by Terry Spear
He was still lying on his belly, his head turned toward her, smiling.
“I don’t know about this dating bit. You’re supposed to tell me you barely noticed my weight,” she said to Aidan.
“He would be lying,” Greg said, sitting next to her.
“Are you okay, Doc?” Mike asked Aidan.
“Of course he’s okay,” Ted said sternly, though Holly suspected Ted was having some fun, relieved they were all safe. “How can he win the doc over if he says she wore him out?”
Everyone laughed.
“Should we run as wolves?” Mike asked. “Not Nick. His wrist is sprained.”
“I don’t have boots. I’ll have to shift,” Holly said.
Ted was already setting up the tent for her so she could undress and shift inside, out of the icy wind. She quickly entered the tent and sat down to jerk off the socks frozen to her feet.
To her surprise, Aidan entered the tent and sat in front of her and took her cold feet in his hands and rubbed them. “Man, do they burn,” she said.
“They’ll feel better once you shift.” He helped her out of the parka, sweater, and sweatpants. She gave him a hug and a kiss. He held her tight and kissed her back. But she shivered.
“Are you running as a wolf? Or are your arms too tired?” she asked.
“I’m running with you as a wolf.” He began stripping out of Nick’s clothes, and she helped him. Then they both shifted, and he followed her out of the tent.
Greg had stripped and shifted outside the tent and woofed at them. Ted and Mike packed up the tent.
“I guess I won’t shift, and I’ll help Ted carry all of Nick’s equipment.” Mike glanced back at Nick.
She knew Mike wanted to be on hand if Nick had trouble making it back but probably didn’t want to say that out loud.
“When we get to the cabin, I’ve got some sweats you can wear, Greg,” Mike added.
Greg woofed.
They all headed for the tree line, moving slowly, looking for any depressions in the snow, being careful they didn’t run across any more crevasses.
“You should’ve had a helmet cam,” Ted said. “You might have won an award for a video featuring the most interesting, dangerous, real-life adventure.”
“No, he shouldn’t have,” Mike said. “You know we’ll get into trouble if Rafe learns we let the doc go down there on his own instead of one of us going.”
“Yeah, but Aidan could have proved to the doc what a hero he is,” Ted said.
Greg woofed in agreement.
“Thanks for coming to get me at my camp,” Nick said. “That could have been me down there all alone, and no one would have found me. As a human or a wolf, I wouldn’t have had any way to climb out.”
“Well, this was one to write home about,” Ted said.
Chapter 14
It took them much longer to reach the cabin going this way, but it would be safer. Holly knew Ronald and Jared would give her a hard time when she and Greg got home. She hadn’t wanted to tell Ronald she was going to stay with Aidan and his family for Christmas, but she needed to, in case someone had a medical emergency. They’d have to see a regular doctor until she returned home.
She was always on call and never left the area for something that wasn’t work-related or pack-related. She was excited about taking a vacation that was strictly that. And without being on call for anyone’s maladies. Even if someone in Aidan’s family was injured or got sick, Aidan would be there to help.
Then they got a glimpse of Aidan’s cabin through the Douglas firs. Greg looked back at Holly as if he couldn’t believe the size of the cabin.
Mike stopped and stripped out of his clothes. “I’ll run ahead and open up the house.” He shifted and raced ahead to the cabin, and Greg took off after him as if he was racing the wolf. Mike barked at him and sped off even faster, sending snow flying. Greg was on his heels, trying to best the wolf. Mike wasn’t going to slow down for him and allow the teen to beat him. He’d probably never hear the end of it from Ted. Greg gave it his all and bounded up the steps to the deck right after Mike. Mike dove through the wolf door, but respectful of being just a guest, Greg waited on the deck, his tail wagging as he watched the rest of them making their way there.
Holly could have run to join him, but she was being mindful of how Nick had to be feeling, being the eldest of the bunch. Aidan was sticking by her side. Nick was keeping pace with Ted as if they had been friends all along, and she really appreciated the guys.
Then Mike opened the door, already dressed, and headed out to help take the rest of the burden off Ted. Greg waited for them inside the cabin. Ted and Mike carried the equipment the rest of the way while Ted talked to him about what else they’d prepare with the steaks.
Holly was thinking Aidan had gotten a real bargain when the men became his bodyguards. Once Aidan found a cure and had helped correct the situation with the other wolves, would he no longer need the men’s services?
That would be a shame. He’d probably miss their company too.
As soon as Ted and Mike reached the door, Mike said, “Come on in. We’ll have lunch prepared before you know it. I set out some of my sweats for Greg. They’re on the sofa. You can use the bathroom to change in.”
Greg grabbed the sweats with his wolf teeth and headed for the bathroom. Holly ran up the stairs to her bedroom where she’d left her borrowed sweats, feeling right at home here already. She loved this place.
Mike told Nick he had four bedrooms to choose from and headed up the stairs with all Nick’s belongings. “We can wash your clothes too. You can borrow some of mine if you’d like.”
“Thanks, I’d like that. I’ve been washing them in the streams, but some good soap and water will be great. Mind if I take a hot shower first?”
“Bathroom is just down to your right. Spare toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and shampoo, and towels are in the cabinet. Enjoy.”
“Thanks. I can’t…can’t thank you all enough.”
“Hey, we’re happy to help out any wolf who needs it. No problem at all,” Mike said. “As soon as Aidan learned about you, he made it his mission to find you. We all did.”
Holly dressed, and by the time she left the bedroom, she heard Nick running the shower in the bathroom down the hall. She was so glad Aidan had taken him in for now, that Nick had wanted to go with them, and that they had all safely navigated the crevasse.
She saw Mike coming out of the room where he’d left Nick’s gear, his arms wrapped around a load of clothes as he walked toward the stairs. “I’m so glad Nick came with us.”
“Me too,” Holly said.
Ted had left the rest of the gear in the bedroom, and she assumed he’d helped Mike gather Nick’s clothes to wash. “I think the notion he could have a steak tipped the scale in our favor.”
She laughed. “I’m glad you had some. Enough for me too? My stomach was grumbling the whole way back.”
“I heard. Yeah. We have enough food for several days,” Mike said.
Aidan came out of his bedroom and joined them. “I promised I’d warm your feet, Holly. How are they feeling? Still burning?”
“They’re fine now. After shifting into the wolf¸ they warmed up right away. I want to massage your muscles after all that climbing you did while carrying me on your back.”
“I’d say they’re fine, but then you wouldn’t have any reason to give me a massage.”
She chuckled. “I would anyway.”
When they reached the landing at the bottom of the stairs, Ted said, “I’m going to start a load of wash.”
“Won’t it affect the shower?” she asked.
“Nah, the cabin has two water heaters.”
“Okay, good.” She didn’t want anything to disturb Nick’s hot shower.
Someone had put on “Carol of the Bells,” her favorit
e Christmas song. Christmas spice was scenting the air, and it smelled heavenly.
In the kitchen, Mike was showing Greg how to prepare julienne potatoes. She was thinking Greg needed to stay with the guys for a little while and learn how to cook. She and her mother and sister had tried to teach him, but since her dad only grilled out back in the summer, she suspected Greg thought that’s all men were supposed to do. He looked eager to learn from a couple of tough and brawny wolves.
“I can’t wait to tell Mom and Dad what happened to you and Nick,” Greg said.
“You can’t,” Holly said, thinking what a disaster that would be.
“Are you kidding? You’re all cut up. Do you think Mom and Dad aren’t going to ask you what happened?” Greg asked.
“All right, but you can’t go into all the gory details.”
“I’ll just tell them how you were kissing the doctor down there, and then they’ll know you weren’t in any real danger.”
“You weren’t supposed to be near that edge.”
Greg laughed. “I wasn’t. Not until the end when I helped pull you up. You really were down there kissing him?”
Letting her breath out, she shook her head. She’d let the cat out of the bag on that one.
“I’ll call them in a bit.” She took hold of Aidan’s hand and moved him into the living room. “Lie down, and I’ll give you a massage. It’s the least I can do.”
“Are you sure about your feet?” He lay down on his stomach, and she kneeled next to him and began to knead his shoulders.
“Yes, but you can give them your personal medical inspection after I finish here.”
“Gladly.”
He groaned in a satisfied way as she used her fingers and thumbs to help work out the tension in his shoulders. “I’ve got to keep you around.”
She chuckled. “Free back rubs during breaks in research?”
“Only if I can reciprocate. It can be tense work, you know.”
She could imagine not ever getting back to work if he gave her back rubs. She’d just want to take a nap. She began working on his lower back and his sides, and he chuckled a little.
She smiled. “A little ticklish?”
“A little.”
She worked on him for a good twenty minutes, loving the feel of his hard muscles and warm body. Then he finally said, “Your turn before the guys tell us lunch is ready.”
Nick came downstairs dressed in borrowed sweats and moved into the dining room to give them some privacy, though since the living room was open to the kitchen and dining room, they didn’t have a lot of that.
Then Holly switched places with Aidan. “You’re liable to put me to sleep after all the exercise and the ordeal we went through today.”
“I’ll wake you for lunch,” he assured her.
When he began to massage her back, she felt both relaxed and sexy. She loved the way he was touching her, massaging her shoulders, back, neck, and sides. He tickled her, getting her back.
He was massaging all the tension from her body, and she was in heaven. She felt so boneless—as if she could just melt into the soft couch and fall asleep—but she wanted to soak up the feeling of his every touch. His massage was perfection, and she swore he was doing everything he could to apply for the position of her mate.
She was ready to take this to his bedroom.
“Hate to disturb the two of you, but lunch is nearly ready,” Nick said.
She moaned. As much as she was starving, she could have had Aidan’s hands on her for hours. “Thanks, Aidan. That felt fantastic.”
“Yeah, I know how you feel. You did a wonderful job on me too.” He helped her up from the couch, pulled her into a hug, and kissed her.
“Not that I’d want to go through that ordeal again, but having the massage definitely made me feel better. I’d better call Mom and Dad quickly to let them know we found Nick. I should have done it right away, but we sort of got distracted.”
“In a good way.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“How many times have you had to kill anyone as a bodyguard?” Greg asked Ted and Mike in the kitchen.
“As a bodyguard, none. But I’ve had a lot of weapons and martial arts training. And we were both in the military. We saw some fighting. Since Ted and I were hired, no one has tried to kidnap Aidan. Which is a good thing.”
“What do you do all the time then?”
“Guard duty. Just because nothing has happened since we began working for him doesn’t mean something couldn’t. Once an attempt had been made to kidnap him, his brother hired us. Rafe has bodyguards, too, because he’s so wealthy. He worries about someone grabbing Toby, his son, more than anything. Or his mate, Jade,” Mike said.
Before Holly got hold of her mother, Greg called out, as if she couldn’t hear him if his voice was at regular volume, “Be sure to tell them everything that happened.”
“I will, but it will be an abbreviated version.” She didn’t want to overly worry her folks, but it was a good idea to mention that no one should go to that part of the wilderness because of the danger. She sat down on the sofa, and Aidan brought her bottled water.
“Thanks,” she said to him. Then she called her mom. “Hey, it’s me. We’re back at Aidan’s house. Greg’s with me, and Nick too.” She got misty-eyed all of a sudden. She was so glad Nick had come with them and hoped he would find a pack he’d love. But she couldn’t help still feeling shaken from them falling into the crevasse, despite Aidan’s delightful massage. As soon as she closed her eyes, she saw herself on the ledge with Nick, and Aidan making his way down to them, so afraid he would fall before he reached them.
“Is he okay? Nick?” her mom asked.
“Yes, he just finished a long, hot shower. Both Mike and Ted, Aidan’s bodyguards, are showing Greg how to cook.”
“Ohmigod, that’s unbelievable.”
“I know. A Christmas miracle, right?”
“I heard that,” Greg said from the kitchen. “Tell her about the crevasse!”
Her mom started talking at about the same time that Greg yelled out about the crevasse, so Holly didn’t think she’d heard him. “Tell Dr. Denali he can keep him there for another few days, if Greg wants to learn to cook under his men’s tutelage.”
Holly sighed. “We’re going to be eating in a few minutes. But…before Greg takes the phone away from me, I want to warn you not to go up to the northern route to the peak. We got into some trouble with a crevasse.”
“You fell in.” Greg spoke loud enough that Holly was sure her mother would have heard him this time.
“Ohmigod, are you all right?”
“Yes, Mom. We’re all right. Nick and I both fell in. He sprained his wrist. I just have a few scratches. Any trouble back at the resort?”
“You got out all right by yourselves?” her mom asked, sounding hopeful it was just a short drop.
“Uh, no. Aidan had to come down to help us out.” Holly knew her brother would tell their parents if she didn’t.
“Wait, let me put this on speaker so your dad can hear.”
Holly had figured this would happen. If she’d been in their place, she would have wanted to know all the details. She normally wasn’t one to keep her family in the dark about anything going on in her life. Not that much was usually going on. Even so, she gave them an abbreviated version.
“Did Greg witness this?” her dad asked.
She assumed he would ask Greg what he’d seen to get his version.
“He was staying back away from the snowbridge, which was a good thing.”
“It collapsed,” her dad guessed.
“Uh, yeah.” She hadn’t meant to tell them about that. “We fell a few more feet.”
“Ten,” Greg piped up.
“Ten. But we managed to get out okay, and Nick was out by
that time.”
“You and Aidan fell another ten feet?” her mom asked, sounding shocked.
“The ice shelf we were on broke when the ice from the bridge slammed into it. Aidan protected me though, and all that matters is that we made it out okay. Right?”
“Yes, yes, of course. Ohmigod, yes,” her mom said.
“Did you tell them about the kissing part?” Greg asked.
She gave her brother a look to cool it. He laughed, and she knew he’d tell them later. “Did Ronald or Jared give you any trouble about Greg and me being gone?”
“Yeah, I didn’t want to mention it because I assumed you were so pleased to have found Nick and convinced him to come with you. I didn’t want to spoil the news. And then…” Her mother choked up.
“Mom, are you okay?”
“We could have lost you.”
“We’re fine. We were in good hands. Everyone helped us out.” She would never tell her parents how dangerous it really had been. She was glad they hadn’t had a helmet cam to record it. As for Ronald, she had a sinking feeling he knew what was going on with her and Greg, that they had been running with Aidan and his men while looking for Nick. “Was it Jared? Or Ronald?”
“Both were looking for you. I said you left early to search for Nick. Greg was supposed to go with you, but he slept late and had a later start. Jared said he saw Greg leave but not you.”
“Great. Well, after we eat, we’ll be home. Before then, I want to visit with Nick. He’s giving his blood, so I want to see what Aidan thinks of it.”
“Nick has to be shaky after what happened to the two of you. Let us know how he’s doing, and we’ll tell everyone else. What do you want us to say about where he’s going? Everyone will want to know.”
“For now, Aidan’s taking him to the pack in Montana. You know, where Everett and his family ended up.”
“Everett Johnston? Oh, that’s good. He’ll already know someone. And Everett and his family are good people.” Her mother paused. “You don’t want me to mention that Aidan’s taking him, do you?”
“Yeah, I do. Our people need to know there are other decent wolves out there.”
