Page 9 of Primal Snow

It’s just the hot tub, I tell myself.Relax.

I can’t say I didn’t prepare for this. I’ve got fresh wax done right before the trip and brought my best lingerie sets—just in case something did happen. But there’s this tension forming into a knot low in my belly now that I don’t quite understand.

I dig through my suitcase, shoving aside warm clothes until I find my bikini at the bottom—a bright, skimpy thing that feels laughably out of place here. Not exactly winter wear, but whatever, I’ll have to do. I take off my sweater and roll down my leggings together with fuzzy socks.

I shiver as I unclip my bra, goosebumps covering my skin. But it’s not from the cold. Once again, I get this strange feeling. A prickling awareness that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

My head snaps toward the window. It’s frosted at the edges, the glass cloudy with condensation from the warmth inside clashing with the bitter chill outside. The window stares back at me, the curtains wide open, and outside, the trees stand dark and still against the snowybackdrop. There’s nothing there. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being watched.

I laugh nervously, trying to brush it off. It’s nothing. Or maybe it’s Chase playing games again. Either way, there’s no need to panic.

“Get a grip, Emma,” I mutter, tossing my bra to the side.

Then, through the haze, I swear I see…something. I freeze, my pulse thudding in my ears, the straps of the bikini top dangling from my trembling fingers. Holding my breath, I wait to see the shadow, a motion, anything that would explain my irrational fear.

Yet, nothing happens.

My shaky hands move quickly, fastening the straps before I slide down my panties. But the feeling doesn’t go away. If anything, it gets worse. It lingers, heavy and oppressive, like the weight of eyes crawling over my skin. It’s not just the idea of being watched… it’sintimate. Intense. The kind of hungry gaze that sees everything. Every inch. Every vulnerability.

Including me undressing… and my exposed pussy.

The thought sends a jolt of revulsion through me. I hurriedly step into my bikini bottoms, then grab my sweater and pull it back over my head. My movements are frantic now, rushed, like covering myself will somehow banish the unsettling presence I can’t see.

Or can I? Because out of the corner of my eye, I catch a flicker of something again. My heart skips a beat, and I whirl toward the window.

The trees sway gently in the wind. My breath fogs theglass as I inch closer, my feet silent on the hardwood. I squint, trying to convince myself it’s just the wind, but there’s something unnatural about the way the shadows shift. Like they’re alive, writhing just beneath the surface of the snow. But deep down, I know better.

There’s a silhouette there.

The hairs on my neck stand on end, and I yank the curtains closed in one sharp motion, my pulse racing.

I’m going to kill Chase! Because this can’t be anyone else. There are no neighbors anywhere near, and I highly doubt the creepy store owner followed us here. But Chase is conveniently already outside, and I bet he’s having the time of his life messing with me.

“Whatever you had planned, you can forget about it!” I shout, knowing he can hear me.

I wait to hear his laugh, but there’s only silence. Slowly, I peek from between the curtains. There’s no Chase. The silhouette is also gone. But I see something in the snow, right by the window.

At first, I think it’s a trick of the light, but as my eyes adjust, the outline becomes clear.

A footprint.

Trying to get a better look, I press my face closer to the glass, blinking hard to make sure I’m not imagining things. The snow outside is pristine except for that single, massive imprint, the edges crisp and fresh. It’s enormous, easily three times the size of Chase’s boot—or anyone else’s for that matter.

It’s not just the size that chills me to my core. It’s the shape of it. Too human to belong to an animal, but toodistorted to belong to a person. The toes are long, clawed, and splayed unnaturally wide, like something meant to grip uneven terrain. The heel is broad and deep, too deep, the sheer weight of it must be terrifying.

I stare at it, my stomach twisting into knots. “What the fuck…”

The snow shifts again, just slightly, but enough to make my stomach churn again. For a split second, the trees themselves seem to move, their branches stretching like skeletal fingers toward the cabin.

Just as I’m about to turn away, I see it.

A figure, hulking and massive, shifts at the edge of the trees. It’s there for only a moment before vanishing into the dark, but it’s enough to make my blood run cold.

My breath catches in my throat, and I step back, the floor creaking under my weight, my heart hammering in my chest. The room feels colder, the shadows darker, and every instinct I have screams at me to flee.

But run where? Chase is outside, and everyone else is too drunk to care.

Oh, God! Chase is out there…

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