Chapter 1

Snowed In with a Bigfoot, a Yeti, & a Werewolf

by Honey Cummings

Wilma Hart didn’t understand why her grandmother had to live in the mountains and need her now of all times with the biggest snowstorm of the season coming in hard and fast. Her GPS had given up figuring out where she was and where she should be going over twenty minutes ago. The wipers thudded back and forth in rapid session, desperate to keep up with the whiteout unfolding. Sleet slapped against the side of the tiny SUV like it had a personal vendetta against her. Laughing in sheer ridiculousness of it all only for the back end of the car to start fishtailing once more. She slowed to a crawl and the car straightened out. A howl reminded her how hard the wind blew outside, whipping through the old firs and pines that covered the sheer cliffside looming just at the edge of the road. If only she had thought to download her playlist to tune it out.

Over the call, Grandma Anderson insisted it was an emergency. That she had twisted her ankle and needed help around the cabin. Sure, it was great timing. Life had hit rock-bottom. Her love-life had strangled itself last year, and well, worklife had taken a complete shit. She hadn’t seen Grandma Anderson in some time, so the guilt combined with the need to escape the city to get away from it all were fueling the bravery she found herself summoning to drive up this damnable mountain in a snowstorm at sunset.

Bringing the car to a full stop, she put it in park. To get this far up the mountain trail had been exhausting and nervewrecking. Worse, she couldn’t tell how far up she had made it with trees and a white curtain in the way. A gust rocked the car and she muttered curses to herself. Looking at her phone, her grandmother’s text messaged directions made it clear that since she passed the little frozen creek at the bottom of the mountain, there was only one road and path to the cabin. 

[GRANNY ANDERSON: Pass the Creek and up you go to the top of the mountain. Can’t miss the cabin! Love you, drive safe!]

Gripping the steering wheel, she steeled herself before clunking it back in drive to creep forward. She regretted not buying the chains back at the crappy country bumpkin store about twelve miles back. The old man, Bocephus, had insisted so much that he walked out to the car pleading with her as she refueled the car. After much defeat and trying her best to politely decline for the hundredth time, he looked at the car and remarked that he hoped she had all wheel drive or 4x4 on it.

“Why couldn’t I have let that car salesman talk me into the more expensive 4-wheel drive model, huh, Wilma.” Another hard slap of sleet against the passenger door made her wince. “I’m going to be lucky if there’s still paint on the damn car by the time I find the cabin!”

Another sharp turn and upward climb. The engine revved louder, tires slipping as it crawled up the steep gravel and ice pathway. If it dared to slip back, she was certain that was a sheer drop just beyond the edge of the hairpin turn where only the tops of the big trees swayed wildly in the snowstorm.

“Shit.” The back end fish tailed and the car started to slant at a stand still. “Please, come on… catch already! It can’t be much further…”

The tires caught their grip, and relief waved over her as it pulled up the incline. As she crested the top of the hill, there lay more road to traverse between the swaying trees. Here she sighed to see it would be straight and level for as far as she could see in the fading sunlight. Cringing, at least the towering trunks would keep her on the path if the ice and winds shoved her off the road now. After a moment of calm, she let the car creep along a little faster, the trees softening the angry slaps of sleet and the shoving of the gusts.

Bitter thoughts stung at the back of her throat. Her mind wandered back to the last few weeks. Work had gone to shit, a major deal buckled when she overworked herself and left out half of the proposal in her final documents, under bidding and under promising. Worse, she went to her favorite cafe for a pick-me-up after Human Resources forced her to take leave for a week. All she could imagine was coming back to her things packed in a box and paperwork of her release of employment. The fact she didn’t get fired on the spot had her reeling. 

Now she stood holding her latte watching her ex-finance walk in with a younger version of, well, her. Goosebumps waved over her skin. The man was gorgeous, and the memory of what he could do with that tongue… A shudder rattled her shoulders at the acrid jealousy and anger. He had broken the engagement with such ease, and it wasn’t long before the shared friends were implying he may have been seeing the “other Wilma” for a while.

Another slap of sleet hit the back of the car jolting her from her thoughts, the wind changing directions. The car slipped, another slant and righting it to stay forward. It had been ages since she last drove in snow let alone a storm on icy mountain roads with ungodly grade. She had checked the weather three fucking times before she left. It had been clear. Well, until about five minutes before she lost signal and GPS gave up on her completely after a weather alert began screaming at her. To say the impending panic attack was the only thing keeping her alert through the mess was an understatement. 

The road began to turn and incline once more, another rung in the ladder to climb the mountain higher. Wilma swallowed down the rock of emotions lodged in her throat as she came to a stop at the base. The sleet and wind at least had slowed. Large clumps of snow tapped against the car glowing in the headlights. At some point, night had fallen during her time in the tall trees. Snow gathered in clumps on top of ice making the gravel pathway fade from view. Easing closer to the next hillclimb, the headlights were worthless even with the brights on. Everything about this situation seemed like some wicked plan to take her out. 

“I hate my luck,” she muttered, adjusting her grip on the steering wheel. “Well, here’s hoping the cabin is at the top of this hill.”

She goosed it harder than she intended, and the SUV launched up the road. At first, it was solid. Tires gripping the gravel by some miracle. A sense of achievement filling her. Her luck might actually be on her side for once.

“Ok, this is good.”

Then a tire slipped.

“Shit.”

The car began to skew, tires spinning in place.

“Shit.”

And it started to slide backwards, painfully slow as she turned the wheel one way then the other with no results to changing her trajectory.

“Shit.”

A gust slammed into the car, sleet raking across the windshield as the storm kicked back up. She was sliding back down the hill and eventually off the road.

“No, no…”

The car began to tilt as it went over the lip of the turn and off the road. 

Her gut dropped.

“FUCK ME!”

Ricocheting off a pine, clumps of snow and ice pelted down on her as she literally ping ponged through the forest. White knuckled, she held onto the steering wheel unsure to simply brace herself or attempt to steer. The car spun a few times, bouncing off the huge trunks seeming unphased like concrete pillars. Now branches covered in ice were thudding all around before the front end smacked into a tree head on. The airbag triggered, slamming her back against her seat. Snow came crashing down from overhead burying the front of the car and her world went dark and silent.

“Ok, I’m not dead and didn’t fall off a cliff. It’s fine, everything’s fine.” 

Looking around, the back window had been blown out and snow poured into the car. A mixture of burnt rubber and pine tree sap filled the air, making her eyes water. It was hard to say if she had a tire left or the weight of the snow was to blame for the off-balanced angle the car sat in. She had managed to land in a snowdrift, softening her impact but now who could find a white SUV in a white snow dune in the middle of the night? 

Grappling with the airbag, she managed to pop it so she could move more freely. The engine was still running, and with it the heater.

“Surely someone would be coming to salt the road by morning,” she reasoned with herself. “Long as I have heat and fuel, I can wait until morning to make it to the road on foot. The cabin can’t be that far.” Her stomach grumbled. “Shit. I should have stopped by that sandwich shop before I drove out here. What was it I had last time?” Another gurgle rolled from her gut. “Oh, the BLT with that thick hickory smoked bacon with the peppercorn. What I would give to just have a bite right about now. I don’t even have a candy bar in here. Since when do I not have an assortment of road snacks?” She leaned her head onto the steering wheel. “Since I have gone a week without pay and took another week of PTO because I swear I’m getting fired the moment I walk through the fucking door.”

As if some spirit whisked away the car’s soul, the engine died. Panic swelled in her chest. Foot pressed on the brake (still), she smashed the “Start Engine” button over and over with not even a sputter. Not a light on the dashboard was on. She reached up, smashing the overhead light buttons with no results in the dark coldness she found herself surrounded by. Her breath steamed in front of her as she tried to fight herself to stay calm. It was a reminder she could freeze to death. 

Dying there in the snow was a very real possibility. She grappled for the sweater and coat that had slid into the passenger floorboard. Remembering to release the seatbelt, she managed to reach them and pulled them on, zipping the coat to her chin. Opening the center console, she searched for anything that could make a fire, keep her warm, anything of use. Teeth chattering, she had bitched about the temperatures hitting the high teens, and it wasn’t even midnight yet. 

“How much colder is it going to get?” Every joint tightened, aching with the weight of fear. “Do I try to make it to the cabin in the dark?”

Something moved outside the driver side window and she stilled. The crunching of steps sent her heart racing.

“I’m in here! HELP!” She twisted, unlocking the door trying to push it open against the snow pressing back against the panel. “I’m trapped! HELP ME PLEASE!” Her voice cracked with desperation.

It fell silent. A lump lodged in her throat again.

Was it an animal and all I did was spook it?

Suddenly the snow shifted away from the window. Fingers were digging her out.

“YES! I’m in here!” Another shriek as she wiped the cold tears off her face. “PLEASE!”

Another shift and the window was clear.

It was dark, her eyes adjusted with each blink.

And the bulk of a person leaned in closer with a huff.

The steam cleared.

Her face paled.

“Bigfoot?”

Bigfoot was digging her out of the fucking snow.

“Gods, is this how I die…” she muttered in disbelief.

Another snort of steam and he reached on either side of the door. Metal creaked and popped. She inhaled deep, holding her breath. Meeting Bigfoot's gaze, she flinched. The hazel eyes were clear even in the low moonlight filtering through the trees. A soft brown with a burst of green around the pupil matched the forest all around them. The car rocked as he pulled, the metal creaking. She kicked herself back into the passenger seat. Another rock of the car and the door broke loose. Bigfoot had ripped the door off the car as he tossed it to the side. 

He reached in. 

She screamed. 

The heat of his hand gripped her kicking ankle. 

Her eyes rolled back. 

She passed out.

---

In the haze, she was warm and pressed against the soft wall of fur. Her fingers slid across the silky pelt and a grunt escaped from the creature. Her heart raced with the beating of the one she heard against the muscled mass. The sound of a door swung open. Afraid to open her eyes, she went very still in the arms of … Bigfoot. He smelled of cedar, of a whole damn forest of his own making, and … Irish Spring? Feet slapped against the recognizable sound of wooden floors. Peeking up, she was happy to see the familiar makings of a log cabin’s ceiling. She was lowered, and soon found herself lying on a couch. Unsure what to do, she waited, watching as Bigfoot rummaged through a wooden chest nearby. Pulling out something, he turned and she closed her eyes tight. A blanket covered her, large hands tucking it in all around her like a human burrito. Each touch of his large hands were warm and it sent her heart pattering. As the steps paced away, she cracked one eye open again.

Bigfoot had … rescued her.

The cabin door swung open and a man came stomping in cursing. He shook himself like one would expect of a dog as snow fell off him. A string of curses murmured out of him though he seemed unbothered by Bigfoot who watched him with little to no reaction of his own. The strange man had red hair pulled into a ponytail as his eyes shot toward her. When the yellow eyes met hers, she closed them again. He gave a snort and chuckle over it. The door shut. 

“Lucan,” Bigfoot’s voice was deep and rumbly as he spoke. “Go get wood.”

“Catching her scent, trust me, I got wood.” A shudder shook Lucan. “And I can think of a few ways to warm up in this weather. I mean, we can both have fun, Boone, the three of us, you know.”

“Lucan,” reprimanded Boone. “Firewood,” he corrected.

“Why?” Lucan said in a teasing tone as he leaned against the door. “You know she’s awake, right?”

“She’s cold.” Boone expressed as he knelt to prepare the fireplace. “We need to get a fire going. I doubt a human girl wants to have a tussle with a giant ape and foul-mouthed wolf.”

Giving a fanged grin, Lucan looked back to her but this time she watched, curious. “What, no introductions first?” He inhaled deeply, shoulders shuddering. “Why do I have to get the firewood? I’ll stand guard.”

“Lucan, get the firewood and keep ears and nose out for Tenzin,” instructed Boone.

“Sure, but you have more fur than I fucking do so you’ll owe me later, Boone.” Lucan snarked and silence fell between them. “Fine, I’ll go. But I can’t wait to see Tenzin lose his shit over you breaking into his private residency.” 

“Just go, Lucan,” exasperated Boone. “I’ll handle Tenzin when he gets here.”

“You two have some real serious territory bullshit to work out. This is going to go well with a human at his place.” And the door slammed.

Wilma slid her gaze back to Boone and froze as she met Bigfoot’s gaze. 

“You’re safe here.” He turned away and she could almost swear he was blushing. “Rest assured I would never let any harm come to you. Lucan is just a feral mutt whose bark is worse than his bite.”

Swallowing, she mustered, “Thank you.”

Another grunt, a happy sound to it now that she had relaxed some.

Sleep first, ask questions in the morning, Wilma. Maybe I’m just delirious from adrenaline and he’s actually a burly lumberjack…

Chapter 2 coming soon...