...He took another step, and a treacherous voice asked, Are you sure this is the right direction? He didn’t know if it was the right direction. It seemed like it was the right direction, and at least he wasn’t running around in circles screaming in terror. Why had he chosen the mountains? Why had he chosen to storm off at sunset? How long had been out there? Maybe an hour and a half? Long enough for Luke to start worrying about him? Noah sincerely hoped so.

The trembling didn’t stop as he walked. He didn’t hear the growl anymore, but he was sure feeling it. Like it had worked its way under his flesh and vibrated through his bones, echoing over and over again. What sort of animals were even around? Were there bears in Southern California? What about mountain lions? He was pretty sure there were no wolves, but not one hundred percent sure. He wasn’t a zoologist after all. He didn’t keep track of the wolf population throughout the western United States.

What if he died on the side of the mountain? What if a cougar tore him apart and ate his intestines? He hadn’t prepared at all for that sort of thing. He didn’t even have a will. Worse, he had left the room angry at Luke for something so completely insignificant as the time of their dinner. That had seemed absolutely critical at the time, but since his stomach was twisted in too many knots to even feel hunger anymore, it was hard to remember why he had ever cared so much.

He just wanted to see Luke again. That was it. That was all. He just wanted to see his friend’s smile and feel his lover’s touch. Right on the heels of that desire was the need to hear Lily’s voice. She would call him silly and then launch into a long story about her best friend Cassie and how Cassie liked to eat glue during Activities.

There was still time for that, since he probably wasn’t going to die any time soon. Noah repeated that to himself with each step. You’re not going to die. A cougar isn’t going to kill you. You’re not going to die. A cougar isn’t going to kill you. The mantra was only a little comforting and not much more convincing. But it kept him moving while he scanned the area for any hints of a giant wild animal. One of nature’s fastest and most perfectly designed killing machines. He would have absolutely no hope against a mountain lion. What could he do? Run? A mountain lion would run faster. Climb a tree? Cats could climb trees. Cats could climb trees very well. Scream? His no doubt girlish screams would probably have zero effect on a predator like a mountain lion.

Why hadn’t there been any goddamned signs? Maybe something under the name of the trail. Beware of Giant Growling Beasts might have been a good start. He was never going to leave the city again. If he survived this, he was going to stick to well-lit streets and well-known neighborhoods. And if he ever wanted to hear anything growl at him, he’d go to the zoo like a civilized person.

The trees seemed to grow taller around him, reaching higher and higher into the sky until they totally blotted out the moon. Occasional patches of the silvery light fell on the trail to light his path, but not enough to give him any peace of mind. Luke would never get himself in such a stupid predicament.

Something snapped ahead of him. Noah froze, familiar chills racing down his spine. It was probably nothing. It’d been nothing before. He had turned around and seen only darkness. If there were any animals tracking him, they would have made a noise by then, right? But something else cracked in the darkness, like a gun firing in the night. Well, not a gun, Noah acknowledged. More like a Daisy air rifle. Certainly a full-grown cougar could make something snap like that? How big did those things get anyway? As big as a man?

“Noah? Is that you?”

Noah caught his breath. “Luke? Jesus Christ, you scared me.”