She rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her mouth as she pulled the helmet on. The world softened once it settled into place, the clinic and gathering storm muted behind a layer of molded padding. She handed him the pack, and he secured it to the rear cargo rack with two practiced pulls of a bungee cord. The medical bag settled flat, tight enough not to shift.
Ace straddled the ATV and held an arm back for her without looking. The gesture was confident and way too familiar. May stepped closer and mounted behind him, settling onto the seat. For a brief second, she hesitated. The heat of his back radiated through his jacket, solid and steady. Then she wrapped both arms around his torso.
Before tightening her hold, she glanced down. A black gun rested against his right thigh, locked into a weather-scarred holster. She recognized the weapon instantly. Half the people in Knife’s Edge carried the same one. Bear country demanded respect, and there were other, quieter threats that lived beyond the tree line.
It made sense.
Ace’s hand closed over hers briefly where they circled his waist. A quick squeeze. Reassuring. Dangerous to her equilibrium. “Hold on, Doc.”
“As if I had a choice.”
The engine growled to life beneath them, vibrating through May’s legs and into her core. Ace guided the Polaris forward, the tires biting into the dirt as they left the clinic behind. Wind rushed past them, carrying the metallic scent of rain and the distant promise of lightning.
He felt warm and solid in front of her. Comforting somehow. They cut along the edge of town and onto Whisper Creek Trail. The landscape shifted quickly as the buildings gave way to dense spruce and birch. The sky above had darkened into layered gray, clouds rolling low over the jagged peaks. Thunder rumbled again, closer now, a deep warning that echoed through the valley.
May tightened her arms around Ace as the ATV picked up speed. The motion pressed her closer against him, her chest flush to his back. Every subtle shift of his body translated into hers. He leaned into a turn, and the flex of muscle against her warmed places inside her that needed to stay calm and in control.
The trail narrowed, winding through thick forest. Leaves trembled in the rising wind. Branches swayed overhead. The first cold drops of rain struck her jacket, then multiplied, tapping faster against her helmet.
Ace accelerated.
The machine responded instantly, powerful and smooth. Gravel spat behind them. Mud slicked beneath the tires. May’s pulse kicked harder, not entirely from the storm. The heat of him, the strength of him, the way her body fit against his, all curled low and tight inside her.
Lightning split the sky ahead, bright enough to turn the world white for a single breath.
Ace didn’t slow.
Another flash split the sky. White light exploded through the forest, blinding for half a second. Crap. The storm lived right above them. May panicked and plastered herself to him.
Ace reacted instantly. His shoulders tensed beneath her hands. “Hold on.” The words were barely out before another crack followed, this one violent and immediate. A lightning strike slammed into a tree somewhere ahead and to the right. The impact detonated like a gunshot, wood splintering with a sickening, explosive snap. Shards of bark and debris burst outward.
Ace jerked the handlebars.
The ATV fishtailed, back end kicking sideways as mud slicked beneath the tires. May’s breath tore from her lungs. Her helmet slammed lightly against Ace’s back as the Polaris skidded, then caught, then lurched again.
Another strike arced down. This one hit closer. The air itself seemed to shatter.
Ace fought the machine as the trail dissolved ahead. The ATV bucked hard, rear wheels spinning before biting unevenly. A jagged branch crashed down across the path, still trembling from the blast.
He didn’t hesitate and slammed the brakes. The Polaris screeched and slid, its momentum carrying them forward just enough to make May’s stomach drop. Before she could process the stop, Ace killed the engine in one brutal twist.
Silence fell.
Not true silence. The storm roared around them. Rain hammered the leaves and thunder growled overhead. But the engine’s absence made everything feel raw and exposed.
Ace twisted toward her and ripped off his helmet, his eyes wild. “Off. Now.”
May barely had time to react. She needed to see better, so she yanked off her helmet. Ace swung off the ATV in one fluid motion and reached for her. His hands closed around her waist, strong and urgent, lifting her clean off the seat. Her boots hit mud, sliding instantly.
Lightning flashed again. Too bright. Too close.
Ace lifted her up against his chest, cradling her, moving fast off the trail just as another bolt ripped from the sky. The strike hit somewhere behind them. The crack was deafening. The concussion punched through May, stealing her breath. She curled into him as his grip strengthened while he hauled her forward through brush and wet grass.
Then the world went white.
Lightning forked overhead, branching violently across the clouds.
Ace didn’t slow. He pivoted and took them both down hard. Mud and wet grass exploded beneath them as Ace twisted mid-fall, turning his body to shield hers. Her breath burst from her lungs as they slid down a shallow ditch carved alongside the trail. That’s right. They were supposed to hit a ditch and not be near a tall tree.
