Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
I knew what those bastards had in mind before they sat down at our fire. Forcing me to watch as they tormented her wasn’t enough. They wanted to break her, and they wanted me to be the first to do it.
Impossible. I could never harm my own child. But regardless of the sickening betrayal, I can’t help how my body responds. She can’t possibly want this either, so why does it seem like she can’t get enough?
The twisted desire we feel can only be wrong. But in the wilderness, the rules of men no longer apply.
Out here, we play by the laws of nature.
Hunt or be hunted.
Take or be taken.
Kill or be killed.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter 1
Willow
The scent of spruce and sagebrush filled my lungs as I stood in the knee-high river, resisting the lazy pull of the current around my legs. There was something satisfying about withstanding the water’s sluggish tug. I hadn’t bothered to remove my trail shoes or to roll up my hiking tights; the late-summer heat would take care of the lingering dampness quickly enough.
My dad paused beside me.
“Don’t quit on me now,” he said. “Mr. Bubbles is waiting.”
I rolled my eyes at his attempt at a joke but couldn’t suppress my smirk. Our goal for the afternoon was a natural hot spring called Mr. Bubbles and I was looking forward to a relaxing soak.
Dad continued toward the riverbank, but I caught the peaceful smile on his face. He appreciated the scenery just as much as I did. It’s why we kept coming back to Yellowstone National Park every summer, year after year. Not only for the beauty and grandeur, but for the chance to escape the constant hum of city life and reconnect with nature, as well as each other.
We’d parked at the ranger station two mornings ago and spent the past couple of nights at different campsites along the trail. We’d been hiking for most of the day today. Both of us were in excellent shape from living active lives, but three straight days of walking—sometimes on uneven terrain—can make anyone’s muscles sore.
I met my dad on the bank of the river where he was putting his socks and shoes back on.
“Do you need a break, Willow?” he asked, now with genuine concern.
It was tempting to roll my eyes at him again, but I held back. Dad could be overprotective at times, but I knew that his need to control stemmed from a place of love. He just wanted me to be safe and happy. When I was younger, it drove me crazy. At eighteen years old, I had a better perspective. My dad didn’t set out to raise me on his own, but then my mom died in childbirth. It’d been the two of us from the very beginning.
Of course, that’s what made this trip so bittersweet. It was set to be our last hiking trip before I left for college. As soon as we got back home, I would only have a few short weeks to prepare for the cross-country move that would separate me from my dad for the first time ever.
I hadn’t planned to attend college so far away, but my dad insisted. He said he wanted me to be independent. I couldn’t help wondering if part of him wanted a little bit of breathing room for himself. He hadn’t dated in years and didn’t go out much on his own. Maybe he was just waiting for me to move out so that he could start living his life.
Of course, he’d never explicitly said anything to make me think this way, but I knew it couldn’t have been easy raising me on his own. Even a well-behaved kid was a big responsibility for one person to shoulder. If anything, my good grades and lack of an arrest record were a testament to his parenting. Which is why I agreed to apply to colleges on the east coast. My dad had sacrificed a lot to be there for me while I was growing up. How ungrateful would I have to be to insist on going to a local college so I could continue living at home?
I was going to miss him though, so much.
“I don’t need a break,” I said, adjusting my backpack so that the straps were no longer digging into my shoulders. “Let’s go. I want to soak in the hot spring for as long as possible.”
I started off down the trail, with him trekking behind. I knew that he’d stay close. We’d never been separated on one of these hikes before, but we always had a plan in place in case it happened. In the event that we somehow managed to lose each other, we were to head for the old fire tower just north of Douglas Knob Meadow. The fire tower was unmaintained and closed for public use, but it was tall enough to be seen for miles, which made it the perfect meeting spot.
The trail took us past gorgeous waterfalls and gurgling pools of steaming water. It didn’t matter how many times we hiked here, the scenery never got old. I could still be moved to tears by the vibrant colors of a sunset.
About half a mile from the hot spring, we veered from the main trail onto the well-trodden path that would take us to Mr. Bubbles. On the way, we passed more pools of water, some of them colorful in a way that seemed almost unnatural. Vibrant blues, deep oranges, and golden yellow rings lined the edges of the pools. I could feel the scalding heat rising from them, though we were careful not to get too close. A breeze blew in from the forest around us, tousling the fine auburn hairs that had escaped my ponytail.