Wild Rising: A Yellowstone Shifters Novel by K. Panikian

Author:K. Panikian [Panikian, K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-07-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Pounding on my front door woke me. Blinking slowly, I gazed at the white, swirling paint on my ceiling and fought off the disorientation of sleep. The morning light peeked through my blinds, sending reaching fingers of yellow across my navy-blue bedspread. I fumbled for my phone on my nightstand and checked the time. Nine a.m. Wait, am I late for work?

I bolted upright and then slumped back. No, it was my morning off. I wasn’t supposed to meet Jordan and Reese at the Institute until four. We were going to hike a backcountry Lamar Valley trail that night so that Reese could test some kind of science equipment she was excited about.

So, who was at my door?

Swinging out of bed, I padded down the hall and peered through my kitchen window. Piper and Terry stood on my doorstep.

Looking down to make sure I was decent, I opened the door a crack and stuck my nose out. “What’s up?”

“Get your suit!” Piper exclaimed happily. “We’re taking you to the Firehole to swim.”

“It’s June,” I answered, confused. “That river will be ice cold.”

“Not at the swimming hole! There’s a hot spring there. It will be like bath water. You’ll love it.”

I peered past her and saw Terry standing there uncomfortably in his swimming trunks and a t-shirt. He rolled his eyes at me and I smiled.

“Okay. Give me five minutes. I’ll meet you at the cars.”

“Wear your oldest sneakers!” Piper called out as I shut my door.

Inside, I hurriedly brushed my teeth, made some toast, and dug my swimsuit out of a drawer. Looking at it critically, I tried to remember the last time I wore it. I’d joined a gym briefly in D.C., desperate for exercise, and I’d bought the suit to use the pool. But I’d quickly discovered that I couldn’t handle the chlorine smells, let alone the sweaty scents of all the other gym occupants, and I’d canceled my membership.

I slipped it on, a black one piece, relieved it still fit. You never could tell with swimsuits.

I followed Piper’s car west, past Grant and Old Faithful, before we ducked down the Firehole turnoff. I was surprised to see a pile of vehicles already lined up and at least twenty people in the river, some in bathing suits and some just in their shorts and t-shirts.

The river sparkled perfectly clear and the rocks lined the bottom in shades of gray, red, yellow, and brown.

Grabbing my towel from my trunk, I followed Piper and Terry down the pebbly path to the water, where we made a tidy pile of our stuff. The air felt warm, but not hot. I wasn’t sure if I would like this swim. I dropped my small bag of cherry lollipops beside my shoes. Seeing Piper eye them, I promised her one if the swimming lived up the hype.

She beamed. “Follow me,” she shouted as she raced up the path, turning at the top to clamber onto a rocky overhang above the water. My heart

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