Dark Moon Falls

Chapter Seven - Logan

Madison eased her eyes open, grogginess fighting her to remain still and go back to sleep. She didn't know how long she had slept, but daylight peeked through the curtains off to her right telling her night was over at least. A weight kept her legs from moving too much and glancing down, she saw the German Shepherd that found her last night sound asleep, his head laying on her thighs. She gave a weak smile as she reached down and scratched the top of the dog's head lightly. “Thank you, boy," she whispered as Dax pressed into her hand, eyes closed, relishing the head scratch.

As Madison continued to scratch the dog's head, she took the chance to glance around the room. The decorations were sparse, not even photographs of family dotted the bare dresser and tables. The curtains over the window were plain brown and a simple area rug covered a small portion of the wooden floor. A plain brown bedspread covered the bed she laid on and the room lacked any frills such as throw pillows or anything with a ruffle on it. There is definitely not a woman in this house.

She tried to move, Dax lifting his head to watch her, but the sharp pain in her abdomen screamed at her, bringing her to an abrupt halt. Glancing down, she eased her ripped shirt up and peered at the towel covering her wounds. She remembered the man who found her, and she thought she remembered a woman as well, a witch maybe? Yes, a witch, Dara, or something like that. And the man's name was Logan. Lifting the towel, she noticed the poultice covering where the wolf had clawed her stomach. The dark green plants were smeared in a square patch, still moist, which meant one of her rescuers had to have replaced it recently.

She settled back on the bed, taking a deep breath as she glanced back around the room. “So, boy," she said to the dog on her legs, “just who are my rescuers?"

The German Shepherd's tongue lolled to the side as he stared at her, his breathing heavy but calming.

A shuffling by the bedroom door drew her attention as the man she remembered from last night came into view, his dark hair framing a tanned face, his biceps relaxed but still muscular as he leaned on the door frame with his thick shoulder, a coffee cup in his strong hands. “Glad to see you awake," he said, his deep baritone voice warming her as he smiled at her with his dark green eyes.

Madison swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to shove the thoughts in her head way down. She did not need more complications right now. “Thanks. How long did I sleep?"

“Almost fourteen hours," he answered her. “It's almost seven o'clock. Sun will set soon. Probably too late to get you into protective custody."

Protective custody. He was already trying to get rid of her. She couldn't blame him really. Why would he want the trouble chasing her on his doorstep? Madison nodded. “I'm sorry," she said as she glanced up at the ceiling. “I know you don't need this kind of trouble."

“No one needs this kind of trouble," he said, making her glance at him to see if he was being facetious or not. He shrugged. “No one looks to be in the danger you are. You needed someplace to escape. Lucky for you Dax found you and the rogues didn't."

Madison scratched the dog's head again, smiling at Dax. “Extremely." She glanced back up at Logan, the aroma of the coffee tugging at her empty stomach. “Who was the woman here last night? I need to thank her."

Logan had just finished taking a sip of his coffee and ran his tongue along his lips as he licked up the lingering liquid. Madison just stared as his tongue slid across his mouth, feeling the wetness pool between her legs, even with the pain of her wound throbbing in her stomach. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the heat that threatened to undo her. She could only imagine what his tongue could do to her under the right circumstances.

“Her name is Dara," he said, his expression neutral, almost emotionless. How could a man with shoulders like his seem so cold? “She's a witch from the local coven. She's helped me out a few times in the past."

“Why didn't you just take me to the hospital?" Madison asked, doing her best to remember the snippets of conversation she overheard last night. “I'm sure it would have been easier than babysitting me all day."

He shrugged. “I don't do anything except work around the cabin during the day or go hunting. No big deal. Besides, without knowing who attacked you, I couldn't know if they still tracked you, so it was safer for you to keep you here until I found out."

“And now?" she asked.

“Now, I would imagine you're probably pretty hungry," he said, still not smiling. “As I said, it's a little late to be calling Sheriff Templeton. I'm not exactly on the main thoroughfare. Probably not a good idea to move you right away, either. Dara would put some witchy spell on me if I ruined what she accomplished last night. So, just relax, and I'll get you something to eat. I usually only cook for myself, so I apologize in advance for my lack of culinary skills."

She gave him a weak smile. So, he lives alone. “I'm sure whatever you fix will be fine," she assured him. “I'm starving, anyway."

He nodded as he pushed himself off the door frame with a slight bump of his shoulder. “I'll see what I can put together then and be right back. Do you need anything else?"

She swallowed the dryness in her mouth. “Maybe some water?"

Again with the short nod. “You got it. I'll bring it first."