Page 12 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Pilot
“Better than nothing,” I said, repacking everything.“But we need shelter, and fast.”
Felicity’s gaze shifted to the steep slope rising to our east.“Higher ground,” she said decisively.“Valley will be a cold sink, all the frigid air settles down here to the lowest point.There might be caves in those rock formations.”
I followed her line of sight, my enhanced vision picking out details invisible to human eyes.She was right.There were promising outcroppings about half a mile up the slope.
“Can you make that climb?”I asked, not bothering to hide my concern.
She pushed herself to her feet, swaying slightly before finding her balance.Her jaw set with determination that impressed even me.
“I don’t think we have a choice,” she said, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders.“We either find shelter or freeze to death in the next few hours.”
The wind howled through the valley, carrying ice and snow that stung any exposed skin.Behind us, the aircraft continued its funeral pyre, consuming what remained of Bryce’s body.Soon that fire would die, and with it would go our last source of heat.
“Higher ground it is,” I agreed, gathering our supplies.“We need to move now, before you lose more body heat and before this storm gets any worse.”
Felicity took one last look at the burning wreckage, a silent goodbye to her colleague.Then she turned toward the mountain, her shoulders squaring with hidden strength.
“Lead the way, Mr.Roberts,” she said, her voice steady despite everything.“Let’s see if those fancy leather boots of yours are good for anything besides looking pretty.”
Despite everything, I found myself smiling at her unexpected spark.My wolf approved too, a warm rumble of satisfaction in my chest.
I positioned myself slightly behind her as we began our climb, where I could catch her if she fell, while giving her the dignity of making the journey under her own power.My eyes tracked every movement, muscles coiled and ready to spring if she showed any sign of weakness.
Night closed in around us as we began our desperate journey upward.The merciless wilderness tested every step we took.I knew that we were running out of time.We had to make it to shelter before dark.
Chapter 5
FELICITY
The mountain slope felt like it was actively fighting against me.Each step I took sent daggers of pain through my skull, the concussion turning the world into a nauseating carousel.I clenched my teeth and pushed forward, focusing on placing one foot in front of the other.
“You’re doing fine,” Tanner said from behind me, his voice gentler than I’d heard it before.The unexpected softness in his tone sent an odd flutter through my chest.
I didn’t need to look back to know he was positioning himself to catch me if I fell.His constant vigilance should have annoyed me.I wasn’t some damsel who needed saving, but in our current predicament, his protective stance was oddly comforting, like a safety net I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.
“I don’t need a cheerleader,” I muttered, my breath fogging in front of my face.Despite my words, a small part of me appreciated the encouragement.
The wind picked up, a vicious blade that sliced through my flight jacket as if it were made of tissue paper.Night had fully descended now, transforming our surroundings into a monochrome nightmare of black shapes against a white canvas.Besides the tiny flashlight in my hand, the moonlight reflecting off the snow was our only source of illumination.
“The temperature’s dropping faster than I expected,” I said, more to keep myself alert than to inform Tanner of something he could obviously feel.My fingertips had gone from painful to worryingly numb, and each breath felt like inhaling tiny shards of glass.
My thoughts drifted to Bryce.His young face appeared in my mind, always smiling, eager, so damn young.The dimple in his right cheek that appeared when he laughed at my terrible jokes during long flights.Now he was nothing but ashes in a metal coffin at the bottom of a lake.A sob caught in my throat, the sound strangled and raw.
“I should have done something,” I whispered, my voice barely audible above the wind.“If I’d reacted faster, maybe he—”
“Don’t,” Tanner cut me off, but there was no harshness in his interruption.Instead, I heard something that sounded like shared pain.“That path leads nowhere good.Trust me.”
The rocks beneath my feet shifted suddenly.I lurched forward, my balance already compromised by the concussion.Before I could process what was happening, Tanner’s hand clamped around my upper arm, steadying me with a grip so swift and sure it seemed impossible.No human reflexes should be that fast.The heat of his palm seeped through my jacket, a startling contrast to the bitter cold.
“Thanks,” I said, breathless more from the sudden contact than the near-fall.My pulse quickened, and I told myself it was just adrenaline from almost falling.
“Watch your footing,” he replied, his voice gruff but not unkind.His hand lingered on my arm a moment longer than necessary before he released me, and I found myself missing the warmth immediately.
I needed to stay alert.The concussion made it dangerous to let my mind drift, and focusing on conversation seemed the best way to maintain consciousness.
“So what kind of business brings you to Angel Spring?You never really said.”I glanced back at him, catching the sharp line of his jaw in the dim light, the way his eyes seemed to cut through the darkness with unnatural clarity.
Tanner was silent for several steps.“Family matters.”
