Read Online Yearnings: A Paranormal Romance Box Set by Amber Scott, Carolyn McCray - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amber Scott, Carolyn McCray
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everything she could to make sure of it. No arguing, no defensiveness. Eat, chat, laugh. Like everything was going to be just fine.
Another bark startled her enough that she jumped. She peered at the darkness, searching the nighttime shadows. Trepidation returned, pricking her skin. “Don’t panic. It’s just a dog.”
She increased her pace, nearly jogging. Two more blocks and she would reach Heather’s. She considered cutting across the wide expanse of park , but the playground equipment and trees’ looming shadows turned her stomach. A howl this time, closer. Sadie gulped, trotting faster.
The wind picked up, fingering through her hair, chilling her bare arms. A growling sound. Sadie glanced furtively around her, behind her. Someone was following her. Something, somewhere in those shadows, stalked her. She gained another block but her feet couldn’t move fast enough.
She heard a snarl, sharp and gnashing.
Her panic vibrated in her throat, shook her hands. Fear.
“ Sadie, wait,” the voice hissed and seemed so close, louder and him , but not him and real , but not real. Not possible. She didn’t know what to trust, what was real and what was imagined.
Her throat tightened as she rounded the final block. A fresh round of vicious barking snarling threw her into a run. She wasn’t going to make it. The dog was close. The collar jangled, she could hear his claws scraping the concrete for traction. She was a moving target and Heather’s house was too far away.
She looked back. Nothing was there. But she felt it and heard it and kept running.
She swung the bagged ice cream behind her as she fought to run faster. The tub thudded to the ground. The snarling changed. It quieted. In its place, a low giggle chipped at her senses. Her panic shot into terror. A scream clogged her throat, threatening to suffocate her. Heather’s house stood like a beacon forty yards away. Her vision zeroed on the door.
She had to make it to the door before the thing got her.
A sob choked out of her, a scream building, pressing on her chest. Her legs moved woodenly, clumsily. Her mind’s eye created a vision of gleaming pointy teeth gnashing closer, glowing yellow eyes, a dog that was no dog. She was so close. Only a few more yards.
Then her breath knocked out of her chest and her body propelled forward. Within a blink, she found herself staring at Heather’s door. She spun about, stunned to see nothing but quiet homes and empty street. Silence. A shudder swept over her, of relief or of despair, she couldn’t be sure.
Whatever had been there, imagined or not, was gone. She was safe. In the low lamplight, her white grocery bag shone, stark against the asphalt where she’d thrown it. Part of her wanted to laugh at the absurd sight she must have been. How ridiculous. A grown woman, afraid of the dark.
The white bag ruffled under the soft wind. So much for not showing up empty handed. Imagined or not, the expanse of street may as well have been lava. No way in hell was she going back for it.
Was she losing her mind?
Thankfully, Remy answered the door. “Hey, you. Come on in. I think you beat the storm.”
Her brother-in-law’s warm smiles made it that much easier to breathe and pretend the scare away.
“ You’re early,” Heather said brightly and took her by the hand to the kitchen. “I am making the best meatballs ever! Here, I’ll show you how.”
No mention of last week’s appointment. No agendas.
One thing for sure, if her mind was going, Sadie didn’t know how much time she would have left and that meant no time to waste. In between salad and pasta, Sadie texted Jen: “Still want company tonight?”
She didn’t need to see the reply to know Jen had said yes. Her cousin had been hounding her for weeks to come out and play. So she would. Tonight.
*
Elijah released his hold on the shifter and pushed off, putting yards of empty desert between them. A cloud of pale dust rose under her boots as she whipped
Another bark startled her enough that she jumped. She peered at the darkness, searching the nighttime shadows. Trepidation returned, pricking her skin. “Don’t panic. It’s just a dog.”
She increased her pace, nearly jogging. Two more blocks and she would reach Heather’s. She considered cutting across the wide expanse of park , but the playground equipment and trees’ looming shadows turned her stomach. A howl this time, closer. Sadie gulped, trotting faster.
The wind picked up, fingering through her hair, chilling her bare arms. A growling sound. Sadie glanced furtively around her, behind her. Someone was following her. Something, somewhere in those shadows, stalked her. She gained another block but her feet couldn’t move fast enough.
She heard a snarl, sharp and gnashing.
Her panic vibrated in her throat, shook her hands. Fear.
“ Sadie, wait,” the voice hissed and seemed so close, louder and him , but not him and real , but not real. Not possible. She didn’t know what to trust, what was real and what was imagined.
Her throat tightened as she rounded the final block. A fresh round of vicious barking snarling threw her into a run. She wasn’t going to make it. The dog was close. The collar jangled, she could hear his claws scraping the concrete for traction. She was a moving target and Heather’s house was too far away.
She looked back. Nothing was there. But she felt it and heard it and kept running.
She swung the bagged ice cream behind her as she fought to run faster. The tub thudded to the ground. The snarling changed. It quieted. In its place, a low giggle chipped at her senses. Her panic shot into terror. A scream clogged her throat, threatening to suffocate her. Heather’s house stood like a beacon forty yards away. Her vision zeroed on the door.
She had to make it to the door before the thing got her.
A sob choked out of her, a scream building, pressing on her chest. Her legs moved woodenly, clumsily. Her mind’s eye created a vision of gleaming pointy teeth gnashing closer, glowing yellow eyes, a dog that was no dog. She was so close. Only a few more yards.
Then her breath knocked out of her chest and her body propelled forward. Within a blink, she found herself staring at Heather’s door. She spun about, stunned to see nothing but quiet homes and empty street. Silence. A shudder swept over her, of relief or of despair, she couldn’t be sure.
Whatever had been there, imagined or not, was gone. She was safe. In the low lamplight, her white grocery bag shone, stark against the asphalt where she’d thrown it. Part of her wanted to laugh at the absurd sight she must have been. How ridiculous. A grown woman, afraid of the dark.
The white bag ruffled under the soft wind. So much for not showing up empty handed. Imagined or not, the expanse of street may as well have been lava. No way in hell was she going back for it.
Was she losing her mind?
Thankfully, Remy answered the door. “Hey, you. Come on in. I think you beat the storm.”
Her brother-in-law’s warm smiles made it that much easier to breathe and pretend the scare away.
“ You’re early,” Heather said brightly and took her by the hand to the kitchen. “I am making the best meatballs ever! Here, I’ll show you how.”
No mention of last week’s appointment. No agendas.
One thing for sure, if her mind was going, Sadie didn’t know how much time she would have left and that meant no time to waste. In between salad and pasta, Sadie texted Jen: “Still want company tonight?”
She didn’t need to see the reply to know Jen had said yes. Her cousin had been hounding her for weeks to come out and play. So she would. Tonight.
*
Elijah released his hold on the shifter and pushed off, putting yards of empty desert between them. A cloud of pale dust rose under her boots as she whipped
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