by Lexi Post
An older Inuit woman, Frankie, sat directly across from her. She looked as strong as Grubber and she raised her eyebrow. “So, ya gonna tell us how ya got frostbite?”
“Of course.” She smiled. Timber’s and Sturge’s storytelling had set the bar pretty high, so she had to make this one sound dramatic. She winked at her brother. “How about another sip of coffee before I start.”
His face tensed slightly, a telltale sign he was concerned, but he lifted the cup and she took another sip. The coffee was hot but not burning.
She made eye contact with each person at the table like Timber would do and started her tale.
She covered everything, exaggerating a little from her surprise at being confused by the direction of the sound in the mountains, to waking up and not being able to see, to meeting Timber. She left out all the personal moments and her relationship with Sas.
MJ patted her arm. “Sounds like you were well taken care of. Why did you come into Savik?”
She glanced at Sturge, hoping he wouldn’t say anything. She didn’t know what Sas was, but it wasn’t her place to expose him after all he had done for her. “Sas told me that the last flight before winter would be soon and that I need to have a doctor look over my hands.”
She swallowed hard before turning to her brother. “He told me I wouldn’t lose my hands, but parts might need to be removed.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get you the best doctor there is in Fairbanks.” Her brother’s support was reassuring, but his worry was written all over his forehead.
Sturge stood. “I best be leaving, eh? I’ve got to be getting home to Ginny and Jamison. You take care of yourself Angel.”
She rose and gave him a hug. “Thank you for bringing me in. Tell Ginny I said thank you for the hospitality last night.”
“I will. Any message for Squatch?”
Shoot, she didn’t know what to say. “Yes, tell him to take care of himself and thank him again for all he did for me.”
Her brother stood up next to her. “And tell him for me that we will find a way to repay him.”
Sturge waved him off. “That’s not how we do things here. We just look out for each other. No payment required.”
Frankie slapped the table. “Not in paper dollars, but anything useful is certainly welcome.”
Sturge said his goodbyes and left. That seemed to be the signal for everyone to tend to their daily labors and soon she and Michael were left alone. They strolled toward a corner of the building near the bed he’d been sleeping in.
He stopped and faced her. “You made your adventure sound fun and exciting, but you came in here and broke in to tears. What didn’t you tell everyone?”
She should have known this was coming. “I didn’t fully appreciate my experience until just now when I retold it. I was very lucky.”
Michael shook his head. “That’s not all it was.”
“No, you’re right, but I’m not ready to talk about it now.” I’m not sure I ever will be.
Her brother nodded. “Okay, but once we’re in Fairbanks, I’d like to know everything.”
She didn’t respond, unwilling to make a promise she couldn’t keep. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to rest for a while. Sturge’s couch wasn’t very comfortable.”
Michael knew her well enough to recognize that she was avoiding the subject, but he also understood. “Grubber said I can have any bed, you just have to make it up. He keeps the spare sheets and blankets in his only armoire over there. You have to wonder how that huge piece of furniture got up here.”
She grinned. “You know if you ask, there’s bound to be a story.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” He chuckled. “I guess I’ll leave you to pick a bed. I can go down to Lenny’s and see what he’s working on. That man is a genius.” He started to walk away.
“Uh, Mikey?”
He stopped. “Yeah.”
She raised her wrapped hands. “Can you make my bed for me?”
His brows lowered in concern before he nodded.
As he made his way to the armoire, she chose a bed not far from her brother, but not right next to it. If she had another bad night, she didn’t want to bother him. And something told her, it would be another bad night.
~~*~~
He watched from a stand of pine trees at the end of the outpost, his gaze on Grubber’s place. Sturge would have brought Angel there.
He’d tried to stay in his cabin, but the need to be sure she was safe and cared for had been too strong. After stopping outside Sturge’s last night and hearing the man tell his wife Angel was in Savik with her brother, he’d continued on.
Looking at the light shadows on the snow, he estimated the time to be close to nine in the morning, but the dark twilight wouldn’t give way to daylight until almost noon.
Would she come out? Go to MJ’s or Frankie’s? He didn’t want her to. The cold was too much. The temperatures hadn’t risen to zero yet and with the day only a little over four hours long, if it reached five degrees, it would be a surprise.
Despite his wish that she not exit the building, he still scanned the area. If she did go outside, he didn’t want to miss her. To see her one more time even if she didn’t see him, to hear her speak again, was a craving inside he couldn’t deny.
Through the long night, he had paced with his anguish, his chest in so much pain he hoped it would end his existence, but he was doomed to suffer forever. He replayed the bear attack in his mind, trying to figure out what he could have done differently, but there was nothing.
At Angel’s scream, he’d run, not caring what had caused it, only determined to protect her. He didn’t even think as he rounded the corner and the grizzly stood before her. His burst of rage that the bear dared to threaten her filled him just like it had when Victor destroyed his female.
There had been no thought, only emotion and instinct—instinct to protect his new mate. That feeling remained.
He wanted to explain what happened, but every word combination fell flat in the view of her horrified expression when she realized his immortality. Once again, he wanted to shake his fist at fate, but it was a worthless gesture. His existence was one of punishment and pain.
He’d thought that before, but now he knew true torture.
The door to Grubber’s opened and Grubber himself strode across the main road to Lenny’s home on the other side. No one else had entered Grubber’s since night gave way to dark twilight, which meant Angel was inside…with her brother.
Even though he shouldn’t, he ran behind Four-Point’s home, keeping to the darkest shadows. If he could hide closer to where she was, he’d be able to hear her, if not see her. He waited, every sense sharpened by the adrenaline rushing through him and the pounding need in his heart to hear Angel.
All was silent. He ran behind Frankie’s home and crouched low. The woman’s hearing wasn’t perfect, but her eyes were sharp enough to hit a ten-point buck from two-hundred yards.
He could hear Grubber and Lenny talking in Lenny’s house, but he couldn’t make out their words. His heart raced as he sprinted behind Grubber’s building and inched his way along the back toward the corner where Grubber kept his beds.
Pressing his ear to the spot where the metal walls met, he listened.
At first all he heard were footsteps. Then a man’s voice broke the silence. “Do you want to buy anything from Grubber to take with you?”
He held his breath, his entire focus on who would answer.
“No. MJ said the plane is small. You flew in it. Is there much room?”
He closed his eyes as Angel’s voice came through clearly. It was like a soft snowfall on a crystal-clear ice ledge.
“Charlie has some storage space in the wings, but it’s not much.”
“I’ll wait until I’m in Fairbanks. I won’t even know what I’ll need until after we consult with a doctor.” Footsteps drew closer, far lighter than any man’s.
He took a deep breath, wanting more than eve
r to smell the mint scent that mixed with her skin perfectly, but the metal wall kept that from happening.
“Angie, I think you should prepare for the worst. This is backwoods country. It’s doubtful the care you received will save your hands.”
“You’re wrong.” Her quick, adamant answer pleased him. “Sas gave me the best care. The fact that I’m walking proves it because I had frostbitten feet, too. And don’t forget I’m alive despite hypothermia with no hospital in sight.”
His heart warmed, hearing her defense of him. Did that mean she still cared?
“I know you have total confidence in this man, this Sasquatch, but you need to face the facts. You may have Stockholm syndrome and are seeing your experience through brainwashing on his part.”
“Michael Jeremy Ellis. I do not have Stockholm Syndrome. I wasn’t kidnapped and held prisoner.”
“That’s not what I meant. I mean the one where the patient falls for the doctor.”
“I’m not having this conversation with you. Find another subject or I’m taking a walk.”
He opened his eyes. Angel’s tone of voice told him her brother had come too close to the truth. Was that what she felt for him, a false hero-worship? The term was erotomania. Their encounters had definitely been erotic.
Maybe she hadn’t loved him. His chest pain started again. It was one thing to lose the woman he loved, but to discover she never truly loved him was another pain all together.
“Angie, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.” Her brother’s voice had softened. “You love him.”
“I did. Past tense. It’s a moot point anyway. After Fairbanks, I’m going home.”
Her admission sent a shot of joy through him only to be crushed by her next words. She didn’t want to see him again. She would leave and all he would have is the memory of her.
It wasn’t enough! He wanted her. He wanted her love. He’d felt the happiness that could be. Why had fate been so cruel? How much more was he supposed to accept? He’d spent three hundred years atoning for his crimes. When was it enough?
Now. The whisper from his heart filled him. He was done being controlled by his past actions. He would walk inside and make her listen to him. Make her see they were meant to be together.
Make her see that he wasn’t a monster.
Images of his past rose up before him. He was a monster and no matter how many lives he saved, he’d still be a monster. A monster who never died.
He fell to his knees as his eyes filled and he hung his head, defeated.
Michael’s voice broke into his misery. “Have you thought about what you want to do to thank him and these people? If I know you, it will be something special.”
“I have.” Angel’s voice sounded relieved to talk about something else. “I’m not sure how to make it happen though before spring, and I really don’t want to wait that long. I’ll figure it out.”
Her brother chuckled. “You always do.”
“You know, Mikey. You’re much more fun when not connected to the outside world. Maybe you need to take more vacations in secluded places.”
He could see her smile in his mind, a knowing gleam in her bright green eyes.
“Oh, no. Don’t start on me. I’m not the adventurer you are. You had me worried sick. No, thank you. Flying up here to the middle of nowhere is enough for me.”
Angel’s laugh flew through the walls and filled his heart.
He leaned against the cold metal wall. If all he could have was her voice now, he would capture every nuance for his memories. He remained there listening the rest of the day and into the night, even after she’d gone to bed.
Hearing her talk with her brother and the other Savik inhabitants reminded him of his first year of life, listening to Felix and Agatha and their family and friends, learning how to speak his first language and read his first words. Had his existence come full circle? Was there anything left to do?
He stood and placed his hand against the building, the frigid cold barely making an impression. Leaning his forehead against the metal, he whispered. “Goodbye, my Angel.” Taking a deep breath, blinking at the tears that threatened, he turned away.
As he ran through the trees for his cabin, the sky lit with the green of Angel’s eyes. In the darkness, he howled his anguish to the Northern Lights, but his soul knew no one cared.
~~*~~
The sound of a plane flying overhead woke him.
Angel!
Jumping to his feet from the couch, where he’d collapsed in the early morning hours, he ran to the door and threw it open. The plane flew westward toward Savik, toward Angel.
She would leave him forever today. She would step into that plane and leave his life. His entire body tensed at the knowledge.
He’d left Savik so he wouldn’t be tempted to say goodbye to her. If he saw her, he’d never let her go, holding on to her despite her hate and horror. What he had to hold on to was the memory of her smiles, her body and her beautiful heart.
He would never make it to Savik in time to watch her leave, but he had to see her. Closing the door behind him, he didn’t go west but turned northward as the reality of her leaving sank deep into his heart, stealing his breath.
Trying to escape the pain in his chest, he ran up his mountain. His anguish grew heavier even as the air became lighter. The snow was deep, but he pushed on, the need to see her one last time too strong to resist.
Crawling up a steep incline, he grasped at evergreen branches, pulling himself higher even when his feet slipped out from beneath him. Breaking through the tree line, the peak came into view.
His heart beat hard within his chest as if it wanted to escape his patchworked body and fly away with his Angel. The irony of her escape by plane wasn’t lost, and he barked out a disgusted laugh even as he crawled on all fours toward the summit.
Finally, he reached the ledge just below it and stood upright, his breath releasing small clouds that looked like smoke signals though he was sure there were no words or symbols in any language that could describe the torment inside him.
His eyes stung as the wind buffeted him, but he didn’t care. Just one last glimpse. He needed one more look at her face without the horror in her eyes. He took deep breaths, as much to slow his racing heart as to swallow the bile in his throat.
The sound of the airplane had him snapping his head westward. She would be flying by soon. He turned toward the final incline and scrambled up as fast as he could. When he reached the peak, he searched the horizon.
In the distance, he spotted the four-seater Cessna still ascending to flying altitude. Soon it would fly past him. She had to be on the northside of the aircraft. Seeing her face in the window would make it better. He had to believe that because to live the rest of eternity with such sharp pain would be pure agony. Far worse than anything he’d experienced in his entire existence.
He kept his gaze on the plane as it crept closer toward his mountain. It felt as if it flew slower than a salmon swimming upstream. He studied the windows, anxious for the sight of blonde hair and the face that had shown him what love was.
As it came closer and closer, he stared, on an emotional ledge that loomed before him, threatening to push him into an abyss he could never climb out of. The window came into clear focus. He watched, barely blinking.
She was there! His heart stumbled inside his chest at the view of her profile. Angel. Salvation. Love.
Suddenly, she snapped her face toward the window and one bandaged hand came up on the glass. She stared right at him.
Reaching up his arms, his soul screamed with pain at her forever-departure, destroying what was left of his heart.
Falling to his knees, he cried out one last time.
A-N-G-E-L!
As they took off from Savik, Angela ignored her brother’s attempts to engage her in conversation. She didn’t want to think. She didn’t doubt what she’d seen during the bear attack, but her heart still hurt at leaving Sas. Everything was confused from her though
ts to her emotions. She didn’t understand what had happened and pinned her hope for clarity on reaching home and returning to a normal life.
She had no idea what normal was anymore. Was there such a thing?
“What the hell?” The pilot’s voice penetrated her thoughts. “There’s a man on top of that mountain. He doesn’t even have a coat on. I better call this in. He’s got to have hypothermia.”
She snapped her head around to look outside. Even before she found the lone figure, she knew who it was. Her gut tied itself into a tight ball as she stared at Sas. Pressing her bandaged hand against the glass, she watched as he sank to his knees.
Tears tracked down her cheeks as her heart went out to him. She followed him, looking back, unwilling to lose sight of him, even as the plane banked south and wiped him from her view.
“This is Charlie. We need a rescue. I’ve got a man on top of Najak mountain. He’s suffering from extreme hypothermia. I don’t know how long he has. Copy?”
She spoke into her head set. “Call off the rescue. He’s just hot from climbing the mountain.”
“You know him?” Her brother looked at her.
She nodded. “Yes. That’s Sas. He does that a lot.”
“How can you be sure that’s Sas?” Charlie’s doubt was obvious.
“Because he makes his home on that mountain.” And he saved my life. Images of Sas feeding her, bathing her, making love to her, flitted across her mind.
“Rescue here. Where did you say the victim is?”
The pilot turned his head, moving the mouth piece away from his face. “Are you absolutely sure? Because if you’re not, you just sentenced Sas to die.”
But Sas couldn’t die because he wasn’t hu—“I’m absolutely sure.”
As the pilot called off the rescue, she closed her eyes and rested her head back against the seat. She didn’t want to think anymore. She just wanted to forget.
Thankfully, her brother didn’t try to talk to her all the way to Tavva. After they boarded another plane, they flew to Coldfoot. Each landing and take-off took her farther from Sas and closer to her life, but her heart was still up north. By the time they landed in Fairbanks, she was exhausted.