Chapter 6 (Jasper)

“Mandy!” I shook her, but this time she did not respond.

Fuck.

I tried again but still, she was unresponsive.

This was bad – very bad.

I had no idea how long she had been buried underneath all that snow. She was probably in the late stages of hyperthermia. Looking down at her, all I saw were her blue lips and the paleness of her skin.

She didn’t have long. That much I was sure of.

With little time to spare, I ran as fast as I could. Wolf was on my heels, barking the entire time.

He could tell that something was very wrong.

I just prayed that I had reached her in time.

My heart ached just thinking about the pain she must be going through right now.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached my cabin. I rushed inside, gently placing her on the couch before I piled on every blanket I owned on top of her. Once I was done, Wolf jumped on top of the mountain of blankets, which added his own body heat to the mix.

He looked at me and whimpered.

“I know boy… I’m worried too… but she’s going to be okay.” I said, trying to stay hopeful. Things weren’t looking good – they weren’t looking good at all. I took her hand in mine, squeezing it gently. Her frozen fingers terrified me. She wasn’t warming up.

Desperate, I added yet another piece of wood into the fire. The flames blazed, dancing against the safety guard, like an angry monster raging inside his cell. The heat was stifling, causing droplets of sweat to form on the back of my neck. Still, it didn’t seem like enough.

Wolf whimpered, nudging Mandy’s face with his wet nose.

“Down,” I commanded.

He cocked his head in confusion before planting his large paws on her chest, refusing to move.

“Wolf, down.” This time, I pointed to the ground.

He looked at me with his big chocolate eyes before finally obeying my command. He jumped down but remained as close as possible, his head rubbing against the hand that hung off the side of the couch. His ears were slicked back with worry.

With the dog out of the way, I quickly pulled back the blankets. She looked so helpless and fragile. Her lips were still worryingly blue. What if it was already too late to save her? She needed medical attention but that was impossible. We’d never make it on time. Not in this weather.  This was the best I could do.

I leaned in close to her face. “Forgive me…” I whispered, gently peeling off her clothing until she wore nothing but her underwear. I did my best to avoid looking at her. But, in the end, my curiosity won out. Hungrily, my eyes swept over her body, taking in every delicious curve of her womanly form. God, she was perfect.

I shook my head. What was I doing? What was I thinking? This was no time to be checking her out.

Quickly, I stripped off my own clothes and slipped onto the couch beside her.

Wolf seemed to understand what was happening because he jumped back up, blanket in his mouth. I grabbed it with a slight smile, draping it over all three of us. Once we were underneath it, I started to rub her body to warm her.

She was frozen.

I rubbed her a little harder, cocooning her with my body, unsure of what else I could do to help. “Please… Mandy…” I whispered, gently running my fingers through her hair, laced with frozen crystals. “You have to make it through this.” I kept talking to her as if that would rouse her from unconsciousness.

It didn’t.

Outside, the wind continued to howl, whipping against the windows, making them rattle.

“It’s going to be okay,” I told her, letting my thumb rub circles on her arm. “I’m going to keep you warm.”

***

It ended up being a long, nerve-wracking night. After a while, Mandy’s body finally responded to the heat. The blueness of her skin disappeared, replaced with a healthy shade of red that basked underneath her cheeks. I watched her all night, memorizing her features, wanting to kiss those pink lips of hers, but somehow, I managed to control myself.

What I wanted didn’t matter. The only thing that did matter was keeping her safe.

Eventually, the sun rose once more. Bright beams of light filtered through the sun-covered window panes, dancing on the hardwood floor in front of the fireplace.

“Mandy…” I spoke her name, my lips nearly touching her earlobe, but she did not stir.

I ran my hand slowly down the side of her body, pleased that she now radiated with heat. I pulled her a little closer, pinning her to my chest, letting her sweet scent intoxicate my being. I knew this wouldn’t last – this intimacy between us. As soon as she woke up, she’d push me away, just like she had before.

I savored each second, knowing that as soon as she was gone I’d be alone again.

It’s funny. I came out to the mountains for solitude but now all I wanted was companionship. And this girl would fit the bill perfectly.

Sure, she was a godsend. But I would be foolish to believe that my dreamed up scenario of her staying here permanently would ever unfold.

She still slept deeply. I was sure she would not yet wake up and carefully got off the couch, adjusting her head on the pillow so she was as comfortable as possible. “Stay with her. Let me know if anything funny happens.” I told Wolf who just laid his massive head on her chest as a response.

I smiled, leaving her in the dog’s care as I moved into the kitchen. There, I turned on the woodstove, listening to the crackling sound of the burning logs. It was one of my favorite sounds.

I cracked some eggs over a frying pan, watching them sizzle. While they cooked, I chopped up some fresh apples into thin slices and divided them evenly among two plates. I thought about adding a scoop of peanut butter to the mix but what if she was allergic? I could keep her warm, but I would be utterly useless if she went into anaphylactic shock.  I put the jar of peanut butter back in the cupboard.

Just as I was about to set the table, Wolf came charging into the kitchen, ramming into my legs, unable to stop in time. He fell, legs sprawled out in all directions, looking confused.

I chuckled. “You’re quite the clumsy dog.”

He got to his feet and whimpered, glancing at the living room.

My eyes widened. “Is she awake?” I rushed out toward the living room. There, I leaned down beside her, studying her face for any signs of movement.

Ever so slightly, her eyelids began to twitch, followed by the fluttering of her eyelashes. I held my breath.

Wolf sat down beside me, just as anxious as I was.

And, then, finally, her eyes opened.

I exhaled deeply; I could breathe again.

She was okay!

Without thinking about it, I lunged forward, taking her into my arms, folding her into my chest, fingers running through her sandy hair. “You’re okay…” I murmured, feeling like I’d never let her go again.