echoed through the trees.
“Shit—he got me in the leg,” a male voice cursed out. Her heart seized, cold air rising from her open mouth as she plunged back down into the forest. Seth could be hurt.
Crouched low to the ground, she crept around downed trees, mud squeezing between her fingers as she crawled around the tree trunks. It dawned on her she could crawl right into a pack of wolves. She prayed she wouldn’t have to kill anyone. Her pulse beat at her temple while pain spread through her head.
Don’t let him be hurt. Please, don’t let him…
Through the trees a huddled form lay motionless. Braced along the wet tree bark, she swallowed and forced back a scream . Please, Seth, don’t let that be you, please… I’m not ready for another death.
Large hands closed over her mouth from behind, hauling her against a hard chest. She braced her feet to the tree trunk and pushed back into him, slamming into the body now under her back. Jerking her head back, she missed the face behind her as he shifted her to the side. Stomach muscles tightening and heartbeat racing, she slammed her foot into his shin beneath her, scrabbling along the muddy ground for traction. Thinking this could be Seth’s killer, anger poured up through her body. Twisting her hips, she fought to break his hold on her.
“Shit, Sim, it’s me.” He rolled over on her, his hand still over her mouth. “I told you to get over the hill.”
She caught a glimpse of his frowning brows over her shoulder and relief spun through her. Her breathing a ragged mess. She wanted to cry seeing his hard jaw over her shoulder, and then punch his lights out for grinding her into the mud under his weight.
She whispered in his hand covering her mouth. “I thought you were shot. I saw a body lying on the ground on the same path I left you on. God, Seth you scared me,” she murmured and managed to roll back under him. “Is that one of the men from the cabin?” Staring up into his serious face, she realized how scared it made her to think he was hurt. She liked this man more than she wanted to admit. The way his jaw kept clinching above her and his eyes caressing her face something was happening between them and it wasn’t just his arousal stabbing her in the thigh. Inches from her mouth he nodded, his hand still closed over it and his large chest pressing her to the ground.
“They can’t shoot me.” His deep voice teased along her ear. “Somebody’s gotta keep you out of trouble.”
The solid form digging between her thighs stole her concentration. Wiggling her hips, she unwedged him, found her attention again and focused on Seth.
“Is he dead—the guy on the ground?” she mumbled. His filthy, wet glove covering her mouth made her gag. She could feel him looking around, his body grinding into hers as his head moved, taking in their surroundings.
“No. Smell that?” he asked against her ear.
“That’s your smelly glove—get up,” she said, then sucked in air when he lifted his solid mass off her.
“Don’t wimp out now, Sim. That’s either wolves or a fox. Stay low, and close—and next time I tell you to do something…”
“I’m not leaving you out here, Commandant.” She hissed through clenched teeth and peered out through the spindly forest. “I think whatever it was is gone now.”
“More likely watching us.” He groaned. His hand rested on her back after helping her to her feet. “Get up the hill.”
Without a word between them, they made it over the hill and the rain-snow mix became too slick to walk on. They maneuvered through the trees, taking turns carrying the bags. On the steep inclines, Seth pulled her up the hill as she used the roots and rocks to brace her step. Few words passed between them, yet they worked as a team.
The wolves begin to howl in various parts of the forest.
Her foot sunk deeper than it should have and she went down on all fours. Pain shot through her ankle and radiated up to her knee. Her teeth
“Shit—he got me in the leg,” a male voice cursed out. Her heart seized, cold air rising from her open mouth as she plunged back down into the forest. Seth could be hurt.
Crouched low to the ground, she crept around downed trees, mud squeezing between her fingers as she crawled around the tree trunks. It dawned on her she could crawl right into a pack of wolves. She prayed she wouldn’t have to kill anyone. Her pulse beat at her temple while pain spread through her head.
Don’t let him be hurt. Please, don’t let him…
Through the trees a huddled form lay motionless. Braced along the wet tree bark, she swallowed and forced back a scream . Please, Seth, don’t let that be you, please… I’m not ready for another death.
Large hands closed over her mouth from behind, hauling her against a hard chest. She braced her feet to the tree trunk and pushed back into him, slamming into the body now under her back. Jerking her head back, she missed the face behind her as he shifted her to the side. Stomach muscles tightening and heartbeat racing, she slammed her foot into his shin beneath her, scrabbling along the muddy ground for traction. Thinking this could be Seth’s killer, anger poured up through her body. Twisting her hips, she fought to break his hold on her.
“Shit, Sim, it’s me.” He rolled over on her, his hand still over her mouth. “I told you to get over the hill.”
She caught a glimpse of his frowning brows over her shoulder and relief spun through her. Her breathing a ragged mess. She wanted to cry seeing his hard jaw over her shoulder, and then punch his lights out for grinding her into the mud under his weight.
She whispered in his hand covering her mouth. “I thought you were shot. I saw a body lying on the ground on the same path I left you on. God, Seth you scared me,” she murmured and managed to roll back under him. “Is that one of the men from the cabin?” Staring up into his serious face, she realized how scared it made her to think he was hurt. She liked this man more than she wanted to admit. The way his jaw kept clinching above her and his eyes caressing her face something was happening between them and it wasn’t just his arousal stabbing her in the thigh. Inches from her mouth he nodded, his hand still closed over it and his large chest pressing her to the ground.
“They can’t shoot me.” His deep voice teased along her ear. “Somebody’s gotta keep you out of trouble.”
The solid form digging between her thighs stole her concentration. Wiggling her hips, she unwedged him, found her attention again and focused on Seth.
“Is he dead—the guy on the ground?” she mumbled. His filthy, wet glove covering her mouth made her gag. She could feel him looking around, his body grinding into hers as his head moved, taking in their surroundings.
“No. Smell that?” he asked against her ear.
“That’s your smelly glove—get up,” she said, then sucked in air when he lifted his solid mass off her.
“Don’t wimp out now, Sim. That’s either wolves or a fox. Stay low, and close—and next time I tell you to do something…”
“I’m not leaving you out here, Commandant.” She hissed through clenched teeth and peered out through the spindly forest. “I think whatever it was is gone now.”
“More likely watching us.” He groaned. His hand rested on her back after helping her to her feet. “Get up the hill.”
Without a word between them, they made it over the hill and the rain-snow mix became too slick to walk on. They maneuvered through the trees, taking turns carrying the bags. On the steep inclines, Seth pulled her up the hill as she used the roots and rocks to brace her step. Few words passed between them, yet they worked as a team.
The wolves begin to howl in various parts of the forest.
Her foot sunk deeper than it should have and she went down on all fours. Pain shot through her ankle and radiated up to her knee. Her teeth
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