She met his eyes. His youthful curiosity from before was gone, replaced with a sternness she hadn’t expected.
“What? It’ll be just like jumping off the barn into a haystack. I’ve done that a hundred times.”
“A haystack? Honestly, Scarlet, it’ll be nothing like that.”
Before she could argue, before she could cement her defiance, he bent over her and scooped her into both arms.
She gasped and had just enough time to open her mouth, ready to demand he put her down, before Wolf was on the windowsill, the wind whipping Scarlet’s curls against her neck.
He jumped. Scarlet yelped and grabbed on to him, her stomach somersaulting, and then the shock of landing jogged up her spine.
She dug her fingers into his shoulders. Every limb trembled.
Wolf had landed in a clearing eight steps beyond the tracks. He staggered into the tree line and hunkered into the shadows.
“All right?” he asked.
“Just like”—she caught her breath—“a haystack.”
A laugh reverberated through his chest, into her, and before she was ready Wolf settled her feet onto a patch of squishy moss. She scrambled out of his hold, caught her balance, then punched him squarely in the arm. “Never do that again.”
He looked almost pleased with himself, before he tilted his head toward the forest. “We should move farther in, in case someone saw us.”
She listened to the train zipping by, her pulse heavy and erratic, and followed Wolf into the trees. They hadn’t gone a dozen steps when the thrumming of the train disappeared, fading away down the tracks.
Scarlet dug her port out of the bag on Wolf’s shoulder and checked their location.
“Great. The nearest town is twenty miles east of here. It’s out of our way, but maybe someone can give us a ride to the next maglev station.”
“Because we seem so trustworthy?”
Scarlet peered up at him, noting the pale, scattered scars and the faded black eye. “What’s your idea?”
“We should stay on the tracks. Another train will be by eventually.”
“And they’ll give us a lift?”
“Sure.”
This time, she was sure she caught mischief in his eye as he started back down the rails. But they hadn’t gone a dozen steps when he halted mid-step.
“What—”
Wolf spun on her, clamping one hand behind her head, the other firmly over her mouth.
Tensing, Scarlet moved to shove him away, but something gave her pause. He was staring off into the forest, brow furrowed. Tilting his nose up, he sniffed the air.
When he was sure she wouldn’t make a sound, he snatched his hands away as if something had stung him. Scarlet stumbled back, surprised by the sudden release.
They lingered, still and silent, Scarlet straining to listen for what had Wolf on edge. Slowly reaching behind her, she pulled the gun from her waistband. The click as she released the safety echoed off the trees.
Off in the woods, a wolf howled. The lonely cry sent a shiver down Scarlet’s spine.
Wolf didn’t seem surprised.
Then, behind them, another howl, this one farther away. Then another to the north.
Silence crept around them as the howls faded longingly into the air.