Zoya’s P.O.V
An almost uncomfortable silence descended upon the table as I mentioned Lily. I knew I shouldn’t have asked him, shouldn’t have dug up his past like this…but I couldn’t help it.
Somehow, I found curiosity mix with my jealousy over the woman who once had Ezra’s heart. I liked it…the attention that Ezra gave me, like I was the center of his words. Every word of encouragement, every compliment he gave me…I took them all to heart.
But it was only after I saw the way a shadow descend upon his face, his expression become guarded…that I realized my mistake. It wasn’t my place to ask about her. I hardly knew Ezra that well myself…then who was I to rub salt on a still fresh wound, all in the name of curiosity? However…with Sam still waiting for me in my cabin…I had to also think about my safety.
Was I unknowingly giving refuge to a murderer?
The question haunted me now more than ever. Especially after what Cam had told me about Lily being murdered the night I had arrived.
I hesitated for a moment before mustering the courage to talk to Ezra again. My heart was racing as the words tumbled out of my mouth, and I braced myself for his reaction. I needed to know what had happened to her, and I couldn't let my fear of upsetting him hold me back any longer. “What happened to her? To Lily?” I asked, trying my best to be as polite as possible.
My heart pounded hard against my chest as I braced myself for his response. Ezra seemed to understand the gravity of my question and his expression shifted from relaxed to somber. His voice was low and sad as he began to speak.
"Lily was my fiancé, and she was…murdered," he said, his eyes fixed on mine. "It was the same night you arrived in town. We don't know who did it yet, but whoever it was, I'll make sure they'll pay and wish they were never born."
I watched as Ezra's expression changed, a mix of sadness and anger passing over his face, and I could see the pain and grief etched into his features. I wanted to reach out and comfort him, but I didn't know how.
My heart sank at the revelation. I felt a wave of guilt wash over me as I realized that I had inadvertently walked into a dark and dangerous situation. I could feel the weight of Sam's secrets weighing down on me like a boulder.
And yet…
I stared down at my drink, and I could feel his eyes gaze at me intently, like he was trying to pick apart my thoughts with just his eyes. I knew that was not even possible, he did not have the supernatural abilities to do so, not that those things even existed outside fiction, but I still felt vulnerable and bare under his stare.
I wanted to tell Ezra everything, to unburden myself of the knowledge that I had about Sam and his strange behavior. But as soon as the words began to form in my mind, I found myself holding back. Fear, uncertainty, and a sense of self-preservation kept me silent.
Ezra noticed my sudden silence and reached out to me with a gentle touch on my arm. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face.
I didn't know what it was about him, but he was the type to easily read my emotions. I didn't know if it was because I was an open book, or if he simply was just good at reading people. If it was the latter, then he surely made for a good sheriff.
I shook my head, deciding to lie to him instead. “I’m just…I honestly don’t even know what I’m feeling anymore. I thought I was ready to let go of my past by selling that stupid ring…but the ring itself turned to be fake.”
It wasn't a complete lie, but it was a safer answer than the truth. I couldn't deny that a part of me had an inkling of loyalty to Sam, no matter how baseless or foolish.
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest when I remembered what Ezra told me about Lily's murder. It was a cold reminder that danger is lurking in these woods, and I couldn't shake off the thought that Sam might be involved somehow. But I couldn't bring myself to tell Ezra about him, not yet. Instead, I keep my mouth shut and try to focus on the present moment.
Just then, we heard a chorus of howls in the distance, and my heart rate spiked as the howling grew louder and closer. I had never heard wolves before and the sound filled me with a sense of primal fear. The howls echoed through the trees and my nerves were on edge as I had never expected to hear wolves in these mountains, and the fact that they were howling together is unnerving. As if sensing my fear, he clamped his hand on top of mine.
“It’s alright, they aren’t harmful.” He reassured me. “They’re probably trying to warn us of intruders or some other wild animals.”
“You’re not scared of them?” I asked him, astounded.
“These wolves had have been inhabiting the forests for hundreds of years now,” he told me in an attempt at comfort, and it did work to some extent. “We have co-existed long before I was even born. If there's anything you have to worry about in this town, it's certainly not the wolves. They never harm the people here and they mostly keep to themselves.”
But, even with all his attempts to calm the violent beating of my heart, I still couldn't help feeling scared, and the warning in their howls only heightens my sense of danger.
Just then, Ezra’s cell phone rang, startling me even further and he removed his hand from mine to take the call. He stood at a distance, answering the call and even though I didn’t understand what was going on, the conversation seemed heated.
He came back a few moments later and there was an urgency in his voice as he spoke next. “I think it’s best if you go back to your cabin, in case there are any vicious animals on the loose,” he said. “I have something I need to investigate.”
And the fear that was already in me grew even more. God, what if there were other dangerous creatures out there as well? What if that’s what the wolves were trying to warn us about?
But I followed Ezra’s words nonetheless and he helped me into my car in the parking of the clinic, which suddenly seemed deserted.
As I turned to leave, I kept glancing at Ezra, worry etched into my very core. Ezra must have noticed the worry, because he offered me a small smile.
"Don't worry about me, Zoya,” he told me, standing outside my car. “Just get home safe. I’ll let Cam know."
I nodded, but I couldn't help feeling guilty about leaving him here. I felt useless once again, and I hated that feeling more than anything. I knew that he was a strong and capable man, he wouldn't be sheriff for nothing, but I still worried about his safety. As I started my car, I heard the howls in the distance again, and my heart raced with fear.
"Please be safe, Ezra," I whispered to myself as I watched his form getting smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror.
As I drove away, trying to get as far as I could from the scene, my sense of unease only grew. Even though the sun had just set, something felt off entirely. The forest seemed to be darker…gloomier. And it felt like the road ahead was never ending, no matter how hard I pressed on the gas.
Then, out of nowhere, something slammed into my car, causing me to lose control. I hadn't been able to see what exactly it was, but it was huge…and black. Like some kind of a wild animal…
That was the last thing I remembered as the car skidded off the road and crashed into a tree. I could feel the impact jolt through my entire body as my head hit the window, the seatbelt having loosened up…and then there was nothing but darkness.