Yeah, I was that lazy.
The little circular button in the middle lit up in a green X. Before the dashboard could come up, I was distracted by a sound. Thanks to my newly developed super hearing, I heard things I normally wouldn’t be able to, but it took concentration. It was nowhere near as cool as Chase’s, more like enhanced hearing. Noise like the TV or music muffled the distance I could hear. I had no sooner turned on my Xbox when, I heard the slamming of a door at my lovely neighbors’—only neighbor.
Like a total peeping Tom, I rolled off the bed and peeked through my curtains, expecting to see Chase or Lexi back early. I should have known that there was a better chance of a zombie invasion than there was of Lexi returning early from shopping.
It was Travis.
I hesitated for just a fraction of a second, and then I was scrambling off my bed. Thank the good Lord I’d gotten dressed today. Well, if you considered what I was wearing clothes. No doubt Lexi would have condemned me to the fashion police on the spot, but I definitely wasn’t interested in winning a beauty crown.
I stepped into a pair of Uggs and was out the door. The cold air hit me first, knocking my breath back, but I didn’t let it slow me down. Travis was unbearably fast when he wanted to be, and I had elephant feet. There was no way I could catch him if he didn’t want to be found.
When he went into the forest, I groaned.
You think I would have learned my lesson, but I wasn’t sure when I would get another chance to corner Travis alone. Corner might not have been the right word, but I had attempted to seek him out a dozen times over the last few weeks. All I’d gotten was ignored calls, dismissed texts, and the door in my face. He had even gone as far as unfriending me on Xbox.
That was low.
And since Chase was never far, it seemed like a golden opportunity—one I couldn’t pass up, not even for my abjuration of the forbidden woods. So I sucked it up and stepped into the place filled with nothing but bad memories.
When Chase wanted to blow off steam, he sought the fields. Travis apparently found his solace in the haunted forest filled with scary-butt-ugly hellhounds.
Freaking fabulous.
I much preferred Chase’s choice of solace. If Travis ever talked to me again, I was going to have to lecture him about his stupidity.
Tall black walnut trees crowded me on either side of the woods, giving it the most ethereal feel. I was starting to regret my spur of the moment decision to follow Travis and demand he listen to me. Up ahead, the deep blue of nightfall approached, providing less and less light. I kept my eyes glued to him, knowing in one blink I could lose the half-demon.
Actually, now that I thought about, I wondered why he hadn’t tried to ditch me. I wanted to shout his name but was afraid of what else might be haunting these woods. All the animal tracks in the snow made me very nervous. I tried to ignore the tingles that burned stronger at my hip the deeper I went.
He was just in my sights, so I took off running, closing the distance between us. All I needed was a few minutes of his time to explain the brilliant plan I had schemed all by my lonesome. Mentally, I patted myself on the back for my ingenuity. Chase was going to brain me, but it turned out, Chase was the least of my worries.
The forest was freakishly silent around me, with just the clomping of my boots on the sloshing ground. When I was a few yards away, I called his name. “Travis, wait. Just give me five minutes.” Then you can go back to ignoring me, I silently added. Leaning a hand on a nearby tree trunk, I tried to catch my breath.
His back was to me, and he stiffened at the sound of my voice. Cocking his head to the side, he reminded me of the Predator with a ghost of a smiled curled upon his lips. I knew that he wasn’t Travis, but by the time I figured it out, he spun around with fiery amber eyes.
Oh crap.
I kicked myself for being so careless and letting my desperate need to make things right overshadow my cautiousness. Of course Travis had run off because he had lost control. Hadn’t Travis’s savage and compulsive demon been a problem lately. A big problem?
He would never hurt me, right?
Just then I wasn’t so certain. I guess somewhere along the line, I’d forgotten how truly dangerous they could really be. Normally, their anger wasn’t directed at me, and it was a frightening situation to find myself trapped in.
Running—useless. Screaming—pointless. Fighting—yeah right.
I was out of options as I backed up a step or two. “Travis?” My voice quivered.
There was a low purr in the back of his throat as he advanced, snow crunching underfoot. His sneer grew as if he was enjoying my fear. “You shouldn’t have come. I’m not fit for company.” His movements were catlike, stealthy and stalking.
Shit. You’re telling me.