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"Damn," I heard Theo chuckle behind us. "If I knew you two would need a moment, I would've made them walk slower."
Sariel flushed but before I could reply, there was a rustle behind us. The others had caught up.
Carlisle jogged over; his brow furrowed in worry as he approached Sariel. "Are you okay?”
“I’m ok,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry if-”
“Sorry?” You were awesome!” grinned Theo, his own emotion safely back behind the armour of his humour. “I knew you were a badass!”
Sariel smiled, unable to help herself.
“Definitely badass,” I said, forcing a smile. Sariel looked up at me, worry in her eyes, but at my smile, I saw her relax.Good. Because this wasn’t over. That kiss had opened a floodgate inside me, and I was done trying to be the good guy. If the only way to have her was to tempt her, then so be it. She could fight me, but she couldn’t fight her heart, and I had felt it as sure as my own. The bond between us. She was mine. I knew it, and I had a suspicion that now so did she.
I smiled down at her, warmer this time, then looked at the others. “Ok, we hole up here for the night. We’ve lost two packs, so rations are short. Share what you have—make it last. Make yourself comfortable and get some sleep. I’ll take first watch and then wake you in a couple of hours, Theo.”
Theo nodded, and glanced across at Sariel, then back at me. Worry flickered in his golden eyes, and I nodded.
“Sariel, I want Carlisle to examine you properly before you eat and sleep.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted, a hint of steel in her eyes. Her walls were going back up swiftly, and I needed to get back inside them before they reached battlement levels again.
"Carlisle needs to look at you," I said firmly. “I can smell your blood from here. I know you heal fast, but just humour me, ok?”
She nodded, a wince contorting her delicate features for a split second. "Ok, fine. Just... don't let go. Not yet."
“I won’t let you fall,” I said softly, and she looked up at me, her mouth turning up at the corner at my double meaning.
I lowered us to the ground, the rock wall cold and unyielding at my back, but Sariel’s weight and warmth was a welcome burden in my lap, her form fitting perfectly against mine. She snuggled in, making me focus sharply on the various cuts and bruises I could see, rather than the feel of her ass pressing down onto my cock. It had just started behaving itself, and I didn’t need it encouraged in this position.
Carlisle squatted down in front of us, opening his med kit and checking her thoroughly.
"Looks worse than it is," he muttered, eyes focused as he cleaned a gash along her arm. He looked up at her when he’d finished.
“Anything else I should know about?” he asked seriously. “Any pain inside? Any head injury I can’t see?”
Sariel shook her head. “No, just that gash, and then mainly scrapes from where they dragged me along the wall, but most of them are healing by themselves.”
“Good girl,” he said with a warm smile. “Right then, we’re done here. You’ll live to fight another day. And thanks to you, so will me and Theo,” he said pointedly looking at me.
I grinned. “Yeah, she did good today. And she wasn’t the only one. Thanks Carlisle. Go get some sleep.”
He winked at her, then got to his feet, moving over to where the others were stretched out on a flatter part of the cave floor.
Theo sank down next to us. “You ok, little badass?”
Sariel smiled up at him and I heard her heart speed up ever so slightly. I smiled to myself. So, Theo was affecting her too. Maybe he’d been right along. Maybe we needed to work together to convince her.
“I’ll give you some space,” he said. “But I brought some rations over.” He laid a plastic packet on the floor, then set a couple of energy bars and a packet of trail mix on top, adding two bottles of water next to it.
“It’s not much,” he said looking at me.
“It’s great. Thanks Theo.”
He nodded, and showing uncommon tact, got up and left, with only a brush of his fingers over Sariel’s hair before he went and sat down with Carlisle.
Sariel leaned into me with a sigh, and I could sense her exhaustion.
I offered her a handful of trail mix.
