He loved her. She was like the missing part of him, the soul mate he’d never known he was lacking and had never expected to find. And he had to leave her.
Not yet.
“We’ll get you to the hospital, and they’ll do all they can to save your leg. I’ll be right there. Henriksen will be back soon. Help is on the way.”
God, he hoped he was right.
But Winona was unconscious again.
Five minutes. Ten minutes. This wait was unbearable.
The wolf whined, came closer, still on its belly.
“I’m watching you.” Jason prepared another syringe of ketamine.
The wolf’s ears went up. It jumped to its feet, growled deep in its throat.
Jason drew his Glock. “Don’t do this, little brother.”
Rather than attacking, the wolf turned to flee.
“Shit.” Jason shoved his Glock back into its holster, grabbed the tranquilizer gun, and raised it, sighting on the wolf, which broke into a run. “Oh, no, you don’t. Winona came here for your sake.”
Jason pulled the trigger, hit the wolf in its hindquarters.
It yelped, dropped to the snow, nipping at the dart.
And then, in the distance, Jason heard it—the whirring of a helicopter.
* * *
A cacophonyof voices crashed in on Winona, but the snatches of conversation made no sense, the words just beyond her comprehension.
“Let’s get a second IV going… Antibiotics … Tetanus at the hospital.”
“… O positive.”
“How long has that tourniquet been on her?”
“… a fever … ”
“When she’s safely on the helicopter, we’ll deal with the wolf.”
“Watch for traps!”
Was that Eric Hawke? Austin? Had the Team come for her?
“Someone bring that trap. Get it the hell off the mountain.”
Winona fought to open her eyes. “Jason?”
“He’s right here, little sister. So am I.” That was Chaska.
Someone took her hand.
“We’re moving you to the gurney now, okay, Win?” Chaska again.
“One, two, three.”