Left for Wild Read online

  We’ve been dropped in the center of literally nothing, other than trees and mountains. But that couldn’t be all. Of course not. The thick blanket of snow and freezing wind chill make our situation more dire.

  “What happens next?” Plumes of smoke twirl off her tongue. The sight is captivating. I never would have guessed anything about being trapped in a wintry climate could be sexy. It should be no surprise that Blakely has proved me wrong, once again.

  I swallow over the knot of lust. “Well, that’s a complicated question.”

  She gestures around us. “Seems pretty straightforward, considering we’re not going anywhere tonight. There’s nothing for us to do except pitch a tent or whatever.”

  I snort, covering the patronizing sound with a cough. “That would’ve been too nice of them. I’ll make some cover for us.”

  She begins pushing herself off the forest floor. “Do you need help?”

  “Only if you want to offer it.” My response has a smoky edge that swirls across the mere feet separating us.

  Blakely’s cheeks bloom with a fresh blush. “I’m beginning to feel like decoration just sitting around.”

  A noise that resembles a growl tickles my throat. She’s the finest scenery I’ve ever been privy to. Admiring her from this distance is a gift more precious than any priceless painting. “I’ll get the wood cut. You can lend a hand binding it together for the roof and walls.”

  “Um, okay. Sounds great.” She nods, a furrow dipping between her slim brows.

  “I’ll show you once we get to that point.” I unzip my jacket and toss it beside her. The long-sleeved thermal will be more than enough to hold in heat once I get going. “Feel free to use my coat to keep warm, if you’d like.”

  She glances at the discarded garment like it’s an invitation to salvation. “Won’t you be cold?”

  “Nah, quite the opposite.”

  “That’s an offer I won’t refuse.” Blakely tugs the puffy material over her lap. Another spike of fierce protectiveness lashes me. The sight of her using my stuff gets me hotter than that parka ever will.

  After grabbing the hatchet, I stride to a tree that’s ripe for the chopping. I lose myself in the chore of hacking down girthy boughs and branches. Loud thwacks reverberate against the trunk, beaming around the forest like a sonar. With each new portion, it takes several swings to make a deep enough groove for the wood to split. A decent ax would cut this task in half. The dull blade almost bounces off the bark.

  It doesn’t take long before my arms are screaming from the exertion. Panting exhales rip from my tight chest. Muscles sear and quiver with rising pleas. The bone-deep ache is nothing I haven’t dealt with before, though a sharp twinge in my shoulder begs to differ. The punishing soreness will be a bitch to deal with tomorrow. Pushing my limits is the least I can do for getting Blakely into this.

  With the back of a glove, I mop the sweat off my sticky forehead. Steam rises around me as if I’m a personal sauna. I’m not desperate enough to strip another layer, especially with the end in sight. The inferno brewing within notches higher as I toss the last log onto the pile.

  Light clapping interrupts the silence of my thoughts. Blakely is on her feet and walking toward me. “It’s totally cheesy, but you deserve a round of applause. That’s a lot of wood.”

  “We can always burn the extra. We’ll need more heat once it’s dark.”

  “I left your jacket by the fire so it will be warm once you’re done being so hot.” She bites the lush flesh of her bottom lip. “I mean, after you’ve cooled off.”

  A grin takes control of my mouth. “Thanks.”

  “No, thank you. I just sat back and watched. Can I do anything now?”

  I nod to an overgrown bush. “That wiry shrub has vines we can use for securing the pieces together.”

  “Easy enough,” she comments with a shrug.

  And it turns out to be just that. We work in quiet comfort, aligning the logs and tying them into sections. Soon enough we have three assembled planks that we arrange into a damn sturdy lean-to. We step back to admire our progress. The shelter is wide enough to fit both of us with extra room to spare. Set several feet away from the fire yet close enough to feel the heat, the space glows with promises of comfort. Considering our location, at least. Staying warm once night has fallen will be key.

  Blakely dusts off her hands. “We should co-write a survival book after this is over.”

  More optimism. I find my smile widening. “Absolutely.”

  “They underestimated you.” Her voice rings with awe. I can’t stop the bolt of pride from thrumming into my veins.

  “Us,” I amend.

  “Huh?”

  “You’re a part of this, too. If you didn’t have an upbeat outlook, I’d be less motivated.”

  She scoffs, sending a spiral of disbelief into the chilling air. “I find that hard to believe.”

  I’ve made more than a lifetime of mistakes. Letting her waste away into an unrecognizable pessimist won’t be another tally on that list. “Good thing we don’t have to find out.”

  Survival tip #9: Getting a view of the bigger picture takes practice.

  Shadows skitter across the snowy earth as daylight dips lower into the horizon. A noticeable chill creeps in with the dwindling sun. The icy threat has me scooting closer to the blazing fire, hands extending at the flames for optimal heat flow. I’m not the only one leaning in. Halder sits across the pit from me and mirrors my motions. The fact he maintains a safe distance doesn’t go unnoticed. More questions enter the already buzzing stream in my head—it’s more intense than a game of ping-pong up there.

  Sparks and crackles from the fire are a soothing backdrop for my fumbling uncertainty. Plumes of charred smoke curl toward me, tempting my nostrils with the sweet promise of relief. A glance around our camp calms the fears pushing into my mind. I recall how easily Halder tore down those logs. Unless this forest is made of cardboard trees, he is wicked strong and accustomed to hard labor. It seemed like no effort at all as he plowed through one branch after another. But that’s not a secret. One peek at the guy exudes unstoppable power.

  His wide scope of outdoorsy skills is crazy impressive. Halder is some sort of wilderness guru or wizard. Staring at him for too long ties my tongue into a tangle, or has it falling out of my mouth altogether. There are worse people I could be trapped with. But is that true? Other than being capable in a crisis, there’s no telling what prowls beneath the surface. Halder is a convicted felon. I have no clue what crimes he’s committed. Even my general knowledge of him is rather limited. But we can fix that.

  “How old are you?”

  His gaze flickers at me over the flames. “Twenty-nine.”

  “When is your birthday?”

  “March fifteenth.”

  “Where do you live?”

  One side of his mouth twitches as he catches on. “Prior to this little stint, I’d just moved to Knoxview.”

  I quirk a brow at that. Talk about off the beaten path. Maybe that’s how he prefers it. “What’s your address?”

  “Are you completing a thorough background check?”

  “Just making conversation.” I laugh at the silly attempt and allow my eyes to slip away.

  Beyond the reach of our private clearing, the ebony of evening prepares to welcome us. We haven’t been stranded for more than twelve hours, but it already feels like an eternity. With that reminder comes another void to be filled.

  “How long do you think it’s been since they captured us?” When they took me, it was October twelfth. A week might have passed since then.

  “No clue.” He shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine. It was a Tuesday night when they grabbed me.”

  “Wednesday morning for me.”

  “They probably kept us knocked out for a few days at the most. Holding onto us beyond that would be too risky.”

  Sour bile gurgles in my belly. We’re dealing with sick monsters. “My mom has probably worried her
self into a catatonic state. She’s already paranoid. This will toss her over the cliff.”

  Halder curses under his breath. “I’m so sorry, Blakely. If there was anything more I could do, please believe that I would.”

  “It’s okay. Not your fault, remember?”

  “You’re being too forgiving.”

  Am I? That doesn’t sound accurate. “Let’s go with rational. Being sensible in this situation bodes well for me.”

  He scrubs a hand over his mouth to hide the growing smirk. A smile climbs across my lips in return. The break in tension eases some strain from my posture. He thinks that me regurgitating his words is humorous. I tuck that nugget away. Comedic relief might be what keeps morale high around here.

  His expression sobers. “Trust me, Blakely. You’re making this much easier on me.”

  I palm my face to hide the rising blush that’s more vibrant than glowing embers. One little compliment sends me into a tailspin. I clear my throat to refocus. “Have we been missing long enough for authorities to be looking for us?”

  “There’s no doubt, especially if you have a concerned mother hounding them.”

  A huff escapes me. “Oh, she’s doing far worse than that.”

  Halder dips his chin, concentrating on the fire. “My parole officer will be after me. He probably assumes I skipped town on purpose.”

  A spark of warmth ignites in my chest. “Not ideal, but good in this case. They’ll be motivated to search high and low for you.”

  “Discovering our disappearance is the easy part. Without many clues, it will be nearly impossible to track our location. There are no steps for them to trace. I doubt they’ve made a connection between us.”

  The overbearing load of defeat pumps into me, slumping my shoulders. “I’m a statistic.”

  He looks up at me with twilight ghosting his eyes. “What do you mean?”

  I blow out a slow breath. “It’s just something my mom said. Kind of spooky.”

  With a grunt, Halder hauls himself off the ground. He tosses a few more logs onto the fire before striding toward me. “This isn’t the end for either of us, Blakely. I’ll never give you a reason to doubt me. We’ll find a way out, okay?”

  I’m nodding without realizing. “Okay.”

  A pleasant silence sweeps in, giving center stage to the rustle of wind and distant croon of wildlife. I give a mountainside of credit to all living species that manage to thrive in this environment. Where I’m from, there’s a lot of flying south and hibernating going on. Just a bunch of freeze babies. A gust of fierce determination blasts into our bubble, and I burrow into my coat to ward off the bitterness.

  “Are you hungry?” Halder holds up a protein bar.

  I stare at the shiny wrapper while contemplating his offering. My appetite had been replaced by the fear of our situation. Now that he mentions food, my stomach grumbles with complaints of being ignored. I haven’t eaten since…well, I actually have no idea. How creepy is that?

  With a jerky nod, I accept the meal. “Thanks.”

  “I figure you’re probably famished. We’ll worry about rationing portions tomorrow.”

  We nibble at our dinner in silence. There are twelve bars left, plus some travel packs of mixed nuts. That’s not nearly enough to keep us going in these conditions. How long can we last without food? Seven days? Will our bodies burn the calories for more energy faster in the cold? I really should’ve paid more attention in health education or human biology. That lack of interest is biting me in the ass right about now. Speaking of ass, maybe I’ll finally lose the junk in my trunk.

  The weariness in my bones is suddenly laced with lead. A yawn soon follows, as if to prove a point. I trap the squeaky sound with gloved fingers.

  “Tired?” Halder rocks on his heels. The movement reminds me that he’s still standing. His ongoing strength somehow makes me more drained.

  I muffle another wave of fatigue. “Very. It just hit me.”

  “You’ve been through a lot today.”

  I almost roll my eyes. “No more than you. Far less, if we’re being fair.”

  “If it makes you feel better, I’m fucking exhausted.” He clucks his tongue and shrugs.

  “Acting tough for my benefit?”

  “And my pride.” A rough chuckle scrapes out of him.

  “Pretty sure you have that in spades.”

  “Not so much lately. Being locked up has a cruel certainty for breaking a man.”

  I bite back a string of expletives. Foot, meet mouth. Somehow I dig myself into these deep holes of humiliation. And how do I even respond to that? There’s nothing I can provide to soften his burden. I lick my dry lips, scouring for a crumb of anything worthy. “Well, you’re out now. You can rebuild better than before.”

  He stares at me without an ounce of armor blocking the view. His green eyes are a mirror of emotion. I see pain, struggle, and sorrow. But beckoning louder than all that is retribution. “That’s the goal. I have plenty to prove.”

  “You’ll make it happen.” My faith in him is probably too established, but I believe he can accomplish anything. Am I catching a bit of hero worship? Perhaps. But Halder has earned it. I wouldn’t survive a single night without him.

  Instead of allowing more gloom to drag me down, I turn my sights to the brighter side. If I squint hard enough, our surroundings resemble a nature resort. The addition of fire and shelter has improved my mood significantly. I can trick myself into believing we’re here on purpose, taking a vacation. Any lumberjack forester worth his salt would be jealous of the oasis Halder created for us.

  I stare at our rustic accommodations. Soon the empty space will be occupied with our bodies, crammed next to one another in such narrow quarters. Two randoms forced to endure the most unlikely of situations at countless turns. The plot twists are only beginning while we’re also trying to escape the freaking wilderness. This suddenly resembles a backwoods social experiment. But what am I expecting to happen? On top of staying alive, we’re going to add sex into the mix for extra credit?

  “So, uh, what are the sleeping arrangements?” If I’m going to embarrass myself, I might as well go full tilt.

  He follows my gaze to the shelter. “Not sure it’s going to get better than that for now.”

  “That’s for both of us, right?” The urge to berate myself occurs one second after the question whizzes past my lips.

  Of course it is. Good grief, Blakely. It’s like a freaking slumber party. Put on your big-girl panties, cuddle up, and get cozy.

  I tug on the hat covering my head, hoping the wool will swallow me. “Being out here is really messing with my mind. Screwing with us is probably the point…Forcing choices that aren’t really options at all. They can’t steal our free will. We’ll find our breaking points, willingly or not.”

  That distracting furrow dents his brow. “What do you mean?”

  “All of this. Our entire situation. It’s just so…strange. We barely know each other, and I’m about to sleep beside you. But in the grand scheme of things, that’s a very small concern to have. Right?” I’m babbling, bordering on that near-hysteria from this afternoon. “This is really odd.”

  It’s not as if we require separation between us. That would defeat the purpose. He probably thinks I’m some squeamish virgin. The trials between us are kicking off, but I’ve been challenged before. This is just a whole new level. That doesn’t mean it will beat me. Why am I making a big deal out of this? Halder doesn’t appear to be overanalyzing our situation. He’s been thinking logically about this, from a survival perspective. There is absolutely no reason to continue down this trail of ridiculous proportions. Why did I even bring it up? It’s safe to say that I’m not the best version of myself within all this nonsense. We’re trapped and need to be practical.

  That freshly budding pride we were just discussing seems to deflate off his broad frame before my eyes. “Does sharing a space with me bother you?”

  “No!” My screech is loud eno
ugh to scare off a bear. I’m officially the worst possible person to be stuck in isolation with—or anywhere, if we’re being honest. “I mean, it totally makes sense. I’m good. Outstanding. The more I think about it, combining our body heat is a smart strategy. Even if we’re not actually touching. It’s great, of course.”

  I’m way out of my comfort zone, bumbling like a schoolgirl, and making a damn fool of myself. Halder is patient and kind enough not to poke fun at my fraying semblance of normalcy. I’ve been asking silly things that any respectable person would know. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I’ve managed to insult him. The super fresh air must be having some effect. Or this frontiersman on steroids is solely responsible for turning my brain into scrambled slop.

  “The only purpose for that lean-to is protection from the weather and staying warm. Nothing else, other than sleeping.” He’s speaking soft and slow since I’m clearly a flight risk. One wrong word and I’m bound to run scared into the darkness.

  Is there a shovel nearby? It would help me dig this hole faster. To mask my blazing mortification, I scoff and release a puff of hot steam. “I know. Obviously.”

  “Just making sure.” The edge of humor in his voice eases the strain from my muscles.

  “I appreciate the clarification.” Shooting him a wink seems slightly appropriate, but I hold off.

  He takes a step away from me. “I can sleep out here if that would make you more comfortable.”

  I scramble to my feet, intent on erasing his withdrawal. “I’d never ask you to do that.”

  “That’s why I’m offering.”

  “No, it’s all fine and dandy. Please forget I almost had another meltdown.”

  Halder graces me with a lopsided grin. “I’d never hold anything against you.”

  I park a fist on my hip. “Now who’s being too forgiving?”

  A quick jerk of his head. “Nah, you deserve far more than that.”