She’d know that, so it made sense she’d try to find that spot again. I didn’t remember exactly where I’d found Max before, but I had a rough idea. And that seemed better than running aimlessly through the trees.
The back side of the hill wasn’t as steep, but the trees were thicker. Shade did nothing to cut the heat, but I ignored how quickly my mouth dried out. It didn’t matter. I just needed to find her.
Trying to channel her perpetual optimism, I told myself she was fine. Probably trying to drag Max away from something gross and we’d have to spend the afternoon hosing him down again before he was fit to go inside.
I didn’t believe it, though. Not really.
“Audrey!”
My shoe caught on something hidden by the blanket of pine needles and I almost fell on my face. I stumbled a few steps to catch my balance.
Damn it.
“Audrey! Max!”
Still nothing.
The ground rose again so I pushed up the hill, sweat dripping down my temples. Both urgency and dread spread through the pit of my stomach. There was too much I didn’t know—too much I couldn’t control.
Who had been stalking her? And why? What was he willing to do to her?
Was he after her right now?
It could all be a coincidence. The call. The note this morning. Max running off. He’d chased a scent up the hill before. It didn’t have to mean the stalker was using the dog to lure Audrey into the woods.
But what if it did?
A potent mixture of rage and panic tightened my chest. I was not going to let him hurt her. I was not going to lose her.
I couldn’t. I’d tear that fucker limb from limb if he so much as touched her.
The instinct to protect my woman was deep and primal. It awoke something in me, flooded my veins with adrenaline. I was going to find her and bring her safely home. There was no other option.
“Audrey!”
A rustling sound came from my left, so distant I almost missed it. I stopped in my tracks. There it was again, same direction.
“Audrey!”
She didn’t answer, but I headed toward the sound. If it was Max, he might be able to find her faster than I could.
I raced through the trees, kicking up pine needles and dust, ignoring the scratches on my arms. The woods thinned, finally opening onto a sunbaked meadow filled with dry, brown grasses.
“Max?”
Three turkey vultures took off from the midst of the grass, their big wings flapping. They didn’t go far, just rose into the air and circled, waiting for me to get away from their meal.
That meant there was something dead over there. I couldn’t imagine Max rolling in an animal carcass that was being eaten by carrion birds, but he also had no sense of his own mortality, so maybe big birds wouldn’t have scared him.
I jogged over to where the birds had taken flight. The remains of something—not big enough to be a deer but larger than Max—lay in the grass. It was so picked apart and dried out, it didn’t look like much of anything. Definitely not fresh.
And no Max.
Fuck.
I checked the sun and the time on my phone to orient myself. I was pretty sure I knew how to get back. Worst case scenario, if I kept going, I’d hit the river. Then it would be a matter of following the water until I found a trail or the waterfall.
But where the hell was Audrey? How far had I gone wrong?
At this point, she could have been anywhere. My instincts weren’t enough to take me in the right direction and I hadn’t seen any signs that I could follow. Not that I was an expert; I easily could have missed them.
I figured I was probably closer to the river than home. My phone didn’t have a signal, but if I got to a hiking trail, I’d find a spot where it would work. I could keep searching and call my brothers to get out here and help.
There was nothing else to do but keep pushing through and hope we were both on a wild dog chase we’d laugh about later.
Because the alternative was unthinkable.
Ignoring the heat and discomfort of dehydration, I started off again, heading for the river. I kept my phone out, checking it in between yelling Audrey’s name, ready to call whoever would answer as soon as my phone connected again.
My sense of urgency grew with every step. She was in danger. I didn’t know how I knew, but it wasn’t my imagination gone wild. I wasn’t jumping to the worst-case scenario.
I knew.
My heart pounded in my chest and blood rushed in my ears. A wasp buzzed past and thankfully I had enough presence of mind to look out for the hive. I circled wide around it, cursing the damn things for being in my way.