Chapter 38

Ava

Chris pulled the car into a small parking area on the side of the road and put it in park. He turned to me, pulling the keys out of the ignition at the same time.

“We’re here,” he said.

I looked out through the car windows at the sprawling pine forest towering over us and saw no trailhead. “Where is ‘here’?” I asked with a slight chuckle. “I’ve never hiked here before.”

Chris smirked and unbuckled his seatbelt. “You’ll see. It’s a bit off the beaten path.”

As we climbed out of the car, the scent of pine and sap filled my nostrils—a soothing, natural scent that had always been one of my favorites. But as we made our way to the treeline, I still saw no trail. I paused, placing my hands on my hips.

“There’s no trail, is there?” I asked. “You know, it’s dangerous to hike without a trail. We could get lost.”

“Oh, damn. You and me, lost in the woods with no one around for days?” Chris teased. “Having to use each other for warmth? How awful.”

A derisive snort escaped my lips and I punched him in the arm. “Careful,” I warned him. “I have more survival skills than you. I might even eat you if we run out of food.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

Even though my better judgment went against it, I followed Chris into the woods. It was easy going, seeing as how the ground was mostly covered in pine turf and devoid of most underbrush save for the occasional cluster of ferns and mossy rocks, and soon, we had picked up a good pace.

Soon enough, we did actually come upon a well-maintained trail. Chris sheepishly explained to me that he hadn’t taken us to the advertised trailhead in case of being seen, so he had taken a shortcut. But it was a quiet day anyway, and we didn’t run into any other hikers.

Eventually, after crossing various little streams and slowly making our way uphill, the ground turned into rock and the treeline broke up ahead. After one last haul up a large boulder, we finally arrived.

“Well?” Nathan asked, stretching his arms out wide. “What do you think?”

I felt as if all of my breath had been stolen away. There, spread all around below us, was the forest we had just traversed—deep green and lush, with towering pines and firs fighting for sunlight. Down below, I could make out a creek cutting through the trees, bordered by moss-covered rocks and fallen logs. I could even see a few deer languidly crossing the creek, letting the cold water soothe their legs in the heat.

“It’s… beautiful,” I finally breathed after what felt like an eternity. “I’ve never been here before.”

Chris let out a low, triumphant whistle. “I didn’t think I would have found a place here that you didn’t already know about.”

A smirk tugged at my lips as I found a smooth spot to sit and enjoy the view. “I don’t know everything, you know.”

“Is that so? You could have fooled me.”

We lapsed into a comfortable silence after that, just taking in the view. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, bathing the dark green forest in a warm, golden glow. Birds trilled their evening songs from the treetops, and a slight breeze ruffled the emerald canopy, carrying the crisp scent of pine along with it.

It was… perfect. More perfect than I could have imagined when Chris first suggested this little date of ours.

I let out a contented sigh, allowing myself to simply exist in the moment rather than worry about rules or propriety or any of the other hang-ups that had been plaguing me. Just for now, I could appreciate the beauty of nature and the simple pleasure of good company.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Chris’s soft voice suddenly pulled me out of my reverie.

I turned to find him watching me with those green eyes of his, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Just admiring the view,” I admitted.

He arched an eyebrow teasingly. “Is that so? And which view would that be?”

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly, giving him a light shove. “You’re ridiculous.”

“But you love it.”

I couldn't argue with that. Despite all of my trepidation going into today, I was thoroughly enjoying myself. Just being out here in the fresh air, away from prying eyes and stifling expectations, was a relief.

“You know,” Chris murmured beside me, “if we’re really going to have a proper date, then maybe we could share some secrets. Get to know each other a little better.”

I shot him a sidelong glance. “What did you have in mind?”

He shrugged one shoulder lazily. “I don’t know. Something small, just to start.”

I considered this for a moment, tapping my chin in thought. “Alright, then you go first. Share one of your secrets with me.”

A devilish grin crept across Chris’s face. “Well, if you insist…” He leaned in conspiratorially. “I have a secret obsession.”

I arched an eyebrow. “With what?”

“Chocolate.”

I couldn't contain my snort of laughter. “That’s not much of a secret, Chris! You were always sneaking chocolate as a kid, even when I tried to hide it from you.”

Heat crept into Chris’s cheeks at the implication of our previous history, but he maintained his easy smile. “Hey, the habit stuck. That’s all I’m saying.”

“I guess so.” I shook my head in amusement. “Well, alright. Now it’s my turn, I guess…” I racked my brain, trying to come up with something innocuous yet still somewhat intimate to reveal. Finally, after a long silence, I let out a quiet breath.

“Sometimes… I envy human women.”

Chris’s brow furrowed slightly, clearly not expecting that admission. “You do? Why?”

I pursed my lips, steeling myself. “It’s just...things are so different in the werewolf world compared to the human one, you know? Sometimes the gender divide here feels so… antiquated. Unfair, really.”

I could feel Chris’s eyes on me, watching me intently even as I kept my gaze fixed on the horizon.

“Can you explain?” he murmured.”

“Most female werewolves are expected to be quiet little housewives,” I continued softly. “Keeping the home tidy, cooking, cleaning… all while their mate goes out and works and makes all the decisions. Or how a widowed woman can never take a position of true power, can never become a Luna again if she remarries.”

The words hung heavy between us, their weight pulling at the previously lighthearted atmosphere. But I knew Chris wouldn’t judge me; I knew he would understand where I was coming from.

Sure enough, when I finally chanced a glance at him, he simply gave a slow nod of acknowledgment, his expression contemplative.

We sat in silence for a while longer as the sun’s last rays finally disappeared beyond the trees, surrounding us in a dusky blue twilight. A few stars began to wink into existence overhead, reminding me that we should probably start heading back soon.

“We should go,” I said at last, getting to my feet and brushing myself off. “It’ll be fully dark before we make it back to the car.”

Chris rose as well, falling into step beside me as we picked our way back down the trail. For a while, the only sounds were the crunch of our boots on the soft ground and the occasional hoot of an owl coming out for its nightly hunt.

Then, a twig snapped somewhere off the path ahead of us, followed by a harsh snort. We both froze, our ears perked. A few moments later, there was another snort and the unmistakable sound of a hoof stamping angrily against the ground.

Chris’s hand snaked out to grasp my arm, pulling me protectively behind him as he took a step forward, his fangs dropping. “Stay back,” he murmured under his breath, a low growl rumbling in his chest. “It could be a—”

“Wait.” I held up a hand to stop him, squinting into the shadows up ahead. Indeed, through the gloom I could just make out the dim outline of a deer, the whites of its eyes flashing in our direction. But rather than the meaty frame and antlered head of a buck, this was the slender silhouette of...

“A doe,” I murmured, holding Chris back. “Look.”

I pointed up ahead, and he followed my gaze to see the reason for the doe’s agitation: cowering under the bushes up the path was a tiny, trembling form.

A fawn.

And as my eyes adjusted to the low light, I realized with a lurch of dread that the soft ground beneath the fawn’s leg was stained a dark red.