Chapter 6

6

Lucy

N o one is listening to my opinions.

And for once, that’s the most beautiful thing in the world.

I make a few suggestions on how we should go about looking for the other team’s flag—of course, because I’m still a team player. But when they start talking over me, I happily fall quiet and daydream.

About Preston.

Last night; this morning. The feeling of his lips on mine. His cock surging in my hand. That massive body trembling with desire.

For me.

This crazily hot bear-guy wants me .

It’s so weird, but I knew he was a bear. I can’t explain it. At all. I just have this feeling that, of course, I was supposed to be with a shape shifter. Like I’ve been waiting my whole life for him to find me and snatch me up in his massive arms?—

Uh oh, they’re off. I was so busy staring into space, imagining Preston throwing me down on the bed and claiming me with that massive cock of his that I didn’t notice them leaving.

“Where we headed, guys?” I scamper after them.

No one answers me. They’re too busy staring at their phone screens and complaining that there’s no goddamn signal . We’re entering the other team’s territory, which is south of the resort. They ignored my suggestion that half of us stay back and defend our own territory, but who cares? All I care about is getting this task over with so I can see Preston again.

I dawdle along behind them, pen and map in hand, marking out the route that we’re taking.

It’s so weird, but I feel like Preston is close to me. Like I could turn around and he’d be right behind me, those fierce eyes burning with protectiveness. My heart aches for him. I feel like it’s reaching out for him. Like there’s a tether drawing me to him.

I let the group get ahead of me for a minute. They’re bickering constantly, and it’s making my ears hurt.

Time passes quickly and we don’t make a ton of progress. We traipse along in single file, everyone looking in all the same places. Me, I would have divided everyone up into pairs so we could maximize our exposure. But someone said something about strength in numbers , and here we all are. Scrabbling up and down rocky hillsides, one after another. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Except for the fact that I know Preston would have put the flag somewhere real smart. Somewhere that wouldn’t be immediately obvious, but wouldn’t be too obscure either.

I keep my gaze above the trail, focusing on the highest points.

At last, I spot it on top of a rocky outcrop—a red flag, fluttering in the wind. My heart gives a little jump. “Guys, here it is!” I yell.

At exactly the same moment, my alarm goes off. Crap. I’d set it for twelve p.m.—the time that Preston wants us to head back. I gaze up at the sky. It’s patchy blue and white. It doesn’t look like a storm is on the way, but I trust my bear man. He’s connected to the earth. I bet he understands every little shift in the weather patterns.

“Shit, there it is!” one of the men exclaims. “Come on, you guys!” He takes off along the track at a run.

“Wait,” I yell. “It’s twelve already. We need to go back, or we’ll get caught in the storm.”

He spins around and curls his lip at me. “Don’t be a lame-ass, Lucy. We’ll be there in twenty minutes, tops.”

I take a deep breath. “I don’t think so.” I pull out the map; use my finger to measure the distance. “It’s at least thirty minutes as the crow flies. But you also need to ascend a bunch as well.”

He shakes his head dismissively. “I’m gonna win this darn task if it’s the last thing I do,” he hollers and takes off again.

“Guys, this is really not a good idea. We need to get back.”

“There’s no goddamn storm coming. I wouldn’t trust a word that feral guy says!” someone else yells.

Everyone follows after him, and suddenly I’m the only one left.

I look back in the direction we’ve just come. Every nerve in my body is telling me to go back, to find Preston. But what’s going to happen to my team if I leave them out here? I’ve got to persuade them to come with me.

Sighing, I take off after them again.

They’re going faster now, buoyed by their excitement, and it’s a couple of minutes before I catch up to them. Right as I fall in step with Natasha, a drop of water plops onto my forehead. Crap. The sky has turned slate gray and mean-looking. “Guys, it’s raining now!” I shout. “We’ve got to get back.”

“Quit nagging, Lucy!” someone yells.

“Yeah, if you haven’t got anything constructive to say, then pipe down!”

All of a sudden there’s a boom in the distance.

I stop dead. Thunder. This is bad news. We are at high altitude, exposed to the elements.

“Come on, the storm is here,” I scream one last time, my voice hoarse with panic. But no one pays me any attention.

I grab Natasha’s arm. “It’s not safe out here.”

Natasha stops, gives me a long look. “We got caught in a storm when I was a kid,” she says. “My sister got hypothermia. It was real scary.”

I make a decision fast. “I’m leaving now. Are you coming with me?”

She hesitates a beat longer, then nods. “Kellie—” She calls to the girl in front of us. “We’re going back.”

“Thank goodness,” Kelly gasps out. Her big brown eyes are bugged out in fear.

I take a moment to yank my raincoat out of my backpack, pull it on, and tug the hood out to protect the map. It’s kinda laminated so it has some resistance to the rain. Which is just as well, as there’s another crack of thunder and a triple fork of lightning spears across the darkening sky. The whole sky booms and shudders like an angry god.

“Holy shit!” Kellie cowers under a bush.

I catch her up and pull her along with me. “Come on, we’ve gotta keep going.”

Holding the map in front of me and trying my best to keep it dry, I take the lead. I follow the markings I made in sharpie, but it’s slow going—mostly downhill, and meandering through a lot of unnecessary turns and deviations.

Halfway there, we squeeze through a tight spot between two rocks, and suddenly there’s Preston, rushing toward us at full pelt.

Oh, my god, he’s here. My heart beats so fast.

“Lucy!” he yells above the storm. He catches me up in his arms and hugs me tight. I’m dimly aware of Natasha and Kellie’s mouths hanging open, but I don’t care. All I care about is that he’s here, protecting me.

“Come on, let’s get you out of this.”

“Preston, the others—” I shout. “They’re still out there!”

He grimaces at the trail behind us. The rain is pouring down in sheets now. “Why the hell didn’t they come back with you?”

“They were hellbent on getting to the flag.”

He clenches his teeth. “Idiots. It’s just a freaking flag. Come on, let’s go.”

For a few wonderful seconds, I let him draw me toward the trailhead. Then I stop. “Wait, we have to go back and get them. Their phones aren’t working, and they probably don’t know how to read a map.”

He snorts. “Their problem.”

“I know, I know. They’re a bunch of morons. But we can’t let them die out there. Maybe, if you go as your bear… I could ride on your back, or something?” I have no idea if this is even possible, but it’s gotta be worth a try.

“Lucy.” He clasps my shoulders, eyes burning into mine through the fast-falling rain. “My priority is looking after you. I don’t care about anything else.”

My breath catches, my heart fluttering. “B-but?—”

“No buts. There’s a risk you’ll get hypothermia. I’m getting you home, now.” He glances over my shoulder. “All of you.”

I turn my head, take in Natasha and Kellie. They’re both shivering like crazy, and Kellie’s lips have gone blue. That does it. “Okay,” I say.

The last section is flatter, but the wet rocks are slippery underfoot. Preston keeps hold of my hand the whole way. Part of me feels guilty that I’m getting special treatment, but the other part is just blissed out at the feeling of his big, callused hand enveloping mine. I keep my gaze focused on his broad back, on the muscles shifting beneath his drenched plaid shirt. He’s not wearing waterproofs, but if it bothers him, he doesn’t give any sign of it.

At long last, we emerge at the trailhead.

“Thank goodness!” Natasha gasps out.

“Let’s get you inside,” Preston says gruffly, shepherding us toward the lodge, which is just visible in the distance.

The rain is heavier than ever, but I come to a dead stop. If I’m being real honest, I’d happily never lay eyes on any of my colleagues again. But I don’t want them to be hurt either.

Preston turns, looks at me. For a long time, we don’t speak. We just gaze into each other’s eyes, like we’re communicating telepathically.

Then he lifts my hand to his lips and kisses it.

“You have a pure heart, Lucy Cole. Do you know that?”

I beam at him. “Thank you, so much.”

“For you. Anything for you.” He glances at the lodge and his expression turns stern. “Okay, your job is to get warm. You hear me?”

“Sure do.” I nod seriously. “You’ll be careful out there?”

He snorts. “For a bear it’s nothing.” He pulls me into his arms and holds me. I don’t want to let go, but after four, five beautiful seconds, I tear myself away.

He squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it.”

And he heads off, into the driving rain. The mist is coming down so fast, it envelops him in seconds. My heart aches for him. With every step he takes, it gets worse. I have an overwhelming urge to dash after him.

But a hand wraps around my arm.

“Lucy Cole, we’re all going to get into that hot tub of yours, and you’re going to tell us everything .” Despite the rain and the cold, Natasha’s eyes are glittering with excitement.

I sigh. “Okay, let’s go.”