Share
chapter 18
Related chapters
The Saga Series Chapter 1
Big Bear Lake, California is located in a lush green valley, surrounded by mountains and the towering pines, sparkling streams, wildlife, and hidden lakes of the San Bernardino National Forest. We’d just moved into a cute, two-story brick house along the south shore of Big Bear Lake. The beautiful and quaint little home was left to us by my grandmother, when she passed away. She’d spent her whole life in the house and had loved it. So my parents thought it would be fantastic to dump our city life, to move out to the smog-free middle of nowhere, where we could get lost in the peace and quiet tranquility. My parents loved the solitude here, because they were both writers. My father wrote mystery thrillers, while Mom penned romance novels. They hated the hustle, bustle and noise of the city and were sure the peaceful wilderness would help them concentrate. “It’ll be a fresh start for all of us,” my mother assured me, following a bad breakup with my boyfriend, “a very healthy e
The Saga Series Chapter 2
Finally, Max burst through the thick plants, bounding toward me. I clutched my heart and let out a sigh of relief when I saw that he was unharmed. He immediately took a protective stance in front of me and started growling, snarling and barking at whatever was in those ferns. Given the fight-or-flight choice, I was sure the best course of action was to slowly sneak backward and get the heck outta there. The ferns parted and I gasped. I was suddenly face to face with a mountain lion. It raised its head, unleashing its bloodcurdling signature roar. My heart began to pound in my chest like a high school marching band. What I encountered next was nearly as shocking as the mountain lion. I turned around quickly, only to bump into a guy who looked to be about my age. He wasn’t just any guy though, he was so scorching hot that if I had wet my finger with my tongue and touched him, his chest would have steamed and sizzled. He instinctively pushed me behind him as
The Saga Series Chapter 3
I pointed in the direction of where I’d come from. “I saw a mountain lion!” My dad immediately pulled me into a tight hug, then stepped back and began inspecting me from head to toe. “Are you okay?” he asked, looking concerned. I sighed. “I’m fine, Dad. Max ran off, and I just—” “You weren’t supposed to go in the woods.” “What was I supposed to do? I had to find Max.” “You shouldn’t go out there alone. You could have hollered for me, and I would have gone with you.” “It would’ve only taken a minute to get me or Dad,” Mom added. “I didn’t know he was gonna go so deep into the woods, or I would have,” I explained. My dad’s brown gaze narrowed. “Are you sure it was a mountain lion you saw?” “Positive. I just took off running and—” “Taylor,” my father pushed, “if that was a bobcat or mountain lion, its natural instinct would be to chase you. Never run. Just yell, shout, and make yourself look bigger.” “Yeah, I know, but I panicked, I guess. Sti
The Saga Series Chapter 4
She lifted a finger. “That’s clue number one. Mr. Wonderful doesn’t know much about the wildlife around here. I read up on it. Mountain lions travel alone.” “Hmm. That’s odd,” I answered. “When we were out there, after we scared one lion away, my dog started acting funny, and he said, ‘They’re back.’” “Only mothers and kittens live in groups, and I doubt a mama mountain lion would come back with her babies. So what happened after that?” “He seemed jumpy and rushed me back home, then took off. When I glanced over my shoulder, he was gone.” “Hmm. He does sound mysterious,” she said, looking intrigued. “I’ll keep out an eye for him. What does he look like?” “He’s gorgeous,” I said. “Yeah, you already said that. What else?” “Well, he has black hair to his shoulders,” I answered smiling even wider, recalling every detail of his features. “And he’s got these big, bright blue eyes, almost like he was wearing those colored contacts.” “You mean, like pastel
The Saga Series Chapter 5
“That’s them,” I heard a woman next to me say. “And neither one of them knows who they really are.” “Shh,” the man said. “They’re kept in the dark for a reason!” “Does it matter if they hear us? They’ll be dead before sunrise if Drake gets his way.” I wasn’t comfortable by the woman’s words. But obviously, they had mistaken us for somebody else. When the chatter and laughter resumed, much to my relief, I nudged Julie. “We should leave, I said. “I don’t feel comfortable here.” “Oh, don’t be a party-pooper,” Julie replied. “Look at all these hot college guys. Maybe I’ll even snag one.” “Really, Julie, I think it’s best we leave,” I pleaded. She put her hand on her hip and turned to face me, then actually stomped her foot like a spoiled toddler. “Seriously? You wanna go back to your boring house? Let’s just have a drink and chat a little. If you still want to leave then, we will.” I looked around uneasily and swallowed hard. “I already know I want
The Saga Series Chapter 6
“Hi. I’m Jesse,” he said, as he smiled and held his hand out to me. “Taylor,” I said, unable to put a whole sentence together. “Nice to officially meet you. You’ve been on my mind since the second I met you.” I couldn’t help but smile at his blatant flirtations, the heat in my blushing cheeks scorched my skin. I was absolutely melting. Another slow song began and Jesse casually took off his jacket and smiled. The fabric of his long-sleeved shirt clung to his broad shoulders and muscular chest, the white cotton making his shoulder-length hair stand out even more. He offered me his hand like a perfect gentleman. “Would you like to dance?” “I’d love to,” I answered with a grin, taking his hand. He flashed his leading-man smile at me as he wrapped his arms around my waist and I placed my arms on his shoulders. My heart suddenly began beating out a new rhythm of excitement. We stared intently into each other’s eyes as we danced slowly to the music. I was
The Saga Series Chapter 7
Jesse pulled me to the side. “Can you get her home?” he asked in a whisper. “This is so embarrassing, but her truck’s a stick shift, and I’ve got no idea how to drive one. I probably can’t drive any safer than she can right now.” “Lucky for you, I can,” he said. “But then how will you get back?” “I can walk.” “No, it’s way too far, Jesse.” “I’ll be fine.” He bit his lip looking down at Julie as if he was worried. “It’s best we sneak out of here.” I furrowed a brow asking, “Sneak out? Why?” “Did you see that guy she was dancing with?” “Yeah, I think she might have told me his name, but I forgot.” “It’s Jonathon. And he’s an absolute psycho. I’m afraid he might follow her home if he sees her leaving.” “Are you sure?” I asked, shaking my head in disbelief. “That’s insane!” “I heard him claim her, and I heard some of the other guys claiming you. They may look like average, drunken frat boys, but they’re beyond dangerous. Trust me Taylor,
The Saga Series Chapter 8
“Trust me,” Jesse cut in, “you don’t want that guy’s number.” “Yes I do,” she answered. “He’s way too dangerous,” he warned. “A bad boy, huh? I like that.” “Not a bad boy. He’s a bad man—a real bad man—and like many of the guys back there, he’s nothing but trouble. You two had no business being at that party, out in the middle of the woods, with a bunch of older strangers.” Julie turned toward Jesse. “Yeah? Well, I guess we were lucky you were looking out for us.” “If I hadn’t been there…” His voice trailed off. “So what can we do about the tire?” she asked. Jesse opened the door and started to climb out. “My friend’s coming. I’ll wait outside for him. You two stay put.” “Why not stay in here with us?” I asked. “Because I have to make sure the big, bad wolf doesn’t come and eat you.” “Ooh. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” Julie slurred. I laughed as he slammed the door shut. “He’s cute,” Julie whispered, “and funny too.”
Latest chapter
