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Out here, he didn’t have to hide behind a mask of civility.
Out here he could give in to the worst of his impulses.
Stalk. Hunt. Kill.
He turned the snowmobile around and followed the sled tracks. He’d catch them before they got to Solitaire.
14
“Stop looking at me like that. I’m fine.”
Bree studied Ellis’s face. He resisted the urge to fidget under her gaze.
“You’re too pale,” she said at last.
Yeah, he probably was. He didn’t feel great and was damn sure he’d never be warm again. But he was up and walking, no important limbs had fallen off, and he wasn’t bleeding to death. He didn’t want to be a burden, to slow her down, so he’d suck it up.
He was fine.
He pulled up the hood on his parka. Tiny bits of ice broke off the faux fur lining and he winced.
This shit right here was why he left Alaska. It wasn’t only his family drama that had driven him away. Snow. Ice. Cold. He wasn’t built for it. Give him cocktails on a warm beach and he was a happy man.
He realized Bree was still studying him and straightened his shoulders. “I’m fine,” he repeated.
She gave a soft snort of disbelief and turned away to finish checking the dogs’ paws. She’d once mentioned something about razor snow cutting up the dogs’ feet, which sounded like something out of one of those torture porn horror movies. Razor snow. Really, Alaska? The cold wasn’t sharp enough already? You had to go and give the snowflakes razor blades, too?
“You’re riding in the sled bag,” she said as she spread the toes on Norte’s foot to check between his pads.
Ellis followed, watching as she worked her way down the line. “I want to learn how to handle these guys. I should know in case you fall in a lake.”
She sent him a dry look over her shoulder. “I won’t fall in a lake.”
“You know what I mean. I should know how to handle them in case something else like that happens.”
“It’s more important that you stay warm.”
He didn’t bother telling her he’d never be warm again. He was coming to realize she was a bit of a worrier and he’d already caused enough worry for this trip.
Instead, he kept his mouth shut and watched as she slathered Mozart’s front paw with a salve she carried on a cord around her neck. “Why do you wear it like that?”
“To keep it from freezing, but it doesn’t always work. Last year during the Yukon Quest, it was so cold the salve froze solid.”
Jesus. He never wanted to experience the kind of cold that would freeze salve under multiple layers of arctic gear. “And you survived?”
“With just a bit of frostbite.” She wiggled her fingers at him. She wasn’t wearing gloves while she worked on Mozart’s feet and the tips of her fingers were bright red.
Mozart stood perfectly still while she put his booties back on. Ellis knelt to take a look, but with the salve coating, he couldn’t see what had her concerned about the foot. “Razor snow?”
“No. That stuff cuts up their feet horribly. If we run through that, we’re in trouble.” She gave Mozart an affectionate ear scratch. “His pads are just looking irritated and I wanted to get a jump on it to keep him running. Unlike in a race, we don’t have the luxury of leaving anyone at the next checkpoint. They all have to make it to Solitaire with us.” She moved on to Aleu, who was in lead position at the front of the pack. She had reordered the dogs when she harnessed them, putting Aleu and Norte single file instead of side-by-side.
“Why’d you change up their positions?”
“Aleu is the stronger leader, but when she runs next to Norte, she tends to defer to him because he was her lead dog when she first started running. Right now, I want her making the decisions.”
So much work and planning went into every aspect of mushing. She had to know her dogs, understand the weather, the terrain. He’d had no idea dog sledding was so much work.
Aleu tolerated having her paws examined, but just barely. She reminded Ellis of a not-quite-teenager who didn’t want Mom fussing over her. He could almost picture her eye roll and hear her,Mom, stop!
