Trust Read Online Free Page A

he climbed over the gate.
    “It used to be farmland, but it’s been abandoned for some time.”
    “You’ve been here before?”
    Taylor lifted her leg, trying to hook it over the fence as Alder had done, but she was too short. Either trying to help her or just being impatient, Alder grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up and over the fence in one swift movement. After he set her down, Alder took her hand and pulled her along, talking as they ran.
    “I live on the other side of Mount Ezra,” he said, as if that told her much of anything.
    “So you live in…the mountains?” Taylor asked between gulps of air.
    She was pretty good at running in heels, but the field was soft from the earlier rain and her heels dug into the earth with each step. Thankfully, Alder was crazy fast and his grip on her arm helped to keep her surging forward.
    When they finally reached the other side of the field, Taylor looked back to see the flashing lights of at least one police car. Not watching where she was going, she stumbled over something on the ground. Alder caught her before she fell, pulling her up and dragging her forward.
    “Don’t look back,” he ordered.
    Panicking all over again, she said, “They found us!”
    She felt him squeeze her arm. “But they won’t catch us.”
    And with that, they disappeared into the wilderness.

Chapter Five
    G rowing up , Alder had frequently been compared to his twin brother Hale. Alder had never minded the comparisons, likely because they always seemed to favor him. Alder was the well-behaved one, the responsible one, and the reliable one, while Hale—who was disrespectful, irresponsible, and prone to breaking commitments and shirking his duties—was largely regarded as his antithesis in every way.
    Alder had carried his good qualities into adulthood, and he rarely deviated from them, except for a few glaring indiscretions, all of which seemed to involve human females. In fact, it seemed that every time he involved himself with a human woman, things quickly spiraled out of control.
    This particular situation was a new record for him. Taylor had scarcely been in his car for two hours before he’d found himself abruptly thrust into the role of her getaway driver. Not only was he now going to have to miss his seasonal reunion with his family, he was also going to have to travel back to his territory on foot with a human in tow.
    More than anything, Alder was pissed off about his truck. Acquiring it hadn’t been easy, and he doubted they’d be able to get another one for several months, which meant that he’d be stuck in Halcyon territory until the end of winter.
    They’d only run a few miles when Taylor abruptly dug her heels into the ground. At first, Alder assumed her boots had been caught on something, but when he stopped to look back at her, she was doubled over and panting.
    “Time out,” she wheezed. “I need to catch my breath.”
    He wanted to resent her, both for putting him in this position and for being weak, but it wasn’t in his nature. When he looked at her, he didn’t see a liar or a potential murderer, but a tired, vulnerable female who was relying on him to protect her.
    “We have to keep going,” he said, bending down so that their faces were level. “A mile from here, there’s a river. We’ll need to follow it for another mile, then we’ll cross and it’ll be safe to rest. Do you need me to carry you?”
    She blinked at him. “No, I think I can manage, but thanks.”
    Alder took her by the hand, pulling her along again, but at a more sustainable pace.
    They reached the river a short while later. The rainstorm had caused the banks to swell beyond the rocky shoreline and Alder led her to edge of the water.
    “We’re going to go in a few feet and then walk up the river,” he told her.
    She hesitated in following him. “How come?”
    “The water will help to obscure our trail,” he explained, tugging her forward.
    She walked in up to her ankles.