While Layla is doing chores on the ranch, she narrowly avoids stepping on a bear trap buried under the snow. Colt comes to her rescue and neither of them is harmed, but the traps symbolize how threats to their happiness are ever present. The bear trap is dangerous because it was concealed; only moments before she saw it, Layla was blissfully thinking about her relationship with Colt. She’s left with the horrifying realization that “I’m essentially standing in what could be a minefield” (263). The metaphor of the minefield applies to the physical threat of the beartrap but also applies to her relationship with Colt. The blissful isolation of the ranch functions like a blanket of snow, masking the very real threat of discovery and serious consequences. When Kayce unexpectedly returns to the ranch, he almost catches Colt and Layla having sex in the barn. The threat of their relationship being uncovered eventually drives them apart, with Layla forced to flee the ranch after Chyannah threatens her. 

The threatening symbolism of the bear traps also directly evokes the risks posed by the Pierson brothers. Colt quickly concludes they must have been the ones to lay the traps. Because of their ongoing animosity with Colt, the Pierson brothers target Layla (knowing that hurting her is an effective way to torment their enemy). While Layla and Colt can easily mistake the ranch as a sanctuary for their burgeoning love, the illicit nature of their relationship means that they are actually in danger almost all of the time.