Austin rolled over, half awake. It took him a second to remember where he was — the tent, the woods, Cassidy. His eyes popped open.

He was alone in the tent, the early light of morning shining all around him.

“Cassidy?”

She didn’t answer. He remembered the feel of her beneath him, coming apart as she climaxed. He shook his head. He never would’ve thought in a million years he’d be with her again. Never could have dreamed how good it would be.

It changed things. He wasn’t willing to have her walk out of his life again, at least not without a fight.

Are you sure you want to do that?

He remembered all too well that she hadn’t fought for him last time. On the contrary, she’d been more than happy to let him go. He told himself it was a long time ago, and he told himself he was dreaming. Just because he wanted Cassidy did not mean Cassidy wanted to be with him.

Never going to find out if I don’t give it a try.

And sex like they’d had last night demanded he give it a try.

Feeling determined, he climbed out of the tent ready to face her. No doubt, she would start the day as she had ended the last — lobbying to return to The Community. That woman was about a stubborn as they came.

He stood to his full height, Cassidy nowhere in sight. He spun in a slow circle calling her name.

She wasn’t here.

“Oh, fuck.” He climbed back into the tent, a sense of foreboding telling him what he would find before he checked the pockets on his tactical pants. Sure enough, his compass was gone, and he’d bet money she’d found the map of the mountain in his pack and taken that, too.

He cursed a blue streak as he dressed and quickly took down the tent, stuffing it in his pack. God only knew how long she’d been gone and if he be able to find her at all.

He’d been stupid not to take her at her word. She told him what she was going to do, he just didn’t think she would do it. He made a mental note not to underestimate Cassidy Lane in the future.

He moved quickly, jogging in the direction of the compound. She left him his watch, all his weapons, and most concerning, his canteen. From the time he could roughly estimate the position of the sun and hence direction, but she wasn’t prepared for her journey at all.

He moved faster, chanting to the rhythm of his footfalls. “Please let me find her. Please let me find her.”

A high-pitched scream echoed through the forest.

Her name was ripped from his vocal cords. “Cassidy?” She was in trouble—hurt or scared, or God knows what— and he had to get to her quickly. He flew through the trees, waving and bobbing around obstacles, his ears trained on the particular frequency of her voice as he yelled for her.

Another scream as he shifted direction, cresting a small hill before she came into view. In her bright colored clothing she was easy to spot, and it took him a moment to realize the problem. A big brown bear stood just twenty feet from her location, clearly staring her down.

“Don’t move!” he yelled.

The bear turned his head to stare at Austin, the distinct rumbling of its low growl carrying across the forest floor.

“Don’t move,” he called again. “If he comes any closer, drop to the ground and play dead. Whatever you do, don’t run.”

The bear growled more loudly and got up on his hind legs, looking from Austin to Cassidy and back again. Austin wanted to go to her and put himself between her and harm’s way, but any forward movement would encourage the bear to attack.

He sat down on the ground and reached into his pack, withdrawing his firearm and readying the weapon. It was a larger caliber then he normally carried, but seeing the size of the bear, he wondered if it would be enough to take the animal down if need be.

They stayed frozen like that, moments seeming to last for hours, Cassidy unmoving, and the bear growling, and Austin with his sights lined up on the beast.

The moment the bear moved toward her, she was on the ground and Austin emptied his semiautomatic weapon into the animal.

Then he was running toward her, the bear dead and Cassidy screaming until she was wrapped tightly in his arms. “What are you doing out here by yourself?” he snapped. “You could’ve been killed, dammit.”

“I didn’t know. I didn’t realize…”

“I told you. I tried to keep you safe.”

“I’m sorry.” She was sobbing now, her breath coming in great heaving gasps. “But I had to get to Julianne.”

He grabbed her by the shoulders, wanting to shake her for the danger she had put herself in. “She’s gone, Cassidy! You nearly got yourself killed for a dead woman.”

Her eyes darkened and she pulled away from his grasp. “I’ll do it again, too.” She stood and walked away from him.

“Cassidy, stop!”

She spun around. “I won’t stop. Julianne is alive and I’m going back for her, and if that gets me killed then so be it.”

He grabbed his forehead. She was crazy, determined to have her way no matter the cost.

Crazy, or else she’s right.

“Wait.”

She stopped walking and turned to face him, her expression full of emotion.

“You win,” he said. He walked toward her. “If you are so convinced you’re willing to risk your own life after almost just losing it, then I will go with you.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “You will? Do you believe she’s alive?”

He didn’t, not for a second, and the truth should have scared him to the core. He touched her cheek. “I believe I would follow you off the edge of a cliff if you asked me to.”

“You think she’s dead, but you’re willing to go anyway?”

“Yep. That about sums it up. Can I have my map and compass?”

She dug them out of her pockets and he checked their location. “We’ve only got another eight or nine hundred feet to go.”

She started off in the same direction she’d been heading.

“Not that way.” He pointed in a completely different direction. “That way.”

“Oh. I guess it’s a good thing you’re here.” She chuckled. “I should have stayed in Girl Scouts.”

“Why didn’t you?”

She walked past him. “They were a bunch of bitches.”

He laughed, realizing again how much he liked her. He was heading toward a crazy man just to make her happy.

You are in a world of shit, Austin.