Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
“Aurelia!”
The voice is muffled, but I’d know it anywhere.
It’s Khalil.
I try desperately to move my arms and limbs to get to him, but I can’t. There’s too much snow, and I’m buried deep. I can’t even cry out to him.
Khalil seems to know because he shouts, “It’s okay, baby! Stay still and take small breaths. I’ll get you out!”
I do what he says, conserving my air, and not a moment later, I hear the muffled sound of him digging. It feels like a lifetime before the snow thins enough for me to see the sun piercing the powder.
The only problem is I’ve just taken my last breath, and I’m officially suffocating. Panic claws at my chest as I silently plead for Khalil to hurry.
The snow above my face finally parts, and I suck in a ragged breath. The sun still hovers above the slope, blinding me until I look away and into Khalil’s relieved yet worried gaze.
“Baby, I have to leave you for a moment. Thorin and Seth are still under.”
“Go,” I urge him immediately.
Khalil managed to free one of my arms while looking for my head, so I use it now to claw the remaining snow from my chest and arm until I’m free enough to sit up.
Khalil is holding the avalanche tracker, and I realize it’s causing the beeping I heard. Thorin would only take me hunting if I agreed to wear it, so it’s around my ankle again.
Yes, even after I made a huge deal about it.
Whatever.
I’m starting to believe Khalil was right…I clearly have nine lives. How many does this make now? How many more times will the mountain test me?
The tracker starts to beep rapidly again. Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep beep!
Thorin.
He was next to me when the avalanche hit us, so I’m not surprised to find him close.
I quickly dig my legs out while Khalil begins unearthing Thorin.
By the time I crawl and wiggle free of my own snowy grave, he finds Thorin’s chest. I scramble over on my hands and knees since I’m not strong enough to stand just yet, and I start clawing away the snow from where his head should be.
“How?” I can’t help but ask despite us racing against the clock to free Thor.
Khalil flings a hurried arm out, and my gaze follows its muscular line to the slanted boulder where he’d been checking the dead. He would have had just enough time to duck behind it before the mass came for him.
I can see snow piled around the back and sides of the boulder even now, but it doesn’t crest the tip of the slant.
Focusing on my task again, I silently thank the mountain for sparing him and dig faster.
Finally, I see pale skin and blond hair.
Please, please, please.
My heart crumples with relief when I hear Thorin inhale deeply. Grateful tears spring to my eyes, blurring my vision just as his blue ones spring open.
I keep shoveling to get the rest of him out, but Khalil moves off.
Seth.
Oh, God, he’s still buried.
The avalanche took him first. How much air will he have left?
Don’t.
The tracker is still beeping a heartbreaking slow and steady rhythm.
Beep…beep…beep…beep.
I keep one ear open while digging Thorin out, waiting to hear that telling tempo increase. I have to get to Seth. I have to do something.
“Can you get yourself free?” I ask Thorin once both of his arms are finally free.
Thorin nods in answer and waves me off.
I want to kiss him for not dying. I want to kiss them both. Instead, I spring to my feet only to collapse again when I try to step through the deep snow.
“Where is he?” I beg more than ask Khalil. “Where is he!”
“I don’t know!” he roars back.
His face is pinched with worry as he turns this way and that.
“Was he wearing his tracer?”
“I don’t…” Khalil’s voice breaks. “Fuck, I don’t know.” To himself, he mumbles, “Seth, you fucking idiot.”
Snatching the tracker from Khalil, who’s gone catatonic, I stumble and crawl through the snow. I point the little device in the last place I saw him.
“Seth!” I trip again when I try to run in another direction. “Seth, you answer me!” I demand even though I know he can’t.
No time. No air.
We’re running out of time. Seth’s running out of air.
My fault, my fault.
If I’d just stayed in bed. If I hadn’t snuck out. If I hadn’t felt the need to challenge and push their buttons for the promise of a hot and dirty fuck.
Once again, I’m responsible for people dying.
“Seeeeeth, pleeeeease.” My stomach suddenly cramps, and the crushing pain of losing him forever sends me to my knees, where I double over.
When it subsides, all that’s left is anger.
The only thing more useless than me is this fucking tracker. In a fit of rage and hopelessness, I chuck it as far as I can and scream.