Chapter 7
Wilder
I gripped my steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
I was fucking exhausted, coming off a forty-eight-hour shift—forty-nine hours after paperwork had trapped me after shift change.
Living up the mountain suited me just fine, but mornings like this, with the pouring rain making the gravel road slick with mud, made me wonder if a house in town would be so fucking bad.
But I had my reasons to stay away.
A clap of thunder made me jolt as another gush of rain flooded the windshield. I squinted, as if that would make a difference. I was only five minutes from my driveway and didn’t want to stop on an incline. With my fucking luck, I’d be washed straight off the mountain.
I continued inching forward until a flash of lightning illuminated something bright in the tree line. My heart started beating faster. I wasn’t sure why, but after over a decade in firefighting and mountain rescue, I knew to trust my instincts.
I scanned the woods, every muscle in my body tense.
There it was again.
I let out a vicious string of curses when I realized what I was seeing—a young woman with blond hair and an oversized backpack was making her way down the mountain. She was drenched and her leggings were coated with mud. What the fuck was she doing out here?
I threw on the emergency brake just in time to see the woman slip.
My heart seized as I watched her slide down the mountain almost in slow motion.
Rain pelted me as I leapt out of my truck, leaving me instantly soaked, but my focus was fully on her.
She’d managed to grab a tree branch, stopping her descent.
“Hang on!” I shouted as I grabbed a length of rope from the back of the truck. I tied it around my middle before securing the end to my hitch. I probably wouldn’t need it, but mudslides could wash even the most experienced hiker off the mountain.
The ground shifted beneath me as I made my way to her. She was trying to get her legs under her, but her flimsy sneakers meant she couldn’t gain traction. She fell back on her ass, rousing all my protective instincts.
My boots squelched, sinking into the mud as I quickly wove through the trees. When I finally reached her, I crouched down.
“Are you hurt?”
She jumped at another crash of thunder before tilting her head back. My entire world shifted and reorganized around me as her bright blue eyes met my gaze. She was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen, even with blue-tinged lips and chattering teeth.
“Hi,” she squeaked. “Nice day for a hike.”
Fuck, she was cute.
“Are you hurt?” I repeated.
“I twisted my ankle when I fell, but I think I’ll be okay.”
Her sweet voice was almost snatched by the wind, and I leaned forward to hear her.
“Can you help pull me up?” she asked.
I reached out my arm and she took it, her small hands clinging on tight. I carefully pulled her to standing, my other hand going to her side to keep her from falling. She tested putting weight on her injured ankle but immediately picked it up with a grimace.
“It’s fine,” she said quickly when I let out a low curse. “I can just hop.”
Was it sprained? Broken? There was probably too much adrenaline pumping through her system to properly assess her pain level.
“Give me the backpack,” I said gruffly, already moving to take it off her. My eyebrows shot up as I slung it over my shoulder. “This is heavy as fuck.”
“Tell me about it.”
I peered down at her, standing unsteadily on one leg, water dripping down her face. This girl needed someone to take care of her.
I glanced back at the road, clenching my jaw at the small river of mud and water rushing down the mountain. It wasn’t a far walk to my truck—a couple dozen feet, if that—but I didn’t trust her ankle to hold her.
“I’ll carry you.” I tugged on the rope around my waist, making sure it was still holding fast.
“I can walk.” Another shiver wracked her body, and I was struck by the intense urge to bundle her up in front of my fireplace.
She tried taking a step, but her pained whimper made a low growl tear through my chest. I picked her up without warning. I didn’t have time to convince her to let me carry her. We needed to get to safety before half the mountain washed away.
“Or I guess you’re carrying me,” she squeaked. Her chest was plastered to mine and her arms wound around my arms, clinging tight. Even with as cold, muddy, and wet as she was, she felt perfect against me.
I kept one hand on the rope and the other under her ass, supporting her as I took careful steps back to the truck.
I swore when my boots hit a patch of mud and we slid a few feet down the side of the mountain.
She tightened her hold on me, burying her face in my neck.
I fought to get back on a stable patch of ground.
I was not about to let her fall, especially when she was showing so much trust in me.
I grabbed a tree trunk for balance, the rough bark anchoring me as I inched back to the road. Fuck, would my truck even be able to make it the last bit to my house? I quickly ran through our various options. Only part of the road was flooded, so the truck still seemed like our safest option.
I opened the passenger door and reluctantly put the woman down on the seat. “My house is just a few minutes up the road.”
She nodded, her eyes wide as I closed the door, untied the rope around my waist, and got in on the other side.
“Buckle up,” I commanded.
Her frozen hands fumbled with the seat belt until I couldn’t take it anymore. I reached over and got her buckled, wishing I had gloves to offer her.
“Hang tight,” I said gruffly. “If we get stuck or start sliding, we’ll leave the truck and walk the rest of the way.”
Her eyes were wide as she nodded. I blasted the hot air, making sure her seat warmer was on high. My clothes were soaked and clammy against my skin, but it took a lot for me to feel the cold. This woman was tiny, shivering, and not remotely dressed for this weather.
I held my breath as I inched the truck forward. The wheels spun in the mud and dread seized me, but then we lurched forward. My arm automatically flew out to protect her, banding across her chest. Her sharp intake of breath brought me back to my senses, and I put my hand back on the steering wheel.
I eased the truck up the road, forcing myself to keep my eyes facing forward when all I wanted to do was check on her again.
I let out a sigh of relief when my driveway came into view.
“Almost there. You warm enough?”
“Starting to thaw.”
I fiddled with the vents, making sure they were pointing at her, when a scent hit my nose. Bright and floral, with a note of mouthwatering sweetness that reminded me of picking plump strawberries, the juice dripping off soft skin…
Fuck. She was an omega.
My grip on the wheel tightened along with every muscle in my body.
Mine.
Her scent fanned the flames of the possessiveness my alpha had felt since I first laid eyes on her. Static filled my ears, and each ragged breath delivered more of her scent into my lungs.
I came to a stop in front of my cabin, mind whirling. I’d been so focused on the rescue, I hadn’t thought about what came next.
There was no way we could get back down to town in the storm, and no conveniently located mountain hotel to take her to. She would have to stay with me.
An omega would be in my cabin.
Fuck my life.
“Thanks for rescuing me.”
Her sweet voice pulled me out of my spiral. I took a deep breath and turned to face her.
“What were you doing out in this weather?” My words were too harsh, but images of her sliding off the side of my mountain flashed before my eyes and filled me with anxious rage.
“Oh, you know, just some camping and hiking. I’m Lucy, by the way.”
She held out her hand. I stared at it, not trusting myself to touch her. She awkwardly lowered it. “What’s your name?”
“Wilder,” I grunted.
“Well, thanks for rescuing me, Wilder.” She chewed her lip and glanced out the window. It wasn’t even ten in the morning yet, but the storm light made it feel like night was falling. “I’m guessing getting back to town might be a bit tricky.”
I turned off the truck. “You can come inside until it passes.”
Before she could respond, I was back in the downpour. I sucked in a deep breath, filling my lungs with the smell of damp earth as I desperately tried to erase her scent from my memory. Her door popped open before I got to it, and I rushed over so I could carry her.
Only because of her injured ankle. Definitely not because my alpha was pushing at me to have the cute omega in my arms.
Lucy clung to me as I led us inside, only letting go once the front door was shut behind us.
I glanced around my cabin, trying to see it through her eyes.
I’d renovated it last year—rewiring the electric and updating the plumbing—but in terms of decoration it was…
sparse. I had been more focused on making the old cabin livable, but maybe I should have gotten a throw pillow or something for the couch.
I toed my boots off. “I’ll get you a towel.”
I headed into my bedroom and stripped off my sopping clothes, leaving them on the bathroom floor. Did Lucy need something to wear? She had a backpack, but what if her clothes were wet? I pulled on sweatpants and a sweatshirt and grabbed an extra set for her.
She was still by the front door, dripping water on the floor, teeth rattling from the cold, when I returned.
I fought the urge to pull her against my chest.
“I got these for you in case you need them.” I thrust my clothes at her, and she took them with shaky hands.
“Could I possibly take a shower?”
I swallowed hard at the image of the stunning omega in the shower, water dripping down her bare skin. I cleared my throat, ignoring my hard cock.
“Bathroom’s down the hall. Clean towels are under the sink.”
“Thanks.” Her voice was an almost whisper as she started to shuffle by me. I shook my head and picked her up again.
“Are you going to be able to shower on your own?”