The Haven High Book Series (Wattys2017)

Chapter 44

When they had hiked three or so miles into the deep woods, Brenna found a clearing between the giant redwoods and announced, "This looks like as good a spot as any."

Zach dropped the giant hockey bag of supplies he had insisted on carrying in for Brenna at her feet, and walked over to a giant tree that had fallen in another clearing, all eyes were on him when he easily picked it up and carried it back to the clearing to give everyone a place to sit.

Ray had let out a low whistle when he returned.

Lauren had to marvel at his strength. He was really coming into his powers. When Zach locked eyes with her she realized she was staring, and possibly drooling too, she thought ruefully.

She mentally berated herself for blushing and quickly looked away. Get over it, she chided herself, that road is closed permanently.

She deliberately looked over at Quinn then in his tight jeans and doc martins with his gorgeous smile and long sexy head of hair. Oh yeah she thought down this road be adventure.

She just loved his easy going manner. In fact at that moment he was horsing around with CJ as they fought over the most comfortable spot on the log.

She looked back over at Zach to find him staring at her and deliberately narrowed her eyes menacingly toward him, until he looked away. There did you get that message?

She could never know how much he was gleaning from her actions, like earlier today, or how much of what he knew, he knew because he was reading her thoughts.

She sent out a mental message of 'You had better stay out of my head Angel boy'.

But if he heard her he never let on.

Everyone broke up to find rocks that they could use to make a fire pit while Brenna unloaded kindling and cedar wood from her bag.

Lauren wandered into the clearing where Zach had found the log to look for a fair sized boulder when she heard rustling in the underbrush. Before she knew it she had been struck from the side and she was rolling through the air with a mass of fur on top of her. Lauren screamed in terror as she felt teeth snap just inches away from her neck.

Her back landed hard in the grass and brush but the weight of whatever had taken her down was suddenly gone. All she could hear was the sharp whine of pain from beside her. It had all happened so fast she had no time to react or even figure out what had attacked her, but she looked up to see Zach's massive form leaning over a giant Arctic wolf.

Zach was taking huge intakes of breath every few seconds like he was hyperventilating. He was leaning over the animal with his long fingers wrapped tightly around its neck. The wolf was thoroughly pinned to the ground.

Lauren heard the animal squeal as Zach looked eyes on her, but Marley raced in from the other clearing and yelled:

"DON'T"

She grabbed on to Zach's arm and it was a real struggle for her to lift his hand off the wolf's neck.

"Zach." she looked him in the eyes. "You don't want to do this."

Lauren shivered as she got up off the ground and grabbed her bloody elbows reflexively.

Zach was about to grab the wolf again when Marley said, "I've got him I've talked to him. He's just hungry. He was hunting a rabbit. Lauren got in the way. He was never going to eat her."

She looked Zach in the eyes again. Was she using her powers of persuasion or trying to use them on Zach, could she use them on Zach? Lauren wondered.