Axes & O’s

7. Nathan

Chapter 7

Nathan

“So, Nathan, how are you feeling?”

“Who are you?” I ask, ignoring her polite question. My tone comes off rude, but I’m tired, my head still hurts, and I’m positive that the man who just walked out is either part of the mafia or a drug dealer. He’s scary as shit, and now he knows where my sister lives, a fact I realized after I gave all her information and my name freely. I’m going to blame the head injury.

The woman who I, just ten minutes ago, watched having her soul fucked out of her body takes a sip of her coffee then folds her hands in front of her. With the action, light reflects from something on her hand. When I look down, I see a large princess cut diamond ring on her left finger and matching wedding band. For some unknown reason, my heart squeezes in my chest.

“My name is Morgan, and the grump who went to go radio the sheriff for you is my husband, Fox.” I must not be good at hiding my reaction because she huffs a small laugh. “I know it’s an odd name, but the more you get to know him, the more you’ll understand why it suits him. It’s also not a nickname.”

I think of the man who just walked off. He’s large, but there’s something quiet and almost stealthy about him. Hearing his name reminds me of the fox carved into the fireplace mantle and the oddly beautiful painting in the room where I woke up. Then I vaguely remember him calling her “little lamb” while he screwed her brains out. He also called her something else I do not care to repeat.

My heart beats loudly in my ears, and I wonder if maybe I should risk swimming in the snow outside to get help. I know that’s stupid, which is why I’m sitting here right now. And apparently, Fox has a direct line to the sheriff. So even if these people are mafia drug dealers or just sex-crazed weirdos, what am I supposed to do? I’m stuck here, and I don’t have a phone or a way to leave.

After another beat of silence, Morgan clears her throat.

“I’m sorry for what you saw. I should’ve been there when you woke up to explain what happened. I didn’t mean for you to see that.”

I think of her smiling face, of the way she looked at me while— “I don’t think that’s true.”

She blinks at me, and honestly, I’m surprised I said it, too. Maybe it was finally standing up to Kathy and quitting my job, or maybe it was what I’m assuming was a near-death experience in that snowbank, but she’s lying. I think she left the door open so I would see that. The question is why? The only thing I could come up with is it’s some kind of kink. I saw that contraption on their floor—having someone watch seems like the least of the kinky things this couple likes.

Morgan takes another sip of her coffee, and I decide to do the same. The hot bitter liquid feels good going down my raw throat, and I could use the caffeine boost to clear my head and wake me up a bit. I don’t want to fall asleep without knowing more about where I am and how I got here. It’s been over four hours since I fell in that snowbank, and I’m missing that whole chunk of time.

“Nathan, I really didn’t mean for you to see—” she starts, but I interrupt her.

“How am I here?”

She leans back against the dark wooden chair, sighing at my subject change, probably, but I don’t need to debate her truthfulness over the matter.

“Fox and I were…” She pauses as if trying to choose her next words carefully. “…out looking for a Christmas tree. I happened to see the lights of your car and got curious. I’m glad I did, because had we not come along, I’m positive you wouldn’t be talking to me right now.”

“A Christmas tree?” I ask disbelievingly, ignoring that she confirmed I could’ve died because I did not want to think about that.

She gestures around the cabin. “As you can see, we’re a little late decorating this year. We also enjoy the snow and thought it would be festive. But like I said, I’m glad.”

“I think I remember you rescuing me.”

She takes another sip of her coffee. “Yes, you called me Lindsey.”

“That’s my sister.” I’m not sure why I told her that, but she smiles at the information.

“You were out of it and freezing to death. I’m not surprised you were hallucinating or thinking of your family in that moment.”

I subconsciously bring my hand to the bandage on my head.

“You’re lucky it’s just a little gash,” Morgan continues.

“There was a lot of blood.”

“Head wounds tend to bleed a lot. I imagine part of you passing out was the shock.”

“What if I have a concussion?”

“It’s possible, but it’s a good sign that you’re walking around and talking. How are you feeling?”

I want to say, Besides waking up in a strange place to find two strangers fucking and being stuck in said place with said strangers for the foreseeable future while my family spends Christmas without me, I’m feeling fucking fantastic . Not.

“I feel like I got hit by a truck,” I say instead.

“Your body has gone through a lot. Now that you’re awake, I’ll give you some painkillers, and you can get some rest. As you saw, we can’t take you anywhere, but if you feel dizzy or nauseous or anything of that sort, let us know, and we’ll radio the sheriff again to see if any emergency team could get out here.”

I shake my head. I do feel sore, but I don’t think that’s necessary. Though at least then I’d be out of this situation…

No. I can’t cause all that hoopla just to leave here. I’d be risking multiple people’s lives because I’m uncomfortable. I can stay in their spare room until the snow clears and hope this situation doesn’t get any weirder than it already is.

Morgan leans forward. “Nathan?”

I look into her hazel eyes. In the brighter light, I see flecks of gold and brown in them, almost creating the effect of a kaleidoscope—I’ve never seen anything like them.

“I know we got off to a strange start. But I promise you, you’re safe here. My husband and I are well-known in this community. We own a business with employees, have friends, and we’re prepared for storms. I know it’s probably not ideal for you to spend your holiday trapped here with us, but we’ll take care of you.”

I tap my fingers against the side of the mug, her words soaking into my tired mind. “How did you know what to do when you found me?”

She licks her lips, a small sigh escaping her. I suspect she was hoping I would respond to her statement, but I still haven’t decided what to think of her… them .

“We own the lumber company here in Starlight Haven, and we can get hurt on the job during harvesting and other projects. Our employees can get hurt, too, and they do. You’re not the first person I’ve cared for who’s had a minor head injury or stayed out in the cold for too long with improper gear. We get a lot of transients looking for work, people with no experience. Sometimes they learn the hard way that what we do is dangerous.”

“I woke up naked.”

That makes her laugh a little. “Yes. If there was another way to warm you up without removing your clothes, we would’ve, but they were wet.”

We . My skin turns hotter, and I’m reminded then that I’m still wearing this hot winter coat. I can feel sweat starting to accumulate on my back and chest.

“We were as respectful as we could be. But like I said, had we not found you when we did…let’s just say, your body was very cold. We had to get you warm gradually, so we removed your wet clothes and then put you in the bed. We used warm compresses on your body, and you woke up a few times, but you were still out of it.”

“I don’t remember.”

“Like I said, you were out of it. You were calling me angel, though.”

I do blush now as hazy memories start to come back into my mind, ones of a blurry soft face and a husky voice telling me everything was going to be okay. Of fingers stroking my hair and whispers of comfort. Her touch felt…good. Then there was another touch, too. Stronger, rougher—

I clear my throat. “I remember a little of that, I think.”

“That’s good. More might come back to you. And the good news is I don’t think you’ll have any lasting damage. You can move all your fingers and toes, right?”

I automatically curl my toes and wiggle my fingers before peering at her. “I can.”

She smiles gently. “Good. Like I said, I’m glad we found you in time.”

Her words strike me in the chest hard. Despite how I woke up, I’m grateful they did find me. Had they not, I most likely would be dead—or close to it. I didn’t want to die—I wasn’t ready to die .

I push my mug away, my body heavy with sleep and now emotion. The adrenaline I felt from waking up, seeing them in their bedroom, and trying to leave paired with the worry I felt because my family doesn’t know where I am—it’s all leaving my body. A yawn overtakes me before I can stop it. Then another one.

“We can talk more in the morning.” Morgan chuckles. “Or I guess, afternoon. I think we’ll all be sleeping in.”

I nod, unsure of what to do next. She stands from her place at the table and takes my nearly full mug. I hear her move around in the kitchen and the sound of the faucet turning on and back off before she returns with a glass of water and two pills. I stare up at her dumbly, and she holds up the bottle so I can see what she’s giving me.

“Not the good stuff you’ll get in the hospital, but it should do the trick.” She places the bottle of acetaminophen on the table. “You can take that into your room, and if you wake up in four hours and need more, take another two.”

Images of her nearly naked in a naughty nurse uniform pop into my mind, and I blink them back. What the hell? I’m going to blame my current situation and what I saw in their bedroom for that image, because it’s not something that would normally spring to mind. Actually, it’s an image I’ve never entertained before. I’m not into role play or kink.

I toss the two pills in my mouth and drink them down before taking the pill bottle in my hand. When I stand, I’m face-to-face with one of my rescuers for the first time—at least while I’m lucid.

I’m a hair shorter than her, but not by much. That doesn’t bother me—it’s kind of thrilling to be almost evenly matched with her. And wow, her eyes are even more beautiful up close. The different colors are pretty against the dark eyeliner and mascara she still wears. I also like the small mole above her lip and the vine tattoo creeping up the right side of her neck. I lean forward, a desire to both get a better look at the detailed lines of it and be closer to her overtaking me.

The clearing of a throat has me stepping back like a child caught with their hand in a cookie jar. Fox is standing a couple of feet from the table clad in his navy Henley and briefs, arms crossed over his barreled chest. I rub the back of my neck and look away from his piercing gaze, worried about him walking in on me studying his wife like a manual.

“Did you get a hold of the sheriff?” Morgan asks, apparently unbothered by what her husband just walked in on.

Fox walks closer and tugs Morgan into his side. It’s possessive and a little rough, but she falls into him easily and places her hand on his chest, looking up at him while she waits for his answer.

“He’s going to get in touch with Nathan’s sister and radio us back later today. Luckily, everything in town seems to be working okay, including the power grids. We’re getting the worst of it here since we’re at the highest point.”

Morgan nods and meets my eyes as if she expects me to say something. I would’ve preferred to know that my family knew I was safe, but some of my anxiety eases that they’ll find out soon. I still feel sick that Lindsey’s probably beside herself…and my poor mom. Hopefully, she’s sleeping through all of it and is none the wiser. Maybe Lindsey is, too.

“Thank you,” I finally say. “I appreciate it.”

She tips her chin, and then I force my gaze to meet Fox’s. His face is relaxed now, but I see the way his veins protrude from his tattooed neck and how his shoulders are set back, still in protector mode. When our eyes connect, I don’t doubt for a second that he’s studying me, sizing me up.

My skin itches, and I think of that painting in the bedroom, the cunning fox hunting the unsuspecting lamb. I know he called Morgan by that pet name, but why do I feel like the lamb is now me ?

I shift on my feet and step away from the table. I need to go to sleep before I start compounding conspiracy theories about this couple in my head. Morgan told me what they do, and I’m assuming the lumber company they own is Starlight Lumber & Logging, the one that holds the games in the summer my sister wants to attend. They also rescued me, and they’re allowing me to stay in their home. Fox may be scary, but I can do my best to try to ignore him—ignore the both of them—while I wait out the storm.

Fox and Morgan follow me with their eyes as I give them a wide berth, stepping around the table and them, much like I did with Kathy earlier tonight. Once I reach the mouth of the hallway, I stop and turn.

“Thank you for rescuing me.”

The two of them stare at me, Fox still holding Morgan to his side. She grins, a breathtaking smile that makes her look like the angel I thought her to be earlier. A dark angel with tattoos and colored hair, but an angel, nonetheless.

“No thanks needed,” she answers.

I don’t wait for Fox to respond before I retreat to my temporary home. Once I’m safe inside the bedroom, I put the pill bottle down on the bedside table and take off my winter coat. It isn’t until I look to the bed that I notice someone has been in here—not only because there are fresh logs on the fire, but there are clothes laid out for me on the bed. A brown Henley, a pair of gray sweatpants, and even underwear.

I step toward the bed and finger the soft material of the shirt, then I sit down on the mattress, the springs sinking gently beneath my weight.

There’s only one person who could’ve done this: Fox.