Page 25

TWENTY-FIVE

“Find wood. Get warm. Don’t die.” Tickaan’s teeth chattered so hard any minute he’d break a tooth.

He scanned the undergrowth of fallen branches, snapping limbs down along the way. Bending to pick up a branch, it crumbled to rotted pieces. He growled and chucked the useless piece aside. Of course, the river had to spit them out where the trees grew along with the moss.

Stupid river. Stupid Alaskan moss.

A root snagged his boot, tripping him to the ground. The small pile of wood he’d gathered scattered. He smashed his lips and teeth together to keep from bellowing in anger. Merritt would freak even more if he started screaming like a madman.

“Okay. You’re not stupid,” he told the forest as he got to his feet and picked up the twigs he’d gathered. “I love the wilderness. I just could use a little help here.”

He stumbled farther along, his feet heavy as if his boots were caked in clay. The twigs in his arms might as well have been redwoods with how hard it was to keep his arms around them. He wouldn’t last much longer without heat.

“Find wood. Get warm. Don’t die.” Snapped another twig. Stepped one more step. “Find wood. Get warm. Don’t die.”

Snap. Step. Repeat.

Except the ground beneath his next step disappeared with a crack. He groaned as pain shot through his knee when he jerked to a halt. He leaned against the downed tree covered in moss, his leg was tangled in, and closed his eyes.

His brain was toast. If he didn’t get back to the shelter, he was going to break something.

It’d be a heck of a lot harder to stay alive then. He’d just gather twigs the entire way back. The fire wouldn’t last, but it’d get enough of the chill off for both him and Merritt to sleep a few hours. Plan made, he pushed off the tree and opened his eyes.

When he inspected his leg, he chuckled. “Found wood.”

The branches crisscrossed around his leg were as thick as his wrist. The twigs had been sheared off in the fall, leaving almost perfect four-foot lengths.

He set his pile aside and pushed against a branch. It creaked in protest, then splintered away from the trunk. The next one gave with a pop. He continued breaking off branches until he had all he could carry and his leg was free.

He patted the trunk, then glanced to the gray sky. “Thank you. ”

His knee ached as he climbed back to the shelter. But then again, everything ached.

Even his hair.

When he got to the base of the rock slope, he set his pile on the ground. There was no way he could scramble up the rocks with all of it. His gaze snagged on a print in the mud.

The hair on the back of his neck rose, and he scanned the trees before examining the print. The grizzly that left the massive impression hadn’t been through that long ago, not with the way the soft mud collected around the edge of the impression without much water in it.

Tiikaan stood and searched the trees where the bear went to. When he didn’t see anything, he widened his scan. Nothing.

He glanced back up the slope at the bright-blue tarp stretched out. It wasn’t impossible for the bear to hike up it, just not probable.

The gap between the rocks was too small for a bear that size to squeeze into. It was as safe a location as they would get in the circumstance. Besides, the bear was probably miles away by now.

Grabbing the twigs, he scrambled up the rocks. “Merritt, I’m coming in.”

“Okay.” Her faint answer almost didn’t float above the sounds of the forest.

He held his bundle close to his chest as he jumped down into the crevice with a grunt. Hopefully his knee didn’t swell up. They did not need another thing against them.

He stopped short at the sight of Merritt sitting completely bundled in a sleeping bag, only her face and hands clutching a steaming mug. Small flames flicked out of the Bushbuddy stove and around his TOAKS pot.

This woman…amazing.

“Good job, Merritt.” He set the bundle of twigs next to the packs against the wall. “This will make starting the fire a cinch.”

“I used all the kindling.” Her trembling voice pulled his attention to her.

“That’s fine. Lots of forest around to replace it.”

Her chin quivered and eyes turned bright with tears. “And I wasted eight matches before I could get it started.”

“It’s okay.”

He crawled over to her and cupped her cheek. Dried tears covered her skin. He rubbed his thumb across the tear track. She stared into the fire with a despondency that scared him.

“I have a few Bic lighters, so we’ll be okay.” He tipped her chin so she looked at him. “You did really good, Merritt. This will save me so much time, and I’ll be able to warm up faster. Thank you.”

One tear broke free and rushed down her still too pale cheek. He caught it with his lips, kissing her softly. She leaned into his touch.

“We’re going to be okay.” He kissed her cold cheek again. “Promise.”

He pulled away. The doubt in her eyes gutted him, but he’d prove he was right. He was more at home in the woods than anywhere else. He’d get them out, then they’d get her scumbag uncle behind bars .

Tiikaan’s muscles protested as he hauled himself out of the crevice. The cold air bit through his still damp shirt, not that he didn’t need the reminder to hustle. He glanced back at Merritt, her small form huddled by the fire, before setting his jaw and getting to work.

He ferried the branches to their makeshift shelter. Each trip felt longer than the last, his body screaming for warmth and rest. But the image of Merritt’s tear-stained face drove him forward. He’d promised her they’d be okay, and he’d do anything to keep that promise.

A nearby boulder caught his eye, its jagged surface offering the perfect tool. Tiikaan wedged a branch into a deep crack and leaned his weight against it.

The wood groaned, then snapped with a satisfying crack. He repeated the process, his movements becoming more fluid as he found a rhythm.

As he worked, his mind wandered to Merritt. Her resourcefulness in getting the fire started had impressed him. It wasn’t easy to start a flame in the little firebox when your fingers shook. She was tougher than she looked, his city girl.

His?

Rightness filled him. Yeah, as barbaric as it was to claim her as his own, he did. One hundred percent.

With each log he stacked under the tarp at the edge of the opening, Tiikaan felt a little more in control. This was his element. He might not be able to protect Merritt from her uncle’s schemes, but here, in the wilderness, he could keep her safe.

Finally satisfied with the pile of firewood, Tiikaan climbed back into their shelter. His body ached, but a sense of accomplishment warmed him from the inside. He’d done what needed to be done. Now it was time to tend to Merritt and figure out their next move.

Tiikaan’s teeth chattered as he stumbled toward their gear. His hands shook so violently he could barely grip the straps of his backpack. He needed to move everything.

Now.

Before his muscles seized up completely.

“What are you doing?” Merritt’s voice was muffled by the sleeping bag cocoon.

“F-fire needs to be on the upslope end. Don’t want to… to get smoked out.”

The pack slipped from his trembling fingers, spilling its contents across the rocky floor. Tiikaan cursed under his breath, frustration warring with bone-deep cold. His body was crashing.

A rustle of fabric caught his attention. Merritt emerged from her warm nest, determination etched on her face. “You need to change into dry clothes. I’ll move the gear.”

“I’ve got it. It’ll just take a sec,” he protested, reaching for the scattered items. His fingers felt like useless blocks of ice, but he didn’t want her to get any colder.

“Stop.” Merritt’s hand on his arm halted him. Her touch sent a jolt of warmth through the shirt material to his frozen skin. “I’m not some helpless princess, Tiikaan. Let me help.”

He looked into her eyes, seeing not pity, but a fierce resolve that matched his own. Something inside him softened, even as another violent shiver racked his body.

“Okay,” he conceded, his voice barely above a whisper. “Th-thank you.”

Merritt thrust the dry clothes bag into his hands and turned away, busying herself with the scattered gear.

Tiikaan fumbled with the zipper, his frozen fingers clumsy and uncooperative. When he finally managed to peel off his sodden shirt, a groan of pain escaped his lips before he could stop it.

He felt Merritt’s gaze on him and looked over. Her eyes widened as they traveled across his exposed torso, a blush creeping up her cheeks. Any other time, he might have enjoyed her obvious appreciation, maybe even flexed a little for her benefit.

But right now, he was too darn cold to care.

Merritt’s expression suddenly shifted from awe to confusion, then alarm. “Tiikaan, you’re shot!”

Before he could process her words, she was at his side, her warm hands ghosting over his skin. He hissed as her fingers grazed a spot just below his armpit.

Tiikaan glanced down, surprised to see a gash the width of his pinkie along his side. The cold had numbed him so completely he hadn’t even felt it.

“It’s bleeding,” she said, her voice tight with worry. “Must have opened up when you were gathering wood.”

“It’s just a graze,” he muttered, though the sight of his own blood made his stomach lurch.

Merritt’s face was inches from his, her breath warm on his chilled skin. “Just a graze? You should have told me you were hurt! ”

The concern in her eyes made his chest constrict. He opened his mouth to reassure her, but another violent shiver cut off his words. She glared at him.

“Get dressed. As soon as we get the fire built, I’m tending that.” Her eyes narrowed. “No argument.”

Tiikaan nodded, too exhausted to argue. He fumbled through his pack, locating the first aid kit with numb fingers. Pressing a wad of gauze against the wound, he winced at the sting. At least the pain meant he was starting to regain feeling.

Changing clothes became an epic battle. His wet pants clung to his legs like a determined octopus, refusing to release their icy grip. By the time he’d wrestled them off and pulled on dry clothes, he was panting from the effort.

He looked up, blinking in surprise. While he’d been engaged in mortal combat with his wardrobe, Merritt had transformed their shelter.

The packs were neatly stacked on the downslope side, and two sleeping bags lay side by side a safe distance from where the fire would be. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of them so close together.

At the upslope end of the crevasse, Merritt knelt by a small pile of twigs arranged in a crude teepee formation. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she added another stick to the structure.

“You’ve been busy,” he said, his voice rough.

She glanced up, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Well, one of us had to be productive while you were putting on a one-man show over there.”

Despite his exhaustion and the lingering cold, warmth bloomed in his chest. He lowered himself onto the sleeping bag, his muscles protesting every movement. He reached for the TOAKS pot, relishing the heat that seeped into his hands as he lifted it to his lips. The hot tea rushed down his throat.

The teepee Merritt built listed to one side. A violent shiver racked his body, nearly causing him to spill the precious tea. Her gaze jerked to him, almost knocking her kindling down.

“I’m fine,” he assured her, though his chattering teeth betrayed him. “Now, let’s get this fire going before we turn into Alaskan popsicles.”

He talked her through how to stack the kindling like a small log cabin so it wouldn’t fall over, his voice growing steadier as the tea worked its magic. “Okay, now take some of those smaller twigs and use the flame from the Bushbuddy to light them.”

“You mean this isn’t some elaborate Boy Scout ritual where we rub two sticks together?” she teased, following his instructions.

“Sorry to disappoint. We’re cheating today.”

As the flames caught and grew, Merritt’s face lit up with triumph. “Look at that! I’m practically a wilderness survival expert now.”

Tiikaan chuckled. “Don’t get cocky. You haven’t wrestled a moose for our dinner yet.”

“Is that on tomorrow’s agenda? I’ll pencil it in right after ‘avoid hypothermia’ and before ‘escape crazed uncle.’”

Their laughter, tinged with a hint of hysteria, echoed off the rock walls. Her laughter died down with a sniff .

“Merritt—”

She gave one hard shake of her head. “Let’s take care of that wound.”

He set the pot off to the side and lifted his shirt. A faint pink tinged the gauze, but it hadn’t bled through. He dropped his shirt.

“It’ll keep.” He shrugged.

“Oh, no. It needs to be cleaned out and probably butterfly bandaged.” Merritt grabbed the first aid kit and sat next to him.

He laughed. “What do you think the river did for the mile we tumbled down it?”

“Got all kinds of microbes and bugs in it.” She shuddered, making him laugh again.

“Right out of the glacier like that, it’s probably the cleanest water you’ve ever been in. Plus, with how much it bled, that’s better cleaning than any alcohol wipe.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. At least let me butterfly it to try and help it not break open again.”

“Fine.”

“Great.” She tipped her head like she was waiting for his next complaint.

“Would you get to it already?” He laughed and lifted his arm, pulling up his shirt. “I want to finish my tea and climb under the covers. I’m still frozen inside.”

Merritt’s trembling fingers skimmed along his skin, sending a shiver through him. Tiikaan sucked in a sharp breath, his muscles tensing involuntarily.

“Sorry,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

He shook his head, not trusting his voice. Her touch was electric, setting every nerve ending alight. When she tried to pull the edges of the wound together, he couldn’t suppress a grimace.

“Here, lie down,” she instructed softly. “It’ll be easier.”

Tiikaan complied, acutely aware of her proximity as she leaned over him. Her hair fell forward, tickling his chest. The scent of river water and something uniquely Merritt filled his senses, making his head spin.

Her touch was featherlight as she applied the butterfly bandages, her brow furrowed in concentration. The curve of her lips and the flicker of firelight in her eyes mesmerized him. His heart thundered in his chest, and he wondered if she could see it hammering against his ribs.

When she finished, Merritt leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the bandage before pulling his layers of clothing down. Tiikaan’s breath caught in his throat, his skin burning where her lips had touched. Before he could process that, she moved higher, her lips brushing against his collarbone.

Time seemed to stand still.

The cave, the cold, the danger—it all faded away.

There was only Merritt, her warmth, her scent, the feel of her breath against his skin. Then she buried her face in the crook of his neck, her body trembling slightly.

“I almost got you killed,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

The words hit him like a physical blow.

“No,” he rasped out, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her tight against him. “You don’t get to take that on.”

“But—”

“Shh.” He pulled her sleeping bag around them. “No more talking. I need my beauty sleep.”

For a moment, he thought she’d protest, but then she melted into his hold. Within minutes, soft snores he’d make sure to tease her about in the morning vibrated against his skin.

Yet as exhausted as he was, he couldn’t give in to sleep. All the ways Alaska could prevent him from fulfilling his promise to keep her safe ran through his head right alongside all his previous failures.