Chapter 09

A/N: Here's a second chapter for the wait. So sorry for the wait... Enjoy!!!

This was how Sarah found herself hungry, tired, and hiking in the woods without any bearing on where she was, or where she was going. She kept to a pathway in the woods, but randomly chose any when she came to an intersection; but she kept walking. She stopped in her track abruptly, and used her index finger to clean her eyes. She wasn't sure if the hunger was making her hallucinate or if it was the cold.

This forest was cold, and worse was that the sun had gone through its journey day long. She could hardly see into the distance before her, and so, she wasn't sure she was seeing what was ahead of her. Before her stood a small cabin on a cleared portion of land. It felt unreal, and so she had to confirm by shutting her eyes for some seconds before trying again. It really stood there and she was elated. Sarah ran the rest of the way up to the cabin, and realized that all around it was spikes shooting out of its side. The door was open a crack, and there was no light on the inside. She hoped it was deserted, but that there was at least drinkable water, and eatable food laying around somewhere in there. There was a small creak as she opened the door further, and the floor was a bit soft as she stepped in. She realized that the cabin was a bit bigger than she had imagined it to be, and hoped she had lost her pursuers.

Sarah looked around the room, the door was left ajar because she needed what little lighting she could salvage to help her see in the growing darkness. In a corner of the room stood some buckets, a burnt out coal stand, some roasted half-eaten rodent... She rushed towards this, forgetting her thirst, and diving into the meat. Her famished and deprived brain didn't allow her to see the wall opposite the 'cooking area'. It contained different guns, mostly rifles -hunter's- and the smoke plus small heat coming from her present location. She kept at her eating until her mind registered that the meat was warm, un-spoilt and rather well roasted.

I have to get out of here She thought and stood up with the meat in her hand, but before turning, a cold object pressed to the back of her head and a coerce voice; weather beaten, and Texan in accent -maybe- spoke from behind her.

"Who are ya, and what'd ya want in me home...? Intruder" The voice mentioned to her.

She stood still, and mustering her most victim-like voice, she pleaded "I was kidnapped and I... I ju... just got away from them."

"From who?" The harsh voice demanded

"Kidnappers..." She replied "they trailed me up from my home this morning. I live down in Dustin, and while on my morning jog, I was attacked. I tricked them about three hours ago and slipped from them, but I was lost." She tried to turn her head to see who her questioner was, and she felt the gun press lightly, but warningly at her nape. She continued

"I have been wandering in these woods since then, and when I found your place -which I didn't know was yours- I realized how tired I was" She turned to look at him, and gasped.

She had earlier felt the gun drop from her neck and then turned to face the man. His face held a rugged edge to it. He was beautiful and had a full beard, full brunette hair and possibly the most ocean blue eyes she ever saw.

"Wow" He is hot! her mind began to wander despite her situation, and not even considering that she was probably in danger with this bear of a man, she put the meat that was still on her hand to her mouth.

His face changed as he tilted his head to look at her: probably because he was confused at the nerve of this small human in his home. "How did you get in?" He now asked, and She nodded because she had food in her mouth.

"The door was open when I got here" She managed to get past her mouth and she swallowed loudly. 'I need a drink' she thought...

"Do you have water?" She asked as she knew she would be pushing her luck in asking for anything more. "No!" was the reply she got.

"Who are you... where did you come from... how did you find this place... and where is my sister?" As he asked these questions, he stepped towards and around her. He backed her towards the door, and Sarah felt small in his presence. He was huge! Standing at about Six feet, Seven or Eight inches, she stood no chance against him if he saw her as a threat. He could so easily turn her to mush right there and then, but he was awaiting her reply to his questions.

"... Your sister?... I... I met nobody when I got here. The door was unlocked, I was scared, tired and probably hallucinating right now" She was getting confused

"I left Lily here when I went out for the evening hunt..." He trailed, his eyes never left her, and she suspected that he was waiting for her to give the first wrong reaction and that would be her end. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of him being more or less a 'bad guy', and she took another step back from him.

She couldn't get far though, because he had her close to the wooden wall of the house already. her only other option was to step towards the left a bit, and she would be out in the darkness. "I really didn't see anyone when I got here."

"Lily!" He left her there shaking and went out shouting the name. Sarah used the opportunity to step out of the house, and he growled at her "You wouldn't..." She quickly stepped back in and felt like she had been getting pushed around very much lately.

"...Lily!!!... Lily! where are you... I'm home!" The 'hunk' kept bellowing, and Sarah was tempted to cover her ears. His back was a bit visible to her, and Sarah couldn't take her eyes off it. He had a tank top on, and she suspected he wore that a lot. His back was firm and scarred and she could see the beginning of a tattoo on his arm, but it stopped abruptly, like he couldn't stay to get it completed at the tattoo shop. He wore a Jeans trouser, and had a sling over his arm, which was connected to his rifle. In Sarah's opinion, He was a Hunk!.

'You have a boyfriend Sarah, and you love him' Her head reminded her. She looked away and settled on listening for the slightest sound around them; excluding the loud voice of this bear.

A bush rustled nearby, and they both stopped at the sound. Looking at each other and silently deciding without as much as a nod, she went behind him, and he stood with the gun facing the direction of the sound.

A Small whistle followed from the direction, and they both tensed up...

A/N: Please share, comment and vote for the book if you enjoy it. critical comments are always welcome, and please do well to save to your library as chapters are sure to come more regularly now. Thanks Blood.