The lump is a live animal trap, with rusty metal rods spaced just far enough apart for me to see the clumps of fur inside. Four of them. A cautious step forward, and it’s clear that they’re rabbits, and not stuffed animals either. Real rabbits. Four of them. Three with their heads detached, and a fourth in the center. I gag as I see the way the poor creature is laid out, its chest and ribs wide open to reveal a heart that’s ripped out and stuffed into its mouth.
“Oh, my god,” I breathe, my eyes burning from tears and terror.
I turn to go back into the house, but I have to freeze again as a massive brown animal comes lumbering and snuffling out from the tree line. Darla.
I back up several steps, heart hammering in my chest. She growls low in her throat and advances on me, making goosebumps break out over my skin. I try to recall anything I learned in scouts as a kid. Do you run from grizzlies or do you play dead?
Darla bellows at me, taking two steps in my direction and instinct kicks in. I turn and run, crashing into the woods. My shoes slip and slide on the damp earth, flying off my feet completely. But I don’t stop to put them back on, pushing past the pain of pine needles and rocks stabbing the soles of my feet. I’m breathing too loud to hear if the bear is following me, but I just keep moving, wanting to put as much distance between us as I can. But when I finally come to a stop and lookbehind me, my body goes cold. I can’t see the light from the house anymore. I can barely see anything in the darkness of the forest.
“Little rabbit, lost in the woods…”
The voice of my nightmares whispers through the trees and I stop, turning on my heel, trying to find any landmark I can, or even the source of the voice so I can run in the opposite direction. This was so stupid.
“Did you like my presents, little rabbit?”
The voice again. This time closer. I move before I can think, turning back and sprinting through the woods back the way I came. Or at least I hope it is. Everything is grey, trees coming out of the darkness that I could swear weren’t there before. I stumble and crash my way through the woods, trying to find the light of the house.
“Oooh, run for me, little rabbit. I love the chase.”
I pant, my lungs screaming as I move more than I have in years. Adrenaline pushes me on, through branches that try to grab, and brambles that snag on my clothes. There’s a growl close by, a low rumble that I don’t recognize. I skid to a stop in a clearing, trying to see through the darkness.
“Delilah!”
Joker’s voice rips through the night like lightning, and I whip around, heading toward it. “Joker!” I scream, not thinking.
Flickering beams of light ahead. Flashlights.
“Oh, no you don’t!”
A hand grabs at my shirt from behind and I scream, moving faster. With that little bit of light, I have a direction and I push myself toward it. More voices calling for me through the trees. But I can feel someone getting closer to me from behind. I sob and scream, trying to draw them to me.
“Delilah! Get down!” Bones screams, appearing like a spirit from behind a tree.
I don’t hesitate to obey, dropping to the forest floor like I’ve been magnetized to it. A gunshot fills the air, and I scream, covering my head.
“Where did he go? I just saw him?” Phantom yells, appearing next to me, practically standing over me.
“Come out, you bloody coward!” Joker roars, moving to stand at my feet.
“Honey, get up. You’re safe. We’ve got you.”
I stand up and run to Cross, colliding with his solid chest, letting out dry, terrified sobs. One of his arms wraps around me, holding me to him while the other points his handgun into the forest.
“Get back to the house. Now.” Bones orders.
Cross keeps his hold on me as the others take up formation around me. Siren leads the way with Phantom on one side, Joker on the other, and Bones walking backwards to cover the rear approach. After a surprisingly short walk, we emerge from the tree line next to the barn, heading right toward the house again. The bear is long gone, as is the cage of dead rabbits, which is a small relief. Once the door is locked, Bones rips his mask off and turns toward me.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he growls.
“I’m s-sorry. There was a cage and a bear and—” I cut myself off, sobbing.
I brace for the lecture, but Bones simply pulls me from Cross and wraps me in his embrace, holding me tight. He presses his face into my hair and breathes. “Scared the shit out of us, princess. Lucky Rin was watching cameras on their tablet.”
“Wh-what? You’re not mad?” I ask through my sniffles.
“No, of course not,” the prime alpha replies.
“Speak for yourself,” Phantom grumbles, stomping away from the door and unloading the bullets from his gun.