Claiming Emerald Read Online Free PDF

“Where’s Em?”
    Salt dropped onto the sofa, burying his face in his palms. “We don’t know. Something happened earlier. She was spinning to clear the snow and it made her dizzy. We didn’t realize how sick she was until we went to get her. She was out cold. I put her on the sled with the windmill parts because I couldn’t pull and carry her, too. When we got back, she was gone.” Russell burst from the bed. He began to change, morphing into a snow leopard with long, thick fur. Rory turned and opened the door for him and a moment later, Russell was gone. Rory dropped down beside Salt. “He will find her.”
    “What good will it do? If she was unconscious when the sun came up, she’s already dead.”
    Rory’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I know.” This was his fault. He should have paid more attention when she said that she was sick. He should have stopped her from going. There were other options than windmills. The home he once lived in had only been heated with a fire and a wood burning stove. He and his wife Rebecca had lived through many very comfortable winters without solar heat or windmill power. It was not worth Em’s life to have the luxury of energy. Nothing was worth Em’s life.
    Salt was staring at him and he didn’t have the energy to deal with the younger man’s grief. Without a word, Rory got up and walked across the room. He was weary beyond belief and wanted only to sleep to escape the pain. His grief for his late wife and daughter had been overwhelming and had lasted for years. What he now felt for Em was worse. It was consuming him like the sun itself. If she were dead, Rory had nothing left to live for.
     
    * * * *
     
    Russell wanted to run like the wind in search of Em. He knew that it was a bad idea. He could not scent Em out. She had no scent. He jogged at a medium pace, using only his eyes as he searched the flattened path that led out into the whiteness. The sun had come up, bright and blinding, the reflection of the snow hurting his eyes. It seemed as though everything had been buried. Some of the trees that had survived the sonic bomb were topping the snow, but all the smaller ones were nearly invisible. It seemed that nature directly around the fortress had recovered more quickly in the past five years.
    Russell’s ears perked to the sound of moaning. It was still in the distance, but he picked up his pace to a slow run. Ahead in the snow, he spotted an area that looked melted and in the center was a charred area. Russell stopped. The scent of burning flesh was light, but it was present. He glanced around, but saw nothing. Russell morphed into something resembling a yeti. There was no proof that such a creature had actually existed, but he had seen enough supposed photos of them to become one. It gave him the height of a man while still retaining fur to protect him from the cold.
    In the snow bank to his left, Russell saw an indentation. There was a distinct concave in the surface that made it seem as if the snow in that area had sunken. He began to dig the snow away between himself and the concave. He was hesitant to get too close because if Em was inside then she was already lacking in protection from the sun. For him to open her igloo to the direct light would make matters worse. “Em?” he asked as he got closer to the slightly charred entrance.
    “Ah…”
    “Shit!” She was under the snow and she was still alive. That was a good thing. Russell could leave her there until night fell, but if she was in bad enough shape that she couldn’t talk, she might die before then. “Hold tight. Don’t you dare die on me. I’ll be back in a few minutes and I’m gonna get you out.”
    Em didn’t reply as he shifted into a cheetah and headed back to the fortress at full speed. He skidded to a stop outside the door and shifted back into a man to get it open. Ignoring the stares of those present in the main hall, Russell marched down the hall into Joel’s old room. He tore the