Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,46

sure Julia will take care of it.” In an effort to close the subject, I start walking again.

Sebastian replies with a smile and follows closely beside me. After a few minutes of silence, I hear him ask, “Um, does Petra still talk to her mother?”

The question makes me squint my eyes. “Not that I’m aware of. Why?”

“Well…” He pauses for a beat, considering me. “I just wanted to know what kind of relationship she has with her…”

Ah, the real reason why he mentioned Jan’s case. “Petra doesn’t talk to her, since Tess is against us being together.”

“Good…” He nods, and as I look at him, I notice a faint smile settling on his lips. “Very good.”

My brows crease together as I can see that Sebastian is engrossed in thought. “May I ask why you wanted to know?”

“I just…” He lets his words trail off as we keep walking through the woods. “I just wanted to make sure she won’t miss her.”

But I grab his arm, stopping him immediately. “Hey, there is no need for that.”

With an inquiring look, his attention goes first to his arm, which I release at the realization of my impulse. “I’m not saying I will do something,” he replies, his tone just as calm as before. “At least, not for now…” But this time it comes out heavier, carrying a darkness beyond what I could have imagined.

“Sebastian,” I snap. Despite facing each other, our expressions remain unreadable, the tension between us palpable. “Tess might be a threat, but she hasn’t done anything.”

“Until you marry her daughter,” he ripostes, his eyes never leaving mine. “You know what’s at stake, right?”

“I know…” Breaking eye contact, I have to empathize with his concerns. I’d have done the same if I were in his position. “I’m still hoping I can dissuade her before that.”

Sebastian cracks a quick chuckle. “Right, that woman won’t stop until we…” But he stops before unleashing the rest—and I’m grateful that he does so. “Anyway, let’s keep moving. We need to find that bear.”

While Sebastian keeps walking, focused on the hunt, the idea that he would actually do something to Tess has left a bitter taste in my mouth and a terrible knot in my stomach.

“Look!” Sebastian shouts in a whisper, bringing me back to reality. He points his index finger at the black bear standing on the other side of the river, casually drinking from the water. The animal is still far away from us, although maybe ten more steps and Sebastian will be good to shoot. We are approaching the feeding area that Mark pointed out, and with some luck, we might even see some more bears around. The excitement running through him makes me smile as we silently move closer to our target. “Isn’t he majestic?” he asks, marveling at his prey. “It’s gonna make a great addition to your trophy room.” He pats me before jokingly adding, “But I want my name on it.”

I see him quietly pointing his rifle and inspecting the target through the riflescope. He’s too far away though. There is at least seventy-five percent chance he will miss it if he tries to shoot now.

“We are too far,” he says, lowering the rifle. “We have to hide behind that tree.”

Looking in my riflescope, I briefly check the target, adjusting the magnification. It’s a mature male for sure, suitable for harvest. And while I don’t see any issue with that, Petra’s voice is now haunting me. It’s a life! A bear has the right to live, just like you! I remember her shouting. We silently get behind the trunk, where Sebastian lies on the ground. From where he is, the view to the bear is unobstructed, and he should make it with a broadside shot.

“Perfect,” I hear him saying as he looks through the riflescope. But a flash of Petra’s angry expression travels through me again, and I know if I don’t do something right now, she will be utterly devastated.

Standing behind Sebastian, I take my iPhone out and simply press the ring bell. The sound breaks through the woods, ending with our perfect silence. The bear’s attention perks up instantly, and his eyes drift in our direction, searching out where the noise came from, and a second later, our target runs away.

“Fuck,” Sebastian chides. “What was that?”

“I’m sorry—I thought my phone was on silent.”

“He’s gone now,” he rebukes, standing up from the ground. Drawing in a breath and exhaling, he observes me quietly and asks, “She asked you