Page 22 of Wilde and Untamed
This was what she’d been born for—the bite of arctic air against her skin, the endless expanse of white stretching in every direction, the knowledge that she was standing at the literal bottom of the world where most people would never dare to venture. Her blood sang with the familiar thrill of adventure, the electric anticipation that always flooded her system when she pushed into uncharted territory.
Behind her, she heard Elliot’s sharp intake of breath as the Antarctic wind slammed into him. She glanced back to see him hunched against the cold, his jaw already tight with the effort of not chattering his teeth. Even bundled in top-of-the-line arctic gear, he looked like he was questioning every life choice that had brought him to this frozen wasteland.
“Isn’t it gorgeous?” she called, spreading her arms wide to embrace the savage beauty of it all.
“Gorgeous isn’t the word I’d use,” he shouted back.
She laughed, the sound swallowed by the wind. After spending two months in New York prepping for the trip, she needed this. Needed the pure, unforgiving wilderness that demanded every ounce of skill and determination she possessed. NYC was fun, and she enjoyed it every time she visited, but cities made her itchy after too long; the confines of civilization made her restless. Nothing beat the rush of pure, wild nature… especially when it was trying to kill you.
She turned in a slow circle, taking in the research station that would be their home for the next three weeks. Thwaites Station squatted against the white landscape, all utilitarian angles and weathered metal. Solar panels glinted on the roofs, and beyond, the skeletal framework of communication towers rose into the gray sky.
Perfect.
“Holy shit,” Tyler Grant exclaimed as he stumbled down the stairs, his lanky frame nearly toppling into a snowdrift.“This is summer?”
“It is in the interior.” She grinned over her shoulder at the kid. “Believe me, it could be worse.”
“How exactly could this be worse?” Elliot muttered, finally stepping up beside her. He’d composed himself, but his jaw was tight, and she could see the effort it took for him to appear unaffected. His blue eyes watered slightly against the wind.
“It could be dark,” she replied cheerfully. “Antarctic summer means twenty-four-hour daylight. Well, more like eighteen now and a few hours of twilight since we’re at the tail end of summer. Count your blessings, El.”
Mia Chen bounced down the ramp next, bundled so thoroughly in layers that only her eyes were visible. She wobbled and nearly toppled over when a particularly vicious gust slammed into her.
“I’ve got you,” Rue said, catching the grad student’s arm to steady her. “You’ll find your sea legs soon enough.”
“We’re not on a boat,” Mia pointed out, voice muffled through her face covering.
“Same principle applies. Your body just needs to adjust to a new normal. We’re about eight thousand feet above sea level here, so altitude sickness can be a concern.”
Dr. Simon Keene emerged from the plane, his eyes bright with excitement even as his wire-frame glasses frosted over. “Magnificent! Simply magnificent!”
Rue couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. At least someone besides her was thrilled to be here. She glanced back at Elliot, who had managed to school his features into something resembling neutral acceptance, though she could read the misery in the tight lines around his eyes.
Even scowling, he was unfairly attractive. She’d spent the entire flight from Punta Arenas to the edge of the ice shelf trying not to notice how his thigh pressed against hers in the cramped transport’s jump seats, or how the arctic gear made his shoulders look even broader.
The remaining passengers disembarked, each with varying degrees of shock as they confronted the reality of their isolated location. Dr. Noah Broddock swore at the bite of the wind and slid on a pair of mirrored aviator glasses to protect his eyes. Dr. Irina Volkova seemed unfazed, like she’d experienced this kind of cold before. Last to emerge was Camille Middleton, and the sight of the woman dimmed Rue’s spirits a bit. There was no reason for Camille to be here—she was an investor, not a scientist, and she was treating the whole thing like a vacation. When Rue questioned her about it, she’d just said she’d wanted to see her investment first-hand.
But now she looked miserable in her expensive gear and designer sunglasses that cost more than most people’s monthlyrent. She gripped the handrail like her life depended on it. “Quite remote, isn’t it?”
“That’s Antarctica for you. Not exactly accessible by Uber.”
The transport crew unloaded their gear with quick, economical movements. They wanted to get back in the air before the weather turned. Antarctic storms could ground aircraft for days, and nobody wanted to be stranded here longer than necessary.
Except her, of course. Rue could happily spend months in this crystalline land.
She gathered the group into a loose semi-circle, their backs to the wind. The last supply crate thudded onto the ice behind them as the transport crew rushed to finish unloading.
“Welcome to the bottom of the world,” she said, stretching her arms to encompass the white emptiness around them and raising her voice above the wind. “This is home for the next three weeks. Before we head to the station, let me get you oriented. We’re at the edge of the Thwaites glacier system—one of the most rapidly changing ice formations on the planet. Behind us,” she turned and pointed to the hazy silhouette rising in the distance, “that’s Mount Takahe. It’s a shield volcano, about 3,500 meters high. Don’t worry, it’s mostly dormant.”
“Mostly?” Elliot muttered beside her.
Rue ignored him and continued. “This station is about two kilometers from here, and we’ll take the snowcats.” She motioned to the two large tracked vehicles idling nearby, their massive treads designed to grip the ice and power through snowdrifts. “But first, some ground rules.”
She scanned their faces, making sure she had everyone’s attention. Tyler was practically vibrating with excitement despite the cold. Mia looked determined but nervous. Dr. Keene nodded eagerly, his glasses still frosted over.
“Rule one: Nobody—and I meannobody—goes outside alone. Ever. The weather here can change in minutes. Clear skies can turn into white-out conditions faster than you can zip your parka. If you get separated from the group in a storm, your chances of survival drop to nearly zero.”
She let that sink in before continuing.
