I Fed My Ex To Grizzlies Chapter 1

A spring trek through the rugged Wyoming backcountry. The moment we touched down, my boyfriend’s toxic "girl-bro" insisted on heading straight to the deep woods of the back mountain to shoot grizzly bears.

She claimed she wanted to film a viral clickbait video—something along the lines of LexieWildlife Interaction Meets Wilderness Survival GuideLexie.

What she didn’t know was that the grizzlies in these mountains right now were fresh out of hibernation. They weren't majestic forest dwellers; they were starving, hyper-aggressive man-eaters. Even if you went in packed to the gills with tactical gear, surviving them was a roll of the dice.

In my past life, I reported her plans to our local trail guide.

Threatened with the forfeiture of their steep security deposit, the guide kept a tight lock on the camp. But she snuck out in the dead of night anyway. By the time they found her, two starving grizzlies had left nothing of her but a single, blood-soaked hiking boot.

When my boyfriend found out, his face remained flat and indifferent. Yet, the night before we were set to leave, he snapped.

"You had to open your fat mouth!" he’d screamed, pinning me down. "If I had gone with her, we would’ve gotten a viral hit, and she’d still be alive!"

He tied me to a lodgepole pine. The grizzlies found me, and they tore me open from chest to groin.

When I opened my eyes again, the phantom sensation of my own wet, warm intestines spilling onto the pine needles was still burning in my gut. I was back at the campsite, listening to them argue about heading into the back mountain to find the bears.

* * *

"Come on, Darcy. Don't tell me you're actually chickening out?"

Lexie twirled my expensive carbon-fiber trekking pole between her fingers. The sharp carbide tip scraped against the gravel with a grating, metallic screech.

She looked at me, her eyes wide with that practiced, delicate innocence that made my stomach turn.

"The internet says grizzlies are practically docile this time of year," she purred, flashing a smug, dimpled smile. "If you toss them some food, they’ll roll over on their backs and play like oversized golden retrievers. Zach’s channel is practically dead right now. He needs a hook. As his girlfriend, shouldn't you be supporting him instead of pulling the emergency brake?"

I stared at her smooth, sun-kissed face.

My stomach rolled with violent nausea. The memory of teeth ripping through my flesh, of cold mountain air hitting my exposed organs, was so visceral I had to squeeze my hands into fists to keep from shaking.

I didn't say a word.

Standing right beside her, Zach immediately scowled. He stepped forward, defensively pulling Lexie behind his shoulder.

"What’s with the attitude, Darcy?" Zach snapped. "Lexie flew all the way out to the Rockies just to help me shoot content. She pushed through altitude sickness to be here. And you? Since we landed, you’ve done nothing but throw cold water on every single idea."

"We’re trying to build a business here," he continued, his voice rising, practically vibrating with self-righteous anger. "You don't get views without taking risks. Do you even understand how the algorithm works? Or do you just want to see me fail?"

A few other hikers from our group drifted over to watch the drama unfold.

Dave, a guy in his fifties holding a stainless-steel thermos of rehydrated soup, chimed in. "Honestly, Darcy, the kid has a point. Young people need that drive. I looked at the map earlier; that back trail is barely a mile from the camp line. What's the worst that could happen? You’re twice her size, but you don't have half the grit of little Lexie here."

Luke, another guy from the group, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Zach is busting his ass to secure a future for the two of you. You’re holding the girlfriend title, but you’re just dead weight on this trip."

I looked at them. A slow, cold smile crept onto my face.

In my past life, these were the exact same people who took fifty thousand dollars in hush money from Zach’s family. They had stood before the sheriff and sworn up and down that I must have sleepwalked into the deep woods of my own accord.

"You guys are entirely right," I said. My voice was quiet, incredibly calm.

Zach blinked, caught off guard. He clearly hadn't expected me to roll over so easily.

"Since it's for your career, of course I support it," I added, looking Zach dead in the eye. "The landscape back there is stunning. The footage will be spectacular."

Lexie’s eyes lit up instantly. "Really? You mean it?" She took an eager step toward me. "Great! Let me borrow your DJI Mavic drone then."

Before I could answer, a gravelly, furious roar cut through the camp.

"Like hell you will!"

Jed, our local guide, came marching out from behind the supply tents. His face was weathered and dark red from years of mountain wind, his heavy flannel shirt billowing as he strode over.

"Who the hell thinks they’re going into the back mountain?" Jed snarled, pointing a thick, calloused finger at Lexie. "Those aren't 'docile' bears. Those are starving grizzlies. They’ve been asleep all winter, and they will chew your bones to splinters the second they smell you. You go back there, you’re suicide bait."

Jed glared at the group. "If you want to die, don't do it on my permit. As long as I'm the registered guide for this sector, no one steps a foot past the camp boundary. Try me, and I’ll have the sheriff haul your asses down the mountain before sunset."

The atmosphere went ice-cold. Lexie shrunk back, tucking her head into her shoulders, looking up at Zach with watery, helpless eyes.

Zach’s face flushed a deep, angry crimson. "Jed, stop trying to scare everyone. We have bear spray. Besides, we’re only shooting at the tree line. We'll be back in thirty minutes. You don't own the national forest."

Jed’s eyes bulged. "I own the liability for your pathetic lives!"

Seeing them on the verge of a fistfight, I stepped forward and gently patted Jed’s arm.

"Jed, take it easy," I said, pulling a notepad and a sharpie from my tactical jacket pocket. "They’re grown adults. They have the right to make their own choices. If you're worried about the liability, we can just write up a waiver."

Jed stared at me, dumbfounded. Zach looked equally stunned.

I popped the cap off the pen and quickly scribbled a few lines on the paper.

LexieWe, Lexie Vance and Zachary Thorne, hereby choose to enter the restricted back mountain area of our own free will. We fully acknowledge the high risk of wild predators in this sector. Any injury, death, or accident occurring during this excursion is solely our responsibility and is entirely unrelated to guide Jed or fellow hiker Darcy Rollins. We assume all risks.Lexie

I handed the pen and paper to Zach.

"Sign it," I said. "Once you sign, Jed won't have to worry about losing his license. And you two can go get your viral masterpiece."

I looked at Lexie, the corner of my lips turning up in a shadow of a smile.