Chapter 2
Ever
I blink my eyes open. Dread fills me as I look around at the unfamiliar surroundings. My mind races as I try to remember.
How long have I been out?
I close my eyes, thinking hard. It takes me a minute to remember everything that happened. I remember running. I was hurt, bleeding pretty bad, but I didn’t dare stop moving. It had taken so long to plan my escape, and I couldn’t let them catch me or drag me back to that house of horrors.
I remember being exhausted. I remember tripping and…
Relief crashes over me. I made it out. So, how did I get here? And where exactly am I?
I open my eyes again and look around the neat cabin. It’s clean and furnished, so someone must live here. I move slowly, testing my sore body as I shift into a sitting position on the bed.
The faint scent of a man’s cologne hits me. I need to get out of here.
My vision spins as my legs dangle off the edge of the bed. My head throbs and my stomach growls.
Shoot, when was the last time that I ate?
The bedroom door creaks open.
I tense, eyes wide as I stare at the giant who steps into the room.
He’s huge, easily six and a half feet tall, maybe taller, and he’s wide. His shoulders are enormous, and his chest and arms look like he bench presses freaking trees because ordinary weights would be too easy.
“Easy,” he says, his voice deep and smooth. “You should be resting.”
I’m terrified. It’s all that I can think about, all I can focus on.
“I’m free, right?” I blurt in a panic. “I made it out?”
“Yes, you’re safe here. No one is going to get you. No one will ever hurt you again,” the man promises.
For some reason, I believe him.
I relax a fraction. “Where am I?” I croak.
“My cabin. You’re in Night Grove Falls. It’s—I’m Russo. Do you remember anything?”
I wince as I lick my dry, cracked lips.
“Fuck. I’ll get you some water. The doctor said that was all right.” He bolts from the room.
Move! my mind screams. Now is your chance to get out of here!
I slip off the bed, and my legs buckle under me. I gasp, bracing to hit the ground, but strong hands catch me. Holy crap, the man moves fast.
He scoops me up into his arms and places me gently back on the bed. “The doctor said you’d be sore. He left some pain medicine.”
“No!” I panic. “I’m okay.”
I’m actually pretty sore, but I know the medicine will make me sleepy and dull my senses. I need to keep my wits about me so I can get out of here.
Russo holds up his hands, hovering over me on the bed. “What’s your name?”
I debate lying, but something stops me from doing that. “Ever.”
“Ever,” he repeats softly, like a caress.
I study the giant, taking in his thick mahogany hair, muscles, and kind brown eyes. I haven’t been around many people in my life, but somehow, I know that finding someone as attractive as him is rare.
He passes me a water bottle. I take it greedily, twisting the cap off and chugging the entire contents.
Russo watches me, looking pained at my obvious dehydration. “I’ll get you more.”
He disappears again before I can reply.
My mind struggles to come up with a plan. Where did he say I was? Something Falls?
He returns quickly and passes me another water. I take it, smiling slightly as I open the bottle and take a sip.
“You said Night Grove Falls? Is that close to Marsh Hollow?”
I wonder if he can hear the fear in my voice. If he can, he doesn’t let on.
“Yeah, we’re about a half hour drive north of there.”
Panic sets in. I’m not far enough away. They could still find me.
“What happened to you, Ever?” Russo asks, dragging a chair closer to the bed so he can sit.
I hesitate, weighing how much to tell him. For some reason, I trust Russo. I don’t think he’d hurt me. If he wanted to, he wouldn’t have brought me into his home and had a doctor look me over. He wouldn’t be so gentle with me right now.
Maybe he can help me. It would be nice to have someone to lean on for once.
“My home life hasn’t been… great,” I finish lamely.
A muscle pops in his cheek.
“I was adopted, and I wasn’t the kid they wanted me to be, I guess.”
“What does that mean? Did your family do this to you?” he demands, leaning forward in the chair.
I ease away from him, from the overpowering energy rolling off him.
Russo seems to sense my nervousness. He scrubs his hands down his face, his expression regretful. “I’m sorry, I’m not upset with you. I would never hurt you, Ever.”
I nod and blow out a shaky breath before continuing. “They were always strict, but things got worse when I was five. They’d hit me, lock me away. I could never seem to do anything right. I cooked and cleaned, but it was never clean enough for them. I tried.” My eyes burn with tears.
“Fuck, Ever.” Russo stands and pulls me against his chest. He smells like pine and smoke.
I close my eyes, letting him hold me. “I thought I’d be able to get out when I turned eighteen,” I whisper, “But that didn’t happen. So I made a plan.”
“To escape?”
I nod against his soft shirt. “Yeah. It was hard. They didn’t let me out of the basement often, but the other night they forgot to lock the door when they went to church.
I waited until I was sure they were really gone, and then I took off.
I ran, but I was so weak. They’d used the belt on me before they left, and—”
“Jesus,” he snarls.
I tense, trying to pull away, but Russo holds firm, his big paw of a hand smoothing up and down my back as he reassures me.
“I’m sorry. I’m furious about what your parents did to you. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through all of that, baby.”
“I can’t go back,” I whisper. “They’ll kill me if they find me.”
“They won’t find you. I won’t let anything bad happen to you, Ever. I swear.”
My muscles relax one by one. Then my stomach growls again.
Russo releases me and stands. “I’ll make you something to eat.”
I sit up, intending to follow him.
“You wait here,” he orders.
I shake my head. “I can’t lie in bed all day.”
He frowns. “Yes, you can. You need your rest.”
I throw my legs over the side of the bed. “No, I’ll grab something to eat and get out of your hair.”
His expression darkens. “Leave? You’re not going anywhere, Ever. You’re home.”
“What?” I gape at him. “What do you mean?”
His brow furrows as he looks at me. “You can’t sense it?”
I shake my head in confusion. “Sense what?”
He looks as confused as I feel as he shifts from one big foot to the other. “I can smell your bear.”
I blink at him.
“You’re a shifter too. You can’t smell me? You can’t tell that we’re fated mates?”
I stare at him in shock, wondering if he’s crazy or if I’m the one who’s lost her mind.
Am I dreaming? Did he really say that, or am I too tired and hungry to make sense of words now?
I stare up at Russo’s handsome face, wondering if I’ve traded one problem home for another.
“W-what?” I finally stammer.
He paces away from the bed and back again. I’m silent as I try to figure out what’s going on.
Finally, he turns to face me. “We need to talk.”