Page 64 of Rest In Knotty Pieces

No one is even winded. Hot and sweaty, but it’s like they took a walk in the park.

Disgusting.

Roseland crouches beside me and grabs my chin, turning me to face him. He studies my expression and shakes his head.

What?I scowl.

“You’re okay. I thought perhaps you might be…no, you’re fine.”

Fine?!I snort and return to hugging the tree, letting out a snarl when King kneels beside Aaron.

“You did real good, Merle, really, really good. I’m proud of you.”

So few words, and they hit me so deeply. I reach for his hand, whining, and then crawl into his lap, burying my face in his neck.

“Good girl,” Blaze says with a pat on my head as he walks past us.

I ignore him. He looks even more chipper than anyone else.Fucking sadists.

They set up camp; the Prince Pack go for food while my alphas set up tents and get a fire started. I let go of King and wander to the limits of our clearing, facing west again. I grind my teeth, frustrated that I can’t remember what it is that’s bothering me.

My mouth forms words. I hear screams, my lungs are burning as I fight to keep moving. I can’t see well in the dark, and there’s someone laughing. Moving towards me in the dark.

My lips move. I try to speak the sounds, but all that comes out are puffs of air. I don’t remember the words.

There’s a coldness inside me. A part that is empty, like a void. Something cold and dangerous.

“Merle!”

I jerk out of my thoughts, whipping around, lashing out at the person who dared touch me. Meg clutches her cheek and staggers back, several steps. When she pulls her hand away, she’s got a cut on her face. It’s long and thin, but it was close, so close to her eye.

I shake my head, shaking off the cobwebs of the vision.

“Meg!” Desi says and pulls her into his arms, dragging her away from me. I hold my hands up, showing that my hands are empty.

Desi snarls. “Come on, let’s go and get this cleaned up.”

I look down at the ring on my finger. That caused the damage. It was a reaction, a startled one.I’m sorry.It was just a reaction, but it was so fast, so violent.

Kind of.

She shouldn’t have walked up behind me. She shouldn’t have touched me.

I pace the spot, frustrated and ignoring the alphas that are watching me.

I turn back to the west.

My head blooms with pain, and I stumble back, hitting the ground on my ass again, falling back as the whole world spins. Blaze crouches beside me while I fight my nausea, then lose. He turns me onto my side and holds me, brushing my hair out of my face while I embarrass myself further, gagging and spewing up the water I’d managed to drink.

By the time I’m done, I don’t argue when he carries me to the tent and lies with me on the sleeping bag. I’m miserable, my head’s aching, and the alpha is warm, his scent helps ease the pain. As soon as I can, I turn so I can burrow into him.

Another strike against me.

Pix will never forgive me.

Blaze lies for a while, then sits up and starts massaging my scalp.

“My grandma taught me that a lot of what ails us can be fixed by applying pressure to different parts of the body.”