swallowing hard, I can"t even finish the thought.

"Don"t worry, I won"t. But there"s a frost warning tonight. You can"t stay here. I"ll help you get back to your car."

"I can"t…" I don"t know what it is about this giant man, but he seems solid and for some reason trustworthy. "I had to abandon my car."

"Well…" His thick brows knit together. "There"s a tiny hotel in Old Hemlock Valley. I can take you there?"

"They"ll ask for my name, and I…I just can"t…"

He nods slowly. "You"re on the run." His huge hand runs through his dark hair as he looks down at his work boots for a moment. "Seriously, you could freeze to death if you stayed out here tonight."

My hands are clenching and unclenching, and I can"t meet his eyes. "I need to stay hidden."

He exhales loudly and holds out a huge hand to shake mine. It"s warm and firm, and for a split second I feel a glimmer of hope that he might help me. Then he blinks, looks down, and smells his palm. "Hand sanitizer?"

"Y-yeah."

He nods. "Got it." There"s a grinding sound in his throat that might be his attempt at a half chuckle. "I"m Jace. Jace Wolfe."

My mouth opens and closes again. I have to tell him something. "Kara."

"Okay, Kara-with-no-last-name. You"re on the run, but I"m assuming you"d still rather not die tonight. Where can I take you?"

"Nowhere with Wi-Fi or cameras."

His stern eyes soften. "So it"s like that." He reaches out to give me a gentle pat on the side of my shoulder. "It"s okay. I"ve got you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I know somewhere safe where you can stay. I"ll explain on the way. We need to get going before it"s completely dark. You"re already shivering."

There"s no denying that I need help. And somehow he feels trustworthy. Which is a comforting if unexpected feeling, given that I"ve been dealing with such a deceitful person over the past few months.

Jace is so focused on his self-appointed mission to care for a girl he just met in the woods that it makes me relax a bit, even as I consider that I"m following a giant stranger into a darkening forest. It doesn"t hurt that the more I see of his face, the more I realize he"s beyond gorgeous. He"s stunning.

"Okay. Thank you."