He approached the woods, goosebumps erupting across his skin. The sounds of wildlife from earlier echoed through his mind, and he tried desperately to brush them aside. He’d secured the food. There was no reason for anything to stay in the area. Anything scenting humans would likely be long gone by now.
He gathered sticks, wishing there were more hardwoods in the area. That was probably a large part of the fire fiasco. Pine burned too hot, too quick. But pine was all there was around here.
He paused every so often to listen or any signs of wildlife, but all he could hear was the thumping of his heart. The woods were still quiet, save for the crunch of frost underfoot and the clunk of wood as he stacked it in his arms.
He bent to grab another stick when he finally heard something. The sound wasn’t animal, though.
Voices? Who else would be crazy enough to camp out on a night like tonight? Were Brendan and Leo coming to help?
The voices sounded strained, upset. He couldn’t make out any words, and he found himself drifting toward the sound. It was an odd time of night—or morning—to be arguing. And one of the voices was either female or child. Definitely not his friends.
Curiosity drew him closer, his load forgotten. I should be heading back toward the guys, he reasoned.
But then the feminine voice rose in pitch and volume.
“Mine” and “no” lifted through the drift of agitated conversation, and Jace took off at a sprint toward it, dropping half his load. Whatever was happening couldn’t be good. Up here, this time of year, there’d be no one else to hear.
Or stop it if things got out of hand.
Jace crashed through a wall of naked shrubs before he could second-guess himself, the branches clawing at his coat and face, his hat ripped off his head.
The scene before him made him skid to a stop. Numbness hit him, and it wasn’t from the winter chill.
This was no human fight.
It was a standoff between an enormous gray wolf and an even bigger grizzly—both much larger than he would’ve ever thought possible.
Chapter 2
Jace blinked, half-convinced that the scene would change.
Idaho wildlife wasn’t known for being scrawny, but these guys were monsters. The bear was roughly the size of Brendan’s car, and probably weighed as much or more. The wolf was smaller, but it still stood nearly Jace’s height.
He’d heard voices over here, right? Had someone else seen these beasts and split? Crap, maybe that was what they were arguing about, though anyone from around here would be using calm tones to soothe the animals, not agitating the situation by shouting at each other.
The two creatures were locked in a stare-off, teeth bared, ears down, a low rumble pulsing through the ground. Or maybe that was just his nerves talking. Maybe if I slowly ease away, they won’t notice me.
The first step sounded good to him, but the gaze of the wolf shifted his way for just a second. His second step brought him back to the brush he’d come through to get there, twigs bending, snapping, turning him to stone again. His wide-eyed gaze stayed locked on the creatures.
Both heads swiveled his way.
Not good.
Jace tried to slow his racing mind. There was only one chance of getting out of this alive, and it was his wit.
Okay. No problem. I can do this.
Right.
He mentally ran through the list of advice for dealing with wildlife. The strategies for bears and wolves differed. He’d have to improvise. At least one thing was the same—don’t look them in the eyes. No problem there.
Jace crossed his now-emptied arms, trying to make himself look strong, formidable.
The bear stared at him, its lips pulled back into an almost gleeful snarl. The wolf’s gaze bounced between Jace and the bear, maybe unsure which was the greater threat.
Jace swallowed. Hard.
“Hey, don’t mind me,” he said using the calmest voice he could manage. Keeping his eyes on massive paws, he slowly backed through the bushes. He shuddered as the branches snapped and popped, but maintained course. “Just gathering a little firewood, but I can go elsewhere.”
The bear pulled its lips back further.
Okay, so that wasn’t working. Crap.
What was he doing wrong? He ticked off his mental checklist again. Maybe he needed to make himself look bigger?
Jace slowly waved his arms around, trying not to get the wolf riled up. Not that the wolf seemed to be paying him much attention.
The bear took a lumbering step forward, then another, teeth still on full display.
Was he between a mom and cubs? The bear looked too big to be a mom, but he wasn’t about to examine its bits to find out. But wasn't it the wrong time of year for that? None of this made sense, but then again, he was dealing with wildlife. Very angry wildlife.
What the . . . is the bear’s eyes turning red? That can’t be natural.
“Hey, man. It’s okay.” Jace wasn't sure if he was talking to the bear or himself. The pressure on his back eased, the branches thinning out. Almost out now—a small comfort given the size of the creatures he was facing.
The wolf growled, long and deep.
The bear kept its eyes on Jace, what sounded like a chuckle coming from its chest. A chuckle that sounded almost . . . human.
Jace wanted to blink, to shake his head, to dispel this madness, but he was in an escape-or-die kind of situation. He didn’t have the time.
He took another awkward step backward, clearing the brush with a burst of what felt like the sound of fireworks.
The bear began taking deliberate steps forward. One. Two. Three. It was all Jace could do not to turn and run, though he tried to mirror its movements in reverse. Unfortunately, it was nearing faster than he could retreat.
The wolf kept pace, staring at the bear. Jace couldn’t imagine what was going through its mind. Nothing good.
The wolf jumped in front, snapping at the bear, making a guttural noise that froze Jace to the spot.
“Run!” came a feminine voice. The same one from before? Were the people still around?
Jace didn’t bother to check, spinning on his heel and taking off as fast as he could. He didn't make it more than two steps when he heard a thump and a whine behind him, followed by the rumble of pursuit.
I’m gonna die.
The thought flashed through his head, but hadn’t even finished before he was torn off his feet, a deep pressure on his shoulder. He was weightless for a moment, until his back hit something solid, the breath rushing out of him. He tried to sit up, but was having a hard time determining which way was up. This time he did shake his head and blink, trying to get everything to align again.
Dang it, stupid mind. Figure a way out of this!
But it was too late. Hot breath warmed his face, the muzzle so close he couldn't tell which beast it belonged to.
Jace squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable.
Another yip and a snarl flew past him, and the cool air rushed over his face.
Jace scrambled to his feet again, his right arm refusing to cooperate. Not three feet away the two animals tumbled and roared. He wanted to be far away from here when the bear won—or the wolf, though that seemed less likely.
And was it just his rabid imagination, or did the wolf seem to be on his side? Maybe he just wasn't against Jace like the bear seemed to be.
Speaking of rabid, if he survived this encounter, he'd need to get shots.