“Leave her alone!”
Mitzi found a new gear and scrambled over the edge. The image in front of her caused her heart to stop.
Snowflake stood with her back to the ledge. Her eyes were wide, and she kept glancing behind her as if she were looking for more ground. All that greeted her was open air. Billy was making his way out to her, his hands out to his sides for balance. The spot where Snowflake stood was only four feet wide.
Ely was between her and her child, holding a hot shot. Normally used for cattle with thick hides, the hot shot sent a small electrical shock, like they’d get if they brushed against an electric fence. They were not made for reindeer, and the sight of it in his hand enraged her.
Snowflake never hurt a soul. She took in other animals who didn’t have a home for the winter and let them into her stall. She’d become Billy’s best friend when he didn’t have one. And she’d done all she could to make Mitzi’s life better—being a listening ear on the darkest days.
A scream of injustice built inside of her, and she surged forward, grabbing on to the hot shot. “Let go!” she said to Ely, who was trying to tear the stick from her hands.
“No! I’m going to make millions off this video.” He tugged her closer to him. Spit landed on her cheek as he screamed and grunted.
She held fast, the shiny end of the stick glinting in the spotlights as it whooshed past her face. “By killing a reindeer at Christmas?”
“I’m not trying to kill her!” Ely yelled. He pushed away and yanked her back like a rag doll. Her feet slipped and she went down to one knee. Ely twisted the stick and she lost her grip, her palms smacking the ground.
“No!” she yelled.
Ely turned and jabbed at Snowflake.
Billy threw his arms around her neck. “Stop it!”
“Get out of the way!” Ely threw his hand to the side, slashing it through the air.
Mitzi scrambled for his feet, trying to trip him.
He kicked at her, his arms windmilling. “Get away from me.”
His arm went wide and he nicked Snowflake. She yipped and reared with Billy still holding her neck. Mitzi watched in horror as the animal’s back leg slipped over the edge. In a heartbeat, she bit Billy’s coat and tossed him over her back as they fell over the edge.
“Nooo!” Mitzi’s scream blocked out any sound. The blood rushed through her ears, and she couldn’t draw in a breath.
The sound of thunder shook through her ribs, and a blur of brown movement caused her to turn towards Ely. He was on his back—the giant reindeer from the trailer standing over him and blowing hot air all over his face. Ely cowered into the snow. He had nowhere to go and one angry reindeer to deal with.
Mitzi crawled to the edge and flattened herself onto her stomach to look over. She didn’t want to see Billy down there, but there was a chance he’d survived the fall, wasn’t there?
As she cleared the rim, she heard his giggle. “What in the world?”
Forest cradled Billy against his chest—like he’d caught him out of thin air. Snowflake stood beside them, shaking her antlers and her tail.
Relief—sweet relief—rushed through her veins, and for a moment, she was too weak to move.
“He’s okay!” Forest called up to her.
Billy giggled again.
She met Forest’s intense gaze, unable to express her relief.
“He’s okay, Mitzi. He’s okay.”
Hearing the words repeated was exactly what she needed to get her body jump-started. She scrambled back and to her feet. The Nicholas brothers were just reaching the top of the bluff when she found the way down. “He’s over there.” She nodded her head in the direction of Ely.
“Thanks.” They made their way over to the Dunder, speaking softly to him.
Mitzi didn’t listen to their words. She was too intent on not falling as she went down the hill much faster than she’d gone up. She hit the ground and ran pell-mell into Forest and Billy, wrapping them both in her arms.
“I can’t believe you saved him,” she gasped, pressing a kiss to Forest’s cheek.
