Page 25 of An Avalanche Hero Christmas

And before either Lance or Mallory could say anything else, she turned, shooting Mallory one last look, and headed downhill, a slight limp in her step. The duo watched her until she was completely out of sight.

“She’s not going to make it,” Mallory sighed, a guilty expression on her face. “Not on her own. She needs help.”

“I don’t think shewantsyour help,” Lance told her calmly. “Especially now that she’s seen you.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

In response, he pointed at her wings. Mallory’s frown deepened for a moment. Then her eyes widened with realization. She quickly tucked her wings around her torso and shrugged back into her sweater and coat, muttering under her breath.

“I completely forgot,” she said. “She must’ve been freaked out when she saw me.”

Lance shrugged. “It’s probably for the best. The fewer of us, the better. The last thing we need is to create a bigger target for Boris to hunt down.”

The statement hung in the air for a moment, settling between them with a chill.

“You know, you give off pretty strong hermit vibes,” she told him as they continued walking. “Like you’d rather be on your own than be around anyone else.”

“It’s the best way to be,” he responded without really thinking.

“And…you’ve always been like this?” She blinked her dark eyes at him. “Alone?”

The memory of Julia’s blue eyes crossed his mind just then. Mallory frowned at him, and he realized he must have shown some reaction to her statement. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words would not come.

“It’ll be dark soon,” he said finally. “We need to find someplace to rest for the night.”

And without another word, he continued walking.

Chapter Eleven

Bear With Me

The night was dark, cold, and uncomfortably quiet, with the exception of the twigs and mounds of snow that snapped and crunched as they neared the edge of the woods, scanning the area for a suitable spot to settle down for the night. Mallory’s breath came in ragged gasps, and she silently prayed they would make it before she collapsed.

“I’m hungry,” Mallory groaned.

“Not much longer now,” replied her companion without glancing over his shoulder.

Mountain climbing was one thing. Doing so on a practically empty stomach felt like absolute torture. Okay, she and Lance weren’t exactlyclimbing, but she certainly didn’t consider this a hike. It was frustrating, and the only thing keeping her from pausing to lean against a tree and catch her breath was the reminder that she was being hunted.

Prey didn’t have the luxury of rest, especially not around these parts. Here, taking a break would most likely get you killed.

Partly illuminated by the moon overhead, its rays streaking through the treetops, the woods looked almost ethereal. Lance and Mallory stepped over two large trees that looked like they had fallen over and continued to grow horizontally. They walked by another tree that had what resembled claw marks stretching across its trunk. The marks looked recent, Mallory noted, trying to suppress the discomfort that spread through her gut.

They walked in silence, Lance leading the way. His gait was mostly steady—steadier than it had been on previous days, at least. He’d mostly recovered from his injuries, but his torso was now marked with scars from Boris’ attack. Staring at his broad, muscular back as they moved through the woods, Mallory couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt.

But underneath that guilt hid a bubbling pool of curiosity, which grew inside her by the day. They hadn’t spoken much since the attack, but Mallory found herself filled to the brim with questions, like who was the woman he’d mentioned in his sleep the other day in the cave.

Julia…

The memory hit her so hard it caused her to stumble. She’d been confused and a bit alarmed when he’d started groaning in his sleep that night, but after a while, she’d come to the realization that he was dreaming, not that it made the situation any less concerning.

It didn’t help that Lance seemed to be lost in his head a lot lately. Mallory felt like asking him what was on his mind. Maybe it had to do with the dream. Or a distant memory, or something like that. Who was Julia, anyway? The question Mallory so badly wanted an answer to was like a thorn in her side.

It’s clearly someone he knows,she told herself.Or used to know,anyway.

But how was she supposed to bring it up?Hey, so I heard you murmuring some woman’s name in your sleep the other night. It feels like you’ve been thinking about her ever since. Who is she? No, I’m not jealous or anything; just really curious.

“How much longer?” she asked suddenly, pausing to lean against a tree.

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