Page 47 of My Three Mountain Men

“I don’t know,” Brooks replied, heading toward the mudroom to suit up. “He said he was only checking the perimeter traps. He couldn’t have gone much farther, anyway, not in this storm.”

“Fine,” Knox agreed, pivoting to follow. “He probably fell in a drift. We’ll find him. Don’t worry.”

“He’s already been out there for so long!” I cried, rushing after them. “He’ll freeze!”

Brooks stooped and placed his hands comfortingly on my shoulders. “No,” he said quietly. “Our suits are well insulated. Ryder is not a stranger to the elements. He hasn’t gone far. He’s going to be fine, Simone. Just stay put in case he comes back.”

I stared at them, more anxiety overwhelming me. “Wait!” I squeaked. “What if something happens to you?”

“Nothing is going to happen to any of us,” Knox said, joining up, his hand reaching up to brush away a strand of hair from my distraught face. “But we’re wasting time here, Simone. Let us get out there. We’ll be extra careful, I promise.”

There was nothing I could do but accept their reassurances and let them go, my heart in my throat. I felt like I was going to be sick as they split up, a walkie-talkie in hand.

“Stay in touch,” Brooks radioed his cousin, and that was the last thing I heard as I closed the door before the wind could overtake the mudroom. Trembling, I stood against the door, wringing my hands together.

I’d never been much of a praying type. God hadn’t ever seemed much on my side, but at that moment, I would take any help I could get.

Please, God, let them all come back safely and quickly!

I pushed myself off the wall and hurried back to the kitchen, trying to find something to busy myself, but more minutes ticked by, and I only found myself pacing around the now too-quiet cabin.

This was not good. The silence was not good news.

Wind whipped outside, and suddenly, I heard a dramatic thump by the front door. I yelped at the abruptness of the sound and froze, unsure if I’d imagined it in my state, but it came again, a thudding at the door.

“Knox? Brooks?” I called, rushing toward the front door. “Is that you?”

The thumping stopped, and I yanked open the door, allowing a flood of snow into the foyer—along with Ryder’s semi-conscious form, bloodied and marred.

He collapsed in a pile in front of me, red pouring from tears in his thick snowsuit. He stared up at me, his cerulean eyes glassy. “H-help m-me…” he rasped before his head went limp.

And I began to scream.

* * *

It was a blast of icy wind that slapped me back to reality, the front door slamming against the wall to silence my feral cry of fear.

Get it together, Simone! He needs you!

But even as the howl died on my lips, and I closed the door, leaning over Ryder’s assaulted body, I couldn’t bring myself to touch him. He wasn’t Ryder at that moment. He was Eddie, and I had just stabbed him.

He’s not! He’s Ryder, the man who helped save your life! And he’s going to die if you don’t get your shit together!

I slapped my own face, forcing myself out of my dissociative state, and managing my breathing as I began to undo the zipper of his snowsuit. Long slashes indicated that he had been attacked by some kind of animal, but the cushioning of the suit had managed to ward off a good portion of the attack somehow.

As gently as I could, I pulled the material away, gasping in shock at the deep wounds. The animals had made their mark all the same, and blood oozed from several gashes, some worse than others, but I couldn’t see any bites.

That’s good, right? Bites carry disease?

I didn’t know enough about this. I needed Brooks and Knox now. Shit. Why hadn’t I asked for a walkie-talkie, too?

“You’re okay, Ryder,” I whispered, but he was out.

I peeled away the snowsuit, wincing as the material stuck on the cuts, and when his boots were off, I leaped off the floor of the foyer toward the living room for cushions and a blanket.

Tucking his head onto a pillow and wrapping him tightly, I ran up to the bathroom, ripping through the cupboards to find anything I could in the way of first aid.

Tears of fear and frustration flooded my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. There would be plenty of time for a nervous breakdown later. Right now, I had to make sure that Ryder’s wounds didn’t get infected. We had no way of getting him to a hospital, and who knew how much longer his cousins would be out?

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