He kissed her neck, his fingers stroking her soft flesh as they lay in each other’s arms. All around them the snow lay cold and pristine, the opposite to their love, which was warm and primal, earthy even. Their relationship, the bond that held them together was from ancient times, born perhaps of magic, or a need for two people to find each other in the wide world and know they belonged to each other forever.
Linda slid her hands down over Craig’s butt and urged him on, wanting him to take her, to make her his, as the sun rose in the sky. She kissed his neck, nipping the sensitive flesh, feeling him tense as his body shook with need. As if a dam had burst, they moved as one, striving for new heights, for experiences they could only share together.
Craig came, his seed spurting deep inside her as she followed him over the edge, her body on fire as the white world around them exploded into vivid color. It was as if they were captured in a rainbow…
She giggled as that thought drifted through her mind.
“I’m glad you find our lovemaking so amusing,” Craig said.
“It’s not that.” She sighed and cupped his face in her hands. “It’s all of this. The plane crash, the sled, the footprints in the snow.”
“It’s almost unreal, as if we were in a movie,” Craig said.
“Exactly. The only thing that’s real is you and me. Here in this moment.” She kissed him fiercely, the heat searing their lips.
Craig slid his hand beneath her and pulled her close, as if he were attempting to get under her skin. “I could stay like this forever, you and me. Let’s shut out the outside world and live here in a cave and hunt rabbits in the snow.”
“With a giant dragon hunting us,” Linda said with a giggle. Being with Craig made her feel so light, as if she could float away, like a snowflake on the breeze.
Craig stiffened and sat up, his face serious. “Dragons.”
“I was joking.”
“I know, but I once heard there were dragons in Bear Creek.” His eyes were wide open as he spoke.
“They aren’t real,” Linda told him. Had he been hit over the head by a rock or something in his sleep?
“We aren’t real to most people.”
He had a point and Linda considered it for a moment, before poking him in the ribs. “Are you making fun of me?”
“Never. I mean it, honestly.” He sat up and gazed into the distance. “Perhaps the dragon ate the eagle.”
“Now I know you are making fun of me.” Linda sat up and retrieved her clothing that was scattered all over the sled. “We should wake Gina and Joaquin and get moving. We have a lot of ground to cover before nightfall. Unless that dragon of yours gives us a ride on his back.”
“I didn’t say he was a good dragon,” Craig commented as he passed her bra and sweater to her.
“Thanks.” She dressed quickly. The cool mountain air caressed her skin and she shivered as she thought of how cold Gina and Joaquin would be when they left the warmth of the cave. “So we might have to outrun a bad dragon?”
“We might. Or we might not and I’m living in a make-believe land.” He shrugged. “Either way, we can’t stay here.” He slid off the sled and then patted the cold metal with his hand. “I have to admit, I would prefer a ride on a dragon’s back to pulling this thing all over the mountains to Bear Creek.”
“But you’ll do it.” She hugged him briefly.
“I’ll do it.” He kissed her lips. “Because it’s what I do.” His eyes were intense as he gazed down at her. “And I always try to do the right thing, Linda. I truly do.”
Her brow furrowed. “I know you do. You’re a good man, Craig. A good man.”
“Come on, let’s go wake the others and eat breakfast.” He pulled a face. “I can’t wait to eat proper food again.”
“I thought you were Army trained and could go without food for days,” Linda teased as they headed back to the cave.
“Just because I can do something doesn’t mean that I want to.”
“Point taken.” They ducked inside the cave and it took a few moments for her eyes to become accustomed to the light. Or lack of light. However, the warmth was welcome next to the ice-cold air outside and her cheeks glowed pink. Or maybe it was the afterglow of their lovemaking.
Chapter Sixteen – Craig
“We thought you’d left us,” Gina said as they neared the fire.
“We were outside checking the weather and the sled,” Linda said a little too quickly.
“Of course you were.” Gina rolled out of her makeshift bed and hugged herself as she walked across the cave floor toward the fire. Joaquin sat up in bed, before he too scrambled painfully to his feet and hobbled across to join them.
“It’s freezing.” He rubbed his hands together and held them over the fire.
“Not as cold as outside,” Craig warned him. “But the sooner we eat and move on, the better. I hope to get across to the other side of the valley today.”
“What are we waiting for?” Joaquin asked bravely.
“Breakfast.” Linda handed out a few nuts and a half an energy bar each. “Not much, but it will have to do.”
“I’m going to imagine it’s bacon and eggs,” Joaquin said dreamily as he popped a piece of energy bar in his mouth.
Joaquin certainly looked and sounded better, and Linda hoped his good mood would last. However, when they left the cave with their belongings and their meager rations, his good mood slowly slunk away. The bitter chill of the morning air penetrated his bones and his face paled. However, he didn’t let Gina see his pained expression, and Linda appreciated his efforts to conceal his own discomfort so that Gina didn’t worry too much.
“It’s you we should be fussing over,” Joaquin told her when she asked him for the umpteenth time if he was okay.
“I’m pregnant, not injured.” Gina pulled the makeshift blankets up around his chin.
“I just wish I could make it right for you.” He leaned across and rested his head on hers.
“Once we get to Bear Creek it’ll all be resolved,” she assured him. “I’ll go to the authorities and makes sure they deal with whoever is behind this. Even if it’s my own brother.” Her lips were a thin line as she turned to look in the direction they were going to take. “Let’s go. I don’t want that man to enjoy the satisfaction of my suspected demise for too long.”
Joaquin smiled indulgently at her. “You will make an amazing mother to our child.”
“Why? Because I want to murder my brother?” Gina asked sweetly.
“Something like that.” He chuckled as Craig took the strain and dragged the sled forward over the fresh snow. Although Gina might have to get in line, Craig was going to do some murdering of his own if he got his hands on Gina’s brother first.
The bitterly cold overnight temperature had resulted in a firm crust on top of the snow and the sled slid along easily behind Craig. If they were lucky, they might make good time and get to the other side of the valley with enough daylight to find a good cave once more. He might not feel the cold like a regular human, but he could empathize with Gina and Joaquin. Frostbite was a real danger for them and lying around outdoors on a cold mountain night could possibly do their extremities irreparable damage.
“You look deep in thought,” Linda came up alongside him and kept pace as he strode across the flat-bottomed valley.
“I was thinking we should make good time and hopefully find a nice snug cave to make camp in tonight.” He adjusted the straps on his shoulders and moved his head from side to side, flexing his neck muscles to ease the tension.
“And then tomorrow we climb out of here.” Linda cast a glance over her shoulder. “Do you think Joaquin can make the climb?” she asked quietly.
Craig shrugged. “Hard to say since I don’t know how tough the terrain is. But I do know one way or another we’re all getting out of here.”
“Agreed. And I think now that he knows he has Gina’s love and a child on the way he’ll let you carry him if it comes to that.�
� Linda inched her head forward and stared into the distance, which was no longer pristine white. “What’s that?”
Craig’s brow creased as he stared at the thin line that broke up the landscape before them. “I don’t know, but I’m guessing it’s not good.”
“Why don’t I scout ahead?” Linda suggested.
Uneasiness filled Craig. He didn’t like the idea of his mate going off alone. Pushing his senses out, he searched for any sign of other shifters in the vicinity. There were none. “Why don’t you take the sled and I’ll go see?”
Linda swung her head around and arched her eyebrows. “Am I not capable of going to look?”
“It’s not that you are not capable.” He shook his head. “I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you. We don’t know what’s out there.”
“And you think I like the idea of you going and possibly getting hurt?” she asked hotly. “This mating bond works both ways, you know?”
“I know, but…” He tried to figure out what the problem was. “In the Army I’m used to men…” It was a feeble excuse, but it’s all he had.
“Men? Ordinary men. I’m a shifter, I’m strong and can take care of myself.” Linda was not about to back down without a fight. And she was right, she was more capable than most of the men he’d ever met. A fact he needed to learn and learn fast.
“Go.” He sighed, not liking it at all.
Linda leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek. “I’ll come straight back.”
His mate shifted in midair and ran off, her bear butt growing smaller as she ran toward what looked like a dirty tear in the snow. His sense of unease grew. The journey was not going to be as easy as they thought. In fact, if his suspicions were correct, their journey was going to be next to impossible.
“Where’s Linda gone?” Gina asked.
“To check something out.” Craig didn’t want to worry Gina and Joaquin unless he had to. Cold hard facts were what he traded in.
Gina adjusted her position on the sled and looked into the distance, where his mate was only a brown smudge on the horizon. The sled wobbled, and Craig compensated for the shift in weight. He wasn’t looking forward to the climb out of the valley, not with Joaquin in such a frail condition. However, he was not going to be sorry to leave the sled behind.
“She really is a bear,” Joaquin’s voice was filled with a mixture of shock and awe.
“What did you think she was? I told you she could shift from a human to a bear,” Gina said defensively.
“But a real bear.”
“She’s awesome,” Gina said with pride.
“She’s on her way back.” Craig stared into the distance. “Hold tight.”
Craig surged forward, his legs straining as he pushed himself faster and faster. The sled flew along behind him as he raced to meet his mate. The massive grizzly loped toward him and he could sense her apprehension, which troubled him greatly and confirmed his worst suspicions. Whatever she’d seen wasn’t good, and there was only one thing that made a gash through a valley like that—a chasm. With or without water running through it.
Linda shifted back to her human form before she reached the sled, her expression one of concern. “It’s a river.”
“A frozen river?” Gina asked.
“Yes, but it’s cut its way through the valley floor over the years.” Linda stopped, hands on hips as she caught her breath. “We’re going to need to climb down, cross the frozen water, and then climb up the other side. I doubt the sled will make it.”
Craig also doubted Joaquin would make it. “Damn.”
Linda understood his concern. “We could go around and drop down onto the lower slopes and find our way back another way.”
“Or you leave me.” Joaquin sat up, trying to hide his pain and discomfort. “I could go back to the cave. You three get yourselves to Bear Creek, and then send help for me.”
“No,” Gina said firmly, but Craig knew they had to consider the idea dispassionately.
“Joaquin could do more harm to his body if he tries to cross this chasm. Walking up the side of the valley was going to be a challenge. This might be impossible.” Craig watched Linda for a reaction.
“Listen, I could stay here with Gina and Joaquin. You could go on alone, cross the river and get to Bear Creek.” It sounded so sensible hearing the words from Linda, and yet Craig hated the idea of leaving them behind.
“We should stay together.” Craig shook his head, hating the idea more and more. “That’s what we agreed.”
“That was when there was an eagle watching us and we thought Joaquin was bleeding internally. If you go alone, you would get to Bear Creek and get help far quicker than if we all go.” Linda’s expression filled with pain and longing. She didn’t want to be apart from him, but it was the right thing to do.
“Linda…” He shrugged the harness off and approached her.
“I know. I don’t want us to be apart. But things have changed, this isn’t just about climbing out of here.” She closed the space between them. “I’ll come watch to make sure you get across safely. Then I’ll take Gina and Joaquin back to the cave.” She searched his face for a sign he was annoyed at her insistence that he go. She couldn’t bear it if he was angry with her. “Or I’ll go, and you stay.”
“No, I’ll go. But you need to promise me you’ll go into the cave and stay there until I come back,” His senses prickled as he spoke, the feeling that there was someone else near returned. “Too late.”
“What do you mean, too late?” Gina asked, looking around. “Why is it too late?” Fear filled her voice. And she was right to be afraid.
“We need to go.” Craig picked up the harness and pulled with all his strength.
“I can’t sense anything.” Linda’s concern grew as she looked around. But there was nothing to see but white snow.
“They’re not close enough yet. But they soon will be.” He rushed back to the sled and hooked his arms through the harness. “Hold on tight.”
He heaved on the harness and soon the sled was skimming across the snow as Craig sprinted toward the river. With no idea what they would do once they reached the obstacle preventing them from getting to Bear Creek, he trusted in fate to show him the way, just as it had shown him the way to his mate. He had to believe fate wouldn’t be so cruel to allow him to find his mate only to have her ripped away from him so soon.
“What do you sense?” Linda asked. He knew what she meant even though her question was vague.
“Not the dragon.” She looked a little reassured.
“Can we fight?” Linda asked as she matched his pace, her feet cracking through the crust of the snow as she ran headlong toward the crack in the valley.
“I don’t know.” He flung his senses out behind them. “I’m sure there are four or five at the least.”
“They can’t really be here to kill Gina. To kill all of us?” Linda’s question caught in her throat as she fought for breath and control over her fears. “I won’t let them.”
“If we reach the river, we can lower Gina and Joaquin to safety and then…” He didn’t want to say the next words. “And then we can fight.”
Linda nodded and then turned her attention back toward the chasm which he could clearly see as they drew closer. He didn’t really have a plan. If the river was flowing, he might have attempted to use the sled as a raft and float along the river. But the frozen river meant all they could do was lower Gina and Joaquin down and then stand and defend them.
“This isn’t going to work,” Linda stated as they drew close edge of the chasm which stood some thirty feet above the river below. “It’s too steep.”
“Then we’ll fight by your side,” Gina said, pushing the covers off her legs and moving to the edge of the sled. They had stopped ten feet away from the chasm. Craig had quickly shrugged the harness off and run to the edge to assess the situation with a cold detachment. If he was going to make the right decision, for all of them, he had to remove all em
otion from the process.
“No, you and Joaquin have to go down. If you climb carefully it shouldn’t be too hard, there are handholds and footholds all the way down.” Craig pointed out the route. “When you are safely down, I’ll tip the sled over the side. If you can get it onto the river I believe you can use it to slide along the ice. You should be able to get away, while Linda and I keep them busy.”
“Linda, surely you want us by your side,” Gina implored.
“I want you safe, Gina. That’s what I promised when you called me and asked me to be your bodyguard. That promise has not changed, and I am not going to break it.” Linda ran around to the side of the sled and hooked her hand under Gina’s arm.
“This isn’t right,” Gina insisted, as Linda helped her off the sled and then began to take the warm covers off Joaquin.
“It’s not right, but it’s the way it is.” Linda’s hands caught hold of Joaquin and she helped him slide to the edge of the sled. Then she grabbed the backpack which contained all their food and thrust it into Gina’s arms. “Take this.”
“What about you two?” Gina asked with concern as she shrugged the backpack onto her back.
“Don’t worry about us. We can handle the situation,” Linda insisted, although the tone of her voice wasn’t convincing.
“Linda, I can’t let you do this.” Gina wrapped her arms around Linda and held her tight. “We should all go. If Craig throws the sled down onto the water, we can all ride it like a toboggan along the river.”
“They’ll just follow,” Craig told her. He could see them now, two birds flying overhead as a couple of bears and a cougar ran toward them.
“Go, Gina, look after Joaquin. It’ll be easier to defend our position if you two are safely away.” Linda took hold of Gina’s hands and then propelled her toward the cliff edge.
“I can’t.” Gina froze to the spot while their attackers grew closer with each passing minute.
“You can.” Linda turned toward Joaquin who was looking down at the river below. “Joaquin will look after you.”
Survivor Bear (Bear Creek Protectors Book 2) Page 12
