Page 54 of Maddox: Wild Alaska

I start at the feminine voice, yet I struggle to move and locate her.

"Don't move," she says. "You're hurt." She kneels in front of me and gently touches my forehead. "He gave me a dressing for the back of your head. It's not bleeding now."

The young woman has the deepest blue eyes, and although her blonde hair hangs in disarray around her petite frame, I find her stunning.

What the hell am I thinking?

You're not dead yet—that's a good sign.

"Who are you?" I ask, trying to focus on her face through the haze of pain.

She gives me a sad smile before lying down beside me. She wraps around me protectively, and she gently rubs my back. Her breath tickles my cheek. Then, she whispers into my ear, "I'm your guardian angel. I'll watch over you."

My shivers slowly subside, and I mutter, "I'm Gabriel Hawke," before drifting to sleep.

THE END