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It’s for the best, Walker. You’re proving over and over again that you don’t deserve her in your life. You’re just like the old bastard.
Hell. He couldn’t even communicate with her. Why hadn’t he thought to tell her she had cooked a fine meal the night before? It obviously pleased her to hear it from Yancey.
Alex stopped walking. He stood in a small grassy clearing, the sun filtering through the canopy of the tall lodgepole pines that surrounded him. A soft rush of wind swept through the tallest trees. How far had he gone from camp? And where the hell was Laurent? Birds chirped loudly, adding to the tranquility of the scene. A sudden inexplicable chill ran down his spine; a sense that something wasn’t right. He listened for any unusual sounds, and turned slowly in all directions. Cold sweat beaded his forehead. A distant scream pierced the air, and Alex took off running back in the direction from where he’d come. Adrenaline surged through his system. Why the hell had he left camp?
He leapt over a downed log, and dodged tree branches and vines, cursing under his breath. The sound of a gunshot echoed through the forest, and Alex increased his pace. Evie! What the hell was happening?
Hindered by the dense undergrowth of the forest, Alex beat a path through the vines with the butt end of his flintlock. Deeply absorbed in his thoughts, he hadn’t paid much attention to how far he’d wandered from camp. He had to be getting close.
A high-pitched yell followed closely after the gunshot. Was the camp being attacked by a war party of Blackfeet? Alex redoubled his efforts, his lungs burning and his heart pumping with renewed fear for what he might find. Looking ahead, the forest opened to the clearing where they’d set up camp the day before. The lean-to he’d built for Evie’s comfort stood off to the right.
A loud, predatory roar resonated through the trees. Alex darted into the clearing. His heart sank to the pit of his stomach. A huge grizzly stood on its hind legs about a hundred yards away, its jaw wide open. The beast let out another angry roar. Several feet away, Yancey attempted to scramble to his feet.
“Evelyn,” Alex yelled. She stooped down beside Yancey, tugging on his arms to help him on his feet. In her hand was a rifle, and she held it up defensively to ward off the bear’s impending charge.
Alex didn’t hesitate. While running across the clearing, he aimed his rifle at the beast. Past experience told him that one shot would not kill the bear. He fired, and the shot hit the bruin in the chest, slowing the animal from charging at the people on the ground. In one fluid motion, Alex yanked his pistol from his belt and fired again. This time his shot hit the bear in the eye, splatting blood into the air. The animal swiped wildly at its face, roaring in pain and rage.
Evelyn yelled, standing over Yancey, who hadn’t gotten to his feet. She waved the rifle frantically through the air as if her action would create a shield between herself and the mighty predator.
“Dammit, get back,” Alex yelled. He dashed around to the animal’s blinded side, tossing his pistol to the ground. He pulled his hunting knife from its sheath on his belt, and without hesitation collided with flesh and fur as he leapt onto the creatures back. He drove his knife deep between the bear’s shoulder blades, quickly ducking to the right when the bear swiped a mighty paw behind him. The stench of a predator’s breath emanated from the beasts mouth, and blood gushed from the stab wound. Alex repeated his action, driving his knife into the bear’s back and neck again and again.
Consumed by rage and pain, the bruin danced and darted, swiping fiercely with its mighty paws at the opponent on its back. The animal’s massive body began to wobble, and his breathing turned raspy. Alex leapt to the side when the grizzly collapsed to the ground. One final stab to the neck, and he was confident that he had delivered the fatal blow.
Alex’s chest heaved, and he leaned forward with his hands on his knees. He breathed deeply, drawing air into his burning lungs, then glanced up. His head turned to where Evie and Yancey hovered on the ground. Behind him, Laurent came running from between the trees.
“Mon dieu, mon dieu,” he called, running faster than Alex had ever seen him move.
On the ground, Yancey moaned quietly. Blood covered his face, and clothing. A fresh jolt hit Alex in the chest when he saw blood on Evie’s shirt. He reached her in two quick strides, pulling her to her feet.
“Where are you hurt?” he called, his eyes roaming up and down her body. Evelyn’s eyes widened, the fear and panic in their depths driving a hot blade right through his chest. She frantically shook her head.
“Dammit, where are you hurt?” he growled. With a shaky hand, he reached to unbutton her shirt. Evelyn clamped a hand around his wrist to halt his action.
