Frostbitten (31 page)

“You want me to get out
here
?” Anastasia asked skeptically.

“Yes, and have a good
time,” he added, no longer able to hide his signature toothy grin.

Trusting that there was
a reason behind her grandfather’s ludicrous instructions, Anastasia exited from
the car. As she stood seemingly on the edge of nowhere, illuminated by the
car’s headlights, she listened, only to hear the gentle pitter-patter of the
slowly melting snow. The last couple days of mild temperatures had brought the
first thaw, but Anastasia still shivered in response to her surroundings.

Suddenly, someone
emerged from the outskirts of the light, approaching her at a steady pace.
Frightened, Anastasia began stepping backwards until she realized who the tall,
muscular silhouette belonged to – it was Frost, and as he drew closer, she saw
that he was holding a bunch of roses.

Frost greeted Anastasia
with a soft kiss and then handed her the black roses which were dusted with
tiny silver sparkles. “You’re just in time,” he said with a mischievous grin.

“They’re gorgeous –
thank you,” Anastasia said, admiring the unique and unexpected gift, “but do
you mind telling me what’s going on?”

“Trust me,” Frost
whispered, while leading her into the woods.

Anastasia had been
doing a lot of trusting lately, and she didn’t feel the need to stop now,
especially as her grandfather drove away, leaving Frost and the pale moonlight
as her only guides. They were walking in a straight, slightly upward direction,
and since the trek was fairly easy, Anastasia guessed that they were on some
sort of path. Soon, she spotted a tower of small golden lights twinkling
through the trees, accompanied by the sound of a humming generator.

“What is this place?”
Anastasia asked breathlessly, arriving at the base of the beautifully decorated
tower.

“Welcome to the
lookout,” Frost responded, taking her hand as they ascended the stairs which
were also lined by lights. “It’s one of my favorite places in Cedar Falls.”

When Anastasia and
Frost reached the top, she let out a gasp. The platform, which featured a
pointed roof and an open, unparalleled view of Cedar Falls, had been
transformed into a romantic picnic area for two. A wicker basket, filled with
sparkling cider and delectable treats, sat in the middle of a white Sherpa
blanket that was spread over the floor. It was clear that Frost had planned
this thoroughly because in the corner, Anastasia saw a portable heater that
provided just the right temperature.

“I thought we should
finally have our first date,” Frost said, looking intently upon Anastasia with
those swoon-worthy eyes. “I can’t take all the credit, though. Your grandfather
helped to bring everything together – including us.”

“It’s perfect,”
Anastasia replied, deeply touched by the extravagant gesture, even if she did
find her grandfather’s involvement a tad unusual.

“Shall we?” Frost
asked, while motioning toward the picnic.

After sitting down on
the warm blanket and placing the roses beside her, Anastasia watched as Frost
retrieved the bottle of cider. He poured her a glass, before getting one for
himself and then settling next to her. She’d almost taken a sip of her drink
when he gently stopped her.

“There’s something I
want to say first,” Frost spoke softly, appearing almost shy. “You’ve always
stood by me no matter how difficult the situation – or I – became, and I could
never thank you enough for that. For all the unconditional love and support
you’ve given me, I promise to return it to you a million times over. I love
you, Anastasia, more than I ever thought possible.”

Blinking back tears,
Anastasia raised her glass to meet his. “I can definitely drink to that,” she
said bashfully, before tasting the sweet cider.

As Anastasia and Frost
cuddled together, enjoying the drink and treats, she thought about how lucky
she was to have found someone like him. He truly was everything that she’d ever
wanted – and more. If she had one wish, Anastasia would ask that this moment
last forever.

“Why so quiet?” Frost
asked, his hot breath tickling her ear. “Have I done something wrong?”

“Never,” Anastasia
reassured him. “It’s just...” She paused, not wanting to ruin the mood.

“You can tell me
anything. Surely you know that.”

“I can’t stop thinking
about what Julia said,” Anastasia admitted hastily. “
I know what you
both
are
– what could that mean? She doesn’t think I’m a werewolf, too, does
she?”

“Shhh...” Frost
whispered, while stroking her hair. “I’m sure it’s nothing, and to stop you
from worrying needlessly, maybe I can take your mind somewhere else.” Appearing
nervous, Frost leaned forward and kissed Anastasia.

This wasn’t the kind of
kiss that she’d come to expect from Frost. With increasing passion, his lips
pressed hard against hers, gliding effortlessly over her cherry flavored lip
gloss. At first, Anastasia thought he was crazy, fearing that he’d turn into a
werewolf at any second. Then, as he strengthened his grasp on her body, she
slowly gave in to her desires, stopping only when she felt the need to catch
her breath.

“You didn’t
shape-shift,” Anastasia murmured, overcome with happiness as she placed her
head against Frost’s chest and listened to his rapid heartbeat. She’d never
felt as close to him as she did right now, and that made her smile
uncontrollably.

“I guess I needed an
incentive to try harder,” Frost murmured back, “and I found that in you.”

Moved by his words,
Anastasia was about to tell Frost how much she loved him when suddenly, the sky
brightened with a greenish glow, startling her in the process. “What the...”
she began to mutter.

“It’s starting,” Frost
interrupted, urging the somewhat reluctant Anastasia to stand up and look out
into the northern night sky. “We’ll have the best view in all of Cedar Falls.”

Silently, Anastasia and
Frost watched as a display of green rays grew large and vibrant, seemingly
coming from the Heavens themselves. They appeared like curtains of light
swirling in the wind, one second strong and radiant, the next, retreating and
reappearing in another part of the sky. The hues pulsated with life as they
curved and rippled, casting their glow upon the woods. Utterly mesmerized,
Anastasia realized that this was the aurora borealis – a natural wonder she’d
often heard about but had never seen, and it was far more beautiful than anyone
could have ever described.

We made it,
Anastasia thought, her chest swelling with pride as she looked at Frost.
No
matter how impossible the odds, how tough the hardships, or how painful the
tragedy, we weren’t broken or torn apart, and in the end, I finally found my
happiness.

Returning Anastasia’s
gaze, Frost smiled and pulled her closer. He then carefully lifted her chin
upward, their lips about to meet when her cell phone began to ring. Grudgingly,
Anastasia answered it, cursing the timing of whoever was on the line.

“I...I need your help,”
someone said frantically, not giving Anastasia a chance to say hello first. “I
thought you were lying – crazy even – then I saw it with my own eyes. My...my
dad turned into a monster right in front of me. He fled from our home and
straight into the woods. Please, Anastasia, I know he’s out there somewhere,
and we need to find him before anyone else does.”

Anastasia’s blood ran
cold as she processed what she’d just been told. “Chloe, you need to stay in
your house. We’ll be there as fast as we can, but in the meantime, don’t do
anything or tell anyone.”

Quickly ending the
call, Anastasia dialed her grandfather’s number and waited anxiously as it
rang. When he eventually answered, she spoke shakily, “Find Mike, Leo and Pete,
and see if they’re okay.”

“What are you talking
about, Anastasia?” Mr. Lockhart asked in a confused tone. “We’re all at Pete’s
house watching the hockey game. Everyone’s fine, but you don’t sound too good.
Do you want me to come and get you?”

“No, I have to go,”
Anastasia replied, hanging up before her grandfather could say anything else.

Slowly, Anastasia
turned to Frost, and one look at his shocked expression made it clear that he’d
heard everything. “How...how could this have happened?” she stammered. “Why
would Mr. Fairbanks transform into a werewolf, while the others remain human?”

“There’s one difference
between Mr. Fairbanks and the other men,” Frost said gravely, his eyes narrowed
as if he was experiencing a frightening revelation. “
I
bit him, and
because I’m a younger werewolf than my father, my venom must have been too
strong and powerful – even for wolfsbane. I don’t think Mr. Fairbanks had a
chance regardless of what we did.”

A loud wolf howl
suddenly ripped through the night, causing ravens to caw wildly as they flew
away in fear. There was nothing ordinary about that howl, and it could’ve only
belonged to a certain new werewolf. Reaching for Frost’s hand and holding on
tightly, Anastasia stood tall and ready to fight. However, she couldn’t stop
herself from gulping nervously as she realized that while all nightmares come
to an end, sometimes that end is merely the beginning.

* * *

About the Author

Heather Beck is a Canadian Author and
Screenwriter who began writing professionally at the age of sixteen. Since then
she has written eleven well-reviewed books, including the best-selling series,
The
Horror Diaries
, which has sold in six continents.

Heather received an Honors Bachelor of
Arts degree from university where she specialized in English and studied an
array of disciplines. Currently, she is working on the
Frostbitten
series
and has two anthologies slated for publication. As a screenwriter, Heather has
multiple television shows and movies in development. Her short films include:
Young
Eyes
,
The Rarity
,
Too Sensible For Love
,
Circular,
and
the forthcoming
Witch’s Brew
.

Besides writing, Heather’s greatest
passion is the outdoors. She is an award-winning fisherwoman and a regular
hiker. Her hobbies include swimming, playing badminton and volunteering with
non-profit organizations.

http://heatherashbeck.wix.com/writer