"I don't suppose one of you would mind checking in on my family?" The note of hope in my voice matched the worry that they'd say no.

I'd been here five days, and even though I was sleeping and resting instead of falling out of bed, I was healing much too slowly. The wind howled outside and pressed between the cabin's cracks. Fresh snow battered the windowpanes harder with every second closer to winter. Jade and Lee likely had enough food to survive for a few weeks, but without ...