Page 43 of Torin

Then he disappears down the hall, apparently deciding that his loincloth and I have socialized enough for one afternoon.

I wait until he’s gone. “What was that about?”

“He’s not great with strangers.”

I look toward the empty doorway.

Maybe.

But I don’t think that’s why he was staring at me.

A few minutes later, we’re back in the truck, winding along the edge of the mountain. This road is even narrower than the one leading to Bennett’s cabin, with pine branches brushing against the passenger side with an occasional scrape.

“How much farther?”

“About thirty seconds.”

I sit up straighter.

Ahead, the trees thin and sunlight flashes between them, followed by a glimpse of sparkling water.

The truck rounds a final bend.

“Oh, wow.”

I lean toward the windshield. The water is unbelievably clear, pale rocks visible beneath the shallows before the lake deepens to blue. Forest crowds the shoreline, and beyond it the mountains rise against the sky.

Torin pulls into a dirt parking area above a small, empty beach.

“Okay,” I say. “This was worth leaving the cabin for.”

Torin grins. “Told you.”

I reach for the door handle. “Where do I change?”

He gestures toward several thousand trees. “Pick one.”

I laugh, then climb out of the truck and head for the forest.

8

Torin

Iwatch as Hannah disappears into the trees carrying Alexandria’s swimsuit.

Orson was weird as hell with her back at the lodge. No prizes for guessing why. The idiot ran her off the road last night, and now he’s seen the bruises he gave her.

I’ll deal with him later. Right now, my mate is taking her clothes off nearby. I force myself to turn my back. The lake is beautiful. The mountains are beautiful, too. So is the weather.

I blow out a breath. This is ridiculous. She’s changing into a swimsuit.

Mate is naked.

Shush.

My beast has been like this since the moment I found her. Relentless.

Everything comes back to her: is she warm enough? Has she eaten? Is she happy?