Rules In Defiance. Nichole Severn

ring of trees surrounded the tiny cabin, weeds cleared approximately fifteen feet in each direction. Nothing but wilderness and blue skies as far as she could see, and a sense of peace settled over her. Elliot had certainly picked the perfect spot to get away from reality. When was the last time she’d gotten out of town, away from work, took a break for herself? Waylynn took in a lungful of crisp, clean mountain air.

      Short answer? Never.

      After the trial, after her mother’s death, she’d thrown herself into investigating what had gone wrong. Why her father’s behavior had changed so drastically in such a short amount of time with no sign of disease, no evidence of cancer, tumors, mental disabilities, no added stresses at work. Why he’d suddenly turned against her and her mother. The yelling, the fights, the physical altercations. In the end, she’d tried to tell herself it didn’t matter. He’d gotten what he’d deserved, but what if it hadn’t been his fault? What if, like those afflicted with any other genetic disorder, he hadn’t been able to control himself?

      Waylynn rolled her lips between her teeth and bit down to fight back the burn in her eyes. A simple blood test had confirmed her theory. He’d been born with a variant of the monoamine oxidase A gene. The “warrior gene.” By disrupting the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, the gene predisposed carriers to more aggressive and violent behavior. While Genism and their military contractors paid her to take advantage of those specific behaviors, she’d spent every waking minute looking for ways to neutralize them. One success. That was all it would take to change the world. To change her world.

      Maybe then she and Elliot could become more than—

      A low vibration came from the tree line, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. Movement shifted the weeds and bushes to her right and her blood pressure spiked. She unfolded her arms. The vibration grew louder, harsher, a split second before thick, brown fur and four long legs materialized at the edge of the trees. Black eyes focused on her and Waylynn couldn’t move. Frizzy hackles raised along the moose’s back. No antlers. A female. But with her ears flattened against her head and nostrils flared, she was just as terrifying as the male of the species.

      Waylynn raised her palms in surrender, taking a step back.

      Another warning reached her ears and outright fear paralyzed her in place. The creature’s long, thin face dipped toward two smaller brown faces at her feet. Her babies. Newborn twins. Waylynn wouldn’t hold up against a full-fledged moose charge. The damn tiny cabin wouldn’t hold up against the mother defending those calves. “Elliot.”

      His name barely registered over the moose’s low-pitched growl. With a couple of licks to the newborns, the mother refocused her efforts on keeping them safe. Waylynn lowered her hands slowly, sweat building on her upper lip. She fought to breathe around the fear clawing up her throat. Any sudden move, any attempt to escape, and the moose would charge. Licking dry lips, she tried to speak again. “Elliot.”

      “Don’t move.” Warmth flooded through her. He stepped inside her peripheral vision, so quietly she hadn’t heard him come outside. As though he’d been able to feel her fear from inside the cabin and had come running. Elliot shifted in front of her, attention on the mother and her young. It was only after he’d moved between her and the moose that Waylynn understood what he was trying to do. He tossed an apple in the creature’s direction. His voice leveled with reasoning. “Nobody wants your babies, Mabel. They look like a handful. So I’ll make you a deal. You can have the rest of these apples, but you have to get them to go.”

      “I take it you two know each other?” Waylynn kept her voice low. She didn’t dare look away from the cow protecting her young despite the fact all she wanted to do was run.

      “We’ve met.” Elliot notched his head back toward her slightly. “Mabel moved in around the same time I had the cabin built. Thing One and Thing Two there were born about two months ago, and she does not like the fact I vacation close by.”

      Mabel searched for the fruit, then brought her head back up, mouth empty. A rough exhale expanded the moose’s nostrils.

      “All right, Doc, she’s not taking the bait, and it looks like we’re in the middle of a standoff.” Elliot rebalanced his weight between both feet. “When I give you the signal, I want you to run as fast as you can for the cabin. Don’t look back and don’t wait for me.”

      “What?” Waylynn took her eyes off Mabel. “I’m not going to leave you out here to take on a moose by your—”

      A wall of muscle slammed her into the dirt. Her head snapped back against the ground; she couldn’t see straight. He’d moved so fast she didn’t have time to comprehend what’d happened until the beat of twelve hoofed feet faded into the woods. Mabel had charged, her babies had tagged along with her, and Elliot had tackled Waylynn to the ground. She struggled to breathe as he positioned his hands on either side of her, that damn gut-wrenching smile stretching his mouth thin. “That was fun.”

      His exhales skittered along her oversensitized skin and her heart fought to break through her rib cage in response. He’d saved her life. From a moose. “You and I have very different ideas of fun.”