Page 111 of Dark Fey Captive

She snorted when she saw me, her gaze lingering at my waist. “You better hope that Lettie doesn’t come in and see that. I share this hut with her and two other women.”

I looked at the beds, understanding. Arena slept with another female at night. Jealousy poked at me.

Taking her hand, I pulled her into bed.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

ARENA

When I opened my eyes, it was pitch black in the hut and would have been freezing if not for Nav’s body heat.

Listening to his breathing, I debated trying to sneak out. In theory, it shouldn’t be hard. As his little spoon, I was facing the door, so I wouldn’t have to climb over him. I just needed to slip out from under his arm.

But I hesitated. His breathing had evened out almost immediately after lying down. He obviously needed the rest. Would he wake up if I moved, though?

I felt, more than heard, my stomach growl and knew, if leaving didn’t wake him, it would as it grew louder. So I carefully lifted his arm.

His breathing changed.

“Sleep,” I whispered, sitting up. “I have to pee. I’ll be right back.”

He grunted, and his breathing evened out again.

Quietly slipping from the hut, I hurried to the outhouse—I really did need to use it—then to the central lodge for something to eat. Over half the island’s population was inside, around the fire. They all turned to look at me when I entered.

“How is he?” Gwen asked.

“Sleeping.”

“Is he as hung as Gwen says?” Rita, Tori’s mom, asked.

Tori tried to hush her, while Gwen grinned. Rita never shied away from embarrassing topics to the amusement of everyone except her grown daughter. At almost 30, Tori should have been used to her mom by now. Rita was embracing every single one of her fifty-two years to get away with everything she could.

“Are you really having sex with him?” Kelby asked.

“I’m here for something to eat, not to answer personal questions,” I said, going straight for the cooking pot. It wasn’t the same fish stew as usual. But some kind of creamy rice soup.

“We’re putting the evaporated milk to good use,” Tori said. “Putting it in soup stretches it and makes sure we’re all getting a little. The kids are sharing a can every other day.”

I hadn’t even known what supplies Nav and Belak had left for them.

“How did you find so much for us?” Evi said, blinking at me. I knew she couldn’t see a thing without her contacts in. She had another pair, but the eye infection she’d gotten a few weeks ago had scared her enough not to wear them again. It wasn’t sanitary enough on the island.

“I didn’t,” I said, serving myself a bowl. “Nav and his friend Belak did. They left every night to get what we needed from the bigger stores on the east side of Ashland. The infected kind of avoid them unless there’s a human around.”

I sat with my soup and took a bite.

“Seriously?” Gwen said. “Is that why there weren’t any infected in town? They’re avoiding him?”

“I don’t know about that…but he was beheading a lot of them as he put up the fence,” I said between bites.

“What fence?” Tori asked.

I told them about the neighborhood, the fence, and how it kept infected out but not the raiders who’d come looking for me. Gwen cringed a little at that.

“Does your house really have running water?” Evi said.

“Yep.”