I was crouched in a tiny, dark place. I was small, a kid. I had my hands pressed against my mouth so I wouldn’t make a sound. I knew that if I made any noise they’d find me. I didn’t want them to find me. Tears ran down my face. I was trembling.

They were out there. Bad things were out there. So I hid in the dark. No one could find me in the dark. No one would find me here.

Then I saw the light, coming closer and closer. The monster grabbed me—

I woke up screaming and flailing my arms. I hit something and screamed again.

“Hey, it’s just me,” Bora said.

The lamp on the table beside my bed came on. It was still dark outside. Bora was standing between my bed and hers, a look of horror on her face. “What the hell ?” she asked.

I swiped away my tears. “Sorry, bad dream.”

“No kidding.”

Min Ji was sitting up in bed staring at me as if I was the monster that crept through my nightmares. “You sounded like you were being murdered.”

I shook my head. “Not me. My parents. It’s a long story—” I hesitated.

“It’s okay. It’s private. I understand,” Min Ji said.

I was relieved by her acceptance of my need not to explain.

Bora sat on my bed, took me in her arms, and held me tightly. She knew my story. I’d confessed it all to her during the past year, as our friendship had strengthened.

“Are you going to be okay taking these campers out tomorrow?” Bora asked. “We could get out of this, wait for the next group.”

“No.” Shaking my head, I pulled away from her. “I have to face my fears, and going into the wilderness is part of that. I’ll be okay. Tonight . . . I don’t know, maybe it’s because we were creeping through the woods. I haven’t had a nightmare in a while.”

“Just remember that we’re here for you.” She glanced back at Min Ji.

Min Ji nodded. “Yeah, we are. Sherpas stick together.”

“Thanks.” I released a deep sigh.

Bora moved to her bed. “Do you want me to leave the light on?”

“No, I’m fine now.” Or as fine as I could be, considering my issues. The really strange thing was this unexplained fear that I was experiencing lately. It was like a foreshadowing or something—a deep-down sense that something I couldn’t explain was going to happen.

Bora turned off the light, and I snuggled beneath the blankets. I wished I understood what was bothering me. My adoptive parents couldn’t explain it. My psychiarist couldn’t figure it out. But since I’d returned to the national park, whatever it was seemed stronger than before. Part of me wondered if it was somehow tied to what had happened to my parents.

Was something in my subconscious on the verge of breaking free? And if it did, how would my life change?

The next morning when I woke up, the lingering effects of the dream were still haunting me.

The unpleasantness of it hung around like cobwebs high on the ceiling that couldn’t be brushed off. I forced myself to concentrate on something else.

My birthday.

I didn’t feel any older. For some reason, I’d thought I’d feel more sophisticated, better able to flirt with guys, when I turned seventeen. Instead, I felt like the same old me.

Faint light was visible through the curtain. Dawn was well on its way to arriving. My first day as a sherpa with an actual assignment. I was about to embark on my maiden adventure of the summer. I couldn’t wait.

The past week I’d been going through all kinds of preparation and training. This initial excursion would be my test. I reached over and the lamp. Bora groaned and stuck her head under the pillow, mumbling something that sounded like Go away .

“Don’t mind her,” Min Ji said as she got out of bed and then dropped to the floor and started doing pushups. “She’d stay in bed all day if she had her way.”

“I thought she enjoyed the woods.”

“Thought wrong.” She jumped to her feet and stretched. “She likes the woods well enough, but she’d rather not be here.”

I glanced over at Bora. She’d never told me that. “So why is she?”

“It’s expected. If you grow up around here, you’re destined to be a sherpa during the summer.”

“And you all grew up around here?”

“Kind of.”

 “So in our little group, you’re all friends?”

“Pretty much, yeah. Suho, Chanyeol, and Yi Fan left for college this past year. Bora and I have one more year in high school. Then we’ll head out, too.”

“Guess everyone can’t wait to get away from home.”

“Isn’t that why you’re here?”

I nodded. But there was more to it. I’d always enjoyed camping, but lately all I wanted to do was be in the outdoors. “I guess I should feel like an outsider here, but I don’t.”

She shrugged. “You’re one of us, aren’t you?”

I smiled at the thought of all the training I’d passed. “I’m most definitely a sherpa.”

She angled her head and gave me a funny look that I couldn’t quite interpret. Where was my psychiarist when I needed him? “Exactly,” she said, but I had the feeling she’d wanted to say something else. “Dibs on the shower.”

I watched her walk into the bathroom. She was really toned. I found it a little intimidating. I was all of five foot-four, with a slender build. I hoped that hauling a pack and hiking all summer would add some muscle to my shape.

“Are you ready for your first official day as a sherpa?” Bora asked as she sat up and ran her fingers through her dark golden blonde hair.

I moved to the edge of the bed. “Honestly? I’m terrified.”

She gave me an incredulous look. “Why? You aced all the training.”

“Yeah, but that was all in a controlled environment. I know things can get hairy out in the real world.”

“You’re going to do great.”

“Can I be honest with you?”

“Sure. Always.”

“I’m a little worried because I’m assigned to Yi Fan’s group. He sort of scares me. He’s so intense.”

“Don’t let him get to you. All the guys feel like they have something to prove. When they were young, their dads were sherpas. So it’s a tradition passed down from father to son. They’ve only let girls be sherpas for a few years now.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. They didn’t think girls were strong enough.”

“Is that the reason Min Ji starts her morning with push-ups?”

Bora rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Maybe she feels like she has something to prove, too. I don’t take it nearly as seriously as everyone else does.”

Min Ji came out of the bathroom. Her long, dark hair was pulled back severely into a tight braid. She was wearing cargo shorts, boots, and a red tank. She looked at her watch. “You know we have to report in about ten minutes.”

“Oh my God.” I rushed into the bathroom.

I wanted to take my time with the shower, keeping the water as hot as I could stand it, because I knew it would be my last one for many days. But I was pressed for time. No makeup would be needed on the trail, although I did use sunscreen—to try to keep my freckles at a minimum—and mascara.

My eyelashes are a faint red, and without a touch of mascara they are barely visible. I slipped on my cargo pants, boots, and a thin tank top. Over the tank, I zipped a snug hoodie. I tied a bandana over my wild red hair.

I finished up my morning ritual by touching the pewter necklace I always wore. It was a circle of knots and twisted strands. Someone had once told me that it was a Celtic symbol for guardian . It seemed appropriate. It had belonged to my mother, and sometimes it made me feel as though she was watching over me.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, Min Ji was gone and Bora was dressed in cargo shorts and a spaghetti-strap tank. She’d pulled her blond hair back into a ponytail. She helped me adjust my pack onto my back and shoulders.

“If it gets too heavy, say something to Yi Fan,” she told me. “He can shift some of the supplies to the other guys.”

“I’m not a weakling. I can carry my own stuff.” I was a little insulted that she thought I’d need help.

“I’m just saying. Sherpas carried a lot of your stuff last summer, so you might not be used to all the weight.”

“But this year, I’m a sherpa.”

“Looks like you’ll be a stubborn one, too,” she mumbled.

I wasn’t stubborn, but I was determined to pull my weight. And not to miss my adoptive parents.

It was hard, though. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my natural parents, but they’d been gone a long time. My adoptive parents had always treated me like I was their birth kid. I loved them with a fierceness that surprised me sometimes. But it was my nature to have strong emotions about things, at least according to my psychiarist. It was the reason that I was still coping with the senseless death of my parents.

I shivered as I stepped out of the cabin into the cool dawn air. The campers and guides were gathered in the center of the small village. The village was nestled just inside the national park. It housed the ranger station, a small first aid station, a gift shop, a camping supply store, and a tiny café. It was the last chance to stock up before heading out.

Excitement—and a little bit of nervousness—thrummed through my veins. After all, I’d be responsible for the welfare of these campers.

Bora shut the cabin door behind me and knocked her shoulder against mine. “This is it, girlfriend. You ready?”

I took a deep breath. “I think so.”

“You’re going to have way more fun this summer than you did last year.”

I adjusted my pack, took a deep breath, and strode toward the group that had gathered. Dr. Won, his son, and several grad students would be hiking into the wilderness. Six sherpas would be traveling with them. That was a lot for such a small group, but Dr. Won had special equipment that he needed for whatever it was he was trying to teach his students, so he’d hired more of us. Which was fine with me, since I was still learning. Having someone to cover my back sounded like a great idea. I didn’t want to be the one responsible for making a decision that would put us all on the nightly news.

One guy stepped away from the group. “Hey, Ye Jin,” he called out with a bright smile as he approached me.

Bora just gave me a questioning raise of her eyebrow and continued on while I stopped to talk with Mason. He was not only one of Dr. Won’s students, but also his son. I’d met him the day before. He was really cute. His dark-brown hair fell over his brow and covered his left eye.

“Hey, yourself,” I said.

“I was afraid you weren’t going to make it.”

He had so much energy that it bolstered my own excitement about the coming adventure. “No, just off to a late start.”

“This trip is going to be so awesome,” he said.

“Have you done much backcountry hiking?”

“Oh yeah. Not here, of course. But Dad and I have gone through other national forests. We’ve also done a lot of hiking in Europe.”

“So you and your dad are close?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes. I mean he’s still a parent, you know? And my grad school advisor. Plus he treats me like I’m a kid.”

I smiled in commiseration. “Tell me about it.”

“Maybe I will. Later tonight.” He looked down as though suddenly uncomfortable. His stance reminded me of Jae Ho—the guy who’d taken me to the junior prom— right before he’d asked me to go with him. As though he was gathering his courage, afraid he’d get rejected.

“We’re going to have a blast,” I assured Mason, not sure why I was encouraging him when I’d only be with him for a few days. Except that he was cute and seemed friendly. And there weren’t any rules against getting involved with the campers. When you’re out in the woods together for several days or weeks, things were certain to develop.

Lifting his eyes to mine, he gave me a big smile. He had eyes the color of clover. With his tawny skin and dark hair, they really stood out.

“Maybe we could walk together.” He said it like he wasn’t sure if he should make it a real suggestion, a statement, or simply an inquiry.

“I’d like—”

“City Girl, you’re with me.”

Okay, I didn’t know why I knew that order was directed at me. No one had ever called me City Girl . Maybe it was because I recognized the voice. Or maybe it was simply the nearness of it.

To be singled out irritated but thrilled me at the same time. I worked to get all my emotions under control while I slowly turned to face Yi Fan. “Excuse me? ‘City Girl’?”

“You’re from the city, right?”

“Yeah, I suppose seoul could be called a city. And why do I have to hike with you?”

He shifted the weight of his pack on his shoulders. It was twice the size of mine. I would have been bent over, but he stood straight as though it was nothing. “Because you’re new and I need to check your skills. We’ll take the lead.”

He was dressed in cargo shorts and a black T-shirt. His hair was straight and lanky. His silver eyes held a challenge. Yeah, I was new, but I wasn’t stupid enough to argue against an order before we’d even gotten started.

He could easily declare me too much trouble and leave me here. I resented that he had so much power and wasn’t afraid to wield it. I had a problem with authority, obviously.

I gave him a sarcastic salute. To my stunned surprise, his lips twitched as though he were fighting back a smile. Wasn’t that fascinating?

“Interesting necklace. It’s a Celtic symbol for guardian ,” he said quietly.

I couldn’t have been more surprised if he’d suddenly started talking about designer clothes. He didn’t strike me as someone who’d care about Celtic anything. I touched it. “Yeah, that’s what I heard. It belonged to my mom.”

“Makes it special.”

His eyes held mine, and it was as though we were the only two people around. For a moment, he wasn’t my boss. He was just the guy I’d met last summer, the guy I’d dreamed about way too many times to count. I didn’t know why he haunted my dreams, my thoughts. I didn’t know why I wanted to confess about the wish I’d made the night before. Didn’t know why I wanted to kiss him so badly. His gaze dropped to my lips as though maybe he was thinking the same thing I was.

Suddenly he seemed irritated with himself, maybe because Mason wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was studying us with curiosity.

“Meet me at the front in five,” Yi Fan suddenly barked. Then he gave Mason an unfriendly onceover.

“Be sure you stay close to a guide, Mason. Wouldn’t want you to get lost.”

Mason’s green eyes narrowed as he watched Yi Fan until he disappeared. The dislike was shimmering off him in waves. I wasn’t usually so attuned to people, but something about being in the woods brought out my primal instincts, I guessed. Maybe it was the whole getting-back tonature thing. But there was definitely some tension between these two.

“Who put him in charge?” Mason groused.

“The park rangers, I think. He’s supposed to be really good. I heard he found a family that got lost last summer when no one else could.”

“Really? How’d he manage that?”

“Followed their tracks or something. You’ll have to ask him.”

“Yeah, like he’d tell me anything.”

“Did you get into it with him or something?”

“Not yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we do. Something about the guy seems off.”

Mason didn’t strike me as a fighter. Yi Fan would obviously kick his , but I didn’t think Mason would appreciate my assessment of his fighting skills. Apparently I wasn’t the only one feeling animalistic today.

“He’s not really worth the bother,” I said.

Mason snapped his head around and gave me a strange smile. “You don’t think I can beat him.”

“He’s got the whole working-out thing going.”

“Don’t let my love of academics fool you. I can hold my own in a fight.”

“I’ve no doubt.” It was the only thing I could say. I didn’t think a fight was in the best interest of our goal. “Anyway, I’d better go.”

He touched my hand just for a second. “Uh, I’ve got something for you.” He reached into his pocket, brought out a small package, and extended it toward me. “Happy birthday.”

I looked at him with surprise. “How did you know?”

His cheeks turned red. “Last night, I couldn’t sleep. I was out walking. Saw the party.”

Had he been following us? Was he what I’d heard? “Why didn’t you say something, join us?”

“I’m not a party crasher. Open it.”

I did. Inside was a braided leather bracelet. “Oh, thanks. I like it.” I beamed at him.

He appeared even more embarrassed. “There’s not much to choose from in the stores around here. Most of it is camping stuff and cheap souvenirs.”

“It’s awesome,” I reassured him, just before I slipped it onto my wrist.

“So maybe we can get together later,” he said.

It wasn’t like we’d get together later and go on a date. We were pretty much limited to group outings, but still we could have some fun. “Yeah, definitely.”

Then I went to catch up with Yi Fan. Day one and I was already confused about a lot of things: my attraction to Yi Fan and my interest in Mason. Mason was definitely the safer of the two. The question was: Did I want safe?