4
Him
This woman had spunk. Is that what they called it? Spunk? That didn’t sound pleasant, but I found myself drawn to her despite all the angry swearing. I continued to lay still as she argued with the furry thing about what to do with me. I didn’t want to scare her. Humans were quick to fear, and fear meant violence. She’d already threatened me with a weapon. Yet, despite her annoyance, she seemed set on dragging me somewhere warm. So I waited. Normally, I’d take charge of the situation, make the tough calls. Or at least I thought that was something I would do, but my head was still so fuzzy. Even if I wanted to wake up and walk, I wasn’t sure that I could with the injuries I’d sustained. I needed rest and fuel to heal properly before I could continue on my mission. Perhaps this tiny thing could provide sustenance.
A soft fabric wrapped around me and the warmth instantly seeped into my aching limbs. A soft sigh escaped me. As she reached across me, sharp smells of cinnamon and mint mixed with her natural sweetness. It shot right through me. It almost felt like an alarm had been tripped and a voice in my head yelled a warning. Maybe I needed to get away from her. Maybe she would derail whatever my plans were.
But it didn’t feel bad at all. No, it felt like an overwhelming desire to drag her down on top of me in the icy night and kiss her until we were both on fire. I forced my limbs to relax and started to breathe through my mouth in an effort to find some self control.
Now was not the time to get aroused. This body was highly reactive to this strange little woman.
She was tucking the soft fabric around me, grunting and swearing the entire time. I subtly rocked myself to assist her, otherwise we might be here all night. In the soft light I could just make out dark waves of hair, the soft shell of an ear, the long column of a smooth neck. It was a chore to close my eyes again. So I wouldn’t, not yet. I would examine every bit of her that I could as she worked around me.She was indeed very beautiful. Perhaps they all were and that was what made them so dangerous.
The furry creature behind her watched me closely. Too closely. The one she called Marv. It—er, he?—stared intently at me. It tossed its head until its harness smacked into my bruised abdomen. I sucked in a breath through my teeth to hide my pain.
“Good idea, Marv,” she said.
She slid the length of the harness under my arms. Still, I assisted by moving slightly. Did she really think she alone had the strength to carry me? Marv huffed.
That Marv creature rang more bells of awareness. Was he also a danger? If only I could remember anything past the pain burning through this body. The woman stood up again and I had to force myself back into fake unconsciousness.
“Lord help me. I swear off men and this stallion lands in my back yard.” I squinted one eye open just as she threw her head back to speak to the sky. “Very funny.”
She arched out her breasts and her back cracked. I fought very, very hard to prevent getting very, very hard.
Marv snuffled out some sort of noise that meant “let’s get moving, snow is coming.” I shot a wary look at him. He pulled the harness. I hissed in pain.
She must not have seen because she just patted his head and murmured, “Well Marv, looks like you’re the only man I need.”
I had an overwhelming desire to punch Marv in his smug, furry face.
Marv, if that was even his real name, began to walk without being told. The woman pulled me by the harness. It did not feel good. Every branch, every rock, every freaking item on the pasture floor managed to scrape down my back or other nether region-type places, so that I had to almost crab walk to avoid serious injury. This body was so tragically vulnerable. It’s a surprise it had even lasted this long.
Another spark of memory flinched through me, telling me I needed to hurry.
Nevertheless, I found her inability to leave me behind . . . admirable. She was not happy about it. In fact, she seemed to have an issue with most males of her species—not that I blamed her; they are in large, very disappointing—and yet she must have been frozen as she hauled me back toward some unknown destination.
Despite the pain, despite the confusion in my muddy brain, I couldn’t help but feel that time was running out. That I was being pulled toward my destiny.
This woman would change everything.
