Ragvald was saying something, but it seemed very far away. Honey could only hear the thunder of her heartbeat, pounding with more than just the shock of the near miss.
Buck seemed frozen too. He stared right back at her, eyes gone dark, chest heaving for breath. His gaze flicked down to her mouth, so close to his. His arms tightened, and for one insane, heart-stopping moment, she thought he was about to kiss her.
“Ragvald! Are you hurt?”
Moira’s anxious voice broke the spell. Honey felt Buck stiffen. He pulled away a little, though he didn’t set her back on her feet.
“You okay?” he said gruffly.
“I’m not the one you should be worried about.” Face hot, she pushed at his chest. She might as well have shoved at a cliff. “Put me down, you idiot! What were you thinking?”
Rather than releasing her, his hands tightened. He jerked his head, an odd spasm crossing his face.
“Buck?” Concerned, Honey stopped shoving at him. She could feel his heart pounding through her palms. “Are you okay?”
“I…” His lips drew back, baring his teeth in a snarl. He twitched again, harder, the spasm going all through his body. “I… can’t… no!”
Abruptly he dropped her. Unprepared, Honey sat down hard, the unexpected impact stealing away her breath.
Without another word, Buck turned his back on her. He lurched away as though drunk, shouldering through the crowd of gawping counselors. Whispers rose in his wake. From what Honey could make out, everyone shared the question that was on her own lips:What was that all about?
“What’s going on over here?” Leonie demanded, striding over. Her golden eyes widened in alarm as she saw Ragvald, still prone with Moira kneeling at his side. “Ragvald! What happened?”
“A minor mishap,” the big man wheezed. He feebly waved one hand, brushing aside the lead counselor’s concern. “It seems our warrior bonds require a little more strengthening. Nothing a friendly wrestling match will not fix.”
“Under no circumstances are you to wrestle Buck,” Moira told him. “That’s a direct order.”
Leonie looked around. “WhereisBuck?”
“I don’t know,” Honey said, getting her breath back. She scrambled to her feet. “He just took off for no reason whatsoever.”
“I wouldn’t saynoreason,” Moira murmured as she helped Ragvald sit up. “I warned you about Buck’s problem, Ragvald. You’re lucky he went for Honey rather than you.”
“Outlanders,” Ragvald grumbled. He smoothed a hand down his beard. “For people who barely touch each other, your men are all so touchy.”
“All right, everyone, that’s enough.” Leonie said to the crowd of onlookers. “Let’s treat this as an opportunity to practice staying calm and unflustered in the face of drama, okay? As counselors, you’ll have to get used to handling situations like this.”
“Though it’s usually a kid losing control,” Moira said under her breath as the crowd reluctantly dispersed. “Come on, Ragvald. Let’s get you to the infirmary. We need to get you checked out for concussion.”
“Honey, could you go after Buck?” Leonie asked as Moira led the big man away. “I don’t think he should be alone. See if you can calm him down.”
Honey grimaced. “I’m not sure I’m the right person for that job.”
“I think you may be theonlyperson,” Leonie said, giving her a look Honey couldn’t quite interpret. “I don’t know where he’ll have gone, but it can’t be that far. Try the cabins first, and if he’s not up there, head into the woods and sniff around. Start at one of the trailheads—there are places there to leave your clothes, you can’t miss them—and don’t go beyond the camp boundaries. If you don’t find him, come back here and we’ll figure out what to do next, okay?”
“Okay,” Honey said automatically, and then, “Wait, what was that about my clothes?”
Too late. Leonie was already bustling away, clapping her hands to attract the attention of the other counselors. Honey was left blinking at her retreating back, wondering if she’d somehow misheard.
Shaking her head, she went out. There was no sign of Buck in the big central square. She did, however, spot Rufus, Finley, and two girls sitting on the front steps of the storeroom in a tight, whispering huddle. As she headed over, all four looked up, with varying degrees of relief.
“Hi kids,” she greeted them. “Listen, have you seen Buck?”
One of the girls—a tall red-head with a worried, serious expression—nodded. “Yes ma’am. He went by a few minutes ago.”
Honey pressed her lips together, holding back a smile at the girl’s careful manners. She could remember being that age, so desperate to impress adults with her own maturity.
“You don’t have to call me ma’am,” she said. “My name’s Honey. I’m—”
