Laura dragged herself onto the rocky riverbank, her body shivering uncontrollably. The icy water had numbed her skin, but it couldn't numb the searing pain from the deep gash on her thigh. She must have hit a rock during her wild ride downstream.
"Stupid, stupid," she muttered through chattering teeth.
Blood trickled down her leg, mixing with river water. Laura pressed her palm against the wound, wincing at the sharp sting. It was deep—too deep to ignore.
She glanced at the sky. The sun hovered just above the mountain peaks. Another hour, maybe less, and she would win. All she had to do was stay hidden until then.
But the blood...
Laura knew what blood meant in a forest full of predators. It was like ringing a dinner bell.
Or worse, it was a beacon leading Dante straight to her.
Gri
