Howl (Winter Pass Wolves Book 1) by Vivian Wood, Amelie Hunt Page B

circumstances.
    The map was old and a little faded, and Penny knew for a fact that the trailer park, gas station, and tennis shoe warehouse listed in driving distance were long gone. Her finger wandered across the map, seeking…
    “Winter Pass Ski Lodge,” she muttered, brow creasing.
    Of course she remembered the place from her childhood, having taken day trips there before her dad passed away. Some of her fondest early memories took place at Winter Pass Lodge. The image of it popped into her mind: a huge dark wood and granite building surrounded by smaller cabins, lots of roaring fireplaces and cozy couches for sipping hot cocoa.
    Yeah, that sounded good right about now. But there was something else breaking into her thoughts, a fuzzy memory of her mother giving her the town gossip a few years back.
    What had it been?
    Something about the owners passing away and the place closing for a while. Mr. and Mrs. Harbin had passed away, their son and daughter had inherited their business and land, but he wasn’t around to care for it. Wasn’t that it? Penny tried to remember something about the son, but couldn’t get anything solid.
    Blowing out a breath, she looked at her options again. The ski lodge still might be closed. Then again, she knew everything else was closed… Even if it was closed, she might be able to get inside, warm herself by lighting a fire in one of the many fireplaces. It might be trespassing, but the storm outside was only growing with each passing minute.
    Surely no one would mind… no one would probably even notice. And it wasn’t like she had a lot of other choices in any case, not with the snow piling up in huge banks all around her car. Penny threw her car into drive and moved down the bumpy rural road at a crawl. The last thing she needed was to hit a patch of ice and lose control.
    Her caution cost her a little. It took her over half an hour to drive just over half a mile. When she spotted the old Winter Pass Lodge sign, barely readable through the ever-growing snow drifts, she almost cried with relief.
    Unfortunately, she could only make it about halfway up the ski lodge’s long, unpaved driveway. The road rose at a slight incline, just enough to make the car’s tires start to spin out as they trod over and packed down the slick snow. Though she could see the lodge’s hulking main building from this distance, the walk there looked like a serious challenge. Penny wasn’t in bad shape, but her simple parka and fleece gloves were going to get icy and wet as she tromped up the hill to safety.
    “Just get out of the car!” she scolded herself, cutting the engine. She turned and fished a lightweight tote bag out of the back seat, stuffing it with a couple changes of clothes, a few snacks, and anything else handy she could find in her back seat.
    She put the tote bag inside her parka, high and warm and safe against her chest, then zipped up her coat and pulled on her gloves. After one last deep, fortifying breath, Penny shoved her car door open and launched herself out into the snow.
    To Penny’s dismay, the white powder was already close to knee deep in some places. She stuck to the very middle of the road, something of a high ground that had a little less snow, and pushed toward the main building.
    Lifting her knees high, she hiked through it, shivering for a minute until warmth built from her exertions. With the warmth came a trickle of sweat on her lower back and chest. Snow quickly melted on her jeans and socks and Converse, weighing her down.
    “Fucking snow,” she muttered, the icy air making each breath harsh.
    Up ahead, the sun was just starting to set, making Penny glad she’d left the car when she did. She was so wrapped up in her movements that she didn’t see the dark-clad hunter until it was almost too late. Until he was raising his shotgun, Penny in his sights.
    BOOM .
    It was no warning shot. Penny saw him in time and flung herself to the ground, and the buck shot tore up