Page 19 of Dark Fey Captive

If I didn’t give him what he wanted, would he then focus on finding the others? Probably, but only if he thought he didn’t have any chance with me. That meant playing nice and not showing my fear, or he’d never believe I was coming around.

So, I closed my gaping mouth and tried to act normal.

“Yeah, intact wrappings are the only way to consume a sausage,” I managed to say seriously. “What do you want in exchange for feeding me?”

His gaze swept over me, lingering on my chest.

“I’m not handy at a lot,” I said quickly, “but I know the area and could trade some information for the food and a shirt if you have one? I’m getting a little chilly again and don’t want to eat in bed.”

The hand holding out the meat stick started to droop a little. Not the other part of him, though. That seemed to be bobbing in time with his heartbeat.

How could he get around with that thing? Even when soft, it had to bounce off his thighs. It was likely similar to boobs. Mine were modest. Lettie’s weren’t. She wasn’t built for running without support, and bras that fit her were hard to come by. Did men need banana support?

“Are you afraid?” he asked.

The hesitation in his voice had me tearing my gaze from his groin and flushing in embarrassment over the way I’d been gawking. It was hard not to look, though. It was abnormally large. At least in my experience.

“I’m just not used to being naked like this. So, are you interested in trading any information for the sausage?”

He blinked at me, his gaze briefly dipping to my chest again.

I tried to keep my panic hidden.

What would I do if he asked for sex?

He’d said willing, and trading wouldn’t really be “willing.” He’d understand that if I kept offering information instead, right?

Doubt poked at me, though, since I still wasn’t sure about the whole sausage conversation.

“Information?”

“Yeah. Like where you’re likely to find the things you need in this area.”

His gaze flicked to the window. I followed it, seeing the pharmacy across the street, and internally cringed. He’d been in there when we’d arrived. Of course he already knew where to find supplies.

I scrambled to come up with something else I could offer but came up blank. I didn’t know anything about him to know what he’d want. Not where he’d come from or even why he was here.

The first rumored sightings of grey demons were six months ago, after the earthquake. Most people believed his kind had started the sickness that resulted in the walking dead.

That thought stopped all other thoughts, and I fought not to show my terror.

If his kind were the source, had I been exposed? Was I infected?

Other than tangled hair, I’d looked normal in the bathroom mirror just now. But I had no idea how to tell if I’d been exposed to the infection or not.

I’d heard rumors about it spreading through an open wound, but I’d never witnessed it. However, I had witnessed it spread from an infected bite. It started with shaking and nausea that escalated to severe vomiting and convulsions—a mere fifteen minutes for a person to lose their humanity. Those fifteen minutes were the window to kill before the person turned and came back undead.

But exposure? I wasn’t sure how that worked.

How long would I need to wait to know if I was sick? Until I started craving human flesh?

The thought that I couldn’t go home until I was sure I wasn’t a carrier hit me hard.

Nav moved suddenly, closing the distance between us.

I tore my gaze from the window, where I’d been staring vacantly, to look at him in surprise.

“Yes. We can trade.” He handed me the food. “I will get a shirt for you. Do not leave this room. There are still many infected in the hotel. Do you understand?”