Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 119597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
The bitter cold stings my face as I tear through the blizzard, the snow machine’s engine reverberating through the gorge. Every gust hits me like whiplash, the snow pelting my goggles relentlessly, obscuring my vision.
I push forward, faster, my heart racing with urgency.
Frankie.
The mere thought of her waiting in that cave, alone in this brutal weather, sends a shiver down my spine.
It took me too long to repair the machine, and I can’t shake the worry gnawing at me, the fear that something could’ve happened to her.
She promised to stay put, but anything could’ve gone wrong.
Like her inability to follow orders.
The river beside me thrashes and roars like a beast unleashed, guiding me back to the cave. I try not to think about Wolf falling into that deathtrap, the rapids pulling him under, slamming him against rocks and jagged ice.
My throat burns, and I slam a door on those thoughts.
Snowdrifts pile higher, erasing my earlier trail, and the heavy sled of coal behind me drags, slowing my progress. I curse under my breath, willing the machine to move faster.
The storm intensifies, biting through every layer of clothing, sinking deep into my bones, burning my fingers, and chilling my soul. The very air wants to freeze the life out of me, making it hard to think, to breathe.
I should be close. But how will I know? I can’t see shit. Did I pass the entrance? I could really use Kody’s sharp hearing and superhuman tracking senses right now.
Wait. What was that?
I strain my hearing until it sounds again. A sharp, high-pitched scream, and another, cutting through the howling wind.
Panic grips my chest. It can’t be…Frankie?
No, she wouldn’t venture out in this weather. Would she?
I kill the engine and tilt my head, listening, searching for any sign of her.
Movement up ahead.
A streak of color.
Red. Fiery red hair contrasts starkly against the white flurry as she runs toward me with desperation etched into every line of her face.
My heart lurches at the sight of her.
She screams again, and the chilling sound rips open my chest, releasing all the air from my lungs. Crippling fear crashes through me, akin to the horror and helplessness of watching Wolf jump off the cliff.
As she sprints toward me, I feel like I’m unraveling, losing my balance, barely able to stay on the snow machine. I can’t see the danger, but I know what lurks in this land. In the darkness, in the heavy shower of snow, it can’t be good.
I leap off the snow machine, rifle in hand, ready to face whatever threatens my entire fucking world.
“Frankie!” I bolt toward her, waving an arm.
She sees me but doesn’t slow.
The next second, a raging giant explodes into view behind her.
Fucking God.
A massive grizzly, wounded and enraged, limps after her with terrifying speed. An inexorable force that crushes everything in its way.
A predator in pursuit of its prey.
Over my cold, dead body.
I level the rifle, my hands trembling with adrenaline, trying to steady my shot.
Fuck! Too far away.
My blood runs cold as I charge forward, losing precious seconds as I try to get within range. I’ve never felt terror like this before, the horror of knowing I might not reach her in time.
Weaving and leaping, she dodges obstacles in her path. She’s so close but still too far from me. The bear gains on her, its claws swiping out, snagging her hair.
“Run, run, run!” My heart hammers, my gut a sickening knot of fear, as I urge my legs faster, aiming the rifle and shouting words of encouragement, of warning.
As I try to get a shot, my hands shake violently despite my efforts to steady them. I trip over rocks, slide across ice. The blizzard swirls around us, obscuring my vision.
Squinting through the blowing snow, I lock onto the target—the bear, lumbering ever closer. But with each passing second, my dread grows. My certainty wavers.
The wind threatens to knock me off balance, to send my shot veering off course.
What if I miss? What if I hit her instead?
With death looming on all sides, it feels like the universe is conspiring against us.
I can’t lose her. I won’t survive without her.
My finger tightens on the trigger, hesitating. She’s in the path of the bullet, and the fucking bear is right on her heels.
“Frankie!” I’m running again, gritting my teeth and willing my hands to still, to find their mark.
Never in my life have I run toward a bear. This is madness. It’s suicide.
“Turn back!” she screams, her eyes locking onto mine, filled with a ferocity that pierces through the storm. “Run away, Leo!”
Never. As long as I’m alive, I’ll fight, for her, for us.
I change course, veering toward the river and risking the thin ice to get the angle I need. The ground slides and shifts beneath my feet as I make a wide circuit.