The moon was bright enough I could see the outlines of the trees and larger rocks in my path. The sounds of howls surrounded me, but they seemed far in the distance, just carrying through the woods.
“Cole!” Sebastian’s call from behind me startled me.
I spun, gun pointed at him before I realized I recognized the voice. I raised the barrel quickly and smiled at the massive black panther with glowing blue eyes, sitting patiently on his haunches.
“You almost got shot,” I scolded him. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
“What are you doing out here?”
“I had to get my bags and find my bed for the night.”
He cocked his head like a dog trying to figure out if its owner had said the word treat.
“I’m sleeping in my old tree house,” I explained. I pointed across the clearing of Pops’ yard. “I’ll be up there if you want to come to me in the morning. I understand if you’d rather be with your friends though. I won’t hold it against you.”
A second panther came out of a copse of trees. This one was more sinewy and long. It blinked up at me, turned to Sebastian then back to me. I was pretty sure I knew who it was, but I didn’t want to offend anyone if I was wrong.
She padded up to me, nudging my crotch with her muzzle.
“Whoa there, Darla,” I said, pushing away her nose. “I’m a one pussy guy.”
Sebastian snorted then trotted forward, using his large shoulder to push Darla away from me. She stalked off, her tail high in the air, running when she hit the clearing then disappearing into the night again.
“Sorry,” Sebastian said. “I guess I’m not the only cat insanely turned on by you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, rubbing him gently behind the ear. “I love you, too.”
He walked with me to find my bags then back toward the fort. I dropped to my knees in front of him and hugged him tightly before straightening again.
“All right,” I told him, pointing in the direction Darla had taken. “Go play.”
He knocked into me on his way past, and I couldn’t help wondering where Bryce was. Did he know I was out here? Was he just out of sight, watching me? Was he waiting somewhere for Bastian to come to him. Part of me wanted to call out to him, but now wasn’t the time to try to talk. He was busy, and I wasn’t in a great frame of mind. Maybe, when the sun was up, if he came back, we could sit down and try to figure something out.
I climbed the wooden slats up the tree and pushed open the door. The moonlight illuminated the whole thing, and I could tell Bryce had slept up here recently. There was an air mattress with pillows and clean sheets, a battery operated radio and push light, and the whole place smelled like him. Suddenly exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow and inhaling the scent of my best friend, the person whose absence from my life had caused me fits for months. As much as I loved Bastian, he could never replace the piece of my soul that had been missing since Bryce had disappeared. I needed him, and I swore to myself, as sleep pulled at me, I’d find him and bring him home.
Chapter Six
For the second time in two days, I woke with a weight on my lungs. This time though, it was only one head resting on me, and it was a very warm, human face pressed on my chest.
“Good morning,” Sebastian murmured.
Sunlight streamed through the windows of the tree house, and the smell of earth clung to my boyfriend as he snuggled into me.
“What did you guys get up to last night?” I asked, wrapping my arms around him and kissing his dirty forehead.
“We ran and played and hunted rabbits, and it was great.” He looked up at me and smiled.
“Good thing I brought your toothbrush,” I said with a laugh. “Sorry, I can’t get past dead bunny morning breath.”
“Fair enough,” he said with a yawn. “I’m exhausted anyway. Do you mind if I crash for a few hours? Then I’ll get cleaned up.”
“Sure, babe,” I agreed. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know,” he said with a yawn. “Maybe nine? I’ve been here for a while.”
I slid off the air mattress and tucked him in. He was already asleep by the time I slung my bags over my shoulder and climbed down.
Pops was on the front porch, two steaming mugs on the table next to him. I dropped my duffels next to me as I flopped into a chair and picked up my coffee.
“I don’t suppose Bryce had plumbing installed, too?” I asked hopefully.
“Yeah, first thing he did when he got here. Brought in a contractor and built a full bathroom out back. I think he called the electrician when he got sick of cold showers and warm beer. You boys were always fine with it when you were younger. Not sure why you suddenly need to be all pampered up here now.”
I snorted. Only my backwoods grandfather would think a hot shower was pampering. He’d been pissing in the forest and bathing in Lake Superior for fifty years.
Honestly, I was grateful to Bryce for doing all of this for Pops. At his age, it would be easier on him to have at least a few comforts. And try as he might to pretend he hated it, I’d bet dollars to donuts he was thrilled with running water. If he really hadn’t want it, he wouldn’t have let Bryce do it.
“Have you seen him yet this morning?” I tried to sound casual, but Pops’ look told me I’d failed.
“Yeah, he showed up as soon as the
