“It’s the wind,” Eddie confirmed. She frowned and listened intently to ensure that it was indeed just the wind, but she didn’t pick up anything else. She wasn’t going to rest until she was certain they were safe and secured.
Eddie pushed up off the floor and headed to where she’d dropped her coat. She snatched it up and threw it on along with her boots.
“Where are you going?” Liana gasped.
“I’m going to check the perimeter to make sure we’re good,” Eddie stated. She stalked to the front door and went back out into the storm. The door slammed behind her. The icy cold winds slapped her right in the face. She welcomed the pain of the frozen snowflakes across her skin. It gave her something else to concentrate on other than kissing Liana.
She quickly made her way around the cabin. She pulled the hood of her coat over her headwhile she assessed the property. All was quiet. Anything would be a fool to be out in this weather. She tromped back to the front door, satisfied that it appeared they would be safe for tonight. With the amount of wolf activity in this area, one couldn’t be too sure.
This property had been in her family for years. It was a vacation home that her grandfather had constructed when Eddie’s father was a small boy. She had spent many summers and a few winters here with her father. She inhaled sharply as she arrived back at the front door. She had to get her animal in control before she went back inside. She rested her hand on the handle and pushed her bear back down.
The damn animal wanted to break free. Now was not the time. They had to go back inside and see to Liana.
At that thought, her bear settled down.
Eddie went back inside. The moment she closed the door behind her, her bear surged forward, slamming against Eddie’s control. The scent of Liana’s fear wrapped around her. It took every ounce of strength she had to shove her animal back down.
Calm down,Eddie growled.
Her animal responded with a low rumble in her chest.
She stomped all of the snow off her boots and shook the accumulating snow from her coat and her hair. She took it off and hung it up on the hook by the door. She toed off her boots and walked to the living room.
Liana stood holding the iron poker in her hands like a baseball bat. Eddie froze and held her hands up. Liana’s arms shook slightly as she held the poker over her shoulder as if she were about to swing it.
“It’s just me,” Eddie said softly.
“Well, I had to be sure. You spoke as if you expected unwanted company or something.” She lowered the weapon and hobbled back over to the hearth where she returned the poker. “Did you find anything out there?”
“No. Everything’s fine. For now,” Eddie said. She moved over to the fireplace to check on the flames. The heat felt damn good to her compared to what she had braved outside. She held her hands near the heat for a moment.
“What do you mean, for now?”
Eddie hesitated in responding, but she didn’t want to lie to Liana when it came to her safetyand the predators that may be lurking out in the wilderness.
“Wolves travel in packs. Even the shifter rogue kind, and that’s what I think is out there.”
“Rogues?”
“Shifters not abiding by the law,” Eddie replied. She stood to her full height. She turned to Liana and took the few steps to stand in front of her. She gazed down on the smaller woman and felt the deep instinct to want to protect her from the world itself. “As long as you stay inside or near me, nothing will bother you.”
“Oh?” Liana’s perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose. She tilted her head while her gaze did a quick sweep of Eddie. She folded her arms in front of her and studied Eddie. “And why is that?”
“Because there are more dangerous things around here than a wolf?”
“And what is that?” A faint smile tugged at Liana’s lips.
“Me and my bear.”
Chapter Three
“Oh.” Liana chuckled. She smiled and shook her head. That explained the bossiness of Eddie. She was used to being the big bad bear. What animal would dare go up against a bear?
When they were in college, Terri had shared stories of how stubborn and bullheaded her kind could be. Terri was the complete opposite. She was the quiet pushover of their friend group. Liana and Terri had stayed the best of friends even after graduating.
Liana began hobbling over to the couch. Eddie appeared at her side and took her hand to help guide her. The wrappings around her ankle did help. The pain was still there, but at least shecould walk without the fear of falling directly on her face.
She eased down on the couch and breathed a sigh of relief. The cabin windows shuddered, and a heavy thunk of snow slid off the roof. Liana jumped.