Prologue
“Oh, Thomas! Come here, I want to show you something!” Kay called out from the bedroom, the flirtation in her tone evident. She lounged across the bed which, to be brutally honest, didn’t have the most comfortable bedspread. It was scratchy, and it was irritating all of Kay’s exposed
skin. One must make sacrifices to look so good , she thought, and forced herself to remain posed.
It was Thomas and Kay’s wedding night, and unlike many other couples their age, they had decided to wait until marriage to make love. While it was difficult, Kay was ready to make up for lost time. She and her best friend had shopped for hours for the perfect lingerie, and Kay had chosen her favorite outfit to wear on their first night, which she expected to be very intense. Her mouth lifted into a coy smile at the thought.
“Coming, dear!” Thomas called back, some excitement obvious in his voice. Kay peeked out into the living area of the little cabin they were renting, then glanced at the fire burning in the hearth between the two rooms. It was a cozy little place, and heated up fairly nicely considering the blistering cold outside. It had started to snow as they were making their way up the
mountain, and Kay had expressed her concern.
“Babe, what if the cabin doesn’t have a sufficient heater?” Thomas simply patted her hand, keeping his eyes fixed on the road.
“Don’t worry. I think we’ll keep warm enough, considering the activities we’ll be participating in.”
Kay blushed at that, understanding that he definitely wasn’t just referring to their possible skiing excursions.
Thomas finally opened the bedroom door, hesitantly, almost nervously.
“Babe?” he said, his eyes closed. Kay laughed.
“Tommy, open your eyes.” He did, slowly, but when he finally caught a glimpse of her, his eyes became hungry.
“Well aren’t you just the most gorgeous creature that ever lived?” Kay’s face turned crimson, but she held his stare.
“All for you, my darling.” He attacked her at those words, jumping on the bed with Kay and wrapping her in his arms. She laughed outright, and he smiled down at her, his face inches from hers. “I love you,” she said, bringing her hand up to his face to gently stroke it.
“I love you so much more.” Thomas kissed her then, a heart-stopping kiss that made Kay’s world fade around her.
At least it would have, had the fire not suddenly gone out.
They both stopped - stopped kissing, stopped moving, practically stopped breathing. One moment, there was a roaring fire, and the next, it was out like it had never even been there. There didn’t even appear to be any glowing embers, no remnants of the once fierce flame.
“What was that?” Kay trembled, and Thomas pulled her closer to him. It was then that four pounding knocks on the cabin door startled them even more, and Kay clutched her husband tighter.
“Who would be out there in the middle of a snowstorm?” Thomas asked, his voice shaking. They waited a few moments before four more knocks shook the cabin, and Thomas stood.
“No, Thomas!” Kay whispered frantically. He ignored her and grabbed his rifle, which was propped against the dresser. Kay then stood, reaching for her robe.
“Absolutely not, you’re staying here,” Thomas commanded, his face serious. However, she shook her head.
“I’m not letting you face this alone, and I’m not losing my husband on our wedding night. If one of us dies, we both die.” She reached for his hand, and he took it, hesitantly.
“Alright. But I don’t like the idea of dying a virgin, so let’s do our best not to.” Kay smiled slightly at that.
“I love you.”
Kay stood behind her husband, his broad shoulders protecting her from the icy wind that knocked into them as her husband opened the front door. He held his gun at the ready, his finger close to the trigger.
“Who’s
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