Page 29

Troy

I woke up feeling better than I had in weeks.

There was warmth against me, soft and delicate, and when I shifted, I felt her—Elena—nestled between Adrian and me, her breathing slow, her body completely at peace.

Last night had been beyond anything I ever imagined.

It had felt right.

Not rushed. Not uncertain. It was inevitable—like this was always how it was supposed to be.

I let out a slow breath, soaking it in, feeling something light and whole settle in my chest. I’d spent years shoving Elena into a box labeled off-limits, convincing myself that my feelings were resentment when, in reality, I didn’t know how to deal with the way I’d always been drawn to her.

And now?

There was no going back.

I pulled away, careful not to wake her, and sat up. Adrian stirred beside her but didn’t wake, his arm still protectively wrapped around her waist, his brow furrowed even in sleep.

I grabbed my boots and jacket, slipping them on before tending to the fire, adding more wood to keep the heat going. It wasn’t much, but the warmth inside the wreckage kept us alive.

I needed to check the traps.

The moment I saw the empty snares and traps, my stomach twisted.

We had gotten lucky yesterday, but luck didn’t keep you alive.

Food did. If I didn’t find something soon, things would get really bad, really fast.

I ran a gloved hand down my face, exhaling sharply. I stared at the lifeless snow-covered ground as if it might magically produce another rabbit.

Nothing.

I checked all the traps a second time, some part of me desperate for a miracle.

Fucking nothing.

I resisted the urge to kick the nearest tree, to scream my frustration into the frigid air. I needed something. I had no choice but to reset the traps and hope. But hope was a weak strategy.

And if this kept up…

I forced the thought away, swallowing against the nausea rising in my throat.

I knew what I’d have to consider if things got worse.

Dean.

The thought made my stomach turn violently, but I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

I was praying it wouldn’t come to that, that we’d be found before it ever became a real option, but if we had another week of dwindling food and empty traps, what choice would we have?

I trudged back toward the plane, my mood significantly darker, my mind spinning with calculations.

How long would we survive like this?

Back inside, I went through everything again.

Every cupboard, every hidden storage space, my bag—anything that might have been overlooked.

I found a half-eaten cereal bar I’d stuffed in my pocket before we left for the trip and had completely forgotten about, along with another box of crackers, shoved into the back of one of the storage compartments.

It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

I sat back on my heels, running my tongue over my teeth, doing the math.

If we rationed everything, we might have enough food for a week. Maybe less if our bodies started demanding more. I pressed my fingers against my temples, trying to think of other options.

Deer?

Possibly, but we didn’t have a rifle.

Fish?

Not unless we found a water source that wasn’t frozen solid. The only other option made my stomach tighten all over again.

I sat there, staring at the food in front of me, my chest heavy with frustration and dread, when I heard Adrian stir.

He sat up with a groggy sigh, rubbing his face before blinking at me through the dim morning light.

“What time is it?” he muttered.

I snorted. “You think I have a clock out here?”

He grunted, stretching before carefully checking on Elena, who was still curled up peacefully.

He met my gaze, noting the look on my face, and immediately sat up straighter.

“What?”

I hesitated. There was no sense in beating around the bush.

“The traps were empty,” I said.

Adrian’s expression hardened, any trace of sleep vanishing instantly. “Shit. ”

“Yeah,” I muttered.

I motioned to the food I’d gathered. “I found this, but it’s not enough. We’ve got maybe a week.”

Adrian sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Then we need to come up with a plan.”

I hesitated again. I knew where Adrian stood on the subject, but fuck, we were in trouble, so I said it out loud.

“If we don’t catch anything and no one finds us soon… we’ll have to talk about Dean.”

Adrian’s jaw clenched instantly, his eyes flashing. I watched the muscle in his jaw twitch, waiting for him to argue, to tell me I was a sick bastard for even suggesting it.

But he didn’t.

Instead, after a long, tense silence, he exhaled and muttered, “I don’t want it to come to that.”

I nodded slowly because neither did I. But wanting and surviving weren’t the same.

We both turned our heads toward Elena at the same time.

She was still asleep, her breathing even, her chest rising and falling with each slow breath.

I felt something in my chest tighten painfully.

She was already so small, so fragile. She couldn’t afford to starve like this.

I looked back at Adrian.

“If it comes down to it,” I murmured, “I’ll go. I’ll walk and keep walking until I find something.”

Adrian’s head snapped toward me, eyes flashing with anger. “That’s a death warrant.”

I met his stare evenly. “We’re dead anyway if no one comes.”

Adrian exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. I could tell he wanted to fight me on it, to say to me it was a bad idea, that I was reckless. The truth was, we were out of options.

Finally, he sighed and muttered, “Let’s revisit that in a few days. See where we’re at.”

I nodded but already knew where we would be when the time came. “Fine. ”

Adrian crossed his arms, eyeing me warily. “What are you gonna do today?”

“I’m gonna walk in another direction. See where it takes me.”

Adrian’s brow furrowed. “You’re pushing it, Troy.”

I smirked, grabbing my coat. “Wouldn’t be me if I didn’t.”

I grabbed a small ration of food and water, stuffing it into my coat, before turning back toward Adrian. He stood there, watching me like he wanted to stop me, but he knew he couldn’t because we needed to find help, food, or a combination of both.

Instead, he shook his head and sighed. “Take care of yourself, dumbass.”

I smirked and held my pinky out for him in a promise. “You take care of Elena.”

“I will,” Adrian promised, voice low, steady as he hooked his pinky with mine.

A grin flashed across my face, but there was something serious in my eyes when I nodded back at him. “Good. Take care of her in every way if that’s what she wants.”

He said nothing, simply watching me leave. I wanted them to make this work. I wanted it for all of us. Being more than willing to be cool about it afforded me something glorious, at least I hoped it did.

I turned toward the endless white, stepping out into the cold world.

Determined. Focused. And unwilling to let this be the end.