Marked, Not Kept
He took her to the tree line, where the grass gave out and the dark started.
"Shoes off," he said.
"I'm not wearing shoes."
"Then feel the ground."
The grass was cold and soaked and it squelched between her toes, and she felt ridiculous, and she did it anyway. Wilder stopped in front of her. Close. Close enough that under the pine and the rain she caught plain soap, and warm skin, and wolf.
"Close your eyes."
"No."
"Close them, Maya."
She did.
"Listen."
Wind in the needles. An owl, somewhere left. Her own heart, going too fast.