Read Online Dark Tales 1 by Viola Masters - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Viola Masters
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“Right. I will assume everything is fine if I don’t hear back in thirty days.”
He frowned. “I don’t understand how you were able to survive four days alone, and if you weren’t alone, who drugged you. I hate a mystery.”
She zipped up her bag. “So do I, but I hate being away from home even more. Once I am in my own territory, I will be able to relax and maybe more memories will come to me. For now, I just want to be home.”
She got a cab and headed home. Her car was being towed back to her place. The battery was frozen. It wouldn’t start.
Lea was delighted to be home. She went through her fridge and tossed out the expired milk. The rest was salvageable.
She plugged her phone in and walked past the landline with its blinking lights. After coffee and a sandwich, she started playing the messages.
Her mother was worried, her boss fired her for not turning up on Monday, her boss rehired her, and Brady wanted to know how she was.
She had to admire his tenacity.
With a sense of obligation, she called him and invited him over for coffee. She took a hot shower and tried not to think of huge hands moving on her skin. Lea shivered and got dressed in a long-sleeved tunic, leggings and a wrap.
Her hair was braided over one shoulder when the doorbell rang, and she went to the door to answer it.
Brady smiled slowly. “You are looking well.”
She chuckled. “I feel well. Come in. I haven’t thanked you yet for finding me.”
He had an armload of objects, and he thrust them at her. “These are for you. And it was my job to find you. I lost you.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was. I should never have taken Dan’s word for it that you were still behind him. He didn’t even look.” He removed his snowy boots and hung up his coat.
“I went off the trail. Lost control on a corner and skidded to a halt a mile later.”
He blinked in surprise. “You remember?”
“All of it, more or less.” She shrugged and looked at the objects in her arms. “What is this?”
“Just some small tokens of apology and appreciation. I would also like to take you out to dinner if you haven’t eaten already.”
She sat and opened the paper holding the bouquet. They weren’t roses. Wild snow flowers were in her arms, and they had the sweetest scent. “Where did you find these?”
He shrugged and looked abashed. “I know a spot.”
She got the flowers into water, looking at the delicate white blooms and wishing they could stay that way forever. She inhaled deeply, and there was a familiar scent. The water in the hot spring had given everything a distinct odour. These flowers held that undertone.
She was a little bemused when she turned and opened the next parcel. Her fingers went numb when she saw the thick wolf fur.
She looked at him, and he was frowning.
He stroked it. “I had to guess, but this was the one you rubbed your cheek in most often, so I cleaned it up and brought it to you.”
Her hands were shaking.
He pressed the final gift into her hands. She opened it numbly, staring at him. Roasted venison was lying in the box.
“See? Now, we don’t have to go out for dinner.” He smiled slowly.
“You...”
“Yes?”
She cleared her throat. “I thought your hair was darker.”
He grinned. “It is. The human shape is the way we hide in the modern world, but the Sasquatch was the best way to track you. When I found you so near to one of my lairs, it seemed the best place to keep you safe while we waited out the storm.”
“The frozen men?”
“Poachers a few decades old. I will eventually put them somewhere to be found. They die in the winter, and I hate for the rot to get them. It makes a mess of my territory.”
She shivered, and he moved next to her, putting the joint of meat on the counter. “Why did you... as a beast when we...”
“Ah, the Sasquatch is my natural form. I learned this one later, as did the doctor who spoke with you at the hospital. It is really difficult to hold
He frowned. “I don’t understand how you were able to survive four days alone, and if you weren’t alone, who drugged you. I hate a mystery.”
She zipped up her bag. “So do I, but I hate being away from home even more. Once I am in my own territory, I will be able to relax and maybe more memories will come to me. For now, I just want to be home.”
She got a cab and headed home. Her car was being towed back to her place. The battery was frozen. It wouldn’t start.
Lea was delighted to be home. She went through her fridge and tossed out the expired milk. The rest was salvageable.
She plugged her phone in and walked past the landline with its blinking lights. After coffee and a sandwich, she started playing the messages.
Her mother was worried, her boss fired her for not turning up on Monday, her boss rehired her, and Brady wanted to know how she was.
She had to admire his tenacity.
With a sense of obligation, she called him and invited him over for coffee. She took a hot shower and tried not to think of huge hands moving on her skin. Lea shivered and got dressed in a long-sleeved tunic, leggings and a wrap.
Her hair was braided over one shoulder when the doorbell rang, and she went to the door to answer it.
Brady smiled slowly. “You are looking well.”
She chuckled. “I feel well. Come in. I haven’t thanked you yet for finding me.”
He had an armload of objects, and he thrust them at her. “These are for you. And it was my job to find you. I lost you.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was. I should never have taken Dan’s word for it that you were still behind him. He didn’t even look.” He removed his snowy boots and hung up his coat.
“I went off the trail. Lost control on a corner and skidded to a halt a mile later.”
He blinked in surprise. “You remember?”
“All of it, more or less.” She shrugged and looked at the objects in her arms. “What is this?”
“Just some small tokens of apology and appreciation. I would also like to take you out to dinner if you haven’t eaten already.”
She sat and opened the paper holding the bouquet. They weren’t roses. Wild snow flowers were in her arms, and they had the sweetest scent. “Where did you find these?”
He shrugged and looked abashed. “I know a spot.”
She got the flowers into water, looking at the delicate white blooms and wishing they could stay that way forever. She inhaled deeply, and there was a familiar scent. The water in the hot spring had given everything a distinct odour. These flowers held that undertone.
She was a little bemused when she turned and opened the next parcel. Her fingers went numb when she saw the thick wolf fur.
She looked at him, and he was frowning.
He stroked it. “I had to guess, but this was the one you rubbed your cheek in most often, so I cleaned it up and brought it to you.”
Her hands were shaking.
He pressed the final gift into her hands. She opened it numbly, staring at him. Roasted venison was lying in the box.
“See? Now, we don’t have to go out for dinner.” He smiled slowly.
“You...”
“Yes?”
She cleared her throat. “I thought your hair was darker.”
He grinned. “It is. The human shape is the way we hide in the modern world, but the Sasquatch was the best way to track you. When I found you so near to one of my lairs, it seemed the best place to keep you safe while we waited out the storm.”
“The frozen men?”
“Poachers a few decades old. I will eventually put them somewhere to be found. They die in the winter, and I hate for the rot to get them. It makes a mess of my territory.”
She shivered, and he moved next to her, putting the joint of meat on the counter. “Why did you... as a beast when we...”
“Ah, the Sasquatch is my natural form. I learned this one later, as did the doctor who spoke with you at the hospital. It is really difficult to hold
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