Wilder (The Wild Ones 3)

They don’t feel so epic right this—

A vicious growl cuts off my inner whiny bitch, and I jerk my head over to the thick, bare trees. Just a hint of tan fur catches my eyes before it disappears.

A sick feeling knots in my stomach as my knees lock in place, making it damn hard to take off in the dead sprint I want to.

Please don’t be a hungry bear. Please don’t be a hungry—

A loud, terrifying, heart-pounding, gut-wrenching warning is released from the creature stalking me, and I realize it’s not a bear.

It’s worse.

It’s a big cat of some sort. Cats toy with their prey. It won’t even be a swift and merciful death.

Another sound comes from behind me, and I whirl around, seeing large, fresh footprints way too close to me. This cat got right up behind me, and I didn’t even know it.

A tear falls from my eyes as I look around to see where it’s gone, but the loud, hellacious, horrifying battle cry is what kicks my fight-or-flight instincts into overdrive and free will is stolen from me.

My legs move on their own, and I take off like a gun has fired at the starting line.

The snow crowds my way, holding me back, and I cry out when I crash to the ground at the same time a roar sounds from way too close from behind me.

My heart pounds so hard that I’m worried it’s about to leap out of my chest.

The only thing my mind has on it is survival, even as I struggle up from the snow, ignoring my screaming muscles as I run, stumble, and fumble my way out of the woods.

Maybe the fact that cats terrorize their prey will work out in my favor. Sometimes a mouse gets away.

Right?

The scent of smoke has me taking a turn, along with the cat screeching in the direction I was running. Another battle roar has me crashing into a tree when I try to turn.

A startled cry escapes me, but I grit my teeth and charge toward the strong stench of smoke.

I burst free from the woods, just as that tan fur flashes by me. A scream tears from my lips, since there’s a cabin just in front of me.

“Help! Someone help me!” I shout as loud as I can, my voice hitting a higher pitch than I’ve ever hit.

The cat finally comes into view as it hops up on the porch, and my eyes widen as it growls and snarls, flashing its sharp teeth.

“Be careful! It’s on your porch!” I yell as the door swings open. “Look out! Don’t—”

My eyes widen, and I feel nothing but breath-seizing panic when I realize it’s Kai who is stepping out, brow furrowed in confusion as he stares over at me without seeming overly freaking concerned about the wild beast that trots toward him…

The cat starts rubbing its head against his leg like it’s a motherfucking pet or something, and Kai leans over, talking sweetly to it.

“I guess you felt like helping me recover my missing date,” he says with a daring little smirk on his lips. “Good girl.”

A full body-shuddering breath escapes me just before I go limp all over, the adrenaline fleeing my body in one bold rush. I drop to the snow, my knees hitting first, as I stare in disbelief at the sight before me.

I pant for air now that I realize how exhausted I am.

Kai scratches the cat under its chin, and the beast all but leans against him like it’s the greatest feeling in the world.

“Y-y-you have a mountain lion for a pet?” I ask on a shaky, unsure tone.

“She’s a cougar. I told you about her last night,” he says with a frown. “Did the weed fuck you up that much? I’ve been building up a tolerance for a long time. I forget what it’s like to be a weed virgin,” he adds.

This is my morning? How did this become my morning? Usually my mornings consist of waking up and grabbing my chai latte on the way to work.

Not running for my life from my date’s pet.

“This is Cougar? The cougar named Cougar?” I ask incredulously.

How the hell was I supposed to take that literally when he confessed it last night?

“What the hell did you think I was talking about?” he asks just as incredulously, moving down the steps toward me, his eyes raking over me.

I look a mess now that I’ve wasted my time running from his pet.

Kai reaches down to help me up, and I slap his hand away. The cat hisses and snaps at me from the porch, and I quickly grab his hand, use it to heave myself up, and practically hug him for protection. My heart starts pounding all over again when the not-nice kitty growls.

“Cougar, knock it off,” he says dismissively to the wild animal he seems to think is tamer than it is. “She’s harmless,” he assures me.