Page 4 of His Stubborn Mate

The man watched her closely, his face set in grim determination. “That’s it,” he said softly, as if coaxing a wounded animal back to life. “You’re gonna be okay.”

Amanda wasn’t sure if she believed him. Her head was spinning, her stomach churning with nausea. She felt like she was floating, her body disconnected from reality. But there was something about this man, something in his eyes that made her want to trust him.

“Who… who are you?” she managed to whisper; her voice barely audible.

Chapter Three

Amanda

The man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he focused on stopping the flow of blood from his wrist, tearing a strip of fabric from his shirt and tying it tightly around the wound. Amanda watched him through half-lidded eyes, her mind foggy with confusion and pain. She could feel the blood he had given her working its way through her system, the warmth spreading slowly, battling against the cold that seemed to seep into her very bones.

After bandaging his wrist, the man turned his attention back to her, his expression unreadable. “My name is Rance,” he said finally, his voice low and calm, as if they were discussing something as mundane as the weather. “Rance Manville.”

Amanda nodded weakly, trying to commit the name to memory, though every word seemed to slip through her fingers like water. She tried to speak again, to ask more questions, but her strength was fading, and the words wouldn’t come.

Rance must have noticed the struggle on her face because he leaned closer, his gaze intense. “Save your energy,” he instructed. “Help is on the way. I already called for an emergency evac, but it’ll take them some time to get here. We need to keep you warm until then.”

She tried to speak.

“Shh. You need to rest. I retrieved your purse, and I have your wallet. I wanted to make sure the hospital had your ID.”

He moved quickly, retrieving blankets from the back of the SUV and wrapping them around her with gentle hands. Amanda felt herself being cocooned in warmth, but it did little to ease the bone-deep cold that had settled in her limbs. She could feel the darkness tugging at the edges of her consciousness, and she fought to stay awake, to stay present.

Rance positioned himself beside her, wrapping another blanket around himself as he pulled her closer, using his body heat to keep her warm. The closeness should have made her uncomfortable, but instead, she found it strangely reassuring. His presence was solid, steady, like a rock in the middle of a stormy sea.

“Stay with me, Amanda,” Rance said, his voice a steady anchor in the swirling chaos of her thoughts. “Tell me about yourself. What brought you to Kodiak?”

Amanda blinked, trying to focus on his words. It took a moment for her to process the question. “I… I’m a veterinarian,” she managed to say, her voice trembling. “I moved here a few years ago. I wanted… I wanted to help the animals.”

Rance nodded, encouraging her to continue. “That’s a noble profession,” he said. “You must see a lot out here.”

Amanda tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. “Yes… it’s challenging, but I love it. The animals here… they need someone to care for them.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, the exhaustion overwhelming her. Rance’s voice cut through the haze, pulling her back from the brink of unconsciousness. “Amanda, you have to stay awake. Talk to me. Anything. What’s your favorite animal?”

The question was so unexpected, so out of place given the circumstances, that it took Amanda a moment to respond. “Elk,” she whispered. “They’re… beautiful. Strong.”

Rance smiled faintly. “Good choice. Did you know that there were once creatures on this island far more fearsome than elk?”

Amanda opened her eyes, curiosity piqued despite her condition. “What do you mean?” she asked, her voice barely more than a breath.

Rance shifted slightly, adjusting the blanket around her. “Long ago, Kodiak Island was home to prehistoric creatures—massive bears, wolves, even some that were never fully documented. They roamed these lands long before humans ever set foot here. The island was a very different place back then, a place of wild and untamed power.”

As he spoke, Amanda found herself captivated by his words, the images they conjured in her mind. Despite the cold, despite the pain, she was drawn into the story, the rhythm of his voice soothing her frayed nerves.

“Kodiak bears, the ones we see today, are descendants of those ancient creatures,” Rance continued. “They’ve adapted, evolved, but there’s still something primal in them, something that connects them to their ancestors. Some say the spirits of those ancient beasts still roam the island, watching over the land.”

Amanda shivered, but it wasn’t from the cold. There was something about the way Rance spoke, with a deep knowledge and reverence for the island’s history, which intrigued her. “Do you believe that?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Rance looked at her, his expression serious. “I believe there’s more to this world than what we can see or understand. Kodiak is a place of mysteries, of old legends that have been passed down through generations. Sometimes, those legends are rooted in truth.”

Amanda wanted to ask more, to delve deeper into these stories, but her strength was fading fast. The warmth from Rance’s blood was the only thing keeping her conscious, but she could feel it slipping away, like sand through her fingers.

“Rance… I don’t think… I don’t think I can stay awake much longer,” she admitted, her voice weak.

Rance tightened his grip on her, his expression determined. “You have to, Amanda. The rescue team is on their way, but you need to stay with me until they get here. Think about something that makes you happy. Focus on that.”

Amanda tried, but the only thing she could focus on was the pain and the cold. Her mind was growing foggier by the second, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the darkness that was closing in around her.

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