Chapter 2
Cassia
Shane had been telling the truth. Some sort of beings, angry beasts were lurking in the forest, watching our every step. I sensed their presence. I smelled their primal scent.
And their hunger.
They weren’t simply carnivores of the night, but living, breathing, and thinking creatures, watching our every move. Why wasn’t I terrified?
The snow pelted against the entire party as we set out, our limited clothing soaked after only a few minutes.
Visibility was limited, the ice fog thick, ice crystals covering every inch of vegetation.
We followed Greg, forming a line and everything around us held an eerie appearance.
There was no possibility of talking, the temperatures dangerous. We could easily perish within minutes.
At least the pilot seemed to know exactly where he was going, his long strides hindered by fallen limbs.
Everywhere the forest was thick, becoming denser as we headed deeper into the line of trees.
The shadows remained foreboding, keeping all of us on edge except for me.
I sensed we were being studied. The tingling in my fingers had nothing to do with the freezing temperatures.
We were being stalked.
I knew this in my gut.
There was no way of telling time, but every action seemed to be in slow motion, our breathing labored given the horrendous conditions.
Then there was a single growl.
The deep bass note reverberated in a manner that wasn’t possible, stopping everyone in their tracks.
“What. The. Fuck?” I heard one of the scientists exclaim even over the whistling wind.
Greg threw out his arm, stopping our progression, turning sharply in the direction of the noise.
I could tell by the concerned look on his face that we were in trouble.
We’d been told there were nocturnal animals on the planet, but predators?
Were we actually being hunted? “Shit,” he muttered only loud enough for me to hear.
I shielded my eyes from the falling snow, scoping the surrounding perimeter. If we were being watched, there was no sign of the beasts.
Crack!
“Get moving!” Greg finally shouted, motioning us forward. Everyone was in a panic, completely frozen. Our illustrious leader refused to wait, picking up his speed, his long, muscular legs allowing him to get further ahead than the majority of the group.
Preservation kicked in and I attempted to keep up, exhaustion already draining my strength. The snow was getting deeper, drifts preventing any real speed. The air froze as I breathed, ice crystals forming on my lips and chin, beads sticking to my eyelashes.
An ominous howl floated above us but this time, there was more than one. Greg didn’t bother stopping or looking back, even managing to pick up his pace.
“Wait!” The single word left my mouth and went nowhere.
Silence.
The calm before the storm.
The group stopped, searching in every direction.
There was no way to describe the sound, the enraged bellows coming from the depths of the forest.
“Fuck. I hear them!” The voice sounded like the reporter, but there was no way to be certain.
“Oh, God!” A whimper from Dr. Atkins cut through the din.
The earth rumbled beneath our feet, cracking branches occurring everywhere. Suddenly trees began to fall, crushing everything in their path.
And whatever was coming was happening in a straight line.
There was so much electricity in the air, hissing and crackling unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Even the shadows had turned bluish in color, the neon glow twisting and turning in the snow.
“Run!” Greg called, but by this point, chaos had erupted, wind whipping, the crunching and cracking escalating.
My hands were numb, my fingers unable to disengage the old-fashioned safety on the gun. I stopped long enough to scan the area. A blizzard-like whirl of snow appeared from behind, the tornado of ice storming toward us.
“We have to get out of here,” Dr. Consuelos muttered over and over again.
The whirling moved to a booming rumble, thunderous noise occurring all around us.
My eardrums hurt from the volume, the anguish forcing me to cover my ears.
What in God’s name was chasing us? Queasy, I doubled over, watching areas in the frozen snow crack like fissures, crevices expanding. This was more like an earthquake.
Then there was nothing.
Silence.
Utter and complete silence.
Almost everyone stopped cold, taking deep breaths, stunned from what had occurred. We huddled in a circle formation, remaining close but in our own worlds filled with terror of the unknown. I knew better than to hang around.
They were coming and this time, there would be no second chances.
“Run. Run!” No one heard me. A surge of adrenaline jetted into my system, another round of self-preservation kicking in.
We were going to die.
Crack!
A bloodcurdling scream shot through the group, panic keeping everyone else frozen in place. One of us was being attacked.
“Fuck,” Greg hissed through clenched teeth, swinging his weapon as he turned in a full circle.
Thump!
“No!” Dr. Chen screamed, his arms flailing as he was dragged with tremendous speed toward the densest portion of the forest. “Help me!”
Everything seemed out of focus, larger than life monsters with little more than outlines of their hulking figures storming closer. One of them jerked the doctor into the air, tossing him with ease. I couldn’t stand to watch, but I did, fascinated by the melee.
“Oh, God. No!” Dr. Atkins had no chance to make a run for it, her body jerked up and slammed down by the unseen source.
I took gulping breaths, still jogging backwards, tumbling in the snow twice. I reached out, fighting paralyzing panic, but there was no one to grab.
“Come on. Run for it. You have to run.” A hand gripped my jacket, yanking me hard but not before I caught the sight of Brenda being ripped apart, blood spurting onto the frozen turf. In shock, I didn’t react until Greg jerked me again, pointing his weapon around me and firing a series of shots.
Something howled in pain, but that didn’t stop the aggressor. The next victim was tossed like a rag doll deeper into the forest. Numb all over, I blinked in an effort to focus, trying to make out what I was seeing.
“Get going! Get the fuck going!” Greg demanded, popping off another series of shots in the direction of the attack.
Both Shane and Samuel shot past me, trudging through the forest, their faces paralyzed with panic. Ice and snow continued to fall, stained in crimson. I noticed Dr. Consuelos crawling toward us, anguish covering his face. Everything was surreal, time almost standing still.
“Help. Me.” I don’t know how I was able to understand his dying words as a series of keening growls permeated the air, but I did, and the sound would forever haunt me.
Run. Run. Run! I was drowning in a quicksand of ice, my feet slipping.
A deep roar rumbled through the forest, stilling every other creature. I heard a series of thunderous noises. They were coming.
They were coming for me.
Suddenly, I was alone and in a few seconds of insanity where there was no doubt I was going to die, I saw his face.
A very human face but there was something wrong.
No, not wrong exactly. The look of this amazing creature was like a vision from the heavens above, rugged and handsome.
How could I think this way? I was frozen with fear, but my mind reeling as electricity soared between us.
Then a second and a third creature emerged from the frozen shadows, their faces appearing as if from distant planets, not from the depths of the forest. These weren’t beasts of this world, but creations from another.
An unsettling feeling rushed through my mind, creating a series of tingles along every inch of skin. I was mesmerized, unable to move.
One beast stepped forward, his body moving through the snow with ease.
Massive in size and structure, he stood at well over seven feet tall.
Long dark hair, matted with snow and ice, framed an angular, chiseled face.
He was covered in fur pelts and for a few seconds I thought I was witnessing a Viking in battle.
While there was no way to make out his features, I could see his eyes as they bore into mine, penetrating into my very soul.
Even in the blinding snow, I was able to lock onto his amazing emerald green eyes, flecks of gold and amethyst glowing in the dimness. The fantasy. His expression was carnal, laced with extreme danger, but his actions toward me weren’t a threat, merely curiosity.
And hunger.
I could almost read his mind, his primitive thoughts regarding feasting.
And fucking.
His burning gaze made my tummy buzz, my nipples harden, desire burning my flesh.
Everything about this was preposterous, being turned on by some flesh-eating monster, but my mouth was dry from a building excitement.
I was jittery, even in the freezing cold, trying to catch my breath as his gaze deepened, hardened by the horrific life he’d led.
I hadn’t realized I’d taken several steps closer, drawn to him by a connection that could not be denied.
I lifted my arm, struggling to reach him.
To touch him. He came even closer, his growl rumbling into my very core.
My body was warm, infused with an intense longing penetrating every muscle and cell.
My pussy clenched, a reaction I hadn’t experienced other than in a dream in a very long time.
I could almost gather a scent of cream slickening my panties, an absolute impossibility.
There was nothing else but this creature, this beautiful and masculine being.
And he wanted me.
He cocked his head, taking cautious steps, studying me in a manner that could only be described as seductive, undressing me with his eyes. The intimacy shared between us was explosive, so unexpected that I had no sense of anything else but this moment. There was no doubt what he was thinking.
What he was desiring.