Page 48 of My Three Mountain Men

I froze.

Oh, my God! They’re out there with those wild animals now!

Panic swelled in me again, and I couldn’t breathe. I closed my eyes and tried to envision my therapist’s face.

“You can only deal with one catastrophe at a time, Simone,” Theresa would say if she were there. “Pick your battle and stick with it.”

Ryder was my immediate concern. As soon as he was stable, I could focus on finding Knox and Brooks.

I resumed my search and located what I could on the shelves of my bathroom. Unsurprisingly, the men were as well stocked with medical supplies as they were with everything else. I found gauze, rubbing alcohol, and iodine immediately. I rushed to the bathroom and ran washcloths under warm water, and then I grabbed some soap. I wrapped everything in several towels and rushed back downstairs, to kneel back over Ryder.

“Ryder,” I breathed, cupping his bearded face. “Please wake up.”

Below his lids, his eyes darted, and I exhaled with relief. He was still breathing, although his pulse seemed a bit thready. “I’m going to undress you. Please don’t get mad, okay?”

As carefully as I could, I started to strip off his sweater, cringing at every movement. I was sure he was going to wake up screaming every time I brushed against one of his cuts, but he remained out until I had him in his underwear, his ripped, tattooed frame caked in red. The throw from the living room was soaked in blood already, and I ran back to Brooks’ room at the top of the stairs to get as many of his blankets as I could, racing back down to tuck them around Ryder before getting to work on the cuts. I had to stop the bleeding. I’d watched enough medical dramas to know that, at least.

Locating the largest cut, I cleaned it as best as I could with the washcloths and soap, using a fresh water-soaked washcloth to rinse away the soap and blood. Then I doused a towel with alcohol and pressed it to the cut. Ryder moaned loudly, his eyes fluttering.

“Shh, hey, it’s okay,” I breathed urgently. “It’s all right. You’re doing great.”

His lids partially opened, and he stared at me uncomprehendingly. “Superstar?”

I laughed shakily. “Yep. That’s me,” I told him. “You’re back at the cabin now, all safe and sound.”

He turned his head, and I bit on my lower lip, sitting back to dab more rubbing alcohol on the towel. “The wolves…”

I paled, gasping. “Wolves did this?” I choked in disbelief. He nodded weakly, his face so waxen, I could see all the veins. “It’s okay. Don’t talk, Ryder.”

“Where are Brooks and Knox?”

I didn’t want to worry him in his state. “They’re coming,” I said, hoping I wasn’t lying to him. “They’ll be here soon.”

His eyes closed again, and I realized he was unconscious.

“Ryder?” I called, patting his cheeks. “Stay with me, okay?”

He didn’t look at me, and I moaned, dizziness overwhelming me. “Please, don’t die on me.”

In the back of the house, the mudroom door flew open. “Simone?”

“He’s here!” I yelled, gratitude flooding my veins. “He’s hurt, but he’s here, Knox! Where’s Brooks?”

“I’m here, babe.” They ran toward me, boots still on, their faces bewildered as they took in the horrific sight before them.

“Oh, thank God,” Brooks breathed. “Come on, Knox. Let’s get him into bed.”

“I tried to help him,” I moaned as they bent over to grab their cousin.

“You did everything right, Simone,” Knox reassured me. “You really did. We’ve got it from here.”

I fell onto the floor, my knees up as I watched them carry their unconscious kin toward the second floor, but as they moved, I realized that the bleeding had slowed down considerably since Ryder had first stumbled in the door.

He’s going to be okay. Everyone’s back. Everything’s going to be fine.

CHAPTER22

Ryder

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