Chapter Four

I was tentative the second time around when it came to gripping Gage’s waist without the danger obliterating my boundaries to smithereens, but he only chuckled, grabbing my arms and yanking me forward until I was plastered against his back.

My body was reacting in ways that I hadn’t experienced before, but I deflected, asking the first thing that popped into my mind, “You’re not worried about someone taking off with your stuff?”

“Nah, it’s rare that I come across anyone this far out. I have a few spots all over the place for when I’m too far from home. No one has messed with any of them for the months I’ve been out here, but I also have some silver hidden near the entrances to deter shifters from investigating.”

I was left with the distinct impression that he was leaving something out, but I trusted him, just the same. He’d already saved my skin after all, and he seemed to be in a hurry to leave now since the rain had forced us to take cover through the night and well into the next day.

It was difficult to wrap my head around the idea of those massive wolves transforming into humans, but I let the topic fade back into hibernation as the rocky sides of the cave fell away behind us, a shiver running down my spine as a gust of wind washed across my upturned face.

He drove out into the forest as he finished his sentence, but I didn’t miss how he appeared to be more alert to our surroundings as we traveled to the old silver mines that his community called home.

It made sense that they’d decided to remain there after surviving the bombs now that I knew about the acid rain and werewolves, and Gage had explained its easy access to fresh seafood due to the ocean’s close proximity, notwithstanding its inland location.

Even so, I had to admit I was leery of the idea initially, not that I had many options with the various complications that seemed to keep rearing their ugly heads.

Once or twice, I thought my eyes were deceiving me, seeing a smoky, black wolf trailing behind us, but I reasoned it must’ve been a trick of the light because we didn’t encounter any trouble along the way.

On the contrary, I seemed to be drawn to the creature I’d tried my damnedest to chalk up to my imagination.

Gage explained more about his home throughout the day, telling me about how they’d fixed up the area to be a comfortable living space, and he’d expanded on how they had a basic setup with electricity and a rudimentary heating system to protect them against the plunging temperatures.

In any case, I was ready to crash once we did finally make it in late that evening.

My head had been tucked against his back for the last several hours, and the citrusy scent of bergamot with a hint of engine grease practically consumed my senses. It was a comforting fragrance, and I found I was coming to enjoy the odd combination.

I dozed intermittently the best I could with my koala-like grip around his stout form and the jarring ride through the wilds, but I was far from rested when we made it at last.

My foot was smarting, and I was exhausted after the long trip. It hadn’t been an issue while we were driving, but the frequent jostling occasionally sent sparks of pain shooting up my leg.

Gage had offered to give me a quick tour, but I was all for passing out in his room and dealing with the rest of the shit tomorrow, so that’s exactly what we did.

I was aware he had a spare bunk available from our former conversation about accommodations on one of our stops along the way, and my body was running on fumes by the time we’d arrived.

The fact that we’d fallen together on the same bed in our mutual fatigue was the furthest thing from my mind in the moment, but it was hard to ignore the next morning, or whenever it was when I awoke later.

The room was pitch-black, but I knew even without my sight that it was Gage’s arms encircling me de novo, his natural cologne and familiar build already ingrained in my head.

Howbeit, the feeling of security was short-lived as someone burst into the sizable room out of nowhere, causing my vision to falter as my eyes adjusted to the lantern the intruder carried.

“What the fuck?” Gage shot up, sending me off balance and towards the edge of the bed with the commotion.

My breath caught as I realized I was going over, but strong arms snaked around my waist at the last second, pulling me back onto the downy surface as a female voice drew my focus.

“Gage! I’m so thrilled that you’re back.” She simpered in a girlish voice, but I felt the weight of the woman’s scrutiny as I shrank into Gage’s chest when her muddy brown eyes narrowed in on me.

“Alissa, why the fuck are you in here? Get out of my room.”

I was stunned at the anger I detected in his voice as he berated the female, but I couldn’t say I was sorry for his reaction. Steeling myself, I inhaled deeply before meeting Alissa’s burning orbs, remembering to harden my expression into an unreadable mask.

The woman scrabbled back at Gage’s brash manner, bumping into the doorframe as she at last recognized that her presence wasn’t met with equal enthusiasm, but she persevered in a weak tone anyhow, “I guess I should have knocked. Sorry, Gage.”

“Yes. You should have.” Gage bit out in a harsh rejoinder.

She didn’t sound repentant at all, flippantly tossing her russet-colored locks over her shoulder as she spoke, but she got to the gist of her intrusion after his sharp rebuke, stammering in a subdued voice, “R…Robbie needs you to take a look at one of the generators that has been acting up.”

Feeling awkward but refusing to show any more weakness than I already had, I moved to the side of the bed as they briefly conversed about their community’s business. Alissa tossed me one last inscrutable look before she disappeared, but I didn’t pay her any mind.

“I’m sorry, Zoe. Alissa is a bit pushy, but I probably should see what’s going on. I found the part I needed before we crossed paths in the forest.” He spoke, messing with something in the darkness that had pervaded with Alissa’s departure, but then the room was illuminated once more.

Following, Gage moved away from the light source, and I stood up, stretching out my muscles as he continued, “I’ll drop you off at the dining area on my way and swing back around when you’re done eating. Hopefully, this shouldn’t take too long.”

Murmuring my agreement to his plan, I was relieved he’d understood whatever gibberish I’d spit out while I was too busy watching him stride to a shelf on the other side of the room.

He’d shrugged out of his shirt on the way, and I was practically drooling at his brawny physique on full display, my inexperienced self getting my first glimpse of the opposite sex in an arousing manner.

Unfortunately, he yanked a deep-blue long sleeve over his head before I could really ogle his perfection to my heart’s content, and I forced my eyes away before he caught me staring when he turned around.

I might have been naïve in most respects when it came to sexual attraction, but I knew what it meant when all the liquid seemed to pool at my suddenly molten center, leaving my mouth as dry as a desert and my face scorching.

I cleared my throat as he gave me a quizzical look, and I delayed, licking my lips before responding a beat late, “That works for me.”

It wasn’t easy for me to shake the feelings of self-consciousness and worry about what to expect when we came across others from his community, but I was able to pull myself together after a visit to the adjoining washroom.

The room was tiny, but there were all the essentials, a small standup shower, a toilet, and a sink.

Gage had explained that most of the living spaces here in the renovated silver mine didn’t come equipped with a bathroom attached, but he’d needed the room that the former dorm lodging afforded for all the spare tools and parts he had laying around.

He was modest about his skill, but it became apparent rather fast throughout the morning that he was well respected within his community for his mechanical abilities.

I felt like an outsider as we ambled through the chilly walkways in an abbreviated tour, my only solace being the security my newfound friend provided, but I didn’t want to let on to my discomfort.

Moreover, my mind was reeling with the info he’d shared about the closed off section of the tunnels, and my nerves were rattled knowing there were deep pits leftover from when the mine was in operation so many years ago.

I remained quiet as I took in my new environs and the risks that came with it, and I found myself uncertain about whether this supposed haven would suit my needs.

Unexpectedly, Gage and I ran across Alissa again in the dining area, but her demeanor was entirely different, confusing the hell out of me as she emitted a friendly vibe, immediately offering to show me around while Gage worked.

The indecision was clear as day on his face as he warred internally, likely recalling the same scene that had played out earlier this morning as I was, but I also observed his need to see to his responsibilities.

I made the choice easy for him, offering an olive branch to Alissa as I replied, “Sounds great, but I’m starving, so how about we hang out here for a bit first.”

She agreed without a fuss and strolled away to secure us a table as men and women began wandering in by twos and threes from a few different entry points.

Gage hustled me over to an alcove just outside the dining area before I could take a step in the female’s direction, and I was touched by the real concern I saw in his eyes as he made sure I was at ease.

I clutched my arms tightly around my body as we conversed, hugging myself to keep warm where the heating system didn’t reach, but it felt like an inferno in the communal eating space with the mixture of curious and lustful glances trained on me as I rejoined Alissa.

Spending time with the other woman wasn’t high on my list of desires, but I didn’t want to make things hard for Gage or burn any bridges before I knew where my permanent home would be.

Not to mention, it was possible Alissa and I had gotten off on the wrong foot. Our introduction wasn’t exactly normal to be fair, and I knew I could retreat to Gage’s sanctuary when I was ready thanks to his unprompted insistence prior when he’d tugged me to the side.

Ignoring the dull ache from my foot hadn’t been taxing when I was with Gage, but it began hurting in earnest after traversing all around the winding paths of the drab tunnel system with Alissa for what felt like hours.

As my mind raced through excuses, I opened my mouth to start without a clue as to what would come out, but she stopped abruptly a foot ahead, knocking twice on a wooden door as I tripped because of her erratic actions.

Mere seconds later, a man with coal black eyes nearly wrenched the door from the frame in his haste to remove the barrier, but my skin was crawling with the lecherous look he aimed at me as he silently ushered us in.

Alissa didn’t appear affected by the male, so I kept my mouth shut until I had more information, but my gut told me something wasn’t quite right here.