Read Alphas in the Wild for Free Online Page B

need it.” He cleared his throat, sounding uncomfortable. “Even I know my down garments will become less than worthless if they get wet.”
    “Crap. Here.” She dug back in her pack and handed him a stretchy top. “At least put this on under your jacket. It’s not much, but it’s one more layer.” She waited for him before hefting her pack and taking off down the trail at a trot. Worry for Tim’s safety ate at her. “Keep up,” she called over one shoulder. Moving’s a good hedge against the cold. The trail’s not obvious once we hit the lake basin.”
    “Yes, Mother.”
    “You need a mother,” she shot back, “if you come into the mountains unprepared.”
    She led the way around the lakes to where she was sure she’d find the collection of mules and tents the trail crew used. She had to correct her course a couple of times. It was snowing even harder than she anticipated, obscuring her vision. Finally, she pulled her GPS out of its case on her gun belt and started clicking keys.
    “What are you doing?” Tim sounded as if he were trying to keep his teeth from chattering.
    “Putting in the coordinates for the camp.”
    “Thank God you have them.” He wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing his hands up and down his arms.
    “Don’t you have gloves?”
    “Just liners. They’d soak through pretty fast.”
    Moira peered closely at him. His face had white patches that could be the beginnings of frostbite. His fingers didn’t look any better. “Put your hands in your jacket pockets and follow me. It’s only another half mile.” She tried to infuse a confidence she wasn’t feeling into her voice. It was conceivable winter could show up right now and not leave until the following May. She’d seen autumns like that in the high country. She hoped some of the crew had extra clothes for Tim. And a warm sleeping bag. The temperature had already dropped into the mid-twenties. Even if she shared her sleeping bag, she didn’t think his bivy sack, down jacket, and pants were going to cut it.
    She heard mules bray before she actually saw the camp. Moira wasn’t certain, but she thought she heard Tim mutter something about stupid and fucking freezing to death . Even underdressed to face the weather, there was something strikingly elegant about him. And he smelled wonderful. She’d never forgotten that scent. Something musky and spicy clung to him. Most people just smelled like sweat after a few hours on the trail.
    A bird cawed somewhere in the clouds, and her heart sank. The birds. The goddamned, fucking birds. She’d all but forgotten about them.
    Great. It’s snowing to beat hell. Marauding birds are out to get me. Tim’s looking hypothermic. What the fuck else could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Four
    “H ey,” a voice called out. “That you, Ma?”
    “Yeah, so you’d better shape up. Hide the booze and dope. Tell the girls to put their clothes back on.” Moira laughed hollowly. She was glad to see the collection of cabin tents, pitched in a careful row. The wind had picked up, blasting at a good clip. Between that and the snow, visibility was less than twenty feet. Without her GPS, she wasn’t at all certain she’d have found the camp.
    “Guess I’m not the only one who tagged you that way,” Tim joked. His voice sounded thin, like he was nearly at the end of his reserves. Cold could do that to a person. It sapped everything out of you shockingly fast.
    She reached for his arm and dragged him into one of the canvas tents. Smaller versions of the ones Yosemite used for their high country camps, they were substantial: ten by fifteen feet and tall enough to stand in at the center. Extremely heavy-duty, they were plumbed for woodstoves, but she was nearly certain the crew hadn’t packed any stoves in on the mules. No one expected this freak storm.
    “Who all’s here?” She took off her pack and propped it in a corner, pulling her headlamp out. It was dim inside the tent, and she couldn’t