“In a cave,” Noah adds. “With minimal light, no ultrasound guidance, and while the patient was still upside down.”
“Holy shit.” I sit up straighter, genuinely impressed. “That’s badass, Hollipop.”
A shadow moves in the doorway, and I don’t need to look to know it’s Grayson. The guy creeps around like a house cat, appearing and disappearing without warning. Used to freak me out, but now it’s just part of the weird charm that is Grayson Lambe.
“What happened?” Grayson asks, his deep voice rumbling through the room.
Holly launches into the story again, her hands moving animatedly as she describes the narrow passage and the precarious position of the trapped caver. Noah watches her with undisguised pride, adding details about the technical aspects of the procedure she performed.
I watch them all, a strange observer in my own home. They’re so competent, all of them. And then there’s me, the guy who plays video games and makes inappropriate jokes.
If I were broke, I’d just be another loser that none of them wanted anything to do with.
“What’s your most intense wilderness experience?” Holly asks Grayson when she finishes her story.
Grayson considers for a moment, his face mostly hidden behind that bandanna he always wears. “Avalanche rescue in the Dolomites,” he finally says. “Three climbers buried. Found two alive.”
That’s Grayson—maximum impact with minimum words.
“What about you, Kai?” Holly turns to him, eyes bright with curiosity. “Any crazy stories?”
They all turn to me expectantly, and panic flutters in my chest. What am I supposed to say? That I once got really drunk and fell off my snowboard into a snowbank? That I got lost hiking once but it turned out I was only fifty yards from the parking lot?
“We should celebrate,” I announce, jumping to my feet. The sudden movement makes my vision swim, but I power through it. “Holly’s first wilderness save deserves a proper toast. Let’s hit The Lodge.”
Holly hesitates, biting her lower lip. “I don’t know... what will people think? About all of us together?”
“They already know you’re staying with us,” Noah points out. “The whole town’s been talking about it since the blizzard.”
“And no one will suspect we’ve suddenly decided to pack up and choose a mate,” Grayson adds, his eyes meeting mine briefly. “Town thinks Noah’s leaving soon anyway.”
Holly looks like she wants to question where Noah might be going, but I swoop in before she can ask.
I clap my hands together. “It’s settled then! Operation Celebrate Holly’s Badassery is a go. I’m driving.”
“You’re not driving,” Noah and Grayson say in unison.
I clutch my chest in mock offense. “The betrayal! The lack of faith! The?—“
“Last time you drove in snow, you ended up parked in a ditch,” Grayson reminds me.
“That was one time! And there was a deer!”
“There was no deer,” Noah says drolly.
“I’ll drive,” Grayson declares. “Just put new chains on the tires.”
The pill I just took doesn’t mix well with alcohol or driving, so I don’t argue. Instead, I throw my arm around Holly’s shoulders and steer her toward the door.
“To The Lodge we go! I’m buying the first round. And the second. And possibly the third, depending on how impressive other people find your cave medicine story.”
As we bundle up to face the cold, I catch a glimpse of myself in the hallway mirror. My smile looks genuine, my eyes bright with excitement. No one would ever guess that behind that carefully constructed facade, there’s nothing but unnecessary noise that I’m hoping will fade as that the medication takes hold.
I lead Holly towards the door, praying she’ll stay happy with whatever crumbs of an alpha I can offer her.
TWENTY-SEVEN
HOLLY
