Page 54 of The Hunter

Lacey chuckled and took another drink of water.

Cole wasn’t the only one to doze off. Droztar lay near the others with his arms folded beneath his head, body relaxed, and eyes closed, his orange hide sun dappled. A nap was tempting, but Lacey knew it would only leave her feeling worse. If she let herself sleep now, she was going to sleep deeply, and it would take ages to shake off her grogginess once she woke up.

Reaching back, Lacey picked one of the larger leaves growing beside the rock and used it to fan herself as she slowly ate the moonblossom fruit.

This would make an amazing flavor for a cold drink.

God, she could really go for a sweet, cold treat right now, like a bubble tea or a shaved ice. That was one of the things she missed from Earth, especially in this climate—ice and snow. Lacey had never been a big fan of winter, and she’d never thought the day would come when she longed for snow, but here she was. Right now, she wouldn’t have thought twice about running outside bare-assed to make naked snow angels just so she could feel that brisk jolt of cold against her skin.

You’re only torturing yourself with these thoughts.

There would be no snow days here, no air conditioning to cool her off, no ice cubes for her sugary sweet drinks while she relaxed on hot days, and that sucked. But if by some fluke of nature this jungle were ever hit by a blizzard, she was sure she’d remember real fast why she disliked winter.

Lacey looked around again. Still no Telok.

She sighed and rested her head against the rock. As hard as she tried to stay awake and watch for him, fatigue, enhanced by the heat, lulled her toward slumber until she couldn’t keep her eyes open.

“Lacey,” said a gravelly voice, thick with concern. A large, strong, callused hand cupped her jaw. “Time to wake.”

She groaned, attempting to pull her face away, but the grip remained firm.

“Lacey, wake up,” Telok said.

She reached up and weakly swatted at the arm holding her jaw. “Tired…”

He grunted. “Be tired later. Wake now.”

“Don’t blame her,” Cole said from nearby, interrupting himself with a yawn. “This heat is brutal.”

There was a delicate touch on her forehead and a slight scrape as Telok’s fingers brushed aside the wet strands of hair clinging to her temple. “Wake, vi’jatai. I must show you something you will much like.”

Her eyelids were heavy, fluttering as she battled them open. She found Telok’s mask-like face hovering not far from her own.

His glowing green eyes narrowed in satisfaction. “Good, female.”

“What do you have to show me?” she asked groggily, struggling to keep her eyes from falling shut.

He took her wrists, his fingers circling them completely, and gently drew her upright. “Come and see.”

As she stood, agony radiated from her inner thighs and crackled through every pain receptor in her body. Knees buckling, she staggered. Telok’s hold solidified, and one of his arms banded around her waist, supporting her.

Clutching her fists, she hissed. The pain forced her to full awareness.

“What is wrong?” Telok demanded. “You are hurt?”

Brow pinched with discomfort, she attempted to pull her wrists away. “It’s okay. I just…need to get moving again.”

Telok tightened his hold on her. Not enough so to be painful, but enough to tell her that he was not going to let go. His gaze was as demanding as his voice. “Where is your hurt?”

Lacey tore her gaze from his and looked down. She hated that she could feel everyone’s eyes on her, hated that she might be the one to slow them all down.

“The scars on my thighs,” she said quietly. “They’re inflamed.”

His mandibles fell, and he emitted a buzz so low that she swore she felt it vibrating faintly in her bones. He turned his head to look at someone out of Lacey’s line of sight. “Avokt’ven ah’ani ithaahl.”

Carry her belongings.

Her gaze shot back to his as she shook her head. “I can carry my own⁠—”