Second Night on the Road

<<Narrator>>

Zoe held on to Xavier's hand as tightly as she could and let him lead her.

Xavier was worried about Zoe but he had never been more grateful for a thunderstorm before in his life. Moon Goddess was on his side. He could feel it. And was ready to take full advantage of the given chance.

The old man led them through a barely existent path in the woods using the light from his torch. The rain was resuming a sprinkle.

"How far is the cabin?!" Xavier asked, worried for Zoe. She was holding his hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Any normal person wouldn't have been able to take the power of fear coursing through her. Each time the thunder sounded, she shuddered. Zoe was trying her best not to cry. She didn't want to be seen as weak but her panic attack was inevitable. She just wanted to be indoors when she finally lost it.

"Just around the bend in the path." The old man answered without looking back. 

Xavier rolled his eyes. He was still wary of the old man. "Yeah, what path." He whispered. 

The dark concealed the smile that danced on the old man's lips after hearing Xavier's whisper despite the roaring thunder while walking ahead of them. 

"Here we are." The old man said and Xavier looked up in relief at a very real and cozy-looking cabin with a neat fence around it. They walked through and the old man turned the lights on. The three of them were soaking wet now as the rain and wind had picked up pace. 

"Are we there?" Zoe asked, trying her best to keep her voice steady.

"Yes, we are. You can open your eyes, the windows are closed and covered." Xavier said to her softly. 

Xavier hated how terrified she looked and pulled her closer. Due to her vulnerability, she let him. "Yes, we are here."

The old man let them inside and advised, "Stay here, let me get a change of clothes for you two and get a fire going."

Another flash of white light tore through the night sky and Zoe instinctively stepped closer to Xavier, who didn't hesitate to hug her so that she was wrapped in his arms' safe cocoon. "I'm right here. It is all going to be alright."

The old man returned and smiled before giving them a pair of matching pajamas and showing them to a small guest room while Xavier was given the old man's son's room to change.

Zoe was surprised to find such cute pastel purple pajamas with little unicorns and rainbows on them, at an old man's cabin in the woods. She felt like something was wrong. A new fear set in her heart. 

'Maybe you should've listened to our mate.' Dahlia suggested.

"Maybe, I'm overthinking like I overthink everything else." Zoe shook her head stubbornly. She knew she needed a closed place other than a car if and when she panicked due to the weather.

Just then, she noticed a flash of lightning from the window and as expected, a few seconds later the thunder followed. Zoe wanted to run and hide from the sound. But the thunder came faster and she sat on the floor, curling up and hugging her knees, she buried her head in her arms trying to block all noise. 

"No," She rocked herself back and forth. It didn't help. She needed her father. She needed to feel safe.

"I'm right here." A warm voice sounded before she was enveloped in a warm, inviting scent and got hugged. Instinctively she nuzzled her head trying to block out all sounds and sights.

Xavier had been waiting for her outside her room as soon as he was done changing into the disgusting yellow pajamas with little rubber duckies printed on them. He found it suspicious that an old man in the woods had such clothes. He wanted to confirm that Zoe was fine and talk to her about the old man who was busy poking the fire in the living room fireplace like he hadn't noticed Xavier in the hideous pajamas waiting outside Zoe's door. 

That was when he saw the latest flash of lightning and knew what followed. He waited only a couple of seconds before bursting through the guest room door. And there she was, curled up trying to hide from her fears.

He rushed to her and all that mattered was to make sure she felt protected. He had no idea why she was so terrified of the thunder but whatever it was, he could talk to her later. In that moment, she needed comfort and he would do anything for her.

Once the panic attack was over, the old man showed up at the guest room door and broke the cozy safe bubble that they had created, "Dinner's ready if anyone's hungry. I'll set the table."

Having gotten her senses back, Zoe pulled away from Xavier despite the complaints from both their animals who had been in bliss despite Zoe's condition. They knew she wouldn't willingly let herself be so close to him if she was thinking straight.

Zoe simply stood up and walked out of the room and he let her. Their moment was over but he had realized it the moment she had let him comfort her that all was not lost. There was a chance that she would soften up and he was going to make sure it happened. He had realized that she needed him just as much as he needed her. He was just going to have to make her see that.

Xavier, Zoe, and the old man sat on a dinner table with four chairs. Xavier was getting more and more suspicious by the minute. Why did a cabin with two people have a dining table with four chairs? How did the old man manage to make so many dishes to fill the table in the same time as they took to change and for Zoe to survive a panic attack?

But they were hungry and the old man looked harmless, albiet suspicious. Xavier decided to talk to him alone after Zoe had gone to sleep.