Left for Wild - Harloe Rae Page 0,21
he catches on. “Prior to this little stint, I’d just moved to Knoxview.”
I quirk a brow at that. Talk about off the beaten path. Maybe that’s how he prefers it. “What’s your address?”
“Are you completing a thorough background check?”
“Just making conversation.” I laugh at the silly attempt and allow my eyes to slip away.
Beyond the reach of our private clearing, the ebony of evening prepares to welcome us. We haven’t been stranded for more than twelve hours, but it already feels like an eternity. With that reminder comes another void to be filled.
“How long do you think it’s been since they captured us?” When they took me, it was October twelfth. A week might have passed since then.
“No clue.” He shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine. It was a Tuesday night when they grabbed me.”
“Wednesday morning for me.”
“They probably kept us knocked out for a few days at the most. Holding onto us beyond that would be too risky.”
Sour bile gurgles in my belly. We’re dealing with sick monsters. “My mom has probably worried herself into a catatonic state. She’s already paranoid. This will toss her over the cliff.”
Halder curses under his breath. “I’m so sorry, Blakely. If there was anything more I could do, please believe that I would.”
“It’s okay. Not your fault, remember?”
“You’re being too forgiving.”
Am I? That doesn’t sound accurate. “Let’s go with rational. Being sensible in this situation bodes well for me.”
He scrubs a hand over his mouth to hide the growing smirk. A smile climbs across my lips in return. The break in tension eases some strain from my posture. He thinks that me regurgitating his words is humorous. I tuck that nugget away. Comedic relief might be what keeps morale high around here.
His expression sobers. “Trust me, Blakely. You’re making this much easier on me.”
I palm my face to hide the rising blush that’s more vibrant than glowing embers. One little compliment sends me into a tailspin. I clear my throat to refocus. “Have we been missing long enough for authorities to be looking for us?”
“There’s no doubt, especially if you have a concerned mother hounding them.”
A huff escapes me. “Oh, she’s doing far worse than that.”
Halder dips his chin, concentrating on the fire. “My parole officer will be after me. He probably assumes I skipped town on purpose.”
A spark of warmth ignites in my chest. “Not ideal, but good in this case. They’ll be motivated to search high and low for you.”
“Discovering our disappearance is the easy part. Without many clues, it will be nearly impossible to track our location. There are no steps for them to trace. I doubt they’ve made a connection between us.”
The overbearing load of defeat pumps into me, slumping my shoulders. “I’m a statistic.”
He looks up at me with twilight ghosting his eyes. “What do you mean?”
I blow out a slow breath. “It’s just something my mom said. Kind of spooky.”
With a grunt, Halder hauls himself off the ground. He tosses a few more logs onto the fire before striding toward me. “This isn’t the end for either of us, Blakely. I’ll never give you a reason to doubt me. We’ll find a way out, okay?”
I’m nodding without realizing. “Okay.”
A pleasant silence sweeps in, giving center stage to the rustle of wind and distant croon of wildlife. I give a mountainside of credit to all living species that manage to thrive in this environment. Where I’m from, there’s a lot of flying south and hibernating going on. Just a bunch of freeze babies. A gust of fierce determination blasts into our bubble, and I burrow into my coat to ward off the bitterness.
“Are you hungry?” Halder holds up a protein bar.
I stare at the shiny wrapper while contemplating his offering. My appetite had been replaced by the fear of our situation. Now that he mentions food, my stomach grumbles with complaints of being ignored. I haven’t eaten since…well, I actually have no idea. How creepy is that?
With a jerky nod, I accept the meal. “Thanks.”
“I figure you’re probably famished. We’ll worry about rationing portions tomorrow.”
We nibble at our dinner in silence. There are twelve bars left, plus some travel packs of mixed nuts. That’s not nearly enough to keep us going in these conditions. How long can we last without food? Seven days? Will our bodies burn the calories for more energy faster in the cold? I really should’ve paid more attention in health education or human biology. That lack of interest is biting me in