The mountain terrain was steep and treacherous. Snow made the muddy ground slippery and nearly impossible to navigate safely.
The snow came up past their ankles, and every step required struggling to pull their feet free. Even in heavy winter boots, Valentina’s toes ached from the cold.
Chris walked ahead of her, pausing now and then to wait, but always maintaining just the right distance. He was close enough to catch her if she slipped, but far enough away that she didn’t feel uncomfortable.
“Chris, how much farther?” Valentina asked breathlessly when they reached a ridge halfway up the mountain.
Chris turned back to her, his voice muffled but surprisingly clear beneath the scarf. “About another half hour. You holding up okay?”
It was the first time he’d spoken. His voice was deep and rich, and it was unexpectedly pleasant to listen to.
Valentina nodded and was about to keep walking when she heard rustling in the nearby brush. Chris immediately stopped and pulled her behind him.
Three wolves emerged slowly from the thicket ahead. Valentina’s blood turned to ice.
The pack was clearly starving. Their eyes glowed green in the dim light as they stared hungrily at the two humans, saliva dripping from their fangs. The alpha wolf crouched low, a threatening growl rumbling deep in its throat.
“Don’t move,” Chris whispered, instantly positioning himself as a shield between Valentina
and the wolves.
His right hand slowly reached for the hunting knife at his belt. Valentina held her breath, her fingernails digging into her palms.
She’d heard stories about northern wolf packs, how they’d attack lone hunters when winter hunger drove them desperate. Suddenly, the lead wolf lunged at them!
Chris swung his blade in a flash of steel, catching the alpha across its front paw. The wolf yelped and backed off, its paw already bleeding. When the other two wolves saw their leader’s injury, they immediately attacked together.
“Get down!” Chris shoved her into the snow and spun to face the attacking wolves.
Valentina crouched on the ground, listening to the sounds of violent struggle. There was snarling, the clash of steel, and the wet sound of blade cutting through flesh.
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She barely dared to breathe, afraid any noise might distract Chris. Her nerves were wound so tight her lips had gone white from biting them.
After what felt like an eternity, everything went quiet. She looked up with trembling hands to see Chris standing in the bloodied snow, his hunting knife dripping red.
All three wolves had fled, leaving behind chaotic paw prints and scattered drops of blood in the white powder.
Chris turned toward her and held out his hand. “It’s over.”
His coat had been torn open by wolf claws, revealing a bleeding wound underneath. Even then, he seemed oblivious to the pain as he carefully checked to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
Valentina stared at him in amazement. This stranger could have easily run to save himself, but he’d chosen to stand between her and danger instead.
The ranger cabin was more cozy than she’d expected. Chris moved around with practiced ease, getting a fire going on the stove and putting a pot of water on to boil.
As warmth gradually pushed back the cold, Valentina finally noticed that blood had soaked through a large section of his coat.
“You’re hurt. Let me take care of that,” she said, quickly pulling out the first aid kit from her pack.
Chris shook his head to refuse, but she firmly pushed him into a chair. “Don’t move.”
When she opened his coat, she gasped. The wolf’s claws had torn deep wounds that went down to the bone, the flesh ragged and bleeding.
She carefully disinfected the cuts with alcohol. Chris went rigid but didn’t make a sound.
“You don’t need to be stoic,” she said softly. “It’s okay to cry out if it hurts.”
Chris shook his head. His breathing was heavy beneath the scarf, but he never made a sound.
By the time she finished bandaging the wounds, night had fallen completely. Wind and snow lashed the windows as the cabin groaned under the storm.
“I should head back.” Chris got to his feet and gestured toward another cabin through the trees. “That’s my place. Holler if you need me.”
Valentina started to reply, but memories of the afternoon’s wolf attack still left her uneasy.
Reading her worry, Chris stopped at the door and thought for a moment before saying quietly, “I’ll stay outside tonight. You’ll be safe.”
He stepped out and closed the door softly, his silhouette vanishing into the darkness. Through
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the window, Valentina watched him sit down on a stump by her door, settling in for the night
watch.
His presence was as quiet and reliable as everything else about him, yet strangely comforting. After putting away her things, Valentina settled onto the simple bed, listening to the fire pop
and hiss.
She’d thought her first night in this isolated place would leave her wide awake with worry. Instead, she felt surprisingly at peace.
Maybe the day’s ordeal had worn her out, or maybe the silent guardian outside made her feel protected. Drowsy, her thoughts turned to Daniel.
Once upon a time, he’d watched over her like this too. But that felt like a lifetime ago.
The storm outside grew distant as Valentina sank into peaceful sleep.
Chapter 16
