Page 46 of Wreckage

And now? Now, he was losing it.

I hated it. I hated what this place was doing to us.

I turned away, grabbing the hand saw and hacking away at more wood, working through my frustration, through the sickening weight of that conversation.

Troy worked beside me, his silence just as heavy.

Snowflakes started to fall as the day faded to dusk, drifting lazily through the broken gaps in the wreckage.

By the time we finished, the wind was howling, and the skies had darkened to near black.

We sealed off the plane as best we could and settled inside, the warmth from the fire making it almost comfortable.

It was strange to feel the heat against my skin after so many nights of shivering through the cold.

I let out a slow breath, glancing at Elena. She looked better. She still wasn’t talking much, but the way she shifted in the warmth and no longer curled into herself made something inside me loosen.

She was okay, at least for now. And that offered me more relief than I wanted to admit.

I noticed the way Troy watched her, the slight curve of his lips when she breathed a sigh of contentment.

The way she smiled when he murmured something to her.

Something ugly coiled in my chest.

I looked away quickly, scolding myself for the ridiculous feeling creeping through me.

It was just the situation.

That’s all it was.

The isolation. The survival instincts. The constant closeness.

But deep down, I knew it wasn’t just that.

I had spent years ignoring her, pretending she didn’t exist. Now, after everything, after this, I couldn’t stopseeingher.

I let out a slow breath and turned my focus back to our pathetic excuse for dinner—a handful of crackers and water.

It wasn’t enough, but it was all we had.

Troy leaned against the wall, stretching his sore muscles, while Elena shifted against the blankets.

The wind howled outside, rattling the metal walls of the plane, but for now, we were safe.

Warm. Together. Alive.

I wasn’t sure how long we could hold on like this, though.

But I knew one thing for sure.

I would not let Troy lose hope.

And I would not let Elena suffer.

Even if it killed me, I'd figure out that trap the moment I could, and the storm was over. There was no fucking way I was going to eat Dean.

Chapter 18

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