Shadows at Sunset: Sunset Trilogy ~ Book 1 (29 page)

“You tell me.”

I thought for a moment, but nothing too exciting came to mind. “There aren’t a whole lot of options. We could see what’s on TV or go outside and enjoy the stars. It’s a pretty clear night.” I hoped he didn’t find my suggestions too dull or too high-school.

“Sounds good. Either one works for me. What would you prefer?”

“To sit outside. I’m also hoping that Dakota will come home before I go to bed. I always sleep better when he’s here. Besides, there isn’t much I really like on TV these days. I’ve never enjoyed all those reality shows.” I led the way across the kitchen to the back door and stepped out into the cool night air. Noah flipped the outside light on, and I turned. “No, leave it off. It’s easier to see the stars when it’s completely dark.”

He switched the light off before following me out onto the patio as the back door fell shut with a bang. I rubbed my arms in the cold air, hugging my sweater around my chest. My eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness as I walked to the edge of the patio and sat down. Noah sat so close to me that I could feel the heat from his body.

We gazed out across the yard in silence. The trees loomed, their tall crooked shadows stretching up to the dark sky. A crescent moon peeked out over the branches, and stars speckled like diamonds high above us. I sighed as I admired the night, not even noticing the goose bumps that covered my arms.

“Isn’t it beautiful here?” I asked without taking my eyes away from the sky.

“Um-hm,” he murmured.

I glanced at him to see him watching me, not the sky, and I laughed. “You’re not even looking at the stars.”

“I know. I’m looking at something more beautiful--you.”

I swallowed nervously, feeling a hot blush race across my cheeks. At least he wouldn’t see it in the dark. “Stop. You’re embarrassing--”

Before I could finish, Noah leaned over to kiss me. Despite the darkness, my eyelids fell shut as my sense of touch took over.

His lips had barely touched mine when a low, rumbling growl made us both jump. “Damn!” Noah swore, catching his breath. He whipped away from me as he stared across the yard. Dakota’s amber eyes and white fangs glowed in the faint moonlight, his head hung low as if stalking his prey. His smoky black fur blended into the shadows behind him.

“Dakota!” I scolded gently. Why was he growling? He had to know that Noah wasn’t hurting me. “Be nice,” I told him before my thoughts took over. ‘
What’s up with you
?
You know how important Noah is to me. Please don’t ruin this.
’

Dakota sucked in a deep breath, his upper lip lowering over his fangs as he exhaled. He raised his head and approached me, nuzzling my hand with his big wet nose for forgiveness. I ruffled my fingers through his thick fur. “That’s better. You’re not bleeding anywhere or hurt, are you?” Even though nearly two weeks had passed since he’d come home injured, I still worried when he ventured out into the woods, even if it was only for a day.

As Dakota sat down next to me, I turned my attention back to Noah. “Now I’m the one who’s sorry. I hope he didn’t scare you.”

“I just wasn’t expecting him. I didn’t even hear him approach. Is he always that quiet?”

“Not always, but he can be. Trust me, he can run through the woods without making a sound. I’ve seen him do it. I think it’s one of those wolf traits he has so that he can sneak up on a deer or rabbit.”

Noah shook his head. “He is a wolf. I guess I’ll get used to him sooner or later. I’m going to have to if I’m going to date you.”

“I hope that’s okay.”

“It is. After all, you’re worth it,” Noah assured me with a smile.

As my heart glowed, the wind blew, rustling the tree leaves overhead. I shivered, suddenly missing Noah’s strong arms and warm kiss to ward off the chill in the air.

Noah lifted his hand to rub my shoulders. “You’re cold. I’ll run inside and get our jackets.”

I smiled graciously at him. “That would be great. Could you grab my gray fleece from the hallway closet? It’s right around the corner from the kitchen.”

“Got it.” He dropped his hand away from my shoulder and stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

I heard him walk across the patio and open the back door, gently easing it shut behind him. As I waited for him to return, I stroked Dakota who responded by nuzzling my neck with his wet nose. “Dakota,” I said, laughing as I pushed him away. “That’s enough. Your nose is cold.”

Suddenly, he whipped his head away to stare at the trees as a twig snapped in the distance like someone or something heavy had stepped on it. I pictured the golden-eyed wolf as I stared into the woods. Dakota jumped up to his feet and stood tall. He growled loudly, the fur on his back standing up as he studied the surrounding forest.

My heart pounded with fear as I wondered what was out there. I watched Dakota, wondering what he would do next. ‘
Whatever you do, please stay here, Dakota. Don’t go back out there and get hurt again,
’
I thought.

I soon learned that my efforts to get him to stay by my side were wasted. Beyond the yard deep within the woods, footsteps shuffled through the leaves in a two-beat rhythm. They were quickly overtaken by another breeze that whispered through the leafy branches. Breathing slowly as my heart continued to race, I stared straight ahead into the blackness. A sudden movement caught my eye as the shape of a person darted between two trees. It reflected the dim moonlight for a second before disappearing. Dakota saw it too, and he launched into a run from his standstill. With long fast strides, he charged across the yard and into the trees.

“Dakota!” I called as I scrambled to my feet. I stood right where I was, watching and listening, but only silence and darkness loomed.

The back door opened, and I spun around as Noah appeared with my gray fleece in his hands, his denim jacket already covering his maroon shirt. “Sorry that took so long. I made a quick visit to your bathroom.” He abruptly stopped half-way across the patio when he noticed the fear on my face. Concern swept across his eyes. “Where’s Dakota? What happened? I was only gone for a minute.”

“There.” I turned around and raised my arm to point at the woods. “I saw something, no, I mean someone. Someone was out there.”

I didn’t hear Noah’s footsteps, but I felt him behind me when he stopped. “What are you talking about?”

“I saw a shadow, and it wasn’t a moose or a deer or a bear. It was human,” I told him, my eyes glued to the dark, sinister woods.

A loud snarl pierced the silence. Another one ripped at it, and the image of the golden-eyed wolf sinking its teeth into Dakota flashed through my mind. The snarls and growls of what could only be two wolves out for each other’s blood grew louder in the distance. They continued for a minute, and then a sharp, pain-filled yelp cut through the air like a knife, followed by an eerie silence.

“Dakota!” I screamed, my heart racing with panic. I took off, running for the woods. I had to find him, no matter how far I had to go.

But I didn’t make it out of the yard. As I approached the trees, Noah caught up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my chest, trapping me against him as he held me in place.

“No! Let me go!” I cried as I struggled to break free. But I was no match for his strength.

“Laken,” he said above my cries. “Stop! I can’t let you go out there. It isn’t safe.”

A lump formed in my throat. I knew it wasn’t safe, but it wasn’t me I was worried about, it was Dakota. “I don’t care! I have to find Dakota. He might need me. He could be hurt!” I squirmed against Noah’s vicelike grip, but it was no use. I slowly stopped, realizing he wouldn’t let go of me no matter how hard I tried. Trembling, I held back the tears I felt forming in my eyes. “I can’t leave him out there,” I whispered, lifting my hands to grasp Noah’s strong arms that still held me tight.

“Laken, Dakota is strong and he’s a fighter. He’s going to be okay.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “You don’t know that.” I sniffed, trying to control the urge to cry.
Keep it together. As scared as you are, you don’t want Noah to see you come unglued. He just agreed to go to Homecoming with you, but he could easily change his mind if you start acting like a child.
Taking a deep breath, I contained my emotions and spoke in a steady voice. “He’s alone out there. You heard them. It was the other wolf. It had to be.”

“I know, and that’s exactly why you can’t go running out there and risk yourself. If it can hurt Dakota, there’s no way you, or even I, can defend ourselves against it. Dakota wouldn’t want you to put yourself in danger.”

I nodded in acknowledgement as I felt his hold loosen around me. Turning in his arms, I leaned my cheek against his denim jacket as I stared across the yard. My jacket lay in a crumpled heap on the patio where he had dropped it before running after me. “What’s going on around here?” I asked against his shoulder, feeling safe in his arms, but still terrified of what or who lurked out in the woods.

“I don’t know,” he whispered. “I don’t know.”

He rubbed my back, and slowly, I started to relax.

After a few quiet moments, he said, “I think we should go back inside.” He stepped back and looked down at me. “Okay?”

I nodded subtly. “Okay.”

He released me, extending one arm around my shoulder. We walked side by side to the back door, stopping briefly for him to pick up my jacket. While he did, I turned to look at the woods, but all I saw were the trees and all I heard were the leaves brushing against each other in the cool breeze.

Once inside, Noah dropped his arm away from my shoulder and locked the back door. I stood in the kitchen, not sure what to do next. The lights seemed extremely bright for a few seconds as my eyes adjusted to them. The events from just moments ago resurfaced in my mind. I couldn’t forget the human shadow I had seen. But the wolf’s yelp was what bothered me the most. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep until Dakota returned home.

“Hey,” Noah said, his voice breaking me out of my thoughts. He sighed as his eyes met mine. “I’m sure Dakota will be okay.”

“I hope so,” I replied as I wandered over to the table and sank onto a chair. Shaking my head, I stared at the college brochures. The words across the covers blurred as I heard the pain-filled yelp over and over again in my mind.

Noah approached the table and sat down next to me. “Laken, tell me exactly what you saw before Dakota took off.”

I shifted my gaze from the brochures to look at Noah. “I don’t know. It was really dark. I must have imagined it.”

“But you said you saw a person.”

“I thought I did, but I must have been mistaken.” I looked away from him as I spoke. I knew perfectly well that I hadn’t been mistaken. A person had walked right through the woods behind the house. That much I was sure of. But I had no proof. How could I convince Noah of this when it had been almost pitch black? Nothing would make me happier than to truly believe I had imagined it. At least I could try to make Noah believe that. If only I knew the truth, then maybe it would eventually become a distant memory.

“Are you sure?” Something in Noah’s voice told me he wasn’t convinced that it had been my imagination. The look in his eyes told me that he was worried, and that scared me.

Forcing myself to put up a brave front, I took a deep breath. “I’m sure,” I said as convincingly as possible.

My efforts were wasted. Noah rose to his feet, his chair scraping the floor behind him. “I wish I could be. I’m going to check it out. Do you have any flashlights?”

I nodded, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to change his mind. “In the garage. I’ll get one for you.” I jumped up and walked past him on my way to the door. After retrieving the flashlight I had used to find Ryder a few weeks ago, I returned to the kitchen. I tested the light and it shone brightly. “This should work. Dad must have put new batteries in it.” I held it out to him.

Noah took the flashlight from me. “Thanks. I’ll be right back.” Without another word, he disappeared outside. The last sound I heard was the click of the latch as the door shut before silence took over the kitchen.