Chapter Six
“Are we nearly there?” Chloe asked as they trekked up the west side of the mountain.
“Yes. Not far now.” Aaron stomped ahead, seemingly uncaring his black sweater was now coated in a thin film of snow.
Chloe curled her hands in her gloves and followed him. It seemed to her she’d follow him anywhere now. He’d gotten under her skin and unbolted the door to her heart.
The night before had been incredible. He hadn’t opted for another blowjob when he’d recovered. Instead, once again, he’d taken her from behind, this time providing her with a wonderful deep G-spot orgasm which had left her boneless with satisfaction.
But she would have his cock in her mouth again … soon. Perhaps here, up on the mountain. She knew damn well he wouldn’t complain about the cold.
As they rounded a corner, she pushed away thoughts of going back to England. She didn’t want to leave Aaron or the village. It had quickly become home.
But her job, her ambitions, her small flat, it was all back there.
An eagle screeched overhead and she resolved to live for the moment and trust it would all work out. Perhaps Aaron would come back with her?
Who was she kidding? The man was made for living in the mountains. She was sure he’d die if he had to cope with a commute through London traffic. It wouldn’t suit him.
He held up his hand. Indicating for her to stop.
She did. “What is it?”
“I heard something.” He raised his nose and appeared to sniff the air.
“You smell something, too?”
“I’m not sure.” He turned to her. “I want you to stay here. This is a safe place on this path.” He glanced upward. “No avalanche danger, and if you stay away from the edge, you’ll be okay.”
“Where are you going?”
“Up another hundred yards or so. To deliver my warning.”
“Which is?” She held up her palms.
“Please. Wait here.” He turned and disappeared around the corner.
Chloe huffed. How come she’d been left alone? And what the hell was the warning he kept talking about?
A coil of annoyance wound through her. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now. Too many things didn’t add up about Aaron. She didn’t know what they were supposed to add up to, but she wanted to know.
She decided to follow him. He couldn’t tell her to wait on the side of the mountain like a good little girl and expect her to obey.
With dogged determination, she marched ahead, being careful to stay away from the dangerous edge. The snow became deeper as she went into a shadowed area.
Picking her way carefully, she paused.
Fresh leopard prints.
They led forward as if the creature had been in the area very recently.
“What the…?”
How come they hadn’t seen it? Or maybe Aaron had.
She took another three steps and then froze.
Her heart clattered and she gripped the rock to her right.
An eerie roar filled the air. It was more like a deep mewling shout. And it was very close.
Snow leopard.
Half of her wanted to turn and run, and the other half of her wanted to see it.
Aaron. Where are you?
Her need to find him was too great. She edged around the next bend, knowing the creature wouldn’t be far from her.
She was right. Standing majestically on a rock was a huge male snow leopard. Its paws were massive, its thick neck outstretched as it sent its strange cry into the snow-filled sky.
On and on it made the noise, transmitting it down valleys, and over the mountain tops.
Chloe marveled at its beauty. So few people were lucky enough to catch even a fleeting glimpse, yet here she was feasting on the sight of one for the second time.
Suddenly, it stopped making its strange nose and turned to stare at her.
Admiration turned to fear.
She quickly backed up. And once around the corner, turned and hastened her pace.
She wanted to shout for Aaron, but she was worried doing so wouldn’t help her situation with the leopard.
But a noise behind her warned it was too late, and as she arrived back at the place Aaron had left her, the snow leopard appeared.
She pressed herself against the cliff.
The leopard approached her, its paws sinking deep, its gaze set on hers.
She was about to die. This time, for sure, she was going to be snow leopard dinner.
A sudden movement to her right caught her attention. She fixed her fear-fuzzed vision on it.
A man appeared through the snow.
Not any man. It was the poacher she’d seen in the bar the night before—the one with the fur hat—and he held a gun aloft, aimed at the leopard.
“No,” she shouted. She didn’t want to die, but she definitely didn’t want the leopard to die and the poacher to win. Besides, he’d probably shoot her afterward for being a witness.
Her cry alerted the leopard who turned. Its body dipped backward, as if harnessing power. Then in a flash, it pounced on the man, knocking his gun from his hand. The weapon flipped, cartwheel style, and landed at her feet.
“Agh!” The man yelled as the leopard hurled itself over him, its head shaking as it took a bite from his jacket.
“Help,” the man shouted. “Help me.”
Chloe stood stock-still, watching the terrifying scene.
The leopard stepped back a fraction. It lifted its front leg, and with one powerful sweep of its paw, it sent the man over the side of the cliff.
His scream echoed for a full five seconds before it was silenced by his brutal landing.
“Oh, my God,” Chloe said. She came out of her shocked frozen state and grabbed the gun. She then squeezed up against the cliff and pointed it forward.
The snow leopard turned to her again, its green eyes flashing as it breathed heavily.
Okay, so now it was up to her. She could shoot the creature and live, or die at its hands.
She waggled the gun. “Go away.”
Strangely the creature hesitated, as if it knew what she held was dangerous.
“Please, go away. I don’t want to hurt you,” she said in a croaky voice.
“I’ll take the beast away for you.” Behind the leopard, another man appeared. He, too, was holding a gun aimed at the creature approaching her. “And I’ll make a hefty profit in the process.” He cackled.
The leopard spun around, making its head an easy target.
“No. You can’t do that.” Fury raged in Chloe and she took aim. “You and your sort are evil.” She shot at the man.
She’d intended to hit his chest, but got his right leg. Blood spurted onto the snow and the impact caused him to jolt backward, his gun falling from his hand. It clattered over the cliff edge, going the same way as his friend.
The man screamed and clutched his shin.
“Get out of here or I’ll finish you off,” Chloe shouted. “Then I’ll kick you over the mountain to land with your buddy.”
The man flashed her a look of hate and hopped backward, quickly disappearing from view. All that remained were his splashes of blood.
Chloe looked at the leopard again. It was breathing hard, its breath collecting in the air in front of it.
Slowly it turned to face her.
She still held the gun aloft, but it was aimed at the side of the rock where the poacher had fled.
He might come back.
A tremble went through her belly as the leopard approached.
“Go eat him,” she said with a quiver in her voice. “Go eat the bad guys.” She directed the gun at the leopard. But she knew she couldn’t and wouldn’t shoot it. She’d die before she hurt it. “Go eat him, he deserves it.”
Still the leopard neared.
A brief image of newspaper headlines at home flashed in her mind. Snow leopard eats female wildlife producer while filming in Himalayas. Her poor parents would be distraught.
“Please no.” She shook her head and beat down a wave of nausea. Would it be a quick death? How much pain should she expect? Would it wait until she was dead before it started eating her?