Warrior by Elizabeth Lowell Read Free Book Online

had done no good before. It did no good now. He had no leverage, nothing but brute strength and no way to apply it effectively. He could wrench his trapped leg but he couldn’t free himself.
    Helplessly, his much greater strength useless, Nevada watched Eden strain against the stone again and again, spending herself recklessly in an attempt to free him. He cursed steadily, silently, wishing that he could do something, anything, to lighten her burden. She was too slender, too fragile, too gentle – like life itself, a flame burning against a vast icy darkness; she would break her heart and have nothing to show for it but the memory of pain and failure.
    “Eden,” Nevada said roughly, unable to bear watching her an instant longer. “Eden, stop!”
    If she heard, she ignored him. A ragged sound was dragged from her throat as she strained to straighten her body, and in doing so force the boulder aside just a little, her muscles straining, just a few fractions of an inch – her body screaming – just enough for Nevada’s foot to slide free of the rocky vise – her vision blurring and her breath burning in her chest until she sobbed.
    The boulder grated as it shifted minutely.
    It was all Nevada had been waiting for and more than he had thought possible. He shoved hard with his free leg against the boulder and at the same time yanked his trapped leg backward, ignoring the pain that shot through his ankle. After a few agonizing seconds his foot wrenched free of the boot and the rocky vise.
    “I’m out!”
    Instantly Eden let go of the branch and sank to her knees, breathing in great gulps, trying to get enough oxygen to keep the world from receding down an endless black tunnel. When she finally succeeded, she realized that Nevada was kneeling next to her, his arms around her, supporting her. With a broken sigh she leaned against his strength.
    “Sorry about the boot,” Eden said when she had enough breath to spare for words.
    “Never fit right anyway. Too big. Damn good thing, too.”
    Nevada leaned to the side, snagged Eden’s jacket with one hand and began stuffing her into it. When he was finished, he caught her face between his big hands.
    “Do you hurt anywhere?” he asked.
    She shook her head.
    “Don’t ever do anything that stupid again. You can tear yourself up inside and never know until it’s too late,” Nevada said savagely. Then, before she could say anything, he asked, “Can you walk to the cabin?”
    Eden nodded.
    “Get going,” he said. “You’re sweaty. Don’t stop to rest until you’re in dry clothes.”
    “But—”
    “Move.”
    “What about you?” Eden persisted.
    “I can take care of myself.”
    As he spoke, Nevada automatically wiped snow off the rifle, checked the load and the firing mechanism. Satisfied that everything was in working order, he used the butt of the rifle to lever himself to his feet. Circulation was returning to his left foot, but slowly. With the renewed flowing of blood came excruciating pain. Nevada ignored it. Using the rifle as a makeshift crutch, he took a step forward.
    And fell full-length in the snow.
    Even as Nevada rolled onto his side to lever himself upright again, Eden spoke quickly to Baby. The wolf hit Nevada squarely in the chest, knocked him back into the snow and put one very large paw on his chest. Nevada realized instantly that he wasn’t going to get up again without fighting Baby. The prospect wasn’t inviting.
    Eden bent over Nevada, survival blanket in hand. “Wrap up. I’ll be back with the horses as soon as possible.”
    Before she could straighten again, Nevada’s hand flashed out and snared her wrist in an immovable grip. His eyes were as cold and bleak as his voice.
    “Baby or no Baby, you damn well better be in dry clothes when I see you again, lady.”
     
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    When Eden returned leading the Appaloosa and the packhorse, she found Baby sitting next to Nevada. The animal’s black paw was on the man’s forearm. Yellow