"She’s breathing," he shouted. "Bad fracture. Maybe worse. We need to stabilize it before we move."
Davey reached them and dropped to his knees beside her, one hand trembling as he brushed the soaked hair from her forehead.
"Mom? I’m here. I’m here. It’s going to be okay."
"We need air rescue," Mason said, looking up to Natalie. "Get the satellite radio."
She tore through her bag, hands numb with rain and adrenaline and found the device. The screen flickered to life, its pale green glow a small beacon against the grey fury of the storm. She pressed the emergency beacon, then held the receiver to her lips.
"Sanctuary team. Medical emergency. Female, fifty, severefall injury. Ravine northeast of Pine Trail junction. Require medevac, over."
A hiss of static, then a voice crackled through: "Copy that. Storm cell is moving fast but we’re dispatching a chopper. ETA forty-five minutes. Secure the patient. Keep her stable."
Natalie clipped the radio to her belt and looked down the slope again. Mason looked up at her, his face grim.
"I should stay," he called. "They’ll need help with the evac."
"No," she said, her voice strong despite the fear curling through her. "Stay with the wolf. I’ve got them."
He blinked at her, rain streaking down his face, and for a moment they just stared at one another. The world seemed to go quiet for the space of a breath.
"Trust me," she said.
And he nodded.
"Be careful," he called.
She clipped into the rope line, her boots slipping as she began the descent. The path was treacherous now, the ground a mixture of mud, jagged stone, and loose debris. A fallen log threatened to roll beneath her step. Trees creaked and swayed ominously overhead, their branches cracking in the wind like brittle bones. The ravine below was deeper than it had looked from above, carved by centuries of storms, a hidden scar beneath the forest's lush veneer.
Lightning forked across the sky, illuminating the entire valley for a brief, blinding moment. Thunder cracked a second later, sharp and immediate. The banshee’s roar echoed through the trees and down the ridgeline. Natalie reached them, heart pounding, every breath a fight against the cold.
Olivia’s face was waxy now, her breath shallow. "Natalie," she groaned.
"I’m here. Don’t move, okay? Help’s coming."
Davey held her hand, murmuring something under his breath. Something like a prayer.
Natalie tore open her med kit and worked quickly. She stabilized Olivia’s leg with splints and gauze. Covered her with the emergency blanket. Whispered comfort in between instructions.
"You’re going to be alright. Just keep breathing."
Olivia gave a weak smile. "You always were the bossy one."
Davey let out a strangled laugh. A tear slipped down his cheek.
"I’m sorry, Mom," he said, his voice cracking. "I’m so sorry."
"None of that now," Olivia whispered. "Just stay. That’s all I want."
The minutes crawled by. Lightning forked in the sky above, followed by deep, rolling thunder. But the worst of the rain began to ease, tapering to a steady drizzle. The wind still lashed at the trees, but the violence of the storm had passed. The banshee calmed.
Natalie looked up at the ridge. Mason was a silhouette now, crouched beside the crate, guarding the wolf. He hadn’t left. Even when he could have. And somehow, that meant something.
The chop of helicopter blades came faint and distant at first, then louder. A beam of light cut through the mist.
"Here!" Natalie shouted, waving a flare into the air.
The helicopter hovered overhead, then slowly descended into the clearing just above the ravine. Paramedics rappelled down, fast and efficient. They worked quickly, assessing Olivia, strapping her onto a backboard, wrapping her tightly before lifting her into the air. Davey watched, arms crossed tightly, lips pressed in a hard line. Natalie laid a hand on his shoulder.
