Frostbitten (30 page)

“She doesn’t deserve
that,” Frost warned, blocking Chloe from getting any closer to Anastasia.

“It’s okay, Frost,”
Anastasia lied, unwilling to give up that quickly.

“None of this is okay!”
Chloe yelled, trying unsuccessfully to shove Frost aside so she could get to
Anastasia. “My dad needs help, and you’re doing nothing!”

“First, I need you to
trust me, Chloe. We can’t do this any other way.”

As impossible as it
seemed, Anastasia’s words made Chloe angrier. Her eyes narrowed, and she opened
her mouth to respond, likely with something harsh. However, before she could
speak, a groan echoed throughout the cabin.

“Chloe, is that you?”
someone asked in a dry, raspy tone.

Turning to face Mr.
Fairbanks, they watched in amazement as he slowly sat up. Like the other
hunters, he appeared unsteady and disoriented, but Anastasia understood that as
a normal sign of his recovery. After all, what really mattered was that he was
alive and
not
a werewolf. Anastasia let out a sigh of relief, one which
she’d been holding in for what seemed like a very long time.

“Thank God you’re
alright,” Chloe sobbed, after reaching her father’s side and then throwing her
arms around him.

“Yes, I...I’m fine,”
Mr. Fairbanks replied, casting a curious glance at his surroundings. “I don’t
know why I’m here, though.”

“We can figure that out
later,” Chloe promised him. “Right now, I need to take you to a doctor.”
Looking up at Anastasia and Frost, she spoke coolly, “You’re going to help me
get him out of here, but that’s the last thing we’ll ever do together.”

In an attempt to suppress
her hurt feelings, Anastasia concentrated on getting ready to leave. As she
retrieved Mr. Fairbanks’ pack, she began to ponder why he’d awakened at that
moment. Perhaps it was somehow due to Chloe’s presence, or it could’ve been
purely coincidental. Even if Anastasia never knew why, she was just grateful
that the hunters had survived; although, more than anything, she wished the
same could be said for Symon.

After taking Mr.
Fairbanks to Hartfield Hospital and, upon Chloe’s insistence, leaving
immediately, Anastasia and Frost started for Cedar Falls. This was one
homecoming that she wasn’t looking forward to, and the closer they came to the
town lines, the more anxious she felt. Anastasia still hadn’t thought of a
probable excuse for where she’d been, and once her mother knew that she was
fine, her worry would certainly turn into anger.

All too soon, Anastasia
and Frost pulled into the Lockhart’s driveway. Strangely, the first thing she
noticed was her grandfather looking out the living room window, where he’d
probably been waiting for quite a while. Before she’d even unbuckled her
seatbelt, he was hurrying from the house and straight toward them.

“I guess some things
never change,” Anastasia commented, recalling the first time Frost had taken
her home.

“Everything’s changed,”
Frost responded with sadness in his eyes.

Giving him a soothing
hug, Anastasia whispered, “Not us.” However, she worried that Frost didn’t feel
the same. Was it possible that when he saw her, he was reminded of the horrible
events in the woods and, worse, his father’s death?

A sudden tapping
sounded upon the window, causing Anastasia and Frost to break from their
embrace. Slightly embarrassed, they got out of the car, where they were met
with her concerned-looking grandfather.

“What happened with
Fairbanks?” Mr. Lockhart pressed, not allowing them to speak first.

“He awakened as a human
this morning,” Anastasia explained, unwilling to divulge all the details. “He’s
fine now and so are we.”

“Then
everything’s
been taken care of,” Mr. Lockhart said with relief, implying that he’d already
given Symon’s body to the authorities. In an obvious attempt to make peace, he
turned to Frost and added in a good-natured tone, “You know, I’ll need my car
back at some point. Can I give you a ride home?”

“My SUV is at the edge
of the woods, and I’m sure it’ll need a boost,” Frost accepted graciously, even
though none of this could be easy for him. As he entered the passenger side of
the car, he gave Anastasia a small smile and mouthed the words,
I love you
.

She smiled back, but
that feeling of happiness didn’t last long as her grandfather stepped in front
of her, appearing very grave.

“Your mother’s inside,”
Mr. Lockhart warned her. “You’ll have privacy to talk since Rose is at work.
Just choose your words carefully – the less said, the better.”

Anastasia shivered as
she watched her grandfather get into the car and then drive away. Although she
should’ve been glad that he was starting to treat Frost with respect, she was
more preoccupied with what he’d said, or rather, how he’d said it. She felt
like he was almost threatening her to keep quiet.

Taking a deep breath
and trying to focus on what she would say to her mother, Anastasia headed
toward her house. Her grandfather had left the door unlocked, and as she
entered, she instantly noticed how silent it was. Nevertheless, Anastasia
experienced a sense of comfort, like she’d finally returned home.

“Mom?” Anastasia
called, her voice echoing throughout the house. “Mom, are you here?”

There was a long, tense
moment of silence which was broken by the sound of hurried footsteps. Seconds
later, Anastasia’s mother appeared in the foyer, an expression of disbelief
upon her face as she stared at her daughter. Anastasia wasn’t sure if that was
a good sign or not since she’d never seen her mother speechless before.

“Anastasia,” Kendall
said breathlessly as she ran toward her and wrapped her in a tight hug. “I
thought I’d lost you for good.”

“Oh, of course not,”
Anastasia replied, feeling awkward in her mother’s arms. Try as she might, she
couldn’t remember the last time she’d held her with so much affection.

Kendall pulled away to
gaze at Anastasia with tear-brimmed eyes. “No one knew where you were, only
that you’d run away with a boy. Goodness knows what could’ve happened.”
Suddenly, a look of realization washed over her. “You...you’re pregnant –
that’s why you left.” In a shaky tone she added quickly, “It’s going to be
okay, Anastasia. I’ll be there to help you.”

“Mom, I’m not
pregnant,” Anastasia remarked, a little offended that she’d jumped to such a
conclusion. Nonetheless, she couldn’t deny that she was touched by her offer of
support.

“What was it then?”
Kendall inquired, after discreetly letting out a sigh of relief.

“It was my last
mistake, I promise.”

Kendall opened her
mouth to respond, possibly to press for more information, but then she
hesitated, as if afraid of pushing Anastasia away. Instead, she said calmly, “I
doubt it’ll be your last mistake. I know because we all make them – especially
me.” She paused, appearing as uncomfortable as Anastasia. “In hindsight, I
could’ve handled things a little better at home. Our fighting has to stop, and
we need to communicate like adults.”

“Kind of like what
we’re doing now?” Anastasia asked with a half-smile.

“It’s a start,” she
said, taking her daughter’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m going to
call your grandparents to tell them that you’re safe. In the meantime, you
should take a shower and then pack. I’m sure we can get a train for tomorrow
morning.”

“No,” Anastasia blurted
out, quickly turning angry as she realized that her mother was still attempting
to control her decisions. “I’m not leaving Cedar Falls.”

“Anastasia, you knew
that coming here wasn’t a permanent solution. Your home is in Toronto.”

“What about school?”
Anastasia hurried to point out, willing to use any excuse to stay in Cedar
Falls. “The teachers are pretty great here, and my grades are actually
improving. At least let me stay until the summer break.”

Kendall was slow to
respond, causing Anastasia to be filled with dread. The mere thought of being
without Frost almost made her cry, and after everything they’d been through
together, she knew that she couldn’t lose him now.

“I suppose that would
be okay,” she said, somewhat reluctantly. “I can stay for a few more days while
you settle back in.”

“I’d really like that,”
Anastasia replied, secretly elated that she’d convinced her mother to change
her mind, “and I know Grandma and Grandpa would, too.”

As her mother gave her
another hug, Anastasia sensed that their relationship would continue to mend
and, perhaps, one day be stronger than ever before. Yet, as was usually the
case with Anastasia, she couldn’t be completely happy because she suspected
that something wasn’t quite right; not with her mother, but rather, her
grandfather. He obviously hadn’t told anyone that he’d seen Anastasia and
Frost, and although she understood why the whole truth couldn’t be revealed, he’d
deliberately allowed his wife and daughter to worry. It was so out-of-character
for her grandfather that she wondered if he was hiding something else –
something worse than the secret they already shared.

* * *

There was no way that
Anastasia could truly return to a normal life, but she knew that she must try.
When that failed, she decided to fake it. Attending all her classes, catching
up on missed assignments and coming home right after school was Anastasia’s new
routine, and she played the part perfectly. Not everything could be hidden
behind a smile, though, and the aftermath of her experiences in the woods
manifested themselves in strange, chilling dreams every single night.
Nevertheless, Anastasia understood that under the circumstances, she was coping
very well.

Now that she was
grounded indefinitely, Anastasia spent a lot more time with her mother and
grandmother. At this moment, they were in the living room, chatting quietly
while she worked on an essay for English class. Although this would’ve looked
like a typical evening to most people, for the Lockharts it was a rarity. As
ironic as it seemed, Anastasia’s disappearance had actually brought them closer
together.

Anastasia’s attention
was diverted from the familial scene as her cell phone vibrated, alerting her
of an incoming call. Hoping that it was Chloe, who’d been avoiding her since
that awful morning almost a week ago, she anxiously grabbed her phone, only to
discover that it was a telemarketer. Even though Anastasia felt foolish for believing
that Chloe would ever speak to her again, she knew it was odd that she hadn’t
heard from Frost. They always talked daily and he usually sent her several text
messages. Concerned, she started to text him when her grandfather walked into
the room.

“Anastasia, you’re
needed at the library,” Mr. Lockhart said abruptly, forgoing any social
pleasantries.

“I don’t have a shift
until tomorrow,” Anastasia pointed out, confused by her grandfather’s
statement, especially since he had no affiliation with the library.

“You have to learn how
to be more flexible,” he scolded. “Now hurry up. I can drive you there.”

Casting a sideways
glance at her grandmother, who looked equally bewildered, Anastasia realized
that her grandfather was still keeping secrets. Just as peculiar was the fact
that he’d been away all day, without even a mention of where he’d gone.
Regardless, his serious disposition prompted Anastasia to obediently stand up
and get ready to leave. Within minutes, she was in her grandfather’s car,
driving speedily down the road.

“This isn’t the way to
the library,” Anastasia objected as her grandfather took a left turn onto a
darkening road that lacked signs far less any streetlamps.

“I’m so sorry,
Anastasia,” Mr. Lockhart said in a heavy tone, while looking distraught.

“For...for what?”
Anastasia stuttered, greatly unsettled by her grandfather’s words and also his
unpredictable behavior as of late. A sudden fear struck her – he wasn’t capable
of putting her in any sort of danger, was he?

“Our relationship
should’ve never come to this,” Mr. Lockhart continued ambiguously, causing
Anastasia’s anxiety to increase. “I will always cherish the memories of those
summers we spent together when you were a child, but as difficult as this is, I
have to accept that you’ve grown-up. I refuse to let that come in between us,
though. Whether you like it or not, I’m your grandfather and that will never
change.”

Feeling like a complete
idiot for thinking that her grandfather could ever hurt her, Anastasia smiled
meekly at him. “That’s what I’ve always wanted,” she confessed.

“Good,” he replied,
obviously trying hard to keep his emotions under control, “because I’m very
proud of the young woman you’ve become.”

Before Anastasia could
tell her grandfather how much his approval meant to her, he brought the car to
a stop alongside an isolated part of Cedar Falls Woods. It was the last place
she wanted to be, and she couldn’t fathom why he’d taken her there.

“Get out of the car,”
Mr. Lockhart ordered in a serious tone, despite the smile which played at the
corners of his mouth.