Lila had planned this solo hiking trip for months. At twenty-nine, she craved the raw silence of nature, the burn in her legs, and the freedom of depending only on herself. She’d hired a local guide service for trail recommendations but insisted on going alone. That decision now felt dangerously reckless.
Dark clouds had rolled in faster than predicted. Lila’s boots slipped on the icy path as she hugged her pack tighter, heart pounding. Her satellite phone had no signal.
Then, through the swirling white, she spotted it, a sturdy log cabin nestled against the mountainside. Relief flooded her as she stumbled toward the door.
It swung open almost immediately. A tall, rugged man. “What the hell are you doing out here?” His voice was deep.
Lila looked up into the face of mountain guide Kane
