Abandoned In Wasteland, He Rode To Me

Chapter 1

My director father, Sebastian Sterling, who loved the Northwest all his life, left his soul forever in the Wildlands. I was going to bring his body home and finish the documentary he never got to complete. Damian Hawthorne promised to accompany me to pick him up, but time and again, he left me behind for the one who got away. Just as I hit rock bottom, a stranger in a tribal robe pulled me onto his horse, helped me perform the sky burial for my father, and became the leading man in my footage. Later, Damian would come to me with bloodshot eyes, begging me not to be with anyone else.

*****

"Final boarding call for Ms. Celeste Sterling, please proceed to..." The airport announcement blared my name, urging me to board. Standing at the gate, I clutched my phone, my heart pounding with anxiety. After I received news of my father's death last night, Damian immediately booked my flight to the Wildlands. He held me as I sobbed, whispering, "Don't cry. I'll go with you to bring Mr. Sterling home." Damian had taken care of me since we were kids; I relied on him, trusted him... and loved him.

But now, the flight was about to take off, and he was nowhere to be found. He wasn't answering his phone. Had he been held up by the Hawthorne Group? He was just a rich boy barely starting to manage family affairs; what urgent business could he possibly have? Thinking of my father lying alone in the Wildlands, tears welled up.

Damian finally arrived, far later than he should have been. I let out a sigh of relief and hurried to meet him. "Why are you only just now..." I stopped short when I saw who was following him: Vivienne Wren, the woman he'd been obsessed with and constantly talking about these past few months, who was also his assistant.

"Sorry, Miss Sterling, I wanted to come and help, and I didn't mean to delay you..." Vivienne murmured.

Damian immediately interjected, "What are you talking about? No one is blaming you."

I wasn't happy, but my father was more important, so I said nothing and turned to board the plane. We had booked seats together, but once aboard, I found he had switched them to sit right next to Vivienne. Before I could even ask, Damian leaned in and lowered his voice. "Sorry, Celeste, Vivienne's never flown first class before; I need to look after her."

I could see clearly that the concern and doting in his eyes were not for me. My heart ached, but I wasn't in the mood to argue. I nodded and found my seat. Next to me sat a tall man in a white shirt. His skin was tanned, his brows sharp and deep, and his features were more refined than any movie star's. He wore a green teardrop earring in his left ear; he clearly wasn't a local lowlander.

Damian must have sensed my unhappiness, as he tapped out a message on his phone and handed it to me:

Damian: Vivienne wanted to help, so I'm bringing her along to see the Wildlands. She's never been before, don't overthink it.

Reading the part about "bringing her along to see the Wildlands" my chest burned with fury. What was this? Was he taking her on a vacation? I shut my eyes, refusing to reply.

Three hours later, at the Wildlands airport. It was teeming with tourists excited to explore the area. I, however, was there to claim a loved one who had died unexpectedly in the Dead Zone. My father had passed away two days ago, and his body was still being held at the Ridgewood Sheriff's Office. To retrieve his remains, we had to charter a vehicle across the Dead Zone. We found a driver, passed the "800 Miles of the Dead Zone" sign, and drove into the vast wilderness.

Vivienne frowned. "Mr. Hawthorne, I feel dizzy and my chest is tight. I think I have altitude sickness..."

Damian panicked. "Are you okay?"

I looked at him in the rearview mirror, holding Vivienne in his arms, and a lump formed in my throat. The words slipped out before I could stop myself, "There's oxygen in the trunk. You can take a few breaths to stabilize yourself. We can deal with it once we're out of the Dead Zone..."

"Celeste," Damian cut in, his voice reproachful. "She isn't as physically fit as you. Can you stop being so heartless? By the time we cross the Dead Zone, who knows how long that will take? How is Vivienne supposed to hold on?"

My heart ached. Just as I wanted to say that mild altitude sickness was normal, Damian said, his voice tight with worry, "Driver, forget about retrieving the remains. Turn around now. I need to get Vivienne to a hospital!"