CHAPTER THIRTEEN

He removed the empty dish from the table and brought it to the counter. Angel’s insistence that they eat at the table and he eat at the same time made their meals together more enjoyable.

Whenever she started to talk about something he didn’t want to discuss, he simply lifted a forkful of food to her lips. He found it humorous even though she frowned at him. It didn’t keep her from her topic. It was simply a delay.

He heard her push the chair back and walk to the book shelves. Their evenings were spent reading or making love, dependent on what they did in the afternoon. He would prefer to having her both times, but he didn’t want to hurt her while she was still recovering her strength. Anticipating their time together and sleeping side by side made him the happiest he’d ever been.

“Sas, do you ever take off those leather wrist bands and choker?”

Her question related to nothing they’d talked about over dinner, so it made him curious why she’d bring them up. “No.” His scars beneath the leather were uglier than the rest, the stitches uneven and large.

“Why not?”

He rinsed the tin plate and lifted a towel to dry it. “They are replicas of gifts I received long ago.” To help him look more normal.

Her footsteps came closer. “From Akiakook?”

“Yes. His wife made me a set, and when they were worn, I had an identical set created.” And then another and another.

Angel’s arms came around his waist. “Do you ever see them?”

He held the plate aloft, not wanting to accidently brush her hands. “They’re dead.”

She stepped away only to lean against the counter to face him. “I’m sorry.”

“They died a long time ago.” Over two hundred years or so.

“I don’t think it matters how long it’s been. There’s still that void in your heart.” She looked down at the floor, almost like she was embarrassed by her grief.

He set the dry plate down and lifted her chin with his finger. “And fond memories in your mind.”

She looked up at him. “That’s true. I remember my dad washing the dishes while I dried. Michael and I took turns. One of us would set the table and one of us would dry the dishes. Dad didn’t see the need for a dishwasher.”

He let go of her face and picked up the pan. Drying it, he put both it and the plate back into the cabinet.

“I need to get a message to my brother soon.”

He stilled at her statement.

“Is there a radio or some way to get him word that I’m okay?”

He faced her. “There is in Savik. Grubber has a radio which can contact Tavva. I’m not sure how far theirs reaches. Where is your brother?”

“Oh, he’s in Oakland. But I could give someone his phone number and then they could call him and tell him I’m okay. If I don’t, he’ll be going to every port looking for me.”

His gut tightened. Would she leave? Would her brother take her away? He placed his hands on her shoulders. “If you send this message, will he come for you?”

“What? No. At least I don’t think so.” She looked away. “Maybe. Oh shoot, I also need to let my boss know I need more time off for my hands to heal.”

You’ll have to get her to a hospital by the end of November and Charlie usually doesn’t fly into Savik past November first. Timber’s words came back to haunt him. He had to tell her. “Remember last night when I pointed out the dark areas on your hands and told you they would take longer to heal?”

Her eyes widened and her shoulders tensed beneath his palms. “Yes.”

He swallowed hard, already knowing the pain he would see in her eyes if he looked at her directly. “Those areas may need to be removed.”

“What?” She pulled away. “You said my hands were looking better.”

The desperation in her voice froze him in place. “They’re much better than they were. I’m not saying all the dark areas will need to be removed. It will take another month to determine that, but…”

“But what? Sas, tell me. I need to know. Will I lose all function in my hands? Will I lose my left hand altogether? That one is worse.”

“No. That’s not an issue. You won’t lose a hand. I promised you that and it’s true.”

She turned away, walking to the couch where she plopped down. “Okay, so tell me the bad news.”

“You need to see a doctor who can operate by the end of November.”

Her brow furrowed. “So? It’s not like I’ll be able to return to work by then.”

He moved to her and knelt down at her feet. “Charlie doesn’t fly in or out of Savik past the first week of November.”

“Okay, so we fly out early.”

He shook his head. “Not we. You. And once you get to Fairbanks, a good doctor will make you stay until the end of the month to be sure that all the tissue that will heal has done so.” If she could find a good doctor. He pushed the thought away.

Understanding dawned, her green eyes lightening with her sorrow. “And then I won’t be able to come back to you.”

He nodded, the lump in his throat too big to swallow.

“But why can’t you come with me? I’ve lived here with you for almost a month now. You could come live with me for the winter, and…” Even she could see that it wouldn’t work.

He stared into her watering eyes, not caring if she noticed the yellow in his gaze.

She lifted her hand to touch his face, but he caught her wrist, not wanting her to do more damage.

“Sas, I don’t want to leave you. I love you.”

His heart filled with joy. It was far more than he’d hoped for…more than he deserved. “And I don’t want you to go, but your hands will need medical attention that I can’t provide.”

Now he understood the new pain growing in his chest. Despite how much he didn’t want her to leave, he wanted her to be cared for even more.

He loved her. The feeling, so new and bittersweet, was strange and wonderful at the same time.

“There has to be a way.” Her lips pursed in concentration. “How do you get supplies in the winter? What if there’s a medical emergency?”

He rubbed her wrist with his thumb, reluctant to let her go. “We spend all summer stocking up for winter. If someone is hurt, we do what we can. If it’s life threatening, Grubber will call into Tavva for a rescue, but that still depends on the weather.”

Her eyes lit up with hope. “What about Tavva? Could we fly into there?”

Her determination to find a solution warmed his heart. “Yes, but I don’t know how to get there from here. I’ve never been there.”

She smiled, excitement shinning in her eyes. “You don’t have to know how to get there. You just need to know how to get here from there. Do you know where your cabin is on a map?”

He shook his head, sorry to see her lose her smile.

“Oh, I have it! All we need is directions from Tavva to Savik, then you could find the way back here.”

“Directions? We don’t have roads up here.”

She shook her head. “I know that. But if we have a compass and good wilderness directions, we could do it. It has to be worth trying, right?”

Her whole body seemed to move with her excitement and her pulse beneath his finger raced. It could be done, but then what? Would she stay the winter? After that, would she leave forever? His heart twisted. He wanted to ask, but he was a coward. He didn’t want to know.

“Why do you live out here?” Her sudden change in subject caught him off guard.

“I like it.”

“Is that it? I mean, if we were to live together for a while in Fairbanks, there wouldn’t be a warrant out for your arrest or anything, would there? I know Timber said I’m not supposed to ask questions like that, but if we did go into civilization, would I need to worry about that?”

He let go of her wrist and rose. Three hundred years ago, he was hunted in three different countries, justifiably so, but now… “No. There is no one looking for me.”

She tried to look into his eyes but he turned away.

“Good.” She spoke to his back. “I’m glad. I didn’t think you were running from the law. I can’t imagine you doing something illegal. My guess is you don’t feel comfortable around people. You strike me as a serious introvert. I’m more of an extrovert myself.”

Her confidence in him was misplaced, but it still warmed his heart. She loved him. The knowledge, delicate and precious, was like a butterfly in his large hands. He didn’t want to hurt it. “I think your plan has merit, especially if we can enlist the help of Sturge and his dogsled.”

He heard her rise from the couch and her arms wrapped around him from behind. “I knew we could figure this out.”

He grimaced, not sure they’d figured anything out yet, but there was hope, and that’s what she’d brought to his long existence—hope and love. He closed his eyes at the euphoria filling him.

She let go, and he listened to her footsteps as she walked around to face him. “Sas, are you okay?”

He opened eyes. “Yes.” He was better than that. He loved a mate and she loved him back. Nothing else mattered. He would wrest every drop of happiness he could from these moments and keep them safe to look back on when—“I love you.” He cupped her face with one hand and kissed her to show her how much she meant to him.

When he broke away from her clinging lips, he continued to hold her face.

Her green eyes were bright and filled with tears.

“What is it?” Had he hurt her?

She blinked. “I’m just so happy.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him. “I’ll never regret getting lost in the snow. Even if it means I lose parts of my hands because I found you, the most amazing man in the world.”

As he embraced her, his chest tensed beneath her cheek.

But he wasn’t a man.

~~*~~

Angela sat outside on the small porch listening to the sound of Sas stacking logs around the corner of the cabin. A month ago, if someone had asked her if she could be happy in a one room cabin in the middle of nowhere, she would have replied with a resounding “no.” But a lot had changed since she’d embarked on her trip.

In three days, they planned to leave on Charlie’s last flight out of Savik. They’d fly down to Fairbanks via Tavva and Coldfoot. She’d see a doctor and get them a room at a hotel, preferably on the outskirts. She wasn’t oblivious to Sas’ concerns about being in a city. That he was willing to go with her told her exactly how much he cared, so she wanted it to be as painless as possible.

The first thing she’d do is call her brother. She was supposed to arrive home today, but knowing her brother, he had probably already started worrying. He always did when she went on trips, even business trips. He knew her too well. She tended to get even more adventurous on her vacations. It would probably relieve him to know she was in no hurry for another adventure any time soon, if ever, after this one.

Her next agenda item was to contact work. She licked her lips at that quandary. Sas was used to living without money, but that was a hard life change for her. If she could figure out some way to get internet service to the cabin, she could probably work part time, but Timber had told her there were no towers anywhere. Satellite?

She had time to figure that out. She had plenty of personal time coming to her and she’d take it for her hands. Sas said the doctors might make her wait another month and then she would need time to recover. She raised her hands wrapped in the warm fur mitts without thumbs that Sas had made for her so she could enjoy the fresh air. At least it didn’t hurt anymore to move them as long as she didn’t press against anything or try to move her fingers.

She sniffed as her nose ran because of the cold. It was a warm day according to Sas, almost ten degrees. Then again, it was probably warmer in the sun where he worked piling up the wood he and Timber had cut.

The noise of log hitting log stopped, leaving the air quiet except for a diligent woodpecker. His footsteps sounded on the packed snow before he came into view.

Her heart rate picked up as it did whenever he was around. She’d never been one for the strong silent type, but Sas completely won her over.

Seriously, the man was hot. His new flannel shirt enhanced how really large he was, from his broad shoulders to his big hands and mega-height. He was almost a giant. She definitely could see why the people in the area called him Sasquatch. And now he was her Sasquatch. She wasn’t sure if she’d tamed the wild beast or if he was the hero of her dreams. Either way she was happier than she’d ever been.

“You need to go inside now.” Sas stopped at the bottom of the steps, having obviously taken a break just to get her to go into the cabin.

“But I haven’t been out here more than fifteen minutes.” Her face was cold, but it was so beautiful outside.

He pointed to the shadow the cabin roof made on the snow, his way of telling time. “You’ve been outside more than an hour. Your body can’t handle the cold yet.”

Though there was no intonation in his voice, she noticed his furrowed brow. He was worried about her. How could she argue with that? “I’d like to come back outside later.”

“After our visitor leaves.”

“Visitor?” She scanned the trees behind him, but didn’t see or hear anything.

He strode up the steps. “Yes. I believe it’s Sturge.”

She stood, knowing if she didn’t, he’d just pick her up and bring her inside. The man not only had incredible hearing and vision, but he was stronger than an African elephant and she’d seen first-hand what they could do.

He opened the door and followed her in. She grinned at his protectiveness. What would he do when her hands were healed, and she didn’t need so much help?

Once inside, he relieved her of her mitts, dropping them on the couch before taking off the bear-fur coat he’d made her wear.

“How do you know Sturge is coming?”

He pulled the cap from her head and hung it up with the coat. “The dogs.”

She could ask how he knew there were dogs, but it didn’t matter. Sas was better at this wilderness thing than she was. If he said Sturge was on his way then he was. “Sturge is the man who has a wife and new baby, right?”

“Yes.” Sas moved into the kitchen area and began pulling things out of cabinets.

“I wish there was something I could do to help.” She felt useless without her hands.

He turned to face her, although he didn’t meet her gaze. They’d have to work on that. “You can. You can talk when he gets here.”

There was something in Sas’ tone that told her all this company was wearing on him. “I’ll be happy to do that for you. I’m pretty good at talking.”

She expected to get a smile from him over that, but he simply nodded and returned to putting lunch together. She’d noticed he never smiled. That would be another thing they would need to work on.

No time like the present. She walked over to where he worked and leaned against the counter. “Can you smile?”

There was the slightest pause as he cut up the leftover meat from their dinner the night before. “No.”

“No? Why not? Did you have surgery on your face that keeps you from smiling?” She wasn’t being sarcastic. She’d not only seen the scar around his right eye, but discovered the scar across his forehead one night when they made love. If the lantern hadn’t been in just the right position, she would have missed it.

It was possible he physically couldn’t smile. Then again, he did have a beard and since it was neatly trimmed and not long, it was unlikely he had a scar beneath it as the hair wouldn’t grow where a scar was. At least she didn’t think so, but she never knew with him.

He finally turned and looked at her. His lips moved as he smiled wide, showing all his white teeth. He looked liked a psychotic serial killer and a shiver raced up her spine. It took all she had not to turn away, including remembering what a kind soul he was. “Oh. I think I understand why you don’t smile, but we can work on that.” She tried to sound upbeat, though she was still shaken by how completely different he looked.

He made a short low sound in the back of his throat before picking up the pan and putting it on the stove.

Her heart still raced and she moved away, disturbed more by his smile than she wanted to admit. So, he had a scary smile. He couldn’t be perfect. She certainly wasn’t.

She walked to the front window by his supplies. She’d learned to open the door with her elbow so she could play hostess, even if she couldn’t cook. Keeping her gaze on the tree line, she waited. She’d just started to doubt Sas when the faint sound of a barking dog seeped through the window.

The sound didn’t continue, but she’d definitely heard it. Then to the right, there was movement between the tree branches and within a few seconds she made out the dogs and a sled. “He’s here.”

She watched as six dogs came into view and then a man, all bundled up, at the rear. She clearly heard him yell “whoa,” before the animals came to a stop in front of the porch. “What beautiful dogs!” She had her nose almost pressing against the window as Sturge pulled bowls from the basket at the back and walked to the side of the cabin. He’d obviously been there before.

Some of the huskies stood wagging their tails while a few sat, all of them watching their owner. The sound of Sas walking to the table and setting down a plate pulled her attention back to him. “Sturge is an odd sounding name. I’m guessing it has a story behind it?”

“Yes.” Sas returned to the kitchen.

She smirked. “And what’s the story?”

He came back with the tin cup and a mason jar. “I suggest you ask him.”

Of course. She hoped Sturge was as entertaining as Timber. She turned back to the window in time to see him petting a dog here and rubbing an ear there. They all had bowls of water. It must take a lot of time to care for them all.

From studying him, she’d say he was maybe thirty-three. Definitely older than her but younger than Sas, who still hadn’t revealed his age. Sturge had a full bushy beard and she could just see a little of his hair underneath the ski cap on his head. He wore sunglasses, so she couldn’t see his eyes but he had a large wide nose.

Finally, he headed for the porch.

She stepped over to the latch and lifted it with her elbow before he could knock. “Hello, Sturge.”

The man’s light gray eyes widened as he held his hand out. “And you must be Angel.”

She held both her wrapped hands up in front of her. “Sorry, I can’t shake your hand, but it’s nice to meet you.”

He dropped his arm. “My fault. Timber told me of your frostbite. Just habit.”

“Of course. Come in. Sas almost has lunch ready.”

“It’s ready.” Sas’ voice behind her made her smile.

She stepped out of Sturge’s way, so he could enter then closed the door with her hip as he shrugged off his parka. Maneuvering the latch back into place took her a bit longer, but she got it done.

“Appears I came right on time, Squatch, eh?” Sturge straddled the barrel as Sas served hot fish and potatoes onto the cookie sheet he used for a second plate.

She nodded toward Sas as she took her seat in the chair. “He heard you coming.”

Sturge nodded. “I’m not surprised. The man’s more than half Sasquatch.”

“Is that why you called him Squatch? Timber said people call him Sas.”

The man shrugged. “It’s a Canadian thing. We call any long-haired, wild-looking man Squatch.”

She frowned. Sas had a well-trimmed beard and his hair was cut at the nape of his neck, though not exactly even. “But he doesn’t fit that description at all.”

“You should have seen him the first time I did when he walked into Savik. We thought for sure we would all be rich because we’d finally had proof of a real Sasquatch.”

Sas grimaced. “Sorry to have disappointed you.”

As Sturge laughed, Sas filled her plate with twice as much as she could eat since they ate from the same plate now. She had insisted on him eating with her and not after her. While he put the pan in the sink, she took the opportunity to do what she did best, talk. “I hear congratulations are in order. How old is your little boy?”

Sturge grinned wider than a Cheshire cat. “Jamison is two months now. Just wish he would sleep through the night. Having partial sleep makes for a long day, especially just before winter.”

Sas piled the fork full of food.

She quickly asked another question before her first bite. “How is your wife feeling? Ginny, right?” She kept her mouth open, more than willing to start eating. The fresh air had made her hungry.

“She’s doing better now. She was a little spoiled by everyone waiting on her hand and foot down at the hospital, but she’s readjusted to being back home now and loving that she’ll have the baby to keep her busy once winter hits full force.”

Angela swallowed. “I bet the snow keeps everyone house-bound this far north.”

Sturge shook his head. “Not the snow. The cold.” He looked at Sas who just filled her mouth with luscious tasting fish. “This is great. What is it?”

“Lake trout from Redding Lake.”

“Wow, no wonder it’s so good. I’ve had no luck catching anything over there. You’ll have to tell me your secret.”

Sas didn’t say anything, which didn’t surprise her. He simply took a bite of their food.

She took the opportunity to address Sturge. “So why does everyone call you Sturge? Timber said there’s a story behind every Alaskan bush name.”

The man nodded as he swallowed. “There is. You just have to figure out how to get the story out of them.”

“Oh, come on. You have to tell me. Please.” Sas held a forkful of food in front of her and she opened her mouth, but never took her eyes from Sturge.

He glanced at Sas, a smirk on his lips. “Should I? It would be a shame if everyone was laughing at me except her.”

Sas shrugged as he took a mouthful, and she quickly swallowed her food. “Oh, I promise not to laugh.”

Sturge chuckled. “Don’t do that or you’ll take all the fun out of it.”

Now she just had to hear his story, so she patiently waited, taking the last bite of food Sas fed her and not saying a word. It wasn’t easy.

Sturge finally finished his lunch and sat back. “I didn’t have the name when we moved here from British Columbia, but then Ginny had to go and tell Timber and well, once Timber knows about a thing then everyone knows, eh?”

Sas nodded in agreement as he picked up the empty plates and brought them to the kitchen.

She got a little sidetracked watching him walk, remembering how he did the same thing last night only he had no shirt on. She just loved the movement of the muscles in his back.

“Ginny and I were out fishing. Out there on the Columbia River. I was having a beauty of a day, hauling in trout left and right. Then I hook one that doesn’t want to come in. I’m reeling and reeling and this fish actually pulls our boat over twenty meters, anchor and all.”

She grinned. She’d bet that lengths grew with every telling. “What happened? Did it get away?” She winked.

Sturge looked up at the ceiling. “If only it did.” He looked at her again, obviously getting into his story. “I pulled and yanked and let the line out and pulled and yanked until I thought my arms would fall off.”

“I’m glad to see they didn’t.” She barely kept her chuckle in.

He gave her a fake scowl. “Oh, you think it’s funny that I struggled with a fish, eh? Let me tell you, you wouldn’t have been able to reel this baby in.”

“I bet Sas could have.” She looked fondly at her mountain man, who leaned against the pole that held the table up.

Sturge rolled his eyes. “Then we’d have no story to tell. Squatch would have hauled that sucker in, cut it up and eaten it for lunch.”

She chuckled. “I’m sure he would have shared. So, if you were struggling so much, did someone help you with it?”

“My wife was the only person with me and she had the net, but I had a feeling the fish wasn’t going to fit in our net…and I was right in the end.”

He had her full attention now. How big could a lake trout get?

“So, I’m straining, standing in our little boat, reeling that fish in inch by inch. Ginny looks over the side and tells me she can’t see anything yet, but she has that net ready. So I lean back, pulling it with all my weight when suddenly the tension disappears and I find myself flipping backwards over the side of my boat and into the frigid waters of the river.”

She couldn’t hold in her laugh at the image in her mind of Sturge going over the side. “Sounds to me like the fish did get away.”

He shook his head, a gleam in his eye. Then he leaned forward. “Nope. That damn fish jumped out of the water and right into our boat.”

This time she didn’t even try not to laugh. “Oh my. That must have been a huge trout. Did you have it for dinner for days?”

Sturge shook his head. “We ate it for months.”

She opened her mouth and stared at him. He had to be exaggerating. “Months? What did you do, eat a forkful a day? No trout is that big.”

Sturge’s smile grew wide. “Who said it was a trout?”

“What was it?”

“It was a White Sturgeon! I’ve been called Sturge ever since that story got out.” He laughed heartily.

He had her so enthralled with the story, she’d forgotten it was to explain his name. “I think that’s an excellent tale.”

Sas squeezed her shoulder, and she looked up at him. He wasn’t looking at her, but just having him touch her, like he wanted Sturge to know they were together, made her feel claimed. She never thought she’d enjoy that particular feeling, but the way Sas did it was so subtle, she loved it.

Sturge looked up at Sas. “I best get headed back, eh?”

“Already?” She really did like having someone around once in a while who talked a little more.

“Yeah, I need to get back in time for dinner, and it’s half a day’s sled ride. Besides, Ginny will want a full report on you.” He winked as he stood.

Sas dropped his hand as she rose from the chair. “Please tell her I said hello and hope to meet her eventually.”

“I’ll do that.” Sturge walked to the hook by the door and pulled on his parka.

Sas stepped around her. “If you need any help this winter, tell me.”

“Thanks, Squatch.” Sturge slapped Sas on the arm before pulling the door open. “You two stay safe.”

She leaned around the corner of the door. “Bye.”

Sas nudged her back inside and followed Sturge out. She started to put her hands on her hips, but stopped just in time. It was a little irritating that he didn’t want her outside all bundled up for more than an hour, but he could breeze out there with no coat.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. He was never cold, and it was she who had suffered hypothermia. Maybe it was like heat exhaustion, once it happened, it was more likely to occur again with less exposure. She’d have to ask.

She stepped to the window and watched as Sas gave the closest dog an unconscious pat. The dog licked his hand to get his attention. He finally gave it a scratch behind its ear before stepping away and letting Sturge get his sled turned around.

After watching Sturge disappear through the trees, Sas came back inside. He walked right to her, pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathless.

When he finished, she sucked in air. “Whoa, that made my toes tingle.”

He nodded as if that was his plan. “I need to finish stacking the wood, but then I’ll be back in.”

In other words, then he’d be back in for some lovemaking. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of her, and honestly, she was flattered, not to mention excited at the prospect. Sas was an amazing lover.

“Do you have much left to do?” Did that sound too anxious? Because she was.

“Maybe an hour.”

She could wait that long. “Okay, finish up.”

He gave her another kiss, but this time it was one of those gentle ones that filled her heart. He was such a huge man yet could be so tender, her eyes watered.

He strode outside and around the corner before she remembered he said it would be okay to go outside after lunch. Shoot. If she still wanted to, she’d have to get herself bundled up without hurting her hands. She’d come such a long way, she didn’t want to hurt them now.

With a new goal in mind, she set about getting dressed for outside. Luckily, she still had her boots on from earlier, so she pulled the chair over to the hooks by wrapping her arm around the back. She stood on it and easily slipped one arm through a sleeve of Sas’ bear-fur. He insisted she wear it because it covered her legs as well.

Now came the hard part, slipping her other arm into the other sleeve while pushing the heavy coat against the wall and up. Her first attempt didn’t work, so the second time she stood on her toes as she pushed her back with the fur against the wall and up. Looking behind her, she felt a moment of triumph that the fur cleared the hook. Now, she had to pull away fast.

She jumped from the chair and the coat landed on her shoulders. The thrill at having done something for herself lasted a whole minute, until she tried to hook the fur together. Shoot. She’d just have to hold it closed with her arms.

Looking up at the next hook, she eyed the wool cap Sas had given her to wear. Since it was big enough for him, it wasn’t tight. She should be able to use her wrists to get it on, but the hook was again a problem.

Getting back on the chair, it took her three attempts to maneuver the hat onto her head and off the hook, but she did it. Now there was only one other very important piece of clothing to put on—the mitts. They lay on the couch where Sas had left them.

Sas’ fur coat was heavy, but it was also thick, so when she knelt on the floor next to the couch, the wood floor didn’t hurt her knees. Carefully, she moved the first mitt with her arm to turn the opening toward her. As she pushed her bandaged hand against the opening, it slid across the couch.

Shoot. If it was this hard just getting dressed to go outside, how would she function in Fairbanks?

With Sas.

She could call him, but she wanted to do this on her own. The coat and hat quickly made her hot and irritable. Taking a deep breath, she tried to find her patience. Moving the first mitt with her arm again, she turned it so the end was against the back of the couch. “Okay, let’s do this.”

She pushed her hand into the opening and the mitt slipped into place. “Yes!” Quickly, she moved the other mitt into position and pushed it on. Thrilled with the achievement, she stood, almost falling over as the weight of the bear-fur shifted. Her heart raced with her exertion. She didn’t care. She’d done it.

Walking to the door, she lifted the latch with her elbow and stepped outside into the shade of the porch. Pulling the door closed behind her was a bit trickier, but she finally did it.

Since the cabin was in the shadows which were cooler, she strode down the steps and out into the sunshine. Though she held the coat closed, the cold air creeped in as she walked. She stopped and turned her face toward the sun. Despite the low temperature, the sun still felt good.

She definitely liked the outdoors in Alaska. The air smelled so fresh and the colors were particularly bright, probably because of the reflection of the snow. She’d have to buy some warm clothes in Fairbanks so she could be outside more often.

The sound of Sas stacking the wood carried over to her on the thin air. She took a few steps to peek around the corner. His movements were fluid like he’d made them a thousand times before. The number of large logs he carried at one time had her widening her eyes. She knew he was strong, but wow.

Not wanting to interrupt because that would just slow him down, she turned and walked past the other side of the cabin, curious about why Sas didn’t add a window there. At first, she was perplexed until she walked along the side of it and it dawned on her.

The corner where the bed was located was completely in the cave. The rest of the wall was bookshelves so he had no room for a window. After living with him for a month, she’d also learned that the wall was on the northside of the cabin. It was probably colder.

She turned her back to the cabin and looked up at the mountains. It would be an amazing view from a window, but as she’d learned, survival was more important than beauty. Besides, when they could take a few steps outside and see the snow-covered mountains set against the clear blue sky any time they wanted, there was really nothing to compare.

She wandered toward the tree-filled slope opposite the cabin where the land seemed to go on forever. The pine and spruce tops gave a dark green ambiance to the whole area. She was careful to keep the cabin in view, not in a hurry to repeat her last adventure with sound in the mountains.

On the ground, she discovered Sturge’s sled tracks, still fresh in a few inches of soft snow, leading the way to his home. She turned around to look at the cabin. It was a welcoming sight, probably more so for Timber who walked everywhere.

A noise behind her caught her attention. Excitement rose as the possibility of seeing a deer or even a moose filled her. She turned slowly and froze.

A large brown grizzly bear looked at her and opened its mouth.

Fear kept her still. Her heart stopped as she stared at the bear’s teeth before he closed his mouth and shook his head.

Adrenaline filled her and she ran for the cabin.

The bear huffed behind her and as she broke from the trees she looked over her shoulder, only to trip and fall to the ground. The pain in her hands took her breath away as the bear stopped in front of her and rose to its hind legs.

She screamed.

The animal growled and started to come down on her, the head larger than her oven back home. Suddenly, it was pushed over and rolling on the ground.

Flashes of blue amid the brown fur clenched her heart. Sas! She pulled herself up as she watched the cloud of snow made by the bear and the man she loved.

He saved her life! Again!

She couldn’t let him die. Running to the cabin, she jammed the latch up with her arm and stepped inside. To the side of the window was his rifle. She yanked the mitts off with her teeth and clenched her jaw as she pulled the rifle down.

On a shelf built into the wall were the cartridges. She quickly loaded the gun, fighting the pain in her hands as the snarling outside told her Sas still fought the grizzly.

Running back outside, she stood on the porch and looked through the site. Vomit rode up into her throat as she witnessed the bear’s claws sink into Sas’ stomach. No!

She’d never shot a rifle, only a hand gun and that was at a range with a stationary target and without her hands throbbing. The last thing she wanted was to shoot Sas.

Frustrated as the two stood facing each other, Sas holding his middle, the grizzly on his hind legs roaring, she tried to aim. Sas looked wild himself, his shirt, in tatters, hung on his torso, but his eyes bored into the bear.

The grizzly launched, grabbing Sas’ shoulder in its mouth. The sound of cracking bone filled the air before Sas’ shout of pain jolted her into action.

Giving up on aiming, she fired the gun into the air. When the grizzly refused to let go, she shot on the ground toward it, still afraid a ricochet would catch Sas. She’d read a grizzly’s jaws could break a bowling ball.

The shot to the ground got the bear’s attention. The grizzly let go and looked at her. She aimed for its chest, but its roar at her made her shake and she missed, the shot going wild. The bear dropped to its front paws and loped off into the trees.

She fired off another shot in the air to make sure it continued on its way then dropped the rifle and ran to Sas. “Oh, my God! Sas?”

He lay on his back, one hand on his stomach, the other on his shoulder and his eyes closed.

“Sas?” Tears rolled down her cheeks, her heart breaking. She couldn’t let him die. “Please Sas, be alive. I’ll take care of you.”

He opened his eyes and looked at her, the irises as black as his pupils even in the bright sunlight. No one had black eyes. She pulled her gaze from his.

Was he really alive or did his eyelids open because of some weird physical phenomenon, like her undressing when she was freezing to death? Her heart filled with anguish, too afraid to hope.

“I will live.” His deep raspy voice pulled her attention back to his face. She smiled in relief.

He may think he’d live, but not without some good medical care. “I’ll take care of you. I’ll get you help.”

He lifted his hand from his stomach to touch her face.

She pulled away, recoiling from the blood on his hand, except when she looked there was none, only bear fur. Confused, she looked down at his bare stomach, expecting to see his gaping wound, but instead there were only five red marks from the bear’s claws as if it had just grazed him.

She pulled back farther. She’d seen the claws go into his flesh through the gun sight.

He took his hand from his shoulder and braced it behind him as he sat up. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” He reached for her arm, but she scooted back, out of his reach. His shoulder had teeth holes in it, but even as she stared, the skin closed, leaving no more than red marks.

“What are you?”