Page 136 of Moon Chosen

“Why don’t we get some sleep and then I’ll see how he’s doing?” Mari said.

“Okay, yes, we need to get some sleep. If he’s awake when we’re ready to leave, drug him again. Then you can come with me without worrying about him getting past your creature.” Sora glanced at Rigel, who was lying beside Nik’s pallet. “I can see why you’re worried, though. Your creature really seems to like him.”

Rigel lifted his head, looking from Mari to Sora, obviously understanding that they were talking about him. Mari smiled at the young canine. “I told you before, Rigel would never leave me, if that’s what you mean about me being worried. I just don’t want Rigel to have to try to stop Nik from leaving. I mean, what would Rigel do to him?”

“The creature could bite him. I’d give a lot to see that,” Sora said.

“I don’t want Rigel to bite him. I just want Nik to get well enough to walk out of here—after he’s answered all my questions.”

Rigel stood, stretched, and then padded over to squeeze between Mari and Sora, who were still sitting close enough that they could whisper to one another.

Sora grimaced and tried to scoot away. “Every time I get near him your creature gets his fur all over me.”

“Nik says it’s because of the change of seasons, and after questioning him today I know how to comb out his coat.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

Rigel looked up at Sora and then sneezed all over her mostly empty bowl of stew.

“Oh, yuck. The creature is disgusting.” She plopped the bowl in front of the pup. Wagging, his tail, he gulped the rest of her sneeze-covered stew.

“He’s smart about getting more food, that’s for sure. And that’s something else Nik told me about today. Gotta watch how much he eats,” Mari said, patting Rigel affectionately. She stood then, putting her empty bowl by the hearth. “Okay, let’s get a little sleep, then I’ll see what kind of shape Nik is in.”

“I hope he’s drugable,” Sora said, waggling her fingers at Mari and Rigel. “Sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams,” Mari whispered as she curled up with Rigel before the hearth on their makeshift pallet. As the firelight faded to a red glow, Mari watched Nik and began cataloguing questions for him in her mind, but the questions kept slipping away as she studied him, distracted by the way his blond hair gleamed in the dim firelight. She looked from his hair to his face, and was even more intrigued. His features were so different from those of the Clansmen. Nik was more refined, with strong cheekbones and full lips. Had his jaw not been so square and his neck and shoulders not so powerfully built, Mari would have been tempted to call him pretty.

He moved fitfully, brushing one of the coverings from him so that his arm, golden tan with long, lean muscles, lay naked against the pelt. Mari felt a fluttering low in her stomach as a warm rush of desire flowed through her body.

Almost without thought, Mari went to Nik. She rearranged the pelt so that it covered him again. Then she glanced surreptitiously at the empty doorway to the back room. Sora was definitely in bed. Slowly, Mari reached out until just the tips of her fingers caressed his hair.

Soft—it’s so soft!

A muffled snore from the back room had Mari retreating to the fireside where Rigel joined her, resting his head on her knee while they both continued to watch Nik.

“Want to know a secret?” she whispered to the pup. “I think he’s beautiful. But donottell Sora.”

Rigel huffed several doggie laughs before stretching out beside her and falling asleep. Mari found sleep more slowly, and when she did she dreamed of gleaming blond hair, long, tan muscles, and softly waving pine trees…

37

“I can’t believe this. It’s gone! It’s really gone!” Nik was staring at the wound in his leg. Just the night before it had been putrid and black with deadly blight, and now it was pink with health and obviously healing. “And the one in my back? That one, too?”

“I already told you it’s free of the blight.” Mari smiled at him as she finished packing his wound with more of the indigo poultice and closed the bandage.

“But will it come back?”

Mari met his gaze. “Trust me, Nik. It’s gone for good.”

“I do trust you. I promise I do.”

Nik’s bright gaze went from Mari to Sora, who was watching Mari with a strange, knowing expression in her gray eyes. He ignored the Scratcher and focused on Mari.

“You won’t be gone too long, will you?” Nik asked.

A loud snort came from Sora. “Oh, don’t pretend like you wouldn’t relish the opportunity to grab Mari’s creature and run back to the Tribe.” The young Clanswoman frowned severely at him and Nik frowned back at her.

“I can’trunanywhere. I can barely walk. And I wouldn’t do that. I would never steal someone else’s canine!” he said.