Brittany and Monique had made it to shore. Lindsey continued on—she hadn’t felt the unusual jerk on the rope, as it had started behind me and traveled only up to my hand. Suddenly I felt another one of those strange sensations of being watched that had dogged me ever since that first night when Lindsey had arranged the surprise party for me. In spite of the warnings sounding inside my head, I stopped and glanced back. Because it was so late in the afternoon, the shadows were lengthening. I couldn’t see anything. I supposed it could have been a bird—a big bird—landing and flying off.
“Kayla!”
Even over the roaring of the river, I recognized Lucas’s voice and the impatience in it. I turned back toward the distant shore. Lindsey was just making her way out of the water. I knew why Lucas was upset with me. I was the holdup. Lucas wanted to make some more progress before nightfall. The guy didn’t know the meaning of meandering or taking it easy. With him it was all about pushing to the limits, his limits and—
The rope suddenly snapped. The tumultuous water pushed my legs out from beneath me and I dropped beneath it. I lost my hold on the lax rope and started frantically searching for it. It was gone. But worst of all, I couldn’t draw in air. I was completely submerged and caught in the current. My lungs were burning, my chest tightening.
I fought to get my footing, but the chaotic water was propelling me along. I couldn’t find the river bottom. I must have gone into deeper—
Slam!
I hit a boulder or a rock or something incredibly huge and hard. It knocked the last of my breath out of me. I started battling to get to the surface. My lungs were on fire; my chest was aching. I didn’t know if it was going to cave in or explode. It felt like it was capable of doing both at the same time.
I broke through to the surface, gasped for air, and went back under the water. I had to get control. I fought back the rising panic and the fear of dying.
I’m not going to drown. I refuse to drown.
I struggled to lift my face out of the roiling current and rolled to my back. Where had the turbulent rapids come from? The water moved faster here. It was stronger. How far had I traveled? It seemed like miles.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a large branch floating nearby. I lunged for it. It kept me afloat, gave me a chance to gather my thoughts and my breath. I had to get to the bank. I kicked, trying to use the branch as a floatation device, but the rapids were playing with it as though they owned it. I let it go and began trying to swim to shore.
I wasn’t that far away. I could do this. I could make it.
Something scraped along my knee. It stung, but it also made me realize the water was suddenly shallower. The current was still strong, pushing me along the rocky bottom, keeping my feet from gaining stability. I dragged myself until I was almost to shore. Then I lurched up and over the edge, onto the grassy bank.
My stomach and chest ached as I coughed up water. Then I collapsed, breathing heavily. I hurt all over. My arms and legs were scraped raw and bleeding in places. I began shivering, not only from the cold but from the shock of it all. I didn’t want to think about how close I’d come to drowning. I’d taken water rescue classes a couple of summers ago when I’d worked as a lifeguard at the city pool, but the river was more dangerous than a pool. I’d been lucky…so far. I knew from the survival classes I’d taken that I didn’t have the luxury of resting. It was imperative that I get warm.
I forced myself to sit up. I squeezed as much water as I could out of my clothes, but it brought no immediate relief.
I wanted to just lie down and sleep, but I knew I had to begin making my way back to the others. Running would help heat my body. I needed heat. I struggled to my feet and staggered forward through the trees.
A loud ominous growl froze me in my steps.
I’d thought the river would be the most dangerous thing I’d face today. I’d been very, very wrong.
An angry bear was much worse.
SEVEN
The bear was huge! Standing on its hind legs, it looked like it was close to seven feet tall—although my perception of its height could have been skewed by my terror. I didn’t know if bears reacted to the smell of blood or fear, but I was still bleeding—and I was definitely scared.
I’d read that if you were confronted by a bear the best approach was to drop to the belly and stretch out. Although I’d also read to curl into a fetal position. Decisions, decisions. I was still recovering from the ordeal in the river and could barely think, let alone decide which strategy to follow. I did know enough not to panic or run. But I couldn’t bring myself to go submissive. If anything happened, I wanted to be in a position to at least try to save my life.
Shaking its head, the bear opened its mouth and roared. Its teeth were huge and its paws were monstrous. Then it dropped to all fours and began to charge.
Instinctively, I turned to run. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a blur of movement. A low threatening growl—different from the bear’s—reverberated through the area. I spun back around in time to see a wolf leap onto the bear.
Scrambling back, I tripped over something and landed hard on my butt. I thought I should use the distraction of the wolf’s attack to run, but somehow I couldn’t tear my gaze from the animals that were snarling and snapping at each other. The bear slapped at the wolf. I heard it yelp and I could see streamers of blood on its hindquarters where the bear’s claws had ripped through.
But it didn’t back down as it crouched, placing itself between the bear and me. I didn’t want this wolf to die. It wasn’t the one I’d seen last night. Of that I was certain. Its fur was different, a mixture of colors. It bared its teeth.
Standing on its hind legs, the bear growled. The wolf snapped, a low warning sound vibrating from its throat.
I knew I should have been running, but I just didn’t have the energy. Now that I was back on the ground, I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to get up. I wanted to scream. I wanted one of the sherpas to find me, to help me.
The bear made another swipe at the wolf, tossing it in the air as though it were nothing. After landing hard, the wolf scrambled up, went into a crouch, and began circling the bear. Then it sprung forward, went in low, and nipped the bear on the leg. The bear released a little yelp, turned tail, and ran.
Still crouching, the wolf turned toward me. Was I about to become its victim? I remembered what Lucas had said: A healthy wolf had never attacked a human. I tried not to cower. I didn’t want it to sense that I had reservations, that I was wary of it. But exhaustion, fear, and everything I’d endured since the rope snapped were claiming me, and I began trembling violently.
Trying to regain control of myself, I focused on the wolf rather than on how badly I hurt. It reminded me of a big dog. It was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen. Its fur was a strange mixture of deep, luminous colors. And its eyes were a lively silver, not the dull gray of the wolf I’d seen last night. I had this odd sensation that it was looking me over, trying to determine—what? Why was it watching me? Why was it just standing there?
The longer it stood there, the more comfortable I became with it. I felt this strange sort of bonding that I couldn’t exactly explain. The wolves in my nightmares were always fierce, but this one had saved me, had put itself between me and the bear. All these years had I let what happened to my parents affect my dreams? I was afraid of something, but it wasn’t the wilderness or this wolf. It was something inside me, something I didn’t understand.
I heard a cacophony of voices. The others. I thought of Dr. Keane and his obsession with wolves.
“Run,” I whispered harshly. “Be safe.”
He turned his head at a quizzical angle. Then he bolted away, disappearing behind the dense foliage.
“Kayla!” Lindsey yelled.
“Here!” I stayed where I was, striving to gather my strength.
“Oh my God!” Lindsey cried as she, Brittany, Rafe, Connor, and Mason broke into the clearing. I was surpris
ed Lucas wasn’t in the group.
Lindsey rushed over to me, dropped to her knees, and began rubbing my arm, careful to avoid the scrapes. It felt so good.
“We were afraid you’d drowned,” Brittany said as she joined Lindsey and began rubbing my other arm. The additional warmth was heavenly.
I gave a weak laugh. “No.”
Rafe removed his shirt. “You should take off your wet shirt.”
Lindsey snatched his shirt and shooed the guys away. “Lucas has ink like that,” I heard Mason say as they walked away.
On the left shoulder of Rafe’s back was a tattoo, something that looked like a Celtic symbol. Very much like the necklace I wore. I touched it now, relieved to find that I hadn’t lost it in the river.
“Yeah, frat initiation,” Rafe said. “Crazy, huh?”
Considering the circumstances, my first thought was wildly insane: I couldn’t picture Lucas joining a fraternity. The thought after that was that he’d stayed behind with the others and the supplies, rather than make sure I was okay. I couldn’t squash my disappointment.
Lindsey nudged my shoulder, bringing me back from my distracted musings. “Come on. We need to get you out of these wet clothes.”
I took off my shirt and bra. Brittany bundled them up while I drew on Rafe’s shirt. It still carried his body heat and was as comforting as a warm blanket. It made me feel so much better. My shorts were made of a quick-drying material, and while I wasn’t toasty, I wasn’t nearly as chilled as I had been.
Once I was wearing Rafe’s shirt, the guys came back over.
“Should we build a fire here or just get her back to camp?” Connor asked.
“Get her back to camp,” Rafe said. “Can you carry her?”
“Yeah, sure,” Connor responded.
“I can walk,” I insisted. “The movement will help warm me up some more, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, probably,” Connor said. “Can you stand? Start moving around?”
I nodded and he pulled me to my feet.
“What about Lucas?” Mason asked. “The way he was running shouldn’t he have beat us here?”
He isn’t at the camp? He came after me?
I felt this small spark of joy that made my eyes sting. How weird was that? Another delayed reaction to the trauma. That’s what it had to be. I wasn’t special to Lucas; he wasn’t special to me, except in a we-are-sherpas kind of bond.
“He probably lost sight of Kayla in the water and ran right past where she ended up coming to shore,” Rafe explained. “The guy’s going to university on a track scholarship. He runs like the wind. I’ll search down a little farther, see if I can find him. You guys head back. Kayla needs to drink something warm—the sooner, the better.”
He didn’t wait for anyone to argue with him. He just started walking in the direction that the wolf had gone.
“Be careful!” I called out. “There was a wolf and a bear.”
Rafe stopped as though he wanted to say something, but Mason beat him to it. “Where?”
“Here. They fought. They both ran off. The wolf is hurt. If you run across him—”
“Don’t worry. I won’t approach him. Wild animals and I don’t get along.” He hurried away to try to find Lucas to let him know I was okay.
When we got back to camp, I was glad to see that the tents were set up. I slipped into mine. I couldn’t get out of my damp shorts fast enough. I pulled on some warm flannel pants and a sweatshirt. The scratches I’d received were no longer bleeding, but I put some antiseptic on them. Couldn’t be too careful in the woods. Then I grabbed a blanket, wrapped it around me, and went out to sit by the fire. I needed some comfort food. A big bag of Double Stuf Oreos would be nice. But alas, I hadn’t packed our provisions.
Lindsey handed me a mug of soup. “Drink that. It’ll help warm you.”
She sat beside me. “We were so worried.”
“Not as worried as I was.”
“Okay, don’t take this wrong, but I’m glad it was you and not me. I’m not a strong swimmer.”
“If swimming the rapids is ever an Olympic event, I might have another chance to make the team.”
She laughed, getting my corny joke, because I’d shared with her my almost making the Olympic team. “Most definitely.”
She put her arm around me and hugged me tightly. “God, I don’t know if I’ve ever been so scared for someone in my entire life.”
I laid my head on her shoulder. I thought I could go to sleep right there. The only thing that I would have found more comforting was Lucas’s shoulder. I was touched that he’d been in such a panic to find me that he’d raced right past me. He’d probably be angry with himself when he realized what had happened. He wasn’t perfect. Not that I planned to point that out to him.
Lucas and Rafe strolled into camp with an easy stride. With their dark coloring, they looked almost like brothers.
“I was right,” Rafe said, “he’d run faster than the river had carried you downstream. He went right past the area where you came ashore.”
“That’s what you get for holding the university record in the mile,” Connor said.
Lucas barely acknowledged Connor’s remark before crouching beside me. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I answered, embarrassed by all the attention. “I didn’t mean to cause so much fuss. I don’t know why the rope gave way.”
“They didn’t tell you?”
I gave him a confused look. “Tell me what?”
“The rope was cut.”
EIGHT
“What are you talking about?” Dr. Keane demanded.
For a minute, looking into Lucas’s eyes, I’d almost forgotten that we weren’t alone.
“After Lucas took off, Connor and I pulled the rope to shore,” Rafe said. “We thought maybe the rope had rubbed against the bark and become frayed, but the edges were even. Someone used a knife on it.”
“Who’d do such a thing?” Monique asked.
Lucas unfolded his body in that predatory way he had. “Do you have any enemies, Professor?”
“One of my colleagues and I compete for grants, but I hardly think he’s the type to sabotage our expedition,” Dr. Keane said calmly, but his gaze was darting around the sherpas as though he were looking for something suspicious. “It doesn’t make sense for anyone to feel threatened by what we’re doing. I suggest we all turn in. We lost some time today as a result of this little…mishap. I’d like to make it up tomorrow.”
I’d almost died and he considered it an inconvenient mishap? And he wanted to ignore all the implications of a cut rope? Even if I wasn’t sure what it all meant, I thought it might bear talking about.
Mason gave me a look that said he wanted to say something. Maybe he wanted to apologize for his father.
With groans and grumblings, the students headed into their tents. All except Mason. I could tell that whatever he wanted to say to me, he didn’t want to say it with an audience. I took pity on him. It wasn’t his fault his dad was a jerk.
I pushed myself to my feet and walked over to him. I forced a tired smile. “I guess the candlelit dinner isn’t going to happen.”
His cheeks turned a dark hue as he blushed. “Not tonight, but maybe we could take a short walk?”
I nodded and we started strolling away from the fire.
“Don’t go beyond sight of the camp,” Lucas ordered gruffly.
I glanced over my shoulder at him. He didn’t look happy. I had almost died and everyone’s mood had soured. I didn’t know whether to be flattered that I had so much influence or irritated. “We won’t.”
“He sure is protective of you,” Mason said as we headed just beyond the camp.
“He’s protective of everyone. It’s his job.”
“You should have seen him streaking off when you were washed away. I’ve never seen anyone move like that, almost a blur.”
“Apparently he’s some badass track star.”
“Yeah, apparently so.” We stop
ped when we were far enough away that no one would hear us. He took my hand, the one that wasn’t clutching the blanket. “I was going to race off with him, but Rafe held me back. There was no way I could have kept up with him anyway.”
“That’s okay. You were there when I needed you to be.”
“I tried, but all the sherpas are so protective of you that they make me feel like an outsider.”
“It’s okay, really.” I hated that he felt so badly about all that—and that he’d wanted to be there for me, but the others hadn’t let him. I knew he didn’t feel completely comfortable around them. I figured it was because he was such an academic. He was pretty young to be in grad school already. He probably had an amazingly high IQ.
“So what came first—the wolf or the bear?” he asked.
“Is this a chicken-or-the-egg question?” I didn’t bother to keep the irritation out of my voice. It seemed like such an odd question.
“Seriously. I’m just curious. I mean, bears don’t usually attack.”
“Tell that to the Boy Scout who was attacked in Alaska a few years back.” I suddenly realized that my irritation with him was as stupid as his question. What did any of it matter? I was alive. “The bear.”
“So there was a bear, and then a wolf came to your rescue?”
“I don’t know that he came to my rescue. I mean, yeah, he chased off the bear, but maybe he just didn’t like bears.” I tried to laugh it off. “Might have nothing to do with me. I’m not even sure he knew I was there until afterward.”
“What did the wolf look like?”
This was getting so ridiculous. I tugged my hand free. “It was black.”
“Just black? Like the one we saw last night?”
No, I thought. But I didn’t want to tell him that. I didn’t know why. I felt protective of the wolf I’d just seen. “What were you expecting?”
He shifted his gaze to where the sherpas were still waiting around the campfire. Dr. Keane didn’t tell us when to go to bed. I had a feeling that tonight, just to be obstinate, they’d stay up really late—and probably not be quiet about it.
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