Page 23 of Wilde and Untamed
“Rule two: Always tell someone where you’re going, even if it’s just to the bathroom. We need to know where everyone is at all times.”
Noah Braddock shifted his weight, looking bored. Rue narrowed her eyes at him. She could always tell who was going to be a problem, and that guy wasn’t going to follow the rules. She’d met his type before—always thought they knew better than everyone else.
“Rule three: If I give an order, you follow it. No questions, no hesitation. Out here, seconds matter.” She glanced at Camille, who was examining her manicured nails through her gloves. “That goes for everyone. I don’t care how much money you’ve invested or what your title is back home. In Antarctica, I’m in charge.”
“Is that really necessary?” Camille asked, her tone suggesting she found the whole briefing tedious.
“Yes,” Rue and Elliot said simultaneously. She shot him a quick look of appreciation.
“That’s why Atlas Frost hired me,” she added, “to make sure everything runs smoothly and you all get home safe.”
If anyone had another protest, they kept it to themselves.
“Rule four: If you see a storm coming, you get to shelter immediately. I don’t care if you’re in the middle of the most important discovery of your career. Dead scientists don’t publish papers.”
Dr. Keene chuckled nervously, adjusting his frosted glasses. “Quite right, quite right.”
“I mean it. The cold here isn’t like anything you’ve experienced before. It doesn’t just make you uncomfortable—it kills. Frostbite can set in within minutes on exposed skin. Hypothermia is a constant threat. If you start to feel sleepy or confused, tell someone immediately. As I told Mia, we’re at elevation here. That, combined with the cold, can make you lightheaded and confused, so drink plenty of water and tell me or Dr. Volkova if you’re feeling strange.”
A particularly strong gust of wind whipped across the ice, driving home her point as everyone hunched against it.
“Alright, let’s get moving before we all freeze solid.” She gestured toward the line of snowcats with oversized treads. “The sooner we get to the station, the sooner we can warm up.”
Elliot fell into step beside her as they trudged across the wind-swept ice. “Remind me why I agreed to this?”
Rue leaned closer, her lips curving into a smile that she knew would get under his skin. “Because you couldn’t bear to be without me for three whole weeks,” she whispered, her breath forming a small cloud between them. “Admit it, El. You’d miss me too much.”
“I agreed because you asked for help.”
“Mmm-hmm.” She deliberately brushed her shoulder against his as they walked. “Nothing to do with how sexy I look in thermal underwear.”
“Rue.” His voice took on that warning tone that sent a delicious little shiver down her spine. Not from fear—Elliot would never hurt her—but from the thrill of pushing his buttons.
“What?” She batted her eyelashes innocently. “I’m just saying, for someone who claims to be here purely for professional reasons, you were staring at my ass pretty intently when I climbed into the plane.”
She couldn’t see anything more than his eyes, but she imagined he was blushing under all those layers. He was adorable when he blushed. “I was not?—”
“Yes, you were,” she said, grinning at the way his whole body tensed up. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you checking out my legs when I bent over to adjust my boot straps.”
Elliot made a sound that might have been a growl of frustration—it was hard to tell with the howl of the wind—and it made her stomach flutter in the most delicious way.
They reached the first snowcat, and Rue pulled open the heavy door, grateful for the momentary respite from the wind. The interior smelled like diesel fuel and old coffee, but it was blissfully warm compared to the brutal air outside.
“Everybody pile in,” she called, waving the group over. “Dr. Keene, Tyler, Mia—you’re with me. Everyone else, take the second cat.”
Elliot’s gloved hand shot out, grabbing Rue’s arm before she could climb into the driver’s seat. His fingers pressed firmly through the layers of her parka.
“No,” he said, his voice low but intense. “We’re not splitting up.”
Rue turned, finding his blue eyes locked on hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. Beneath the frost clinging to his eyelashes, she could see genuine concern—no, more than that. Fear.
“It’s just a short drive to the station.” She checked to make sure nobody was paying them any attention, then leaned in. “I need someone I trust in there, and you’re the only one on that list at the moment.”
He didn’t move.
“Elliot. We’re going to freeze if we don’t move.”
He finally released his grip on her arm. “Be careful.”
