Cold Wood by Cassie Mint

The locals say the man in the woods is a beast. But once he saves my life, I can’t keep away.
There is a path that runs through the deep, dark woods. I hurry along it every day, returning home from work to my grandmother.
Sometimes I hear things as I pass through the trees–scary things. Snapping twigs. Huffed breaths. Howls.
One night, the wolves are too hungry to stay back. One night, they chase me. That’s the night I meet him.
He’s huge. Scarred and gruff, with an ax clutched in his meaty hand. He looks as beastly as the legends say.
But he saves me. He cares for me. And now I owe him a debt.
A debt I desperately want to pay.