Page 16 of Twisted Howlidays

“I’m what? Easy? Choose your words carefully, stud,” she teased.

“I was going to say that we’re already mates and you’re madly in love with me. Besides, how can anyone blame you for being unable to resist all this?” he said, pulling her into his lap.

“True,” she giggled. Suddenly, the side of the mountain was covered in a cloud of white.

“Oh my god!” she blurted out, jumping off of Gavin’s lap.

“Avalanche!”

“The cabin! It must have taken a direct hit.”

“Maybe they didn’t stay overnight after all,” Gavin said, dialing Ryan’s number. “Come on, answer.”

The phone went to voicemail.

Bailey picked up the truck keys and tossed them to Gavin. “All right. We have to assume they were in the cabin. And we’re the closest to react. Let’s get up there. We’ll call Calder on the way; he’ll send up some more help.”

Gavin floored the gas pedal, racing to the trailhead.

Bailey quickly tapped the screen on her phone. “Daisy, there’s been an avalanche. We think the hunting cabin took a direct hit.”

“Good thing nobody is using it.”

“Uh, you didn’t know. Ryan took Kendra up there yesterday. He planned for them to spend the night in the cabin.”

“Ryan and Kendra? Overnight at the cabin? I had no idea.”

“Yeah. We can explain later. Gavin and I are on the way up there. But we’ll need help.”

“I’ll tell Calder, he’ll get a team together. I’ll get my medical kit.”

“Thanks, Daisy. We’ll see you up there.” Baily disconnected the call and prayed that Ryan and Kendra were still alive.

At the trailhead, Gavin and Bailey shifted and easily charged up the snow-covered slope. Reaching the site, the parts of the cabin that remained visible were a few pieces of the roof and a piece of the collapsed chimney.

Bailey sniffed around in the snow. “It’s completely buried! I’ve got nothing. I don’t know if they’re in there or not,” she said, nearing a panic as she feared the worst.

“Assume the worst. Let’s start digging until we find something. Anything.” Gavin buried his huge paws in the snow, quickly clawing out a large tunnel.

Before long, the bears were joined by Calder and a dozen of his strongest wolves. Nearby, Daisy staged blankets and medical equipment ready to help in any way that might be needed.

Gavin turned and gave him a quick update. “No scent detected yet. We need to act quickly, but we can’t risk everything collapsing on itself. If the wolves can help remove enough snow to expose the structure, Bailey and I can easily move the timbers and any other debris.”

“You heard him. Half of you dig down and the other half move the snow out of the way,” Calder barked out orders.

Once the first roof beams were exposed, Calder picked up the scent. “They’re both in there! Under the back wall.”

Gavin and Bailey immediately pushed the beams aside. Together, they pried up the logs that made up the back wall.

Surprisingly, they were not greeted with gratitude.

“Shit! Bears! The grizzlies got to us!” Kendra screamed.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Ryan said, trying to calm her. “They’re shifters.”

“What?” Kendra asked, puzzled by his response.

Bailey shifted to human form. “Daisy! We need those blankets!”

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