Status: fin.
Love Like Winter
seventeen;
Night had fallen and Aiden had successfully built a small fire that emanated a shocking amount of heat. Aurora was grateful for it however as she was shuddering from the ocean breeze as they were positioned just beside a cliff. She glanced out at the waves as they crashed on rocks below and she found herself inwardly wincing at the thought of falling down and landing atop them.
Aiden had been gone for a while now, claiming he was out hunting for their dinner but she had grown uneasy the moment he left. What kind of situation had she gotten herself into? Could any of this really be construed as her fault? She had simply sought comfort in an unfamiliar town with a friendly inhabitant and now there were wolves and death penalties surrounding her. How on earth had it gotten so out of control?
She shuddered again before standing and turning to survey the area. Aiden had a pick up truck very similar to Luke’s though where Luke’s was black Aiden’s was silver. The bed of the trunk had logs and kindling set for the fire and a rather large duffle bag that was unzipped and a bundle of clothing could be seen on the inside of it. Aiden always was wearing flannel and thick jackets even in the summer heat, so it was possible that one was in that bag.
Aurora glanced around her, feeling almost like a thief as she took a step forward and began rifling through his bag. She didn’t even hear him return as she pulled a red flannel jacket inlaid with gray fur and let out a soft cry of triumph before pulling it on. She sighed at the sudden warmth that encompassed her and turned to return to her spot beside the fire.
She paused seeing Aiden with a large grin on his face and a pair of mauled rabbits in his hand. Her eyes focused on the rabbits and she sort of forgot about the fact that she had stolen his jacket and the fact that he was holding lifeless bunnies. “Did you kill them?” she asked, though the answer was obviously obvious.
Aiden looked at the rabbits in his hand and then back to Aurora with his jacket before grinning. “Yes. Did you steal my jacket?”
Aurora glanced down at her crossed arms and the red plaid dancing across them before blushing furiously. “It’s cold,” she defended, feeling foolish. She began to take it off but paused when Aiden shook his head at her.
“Keep it. It looks better on you anyway.”
Aurora wanted to snort and laugh at him because that line had been said a thousand times, a thousand different ways but she merely kept the jacket and returned to her seat on the log. He sat beside the fire, pulling a folding knife from his pocket, a golden pattern inlaid on the red handle. He flicked the blade open before he got to work on skinning the rabbits. Aurora tried her best to look anywhere but at the poor carcasses in his hands.
“How long are we staying here?” she asked, finally thinking of something to say.
The sound of flesh separated from skin stopped momentarily and then started up again just as quickly. “Lucas told us to stay here for a day. If he’s not returned by morning then we’re leaving.”
“We’re just going to leave without him? What if he’s out there? Hurt?” Aurora didn’t realize the pitch in her voice had heightened with each word, but Aiden did, and he straightened up, clearing his throat and staring heatedly at her.
“Lucas can take care of himself, Beauty. You on the other hand ain’t got no chance against Isabelle or my father. Do you understand me? The priority is getting you the hell out of dodge.”
“We can’t just leave him…”
“We can. And we have to. We don’t have a choice,” he said, his voice growing softer with every word. He then threw the skins of the rabbits to the side before he began hacking away at the beat on their bones. “Luke’s a survivor. He’ll be fine.”
Aiden had been gone for a while now, claiming he was out hunting for their dinner but she had grown uneasy the moment he left. What kind of situation had she gotten herself into? Could any of this really be construed as her fault? She had simply sought comfort in an unfamiliar town with a friendly inhabitant and now there were wolves and death penalties surrounding her. How on earth had it gotten so out of control?
She shuddered again before standing and turning to survey the area. Aiden had a pick up truck very similar to Luke’s though where Luke’s was black Aiden’s was silver. The bed of the trunk had logs and kindling set for the fire and a rather large duffle bag that was unzipped and a bundle of clothing could be seen on the inside of it. Aiden always was wearing flannel and thick jackets even in the summer heat, so it was possible that one was in that bag.
Aurora glanced around her, feeling almost like a thief as she took a step forward and began rifling through his bag. She didn’t even hear him return as she pulled a red flannel jacket inlaid with gray fur and let out a soft cry of triumph before pulling it on. She sighed at the sudden warmth that encompassed her and turned to return to her spot beside the fire.
She paused seeing Aiden with a large grin on his face and a pair of mauled rabbits in his hand. Her eyes focused on the rabbits and she sort of forgot about the fact that she had stolen his jacket and the fact that he was holding lifeless bunnies. “Did you kill them?” she asked, though the answer was obviously obvious.
Aiden looked at the rabbits in his hand and then back to Aurora with his jacket before grinning. “Yes. Did you steal my jacket?”
Aurora glanced down at her crossed arms and the red plaid dancing across them before blushing furiously. “It’s cold,” she defended, feeling foolish. She began to take it off but paused when Aiden shook his head at her.
“Keep it. It looks better on you anyway.”
Aurora wanted to snort and laugh at him because that line had been said a thousand times, a thousand different ways but she merely kept the jacket and returned to her seat on the log. He sat beside the fire, pulling a folding knife from his pocket, a golden pattern inlaid on the red handle. He flicked the blade open before he got to work on skinning the rabbits. Aurora tried her best to look anywhere but at the poor carcasses in his hands.
“How long are we staying here?” she asked, finally thinking of something to say.
The sound of flesh separated from skin stopped momentarily and then started up again just as quickly. “Lucas told us to stay here for a day. If he’s not returned by morning then we’re leaving.”
“We’re just going to leave without him? What if he’s out there? Hurt?” Aurora didn’t realize the pitch in her voice had heightened with each word, but Aiden did, and he straightened up, clearing his throat and staring heatedly at her.
“Lucas can take care of himself, Beauty. You on the other hand ain’t got no chance against Isabelle or my father. Do you understand me? The priority is getting you the hell out of dodge.”
“We can’t just leave him…”
“We can. And we have to. We don’t have a choice,” he said, his voice growing softer with every word. He then threw the skins of the rabbits to the side before he began hacking away at the beat on their bones. “Luke’s a survivor. He’ll be fine.”