Page 52 of Feast

She always did that when something was troubling her.

And many questions were troubling her now.

For example, hadn’t Rolf kept her prisoner in a way too? Had he not kept Ika hidden away like a dirty little secret? Had he not made sure her horizons never extended far beyond the boundaries of their territory?

Why?

Ika sighed.

She shouldn’t doubt Rolf. Surely he’d had a good reason for treating her the way he did. Surely.

It was for Ika’s own good, right? For her protection.

And where had she heard those words before? From Thusar’s stern mouth while he had her bent over his lap. While his broad, flat palm thrashed her naked bottom until it felt like it was on fire.

Ika’s hind quarters throbbed at that memory. She thought of all the other shameful things that they had done to her in that cave, and a ticklish shiver ran the length of her spine.

Then something prickled between her shoulder blades.

That was something different.

Danger.

Something was watching her from the shadows of the forest.

Growing up in the woods, Ika had developed a sensitivity for these things, and Rolf had heightened that sensitivity through his training.

Ika knew when she was being stalked.

She must make no sudden movements.

Ika turned her eyes to the shore where the dark trees were gliding past in parallax. At first she saw nothing, just snow-covered limbs and deep shadows.

Then her sharp eyes caught a hint of movement. Something large weaving silently amid the trees. Slowly she dropped her hands to the ice she was crouching on and took up the spear.

There was a growl.

The beast knew that it had been spotted, and there was no longer any reason to hide.

With easy, graceful movements, the thing slinked out of the shadows and prowled along the rocky, snowy shore. Thick, brown fur clotted with snow and dirty rime. Four powerful legs tipped with razor-sharp claws. The beast was as long a two ukkur from its snout to its hind quarters. Even longer when one factored in the hairless tail.

It was an abolith.

The most dangerous predator in the northern lands.

The monster stared at Ika across the flowing water of the river. Four obsidian black eyes that blinked out of sync with one another. Its nose twitched as it scented her, and its flexible lips curled back to show yellow fangs twice the length of Ika’s thumbs. Fangs designed to catch and hold prey.

That’s what Ika had become.

Prey.

Her grip on the spear tightened. Her heart thudded in her chest. Her breath came and went in short and shallow gasps.

Steady Ika. Don’t let it smell your fear.

Easier said than done. A minute ago, she had been freezing. Now beads of sweat were breaking out beneath her cloak.

The abolith continued stalking her, pacing her from the shore as her ice raft drifted downstream.