Cold Mercy (Northern Wolves) Read Online Free PDF

and Bay felt the full-force impact of her gaze again. “You okay?”
    “Yeah.” He winced. “Apparently I just needed to get whatever it was I ate out of my system. If you’ll give me a few minutes to clean up, I can meet you back outside.”
    “No. Don’t worry about it. I’ll drop by tomorrow. You could use the rest.” Bay started to reach for her, to stop her, but a yawn escaped him. Exhaustion poured through his body, an impossible weight he couldn’t shake, despite the fact that even the thought of closing his eyes again terrified him.
    She stepped towards the bedroom door. “See you tomorrow. I hope you feel better.”
    She patted her hip, but the pup snuggled in closer to him. A soft smile appeared at the edges of her lips. “He seems to have taken a shine to you. I’m sorry.”
    She started to reach for him and Bay had to fight not to stop her. He didn’t want to wake alone. He didn’t want to face the nightmares, the reality of this, alone. He opened his mouth to say something, when Rascal scooted behind him.
    She took one look at the pair of them and he watched the flicker of emotion pass over her face. Too fast for him to catch it all but she straightened. “I’m Eden Marks, by the way.”
    “Bay. Bay Hollister.”
    Eden nodded. “You mind watching him for one more night?”
    “No, not at all.” Relief was evident in his voice and his shoulders slumped. “Thank you, actually.”
    “Okay.” She winked. “No one should have to be alone when they’re sick, though I will say, Smug makes a poor excuse for a nursemaid, just like his mama.”
    She waved at him and then disappeared down the hall. Bay sat there, frozen, until he heard the door shut and a car engine rev in his drive. Then he stretched out over his bed, Rascal sliding down onto the mattress next to him. Bay lay there, staring at the wall, his hand playing over the pup’s fur.
    He tried a thousand ways to rationalize everything, but he knew the truth. The dog, her, her testimony, the broken sled—it was all real. But what did that mean? Was he seeing stuff? Like some damn prophet? Or more likely, some crazy nutcase?
    Or was the worst case scenario true? The thing he feared more than anything. Did he turn into the beast? Somehow, he suspected it was the latter. He was a monster. Bay shuddered, an image of blood worming its way through his memory. He couldn’t remember most of the dreams, but he remembered blood. So much blood. Suddenly sick again, Bay clenched his jaw.
    How many people had he hurt? Killed?
    And what would happen the next time he closed his eyes?

    ***

    Eden kicked the snow off her boots as she entered the Fairy Cat Café, instantly spotting Rowan in her white apron with a black and white longhaired cat embroidered over one breast. The other woman had her long hair pulled back in a bun and looked like she’d already put in a full shift despite the fact that it wasn’t even nine in the morning yet.
    Then Rowan turned, spotted her, and winked. “Be there in a sec,” she called out, then turned back to the waitress she’d been talking to.
    Eden shook her head and strode towards the booth at the back of the diner. Kennedy was already in her spot, her camera in her hands. If there was one thing Dee had a passion for outside of her practice, it was pictures. Most often pictures of her animal patients, but Kennedy had a love for nature too, and a lot of her shots were absolutely breathtaking. Eden slid into the booth across from her. “Take anything good?”
    A wicked smile dashed over her friend’s face.
    “Oh yeah, but completely unbelievable.” Kennedy arrowed through her pictures then handed Eden the camera. “What do you think?”
    One glance at the picture on the digital camera’s LCD screen and Eden recognized Kennedy’s backyard, the gazebo half-covered in snow. The wind had kicked up a swirl of white and Kennedy had caught the beauty of the moment perfectly in the picture. A distinct snowflake sat in