Trigger

14

“In my experience,” Trigg began, picking his words carefully. “Women didn’t seem to care about much in their lives beyond how they looked.”

Stormy’s expression morphed from casual amusement to stern disapproval. She tucked the empty wrapper into the bag and pulled out a bottle of water.

“That means you didn’t respect them,” Stormy said.

She pulled out a couple more food packets and handed them plus a bottle of water to Trigg without looking up at him. Trigg took them, immediately regretting his decision to be even remotely honest with her.

“Why do you say that?” he asked quietly.

“Women need to be respected to give respect back,” she said. “Maybe you didn’t deserve it.”

The shot pained Trigg more than he was willing to admit, but externally, he let out a laugh in agreement. They ate in silence, Trigg’s thoughts bouncing around in his mind like a circus clown juggling balls.

Stormy gathered up their food items again and put the wrappers in the pack.

“I’m going to shift back into my wolf form for the rest of the night,” he said. “Just in case anyone else finds us.”

Stormy nodded, turning away from him. Despite her clear look of annoyance, Trigg could smell the hormones on her that only indicated her interest. That satisfied Trigg and also made him feel bewildered because he longed for her in ways he had never longed for any woman before.

Trigg quickly shifted, then she grabbed the blanket and rebuilt their sleeping area. She didn’t say anything when he cuddled close, her love for the wolf returning. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, intoxicating and thrilling.

Trigg fell asleep with dreams of his past life. His former lovers interacted with one another, arguing about him, agreeing with each other about the walls he had put up in his heart.

He wondered about what that meant for Stormy. Would she fall for him as his fated mate, or would she feel the opposite way toward him?

TRIGG

Dawn light angled above, rays of golden sun split by the nearby mountain peaks. The snow dusting them glittered and shone, the rocks coloring up to dull silver. Back in his human form, Trigg took a deep breath of clean mountain air and paused for a moment.

Stormy was by his side, and she stopped, too. The loose stones were crunching under her feet. Beside her, a rushing creek sang morning greetings, the fast-moving flow catching the light as it traveled its eternal path.

The air was so cold and crisp it was almost as if Trigg could take a bite out of it. He smiled, breathing in the atmosphere. Often, his work required him to be in cities. He was enjoying the unspoiled wilderness, especially after his time locked in the deep, dark prison.

Stormy turned to look at him, her brown hair catching red glints from the rising sun. She smiled, her cheeks rosy from the cold, and Trigg had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. She was breathtaking, and against the backdrop of this savage country his wolf loved, she looked like heaven on earth.

He smiled at her, ready to reach out and touch her lightly, maybe on the arm or hand, a secret thrill he would allow himself. A moment where he could pretend they would be together for all time. Before he could lift his hand, his shifter senses detected a change in the wind, and suddenly, the air was not as clean as it had been.

“What is it?” Stormy asked, watching his face change. He lifted his nose, closing his eyes.

“Smoke,” he whispered, turning his head. After a few seconds, he turned, pointing into the nearby trees.

“That way.”

“Should we check it out?” she asked, frowning. He nodded.

“We’ll creep up and see what’s there. I don’t want any trouble. It’s probably just a hermit or a woodsman, but I’m not sure. We might find some supplies there.”

“Maybe, he doesn’t want to share,” Stormy said. “If he’s all the way out here, he must not want visitors.”

Trigg grinned. “Let’s go and find out.”

He stripped. Stormy spun around to give him the privacy he hadn’t asked for or wanted. Then he stuffed his clothes into the bag and shifted, his wolf relishing the cold rocks beneath his paws and the clear air high above. He barked once, luxuriating in this weather, this harsh country made for wolves. He set off at a trot, and Stormy followed him into the trees.

They had not gone far when they came upon a small cabin. Trigg paused ... ears up. He sniffed the air and looked around with quick glances.

“It looks abandoned,” Stormy said. Trigg shook his head.

The place is unkempt but not abandoned, he said. He motioned with his muzzle. The ax is old, but the blade is clean and sharp. Those few logs next to it are freshly cut. The yard might be overgrown, but there’s a clear path to the woods from the door.

“It doesn’t look like that truck will ever move again,” she said, gesturing to it. The weeds grew up as high as the doors. Trigg agreed.

Let’s knock on the door, he said. But be ready for anything.

She nodded, letting him go ahead of her. He sniffed around the house, his fluffy tail held high.

Stormy’s steps echoed on the hollow porch. She knocked once, and the door was opened by a large, scowling man. As soon as he saw Stormy, his face brightened. Trigg growled low in his throat.

“Dobroe utro,” Stormy said. Trigg was impressed with her Russian pronunciation of good morning. Once again, he had underestimated her intelligence. The man returned her greeting and asked what she was doing out in the forest alone. Trigg didn’t have a good feeling about this guy and let out a sharp bark to tell the man Stormy wasn’t alone.

The man glanced at the wolf as if just now noticing it was there. Trigg didn’t like the look in the man’s eyes. A low growl vibrated from deep in his wolf’s throat. The woodsman’s eyes narrowed. A knowing expression crossed the weathered face as he whispered “Volkov,” which was Trigg’s last name and also the Russian word for “wolf.”

The old man recognized a shifter when he saw one.

He smiled and gestured for her to come inside. She shook her head. He spoke more insistently, reaching for her. Trigg barked a warning.

I can smell evil all over him. He growled from behind Stormy. Don’t let him touch you.