by Zoe Chant
The helicopter made another hop, another… Each time it failed to make it off the ground, the ball of anxiety inside Cora's chest squeezed into a tighter knot. What she hadn't realized was how close the helicopter had gotten to the edge, until Eric sucked in a startled breath beside her, shouting out a warning.
Tashi ignored him. She raised her hand in a wave and tipped the helicopter straight off the cliff.
Eric dashed forward with a shout of alarm. Cora caught him by the hand before he could get too close to the edge. "Wait."
The helicopter dropped like a stone along the cliff wall for almost three hundred feet, nose down, picking up speed as it fell; and then the rushing wind of its passage gathered beneath the spinning rotors, and it abruptly leveled out. Tashi turned it around, the rotors skimming terrifyingly close to the cliff wall. For a moment, a flurry of powdery snow almost obscured it. And then it emerged from the cloud, heading west towards Basecamp in a straight line.
Sunlight caught on the last flakes of snow as they slowly floated down, until the air seemed to be filled with glittering crystals.
Eric's hand tightened around hers.
"She did it."
"She did it," Cora confirmed. "We did it. He's gonna be okay."
They fell into each other, kissing wildly, desperately. Cora clutched the back of Eric's jacket, clinging to him. His arms were tight around her shoulders, both of them trying to pull the other closer, as if they could somehow manage to get their skin to touch through all their thick layers of clothing if only they tried hard enough.
They stumbled blindly towards their tent, neither of them willing to stop kissing long enough to look where they were going, and fell through the tent flap still entangled. They zipped the tent closed, their hands tangling, and rolled onto the mats together. Eric landed on his back and immediately reached out to pull Cora on top of him.
They yanked at each other's clothing, peeling layer after layer of jackets and sweaters and shirts away in a tearing hurry, until finally they were skin to skin. Both of them shuddered, sighing with relief. The layers of discarded clothes ended up piled on top of them, sheltering them in a cocoon of warmth.
Cora pressed her naked chest to Eric's, felt his heart beating against hers. Their kiss had gentled. Cora slid her lips against Eric's, her tongue touching his, their bodies talking without words. You're here. You're alive.
And yet even this didn't feel close enough. There was a hungry pulse between her legs, her body aching for him.
Eric quickly slipped on a condom, and then Cora reached down and closed her hand around Eric's cock, guiding him. Both of them groaned when he slid inside her. It felt like a circuit had closed between them, right and perfect and inevitable, a thrumming connection running between their bodies.
Cora leaned her cheek against Eric's, the two of them breathing together. She rocked slowly on top of him, small movements, just feeling him beneath her, his strength, his warmth, the perfect feeling of his thick cock inside her.
The desperation that had driven them together had eased the second they'd joined. Now all she wanted was for this moment to go on and on.
Eric smoothed his hands down her back. She arched into the touch like a cat, luxuriating in the pleasure of feeling his skin on hers. Eric slid one hand down between them, his thumb stroking over her clit. It was like he'd lit a fire inside her; all of a sudden, the urgency was back. Cora moaned, rocking her hips harder against his. Eric met her with equal eagerness, thrusting up inside her in a fast, hard rhythm that was exactly what she wanted.
Her hands tightened on his shoulders. Eric cupped her ass with both hands, guiding her to a slightly different angle until every thrust of his cock sent explosive sparks of pleasure down her nerves.
Cora hunched down, kissing him blindly. Eric pressed his thumb against her clit and thrust up hard inside her. She threw her head back and came so hard the world seemed to go white around her. She felt Eric shudder and come, his cock twitching inside her.
They collapsed together in a tangle of limbs. Their pile of jackets and clothing had gotten spread all over the tent by their enthusiasm; Cora shivered at a cold draft on her naked back. Eric pulled one of the sleeping bags around them for warmth.
Cora lay her head on his chest and listened to the steady, reassuring sound of his heartbeat. Eric gently combed his fingers through her tangled hair.
The feeling of connection hadn't ebbed, even as she'd let him slide out of her. She still felt almost preternaturally aware of him, as if there was a thread running between them; as if he could've been anywhere on Earth and she'd be able to lift her finger and point right to where he was.
They lay like that for a long time, drifting but not quite asleep. Cora felt like she could've stayed like this forever, safe and warm and content inside their little cocoon while the wind howled outside the tent, unable to touch them.
The radio gave a burst of static, startling her abruptly awake.
"Cora, this is Tashi. Can you hear me?"
Cora frantically fumbled the radio out of the pile of their clothes. "Cora here. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, we got down all right. I just dropped Andrew off at the clinic. The doc's already had a look at him, he says he's going to be just fine."
Cora blew out a breath of relief. Eric's arms tightened around her, hugging her closer. He smiled.
"Everhart's gonna be fine, too, by the way. They've already discharged him. He and Carpenter were both around when I brought Andrew in. Looked pretty guilty."
Well, they should be, Cora thought, but the thought felt too petty to say aloud. She could only hope Carpenter had learned something from this.
"I'm glad everyone's all right. Keep us updated."
She put the radio aside and lay back down beside Eric, curling contentedly into his arms.
***
They took their time on the way down. They had all day, no reason to hurry now. The climb was challenging, but with bolts already in place on the wall to secure their ropes and with Eric by her side, Cora found that it was exactly the kind of challenge she loved. Eric and she traded happy grins every time they switched off as lead climber.
Tashi and Josh were waiting for them when they finally reached the Basecamp. Eric pulled his nephew into a hug, while Tashi drew Cora a few steps aside.
"I was watching you on the last part of the climb," Tashi said, the side of her mouth twitching into a mischievous smirk. "It's good to see you've finally found a partner who can keep up with you."
Cora hesitated, suddenly struck by the fact that, despite all that had happened in the past few days, all that they'd shared, they hadn't actually done any talking about the future. She had no idea what was going to happen to their newfound partnership. Her job had her moving all over the world. Eric would have to go back to Colorado soon.
It wasn't like she hadn't had this problem before. Every relationship she'd ever had had ended in the same way: in the end, her traveling had been too much. Even the guys who'd seemed to appreciate her adventurous lifestyle, who didn't mind her love of the mountains, had eventually made her choose.
It's just too much, Cora, you being gone all the time. I thought, now that we're getting serious…
They'd always just assumed she'd settle down with them, as if it was a given that she'd give up her job, give up everything she loved, to stay put and make a home in the suburbs somewhere. She'd tried to compromise, she'd tried to travel less; it had never been enough. They'd all left her in the end.
The thought of Eric leaving knocked the breath out of her. It felt like someone had reached right into her ribcage, to that secret place where she still felt warm and happy every time she thought of him. As if someone had taken the thrumming thread that connected them in her mind and yanked.
"Cora?" The smile dropped off Tashi's face. She reached out to support Cora by the elbow. "Hey, do you need to sit down? You've gone all white."
"I'm—" Cora cleared her throat. "I'm okay," she managed.
And then Eric was there, his face concerned. He wrapped his arms around her, and she gratefully curled into his support.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
Eric didn't look convinced, but he didn't press her, as if he could tell she didn't want to talk about it in front of everyone else.
"Cora, this is Josh, my nephew."
"Nice to meet you," Cora said.
Josh was looking back and forth between them, one eyebrow raised.
"Eric, did you—"
"Josh," Eric said sharply, cutting him off.
Josh looked confused, but whatever he'd been about to say, he swallowed it down after a significant look from Eric. "I guess we won't be flying home on Wednesday, then?"
Eric swallowed hard. "That's actually what I—Cora, can I talk to you for a minute?"
He pulled her a few steps to the side. "Cora, I—Maybe it's too early for this, but—Will you come to Colorado with me? At least for a few days? There's good climbing where we live, you'd like it, and—" He swallowed hard. "I'd like you to meet my family."
The heavy weight lifted off Cora's chest. They wouldn't have to part yet; they'd have some time to figure things out.
"Of course I'll come."
THREE WEEKS LATER
"We're going to have to talk about this," Cora said quietly, even though that was the last thing she wanted to do.
She and Eric had climbed up the little hill that overlooked his family home in Colorado. She leaned against the railing that surrounded the top of the hill, Eric by her side, close enough that she could feel his arm brushing against hers. The afternoon sun was warm on the back of her neck.
They'd spent the past three weeks here. Eric's family—his pack, as he called them—had been lovely. Cora hadn't had a family since her parents had died, many years ago. Getting to be a part of his, the welcoming way his parents, his sister and his pack mates had immediately treated her, had filled a hole inside her that she hadn't even realized was there.
And then of course there was Eric himself. Every time she looked at him, it felt like her chest filled with warmth. She couldn't imagine leaving him. And yet she knew she couldn't stay.
In three days she'd have to go back to Nepal. Her clients had booked and paid for the tour long in advance, and she couldn't just cancel on them now.
Her job took her all over the world, that was part of why she loved it so much. If she wanted to stay with Eric, she'd have to give that up. The thought had torn and nagged at her for weeks now.
She'd had to face this decision before, in previous relationships, and it had always seemed clear to her: no man had ever seemed worth giving up doing what she loved. But with every day she spent in Colorado, with every day she spent with Eric, it became harder to imagine walking away from him. What she'd felt for her ex-boyfriends already seemed liked a pale shadow of her love for Eric, and with every day the feelings grew stronger. Cora felt tears sting the corner of her eyes.
"I know you have to leave," Eric said, turning to face her. He took her hand. "Cora—I want to come with you. Will you let me?"
Cora's breath caught in her throat. She swallowed hard. "You can't just leave your job and go traveling with me," she said—forced herself to say, even though there was nothing she wanted more.
"I could help with your expeditions. You've been talking about taking on some bigger groups—you're going to need a second pair of hands."
She could have used a second pair of hands for a long time, truth be told. Unfortunately… "It's not going to work, Eric. The business doesn't bring in enough to pay for a second person." Especially not someone with Eric's skills. Still, it hurt to say the words. She wanted this, wanted it more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life. No one had ever offered to give up anything for her. No one had ever wanted to come with her.
"I didn't become a ranger for the money." Eric shrugged his shoulders, as if the need for a salary that paid the bills was something you could just shrug off.
Maybe for him it was. Cora looked down at the enormous sprawl of his family's home. It was a beautiful, three-story stonework building probably better described as a mansion. As it turned out, Eric's family, and Eric himself, weren't exactly hurting for money.
"But you love your job."
God, why was she even still arguing this? Eric had offered her everything she'd ever wanted on a silver platter. But she couldn't accept, not when it meant making him unhappy.
"I became a ranger because I wanted to help people. I can do that from anywhere." Eric put his hand on top of hers, a strangely tentative touch; he was usually so sure of himself.
"I want to stay with you. Will you let me?"
The tears that had threatened this entire time finally spilled over. Maybe this was a stupid idea; maybe it wouldn't work. But if there was a chance, didn't they have to try?
"Yes," Cora said. "Of course I want you with me."
EPILOGUE
"Seriously, thanks again," Susanne said for about the fifth time as they gently lowered her down to sit on a large rock. "I don't know what I'd have done without you."
"Don't worry about it." Cora stretched her aching back and wiped the sweat from her brow with the side of her hand.
"I'm just glad we happened to come across you by accident," Eric said, not very convincingly; he was a terrible liar.
Cora rolled her eyes at him behind Susanne's back. They hadn't just stumbled across her by coincidence, of course. But they couldn't exactly explain how it was they had found Susanne, after the call had come in about a lost hiker: Eric had shifted to his mountain lion form, and they'd spent hours tracking her scent trail.
They'd gotten her down pretty quickly, even though Susanne's twisted ankle was swelling up so badly she couldn't put any weight on it, and they'd had to support her the entire way down. They'd gotten pretty good at this.
Cora and Eric had been travelling together for almost three months now. Eric had seamlessly fitted himself into Cora's guided tours. He helped with logistics, cooking and first aid like he was born for it.
But that wasn't all they did.
She hadn't quite realized, at the time, what Eric meant when he'd said he could help people from anywhere. As it turned out there was usually a shifter, or at least someone who knew they existed, in the emergency services most everywhere in the world; and they were only too happy to call in a fellow shifter for help when someone needed to be found in a hurry. Eric usually let his contacts know where they were travelling, and the two of them had already gotten a bit of a reputation for being the people to call in an emergency.
Susanne was the sixth unlucky hiker they'd gotten off a mountain in the past three months. This was the first time it had happened in the US, though. They'd only just come back to Colorado a few days ago.
Eric had walked a few steps down the road. He squinted at a weathered mile marker as he called in their position to 911.
Ten minutes later, an ambulance came roaring down the road to take a shaky and grateful Susanne off their hands.
"This is becoming a bit of a habit," Cora said, swinging her pack back onto her shoulders.
"Do you mind? I know this keeps getting in the way of our plans." Eric frowned worriedly.
"No, are you kidding me? I'm glad we're helping people. I'm just sorry we didn't get to see your waterfall. I know this was important to you."
They were only back in Colorado for a few days, just a quick layover to stock up on some supplies and check in with Eric's pack. But Eric had wanted to take her up to Rainbow Falls. He'd been weirdly intense about the preparation for a hike that was, by their standards, not more than a Sunday stroll. He'd checked and re-checked their supplies, making sure everything was perfect, alternating between anxiety and excitement in a way that wasn't like him at all.
"Don't worry about it. We can go the next time we're here," Eric said. But she could hear the disappointment in his voice, and his shoulders were slumping.
Cora didn
't really know why this particular trip had mattered so much to him. Maybe he missed Colorado more than she'd realized.
Or maybe it wasn't their travelling that wasn't the problem.
She'd spent enough time with Eric's family to realize that shifters usually dated other shifters, and that there was something about shifter marriages that no one seemed to want to talk about in front of her. Maybe Eric was starting to regret getting involved with a human woman who—
"Cora?"
Eric's tone suggested this wasn't the first time he'd called her name. He gathered her close with an arm around her shoulders.
"Hey, you okay? You were a thousand miles away just now."
His voice was tender, and there was a smile on his face. The smile he reserved just for her.
Cora shook off the dark thoughts with an effort. She was being ridiculous. Eric had given no sign that he was anything other than happy with her.
She let her thoughts drift until she could reach for the place inside her that held all her feelings for him, the origin of that warm thread that linked them inside her thoughts. The whole thing had grown weirdly real for something that was just a metaphor; sometimes she thought she could almost physically feel it, a warm living thrum inside her chest, a steady knowledge of Eric's presence that never quite went away. It felt especially bright and strong right now, with him directly beside her. But the feeling hadn't gone away even the time Eric had had to take a different flight and there'd briefly been an entire ocean between them.
The entire time, she'd felt as if she only had to close her eyes to be able to point right where Eric was.
It probably meant she was going a little bit crazy, going from spending so much of her time alone in the wilderness to spending all of it wrapped up in another person. But if this was madness, she liked the way it felt.
"What do you think of this place?" Eric asked.
Cora startled. She'd gotten caught up in her thoughts again.
They'd reached a small clearing in the middle of the woods. It was covered in soft grass. A small stream burbled over some rocks and splashed down into a clear basin. It'd be a nice place to spend the night.