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Authors: Tasha Black
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the truck into park. He was out before it had fully stopped. He had to get to the mine before LeeAnn.
The twins slowly approached the entrance to the mine.
Though their usual way was to fight and roughhouse, now, the sisters held hands solemnly.
Their small bare feet tread the sharp gravel and their short legs met the night air under the flimsy t-shirts they must have been sleeping in. It was cold, but the girls didn’t seem to notice. They were fixated on the mouth of the mine.
Something began to build in Erik’s chest. Never had he felt this kind of anger or fear. And there was no wolf to turn to, to take the brunt of this emotion and demolish it with action.
He was no wolf, but he was still fast. He tore across the gravel and circled the twins in time to block them from the mine. They stared at him in confusion.
LeeAnn was there in a heartbeat.
Thank god, she didn’t seem affected by the call of the thing in the mine. Her protective instincts were too powerful.
She shifted and wrapped the girls in her strong arms, moaning in wordless relief, tears striping her cheeks.
At their mother’s touch, the girls seemed to come back to life. They cried too, though Erik was pretty sure they were only crying because their mother was crying.
“What were you doing?” LeeAnn asked them tremulously.
“We... we saw Daddy!” Rachel said happily, remembering.
“He told us. He told us to come,” Ruth insisted, looking like she was worried she might be in trouble.
LeeAnn wrapped a hand around her own mouth in horror.
Erik knelt in the gravel and put a hand on each girl’s shoulder.
“Girls, what you saw wasn’t really your daddy,” he explained gently.
“It was my daddy.” Ruth shook her little head. “I saw him.”
Erik realized it was too late. He was out of time. He couldn’t convince the whole town to evacuate. He couldn’t even convince a five year old.
Another wave of furious despair hit him and he struggled to breathe. How could he watch it happen, helplessly?
He heard footsteps in the gravel and turned to find Bonnie and Mary approaching.
“What happened?” Bonnie asked.
Mary had thrown herself down with her mom and sisters. Zeke joined them.
Watching them, Erik Jensen understood his purpose here. The knowledge shook him to his core and filled him with both sadness and glory.
“Remember that favor I asked you?” he said to Bonnie. She looked at him strangely, but nodded. “Get the message to Ainsley for me.”
Erik turned back to the huge piece of equipment he’d recognized yesterday. It was similar enough to one of his own front end loaders. It shouldn’t be a problem for him to operate. He hoped it was big enough for what he had in mind.
He jogged over. As he expected, the key was in the ignition. It always was. This type of equipment was in no danger of being stolen.
“What’s he doing?” he heard Mary ask, her voice quavering.
“It’s going to be alright, Mary.” He turned back to meet her gaze. “You need to be strong now for your family. Whatever happens, do not go in that mine !”
He turned away, the naked despair in her eyes too much for him to bear. She began to protest, but he turned the key and the machine came to life with a tremendous roar, shutting out the rest of the world.
“Erik!” Mary cried. But she sounded very far away.
Erik swung the machine into gear and headed straight for the mine.
A warm sense of calm fell over him, and his thoughts turned to his love. He hoped Ainsley would be proud of him.
CHAPTER 13
I n Ainsley’s eyes, the thing under the field house suddenly transformed from a theoretical danger into something horribly real.
Grace, her darling, Grace, who was both stalwart and silly, was now in its clutches.
“Let’s go,” she told Julian. “Now.”
“Go on ahead,” Julian said, his face expressionless. “I’ll catch up with you. I have to get something
The twins slowly approached the entrance to the mine.
Though their usual way was to fight and roughhouse, now, the sisters held hands solemnly.
Their small bare feet tread the sharp gravel and their short legs met the night air under the flimsy t-shirts they must have been sleeping in. It was cold, but the girls didn’t seem to notice. They were fixated on the mouth of the mine.
Something began to build in Erik’s chest. Never had he felt this kind of anger or fear. And there was no wolf to turn to, to take the brunt of this emotion and demolish it with action.
He was no wolf, but he was still fast. He tore across the gravel and circled the twins in time to block them from the mine. They stared at him in confusion.
LeeAnn was there in a heartbeat.
Thank god, she didn’t seem affected by the call of the thing in the mine. Her protective instincts were too powerful.
She shifted and wrapped the girls in her strong arms, moaning in wordless relief, tears striping her cheeks.
At their mother’s touch, the girls seemed to come back to life. They cried too, though Erik was pretty sure they were only crying because their mother was crying.
“What were you doing?” LeeAnn asked them tremulously.
“We... we saw Daddy!” Rachel said happily, remembering.
“He told us. He told us to come,” Ruth insisted, looking like she was worried she might be in trouble.
LeeAnn wrapped a hand around her own mouth in horror.
Erik knelt in the gravel and put a hand on each girl’s shoulder.
“Girls, what you saw wasn’t really your daddy,” he explained gently.
“It was my daddy.” Ruth shook her little head. “I saw him.”
Erik realized it was too late. He was out of time. He couldn’t convince the whole town to evacuate. He couldn’t even convince a five year old.
Another wave of furious despair hit him and he struggled to breathe. How could he watch it happen, helplessly?
He heard footsteps in the gravel and turned to find Bonnie and Mary approaching.
“What happened?” Bonnie asked.
Mary had thrown herself down with her mom and sisters. Zeke joined them.
Watching them, Erik Jensen understood his purpose here. The knowledge shook him to his core and filled him with both sadness and glory.
“Remember that favor I asked you?” he said to Bonnie. She looked at him strangely, but nodded. “Get the message to Ainsley for me.”
Erik turned back to the huge piece of equipment he’d recognized yesterday. It was similar enough to one of his own front end loaders. It shouldn’t be a problem for him to operate. He hoped it was big enough for what he had in mind.
He jogged over. As he expected, the key was in the ignition. It always was. This type of equipment was in no danger of being stolen.
“What’s he doing?” he heard Mary ask, her voice quavering.
“It’s going to be alright, Mary.” He turned back to meet her gaze. “You need to be strong now for your family. Whatever happens, do not go in that mine !”
He turned away, the naked despair in her eyes too much for him to bear. She began to protest, but he turned the key and the machine came to life with a tremendous roar, shutting out the rest of the world.
“Erik!” Mary cried. But she sounded very far away.
Erik swung the machine into gear and headed straight for the mine.
A warm sense of calm fell over him, and his thoughts turned to his love. He hoped Ainsley would be proud of him.
CHAPTER 13
I n Ainsley’s eyes, the thing under the field house suddenly transformed from a theoretical danger into something horribly real.
Grace, her darling, Grace, who was both stalwart and silly, was now in its clutches.
“Let’s go,” she told Julian. “Now.”
“Go on ahead,” Julian said, his face expressionless. “I’ll catch up with you. I have to get something
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