Page 39 of Explorer’s Revenge

THIRTY-SIX

WILDER

M aeve woke up this morning. She was groggy and confused, but she came around enough to have something to drink and eat before going back to sleep.

She couldn’t seem to fight it, and that’s probably not a good sign, but there isn’t much more I can do for her here.

I don’t say that of course, nor do I share how I’m worried that she’s pale and burning up.

All I can do is keep going, keep giving them hope. It’s my duty as a leader.

“I’m worried. Shouldn’t she be awake by now?” Aiy asks as he looks at her sleeping form while we pack up. The storm isn’t giving in. If anything, it’s getting worse, but we need to push forward.

“She probably needs the rest. Her body has been through a lot. She’s waking every now and again, which is good and all we can hope for.

We need to focus on getting to the beach and safety so she can be treated before infection sets in,” I explain.

“We’ll take turns carrying her until we get to the shore.

Once we get there, everything will be okay.

” It’s a lie, but one they need to hear.

All but Way cling to it as I turn away. He looks from her to me, a knowing gleam in his eyes.

I busy myself, and he crouches before me as I shove things into my bag, his voice lowered. “How bad is it?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” I force out.

“Wilder, I’m your best friend. You can’t lie to me. Aiy cares for her, so tell me . . . how bad is it?” he inquires tightly, his hands clenching my bag to stop my movements.

Biting my lip, I debate whether or not I should tell him the truth, but honestly, I’m tired and scared.

“I think she has an infection, maybe even sepsis. The wound on her head isn’t serious, but coupled with her other injuries, it could be life-threatening.

We need to get her to a hospital now. She’s strong, but the drugs I have won’t help her for long. ”

He stares at me before blowing out a breath. “Okay then.” Standing, he claps his hands. “Let’s get going, losers. First one to the beach wins an all-expense paid weekend trip from Wilder.”

That gets them moving, and I thank him with a nod as I head back over to Maeve. She groans as I lean down and touch her cheek. “Time to move,” I murmur softly.

Her eyes open slowly. “Wilder?”

“Shh, it’s me. Just rest, your body needs it. Let me do this for once, Carter,” I offer as I scoop her up into my arms. She groans when it hurts her bad leg, and I try to cradle her head as much as I can.

“I can walk,” she complains lazily.

“I know you can. Just let me feel like a hero and carry you though, okay?” I implore.

“Fine, but only because I know you like to win,” she grumbles, pressing her face against my chest. “Your heart is beating fast.” Her head tilts back as I look down at her, a smile curving her lips. “Is it because I’m so close?”

“You wish, Carter,” I scoff, even as I hold her closer. Under the blood and sweat, I still smell her scent, making me think thoughts I shouldn’t, and damn, it makes my heart beat faster. When she reaches up and lays her hand on my chest, my heart kicks at her touch, and I freeze, my eyes widening.

“I kind of do,” she admits, and I have to remind myself it’s the drugs talking. “You know, if we didn’t hate each other so much, Wilder, I think being loved by you would be something amazing. In another life, maybe I’d really like exploring with you.”

Her words crack something open within me, and I press my forehead to hers, lending her my strength. “Why not this life, Carter? Don’t tell me you’re giving up already. Are you really going to let me win?”

Chuckling, she drops her hand. “Never,” she replies.

“Good, rest.” Before I can stop myself, I press my lips to her forehead, soaking in her warmth to give me the strength to keep moving. I’ve thrived on our fighting, our competitiveness pushing me to be better, faster, and stronger, and now I need it more than ever.

Lifting my head, I notice the others are giving us privacy, and I clear my throat, my voice sounding odd when I speak. “Let’s keep moving. We need to get to the beach.”

They nod, and then we are off, our boots sinking into the waterlogged earth. The heat hasn’t let up, even if the rain has paused for a while, but the drops fall from the canopy, soaking us as we force our way through the jungle.

All of us know what price we will pay if we fall behind.

We hike for days, only stopping to eat and get an hour or two of sleep.

Maeve doesn’t get stronger as the days pass, but she doesn’t get weaker either, which is something.

She sleeps a lot, only walking for an hour or so every day before growing exhausted, but we are all too happy to carry her, even if she hates it.

Honestly, though, it’s quicker, but I worry about how rapidly she will decline.

The storm seems to have passed, or so we hope, but it’s hard to tell if or when another will hit.

We haven’t seen our crocodile friend in days, which is good news, but I’m on edge.

Things are going too well. After everything we have endured, can our luck truly be looking up?

I don’t believe in good fortune, so I keep walking until we finally break out of the foliage and onto the shoreline.

“We did it,” Rick whispers, and then he whoops, “We did it!”

I nod, not counting my chickens yet. “Let’s set up shelter.

Way and Aiyaret, get on that. Rick and Logan, I want you in the ocean, but not too deep, to see if you can catch something to eat.

I’ll work on getting fresh water and setting a signal for the team.

” When everyone groans, I arch an eyebrow, and they hurry off to do as they are told.

Carrying Maeve over to the closest tree, I prop her head up with a backpack.

“Just shout if something happens, okay? We’ll be here,” I promise as I crouch in front of her.

She nods, moving slightly, and I reach out. “What is it?”

“I’m going to perv on them.” She nods, moving so she can see around me, and I glance back to see Rick and Logan with their shirts off as they wade into the blue ocean. Scoffing, I look at her and shake my head, but I smile. If she can joke, then she’s okay.

“Have fun with that,” I tell her as I stand.

“Feel free to take off your shirt if you’re feeling left out,” she teases, “but I have to tell you, your brother is built.” She reaches out, making grabby motions with her hands. “I want to bury my face between his pecs.”

“Dear God.” Turning away, I get started on a signal, all while keeping my shirt on, thank you very much.

Within an hour, we have shelter, water, and are grilling fish, as well as have signals set up on the beach.

We sit under ferns on the edge of the jungle, enjoying the shade.

Being in the sun would exhaust and dehydrate us, and we already risk being snuck up on by that thing, so while the fish cooks, Way and I lay some traps and warning systems. By the time we are done, we’re hungry and sweating, and I collapse next to Aiy with a sigh as he meticulously picks the bones out of a fish.

I hold my hand out, expecting him to pass it to me, but he turns and stands, feeding it to Maeve.

I gawk, and she winks at me as I shake my head.

For someone who’s so stubborn and independent, she sure does like being waited on.

“I could really get used to this service,” she teases around bites. “Maybe I should get chomped on more often.”

“Or get a butler,” I scoff.

“In the buff? Good idea.” She nods as she takes a bite from Aiy.

“I volunteer!” Logan yells, making her grin. She shakes her head as Aiy offers her another bite.

“Eat,” I order in a tone that brooks no argument. Her eyes narrow, and I wait, but then she grumbles something about asshats under her breath before she eats. I nod in approval, and then she glares at me like a kitten, only this kitten knows how to kill me. She’s still adorable though.

By the time everyone has finished, Maeve is asleep again, and Aiy and Way lay her down in the shelter and cover her while I check the satellite phone.

The distress signal went out, so now it’s just a waiting game, and hopefully they will find us in time.

With nothing else to do, I watch her sleep, check her pulse as often as I can, and try to make her comfortable.

By nightfall, she still hasn’t woken up, and everyone is worried.

Logan tries to start a game, but no one wants to play, so they eventually sleep as well while I keep watch.

The fire we built burns brightly enough to scare off any other predators, apart from the creature who attacked us in the first place.

There’s a beep, and I search around until I realize it’s coming from Maeve’s bag.

I hesitate, but I don’t want to wake her, so I open it and find her camera beeping as it uploads.

She must finally have a signal. I should put it away, but it’s frozen on a recording.

Sparing her a look, I give them my back and load it, keeping it quiet.

It’s a message to her dad, and it breaks my heart. I scroll through her footage, seeing snippets and clips of her adventure here. She’s smiling in the ones before, the sunlight bathing her, and I click them at random, watching the journey she took.

She truly is a force of nature—fearless and skilled.

I scroll further back and pull a video up at random.

She’s sticking her tongue out, and when she turns the camera, I see Ajax talking and walking in front of her.

Grinning, I watch her mock him behind his back, and when he turns, his eyes narrowed, he yells her name.

She laughs and races away with the camera.

Chuckling, I spare her a glance as I keep scrolling, picking another one at random.

She’s somewhere icy and wearing a hat, goggles, and a big jacket. Her nose and cheeks are red, but she’s grinning widely as she looks into the camera.