Shadows at Sunset: Sunset Trilogy ~ Book 1 (14 page)

I walked around him, my sights set on the bonfire. I listened carefully for footsteps behind me, wondering if he would try to catch up to me again, but I heard nothing. Without looking back, I marched down the hill toward the party around the fire, determined to forget about the wolf and Xander’s intense blue eyes.

Chapter 8

The next morning, I returned to an empty house. My parents had left a note for me on the kitchen table.
Gone shopping. We’ll be back later this afternoon
.

I wondered what that was all about. My parents rarely shopped together unless it was for something big like furniture.

Dismissing my curiosity about their outing, I hauled my overnight bag upstairs to my bedroom and kicked off my jeans from last night. I pressed them up to my nose, inhaling the smoky campfire scent, then quickly tossed them and the sweater I had worn to the party into my laundry. I pulled on a gray Boston College sweatshirt and black workout pants as I looked wistfully out the window over my desk. It was another beautiful early fall morning with blue skies and cool temperatures. Perfect for a hike before I needed to get ready for work.

I slipped my hiking boots on and headed downstairs. I contemplated taking my camera, but then decided against it. My thoughts were focused on Dakota this morning. I needed to know that he was safe. Ever since last night, I had wished that the strange wolf at the campground had been a bad dream. But I knew it was real. And if Dakota didn’t know about it yet, he was about to find out.

I ran out the back door and across the yard to the woods. The bright sunlight blinded me for a moment until I entered the trail, the trees overhead providing plenty of shade. Sunlight danced on the ground in small random patches where it filtered in through gaps in the leafy forest ceiling. Racing up the familiar trail, I searched for signs of Dakota.

“Dakota!” I called out. “Come here boy!”

I stopped for a moment, scanning the sloping forest for any sign of him. A woodpecker drilled like a jackhammer into a nearby tree and I heard a rustling in the brush. I turned to see a moose lumbering toward me. Her dull brown coat blended into the surrounding dense woods as she approached the trail, her ears flopping off to the sides. I gazed at her soft brown eyes when she stopped beside me. As I reached up to stroke her furry neck, the oil from her skin greased my hand.

The moose shook her head in annoyance at a fly and then continued across the path, disappearing into the forest. I resumed hiking up the trail, still focused on finding Dakota. “Dakota!” I yelled, cupping my hands around my mouth.

He suddenly leaped out of the woods about thirty feet ahead of me. He skidded to a halt and stood perfectly still, his huge paws planted firmly on the ground, his expression solemn.

“There you are,” I said with a smile as I quickened my pace to catch up to him.

Instead of the friendly gaze and wagging tail he usually greeted me with, he let out a low growl. I stopped dead in my tracks, wondering if I had mistaken the other wolf for Dakota. But I had no doubt that this was Dakota. His honey colored eyes gave him away.

“Dakota,” I whispered, stepping toward him again. “What’s going on with you?” The rumbling in his throat grew louder as I came closer to him. Heeding his warning, I stopped. “Dakota?” I asked hesitantly as I backed up a step. His growl faded. “So that’s it? You want me to turn back?” His eyes softened with a subtle nod of his head. “Okay. I’ll go. But not until I know why. I saw another wolf at the old campground last night. Is that what this is all about?” I waited for his reaction, wishing once again that he could tell me his thoughts.

He turned his head to look into the woods, his ears flickering at the noises he heard. Then he swept his gaze around to the other side, as if looking for something. When he returned his stare to me, he nodded.

A breeze whispered through the leaves high above and the dappled sunlight moved in waves across the trail. I sighed. “Fine. I’ll go home, but you’re coming with me. If it’s not safe for me, I don’t want you out here either.”

Dakota remained still, his posture tall and solid. I could tell he had no plans to obey me. “I mean it, Dakota.” I started walking toward him, although I didn’t know how I planned to make him return to the house with me. If I had learned anything about him over the years, it was that he had a mind of his own. But until now, we had never disagreed. This was a battle of wills that I probably wouldn’t win, but I wasn’t about to give up without trying.

I had only taken a few steps when Dakota charged toward me, his growling louder than before. He halted inches away, glaring at me. I tripped as I came to a stop, spreading my arms out to catch my balance. My heart thundered in my chest.

I backed up slowly, never breaking my eye contact with him. As I did, his warning growl ceased. “Just promise me one thing. Stay safe. I couldn’t handle it if anything happened to you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

With that, I spun on my heels and headed down the trail. When I had almost reached our backyard, I stopped and looked back. As I expected, Dakota had disappeared into the forest without a trace.

***

When I arrived at the pizza shop, the lunch rush had already begun. It was the busiest I had seen it all summer, and time flew by as I waited on customers. I welcomed the distraction, although the strange wolf never completely left my thoughts. I was so focused on my job that I at least stopped worrying about it. There would be plenty of time for that later.

The restaurant never entirely cleared out after lunch. Stragglers wandered in throughout the afternoon for pizza and sandwiches. I still had a few tables going at three o’clock when Noah walked through the front door. My heart jumped when I saw him take a seat. He removed his sunglasses, gently setting them down on the red and white checked tablecloth. Looking around, his eyes stopped when he saw me across the room. I smiled and self-consciously pushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

My eyes on him, I approached his table. My other customers were eating, so I had a few minutes to spare. “Hi,” I said when I stopped next to him.

“Hey. Looks like you’ve had a busy day. The last time I came in at this hour, there wasn’t a single soul left in here.”

“Yeah. It’s been great.”
But it’s even better now that you’re here.
“How’s your day going?”

“Pretty good. Your dad’s got both me and Pete on duty since it’s the last official weekend of summer, but it’s actually been pretty quiet. And quiet is good after the last few weeks. So what were you up to last night?”

“Not much. I just went to a party with Brooke and Ethan.”

“Really? How was that?”

“Boring,” I lied as the wolf with the yellow eyes flashed through my thoughts. But the eyes quickly changed to a haunting blue. Xander. It wasn’t the first time I had thought of him since last night. And every time I did, a shiver crept up my spine. “Hey, I have a question. Could you run a background check on someone for me?”

“Sure, but why? Doesn’t your dad know everything you’d need to know about anyone in this town?”

“Of course. But this is someone who just moved here. My dad wouldn’t know him. His name is Xander Payne.”

Recognition crossed over Noah’s expression. “He must be Caleb Payne’s son.”

“Caleb Payne? You know who I’m talking about?”

“I know of them,” Noah corrected me. “Apparently, Caleb moved here with his only son from Los Angeles. They have a big house hidden on a mountain somewhere around here.”

“Is it just the two of them?”

Noah nodded. “Yeah, at least from what I’ve heard.”

I briefly wondered why my parents hadn’t mentioned the father and son newcomers to town, but we all had been so caught up with the recent events that the usual things we talked about had slipped by. “Hmm. That’s interesting.”

“So why do you want me to run a background check on this guy?”

“I ran into him at the party last night. He told me that the reason his father moved them here was because he stole a car. I’m just wondering what other trouble he may have been in.”

Noah raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, good question. Stealing a car is pretty serious.” He chuckled softly. “And I thought coming here would end up being the most boring job I could ever take. So far, we’ve had kidnapping, a dead body, and now grand theft auto.”

“I’m glad you’re so amused,” I said sarcastically, but with a smile. I could have added a golden-eyed wolf to the list, but surely he wouldn’t have believed me. I didn’t want him to think I was some crazy small-town girl who made up stories for attention. “It may not be a big deal to someone from Los Angeles, but we don’t have crime like that around here. At least we didn’t up until a few weeks ago, and we don’t want any more of it. We like our quiet town, even if it is boring. So I’d really like to know what his story is even if I am being a little nosy.”

“Then consider it done. I’ll look into it as soon as I get back to the station. It won’t hurt to know his background. I’m curious now, too, based on what you just told me.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it. But there’s one more thing I need to ask.”

“Sure, no problem. What’s that?”

“Please don’t mention this to my dad. He’s got enough to worry about right now. I know he’s still really shaken up to know a young child was snatched from his own backyard up here. I don’t want him to worry about this, too. And I definitely don’t want him to ask how I was at a party with some kid who has already been in serious trouble with the law.”

Noah grinned knowingly. “Now the truth is finally out. Is there anything else I should know about the party last night? Was there any drinking?”

“What do you think?” Of course there had been a keg and liquor bottles, but not everyone there had been drinking. I suddenly remembered that another party had been held last night. “I’m sure there was a lot of drinking at Marlena’s party last night, though. She was advertising all week that her parents were going out of town for the weekend.”

“I’ll have to remember that for next time. Let me know when that happens again and your dad and I can bust her party.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. He still had a lot to learn about our small town politics. “Not that I wouldn’t love that because I really would, but that isn’t a good idea because her father is the mayor. The unspoken, unwritten rule is that Marlena can have her friends over to do whatever they want as long as they stay at her house and no one drives.”

“Thanks for the tip. I’ll remember that.”

“Be sure you do. I’d hate to see you fired only a month or two after you got here.”

“Me, too.” He shot another smile at me as our eyes locked for a moment of silence.

Worried that I had lingered a little too long, I pulled a notepad and pen out of my apron.

“Are you hungry? Can I get you something?”

“I thought you’d never ask. Two slices of pepperoni pizza and a Coke. And, hopefully, I’ll get to eat them here this time.”

I nodded. “I hope so, too.”

Turning around, I headed to the kitchen to put in his order and get his soda. For the rest of the afternoon, a smile lingered on my face.

***

The sliver of a crescent moon was surrounded by glittering stars in the black night sky. I ran through the woods, my heart racing in fear. Panic gripped me as I dodged the trees and prayed that I wouldn’t trip on roots hidden by several inches of thick, heavy snow. I wore a white nightgown that reached my knees, leaving my lower legs bare and exposed to the frigid wintry air. But I couldn’t feel the cold in my frenzy to escape.

As I ran, animals darted past me, as if also afraid. To my right, a lynx charged ahead with long, stealthy strides. To my left, several deer leaped through the air, clearing logs in their path, their upright white tails a blur against the wintry landscape. A speckled snow owl flew past me and, while I pushed my legs to move as fast as they could, I couldn’t keep up with any of the animals. They disappeared into the distance, leaving me to run alone.

I heard the heavy breathing of something chasing me, but I didn’t dare turn my head to look behind for fear of losing speed. Whatever it was, I didn’t need to see it to know that I needed to keep running. I pressed on up a hill, gasping for air. My legs burned from exertion and I began to tire. Just when I thought I couldn’t run any longer, my bare feet stumbled against a tree root and I pitched forward, slamming against the snow-covered ground. I broke my fall with my hands and, as I caught my breath, a deep growl rumbled behind me. I turned to see the yellow-eyed black wolf standing over me, its dark leathery nose inches away from my face. Its breath billowed out in a hazy fog. I scooted back as quickly as I could until I hit a tree behind me. The wolf crouched down low and slowly stalked toward me.