Chapter Six #3
Darien fully faces me and crosses his arms. “Don’t take this the wrong way, because I’m genuinely thankful that you saved me from being killed. I’ll forever be grateful. But I feel that there’s something you’re not telling me.”
I swallow hard. “What could I possibly not be telling you?”
I put on my ‘whatever do you mean’ expression. I’m well-versed in its execution since I pull it out of my repertoire whenever a tourist questions me about strange creatures they’ve spotted in the woods late at night. Or perhaps a terrifying, unexplained shriek echoing through the forest.
While I manage to keep my Howler in his human form most of the time, I have to let the beast out whenever possible. It isn’t healthy to keep him at bay. I might explode or something. No one’s ever tested the theory, because who would want to?
Darien drags his fingers through his hair.
“I dunno. Now that my brain is less foggy and I’m fully awake, I don’t understand why you brought me here instead of a hospital, or didn’t call 911 for help.
Also, you obviously saw the mountain lion, so how were you able to rescue me from it without getting hurt yourself?
” He shrugs. “I’m sorry. It’s just that none of this is really adding up. ”
I should’ve probably come up with a plausible explanation before he woke up. Because right now? I have nothing remotely logical to offer. My drug-crazed bear story hasn’t gone over too well.
“I’m sure once you think about it some more, it’ll all make perfect sense.” I smile to reinforce that non-existent plausibility.
Darien smirks. “You’re protecting that creature, aren’t you? You’re obviously an animal lover—which I applaud, by the way. I’m impressed that you don’t have your pets caged. The fact that they stay here of their own free will means they’ve bonded with you and feel safe.”
Darien puts his hands on his hips. “So, if you’re keeping that thing, whatever it is, a secret, I can understand.
But don’t you worry that it might hurt someone?
You’d be in big trouble. I’m thinking it might be a good idea to report it to Fish and Wildlife, or maybe even law enforcement.
Although…” He taps his chin. “They might assume I’m some nutty Bigfoot believer and brush me off, so there’s that.
Still, I should take the chance in the interest of public safety. ”
“No! That would be a horrible mistake!” My heart thunders, sweat forming at my hairline. “Don’t you understand? He was protecting you from the mountain lion. He’s the one who saved you.”
Darien’s jaw falls open again. He’s probably on overload. “Seriously? So… wait. You somehow knew he was saving me? How exactly? I’m not gonna lie. None of this makes sense.”
I bite my lip. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s a matter of trust.” I hold up my hands as if in surrender. “Not that I don’t trust that you’re a good person. Only that I’ve been around… the creature several times over the years. He’s never shown any aggression toward me or any of my pets.”
Yeah, this is good. I can work with this.
I continue, “As a matter of fact, they all love him. I’ve seen him play with them and be very affectionate. You know, petting and cuddling them.” I grin to reinforce how loving and amazing I am. “If they sensed any danger, there’s no way they’d do that.”
Darien’s eyebrows shoot up. “Seriously? You’ve seen this?”
I nod vigorously. “Several times.”
“And the beast saw you, and you weren’t afraid you were in danger?”
“Er… yeah.” I almost choke on my spit as I try to keep it together. “So you see, there’s no reason to report him. And I’m sure he was protecting you as though you were any other forest friend.”
“Huh.” Darien frowns. “I guess…” He crosses his arms. “Then I suppose I won't say anything for now. You’re right about that hunting part. If everyone knew there was some mysterious beast in the woods, they’d be out there in a heartbeat trying to bag it as a trophy or something.”
I shudder. I’ve always been more focused on humans finding out about us in general and it being bad for our privacy. Not getting annihilated by them.
“I agree. Killing something for no reason is unforgivable.”
Darien finally relaxes his shoulders, and I believe I’m out of the woods—so to speak.
“Well,” says Darien, smiling. “I guess I’ll take you up on your offer for a ride back to my Jeep.
” He shakes his head. “You know, it’s funny.
I remember the mountain lion and the beast, but I can’t remember anything after that.
” He snorts. “Actually, I do remember you standing over me.” The cloud of doubt passes over his features again.
“I guess it’s lucky you were so nearby.”
“Not all that shocking.” I’m trying to keep the mood light. “What with you being passed out near my cave.”
Darien looks around the room. “Right, your cave.” He chuckles. “You’ll have to tell me sometime how you ended up living in one.”
He wants to talk to me again? That has to be a positive sign.
If the stars are aligned and the forest gods look favorably upon me, then it seems as if I’ve dodged a potential hunter’s bullet. I only hope Darien doesn’t change his mind about keeping my secret.