Chapter 69

The dog ran full out.

Damn, she didn’t know he had it in him. And this was not a game to him. When she saw him and Sven playing, the dog would often stop, run back to Sven, get his pats.

He hadn’t done that once. He ran as if possessed.

She, however, was having a hard time. She was overweight, and using muscles she didn’t know she had, and they screamed at her. Her lungs drew in the icy air, and it burned her. She could barely walk. The overwhelming amounts of snow had shifted into vast pockets where it was thigh deep, and she had to get through those areas too, in the icy cold conditions, the snow falling, the wind blowing, in the dark of the night.

But at this point, if she didn’t keep on, if she didn’t summon the last core of her strength, it wasn’t only the man she loved that was in danger…

It was her too. She drew up all the endurance she had, kept on. Strength—when she didn’t have any. The sweat pouring from her, drenching her.

Then, in front…

She could barely make out Jake, as she struggled, struggled, struggled to keep up.

And suddenly? Holy, damn hell. Had her brain split, was showing her double?

There were two dogs, yipping and jumping around in the snow. Like fools.

Her eyes widened under the thick, Egyptian mummy head-wrap gear she wore.

Buddy? Holy shit. Did that mean…

“Sven!” She yelled, the wind swirling into her face. And saw something close to the ground. A head, limp arms. Not moving. Terror seized her heart. “Sven!”

She ran to him, quickly checked his mouth, saw he was breathing. Still. Had the presence of mind to quickly remove her mitts, blessed the hand-warmers the wacky First Nations woman had thrust at her, that had kept her fingers pliable. Grabbed his face with both hands, held him for a moment. Felt his flesh under her fingers.

So cold.

No. He was freezing. She released him, grabbed a flare from her inside pocket, set that off. Then texted the group before her fingers went numb.

Found him.

Follow the light.

Then, everything she could do done, she did what she’d wanted to do from the first moment she’d seen him. Laid her cheek to his, laid on the snow to do so, to give him her warmth. Pressed her cheek against his, started murmuring the only words she could, when the wind didn’t whip them away from her, and toss them into the formless night.

I love you, baby. I’m yours. Hang on.

Sven.