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AUDREY
Bishop carriedme all day as if I didn’t weigh anything, only pausing when we stopped for lunch and for half an hour where I tried to walk on my own. And while I was feeling better, I was still shaky and weak, and it was obvious that my pace was a lot slower than the guys’.
Both Cyrus and Knox — once they’d caught up to us — stayed a good ten feet ahead of us. I doubted it had anything to do with wanting to offer us privacy since from that distance they could still easily hear our conversation with their better-than-human hearing, but I wasn’t sure why they were giving us space.
Well, Knox, I knew was pointedly ignoring me because he still couldn’t accept our bond, but I had no idea why Cyrus was.
Although maybe Cyrus wasn’t outright ignoring me. He was just going about his business as usual. He hadn’t paid that much attention to me when we’d walked north. It shouldn’t surprise me that nothing changed on our way back south.
Except I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more going on, something connected to my fever that I couldn’t remember.
Also strange was the fact that Knox hadn’t shifted.
Everyone had made it clear that he preferred his wolf form and he’d remained as a wolf for almost the entire walk to Kelna. I hadn’t even known he and Bishop were identical twins until a few days ago… Well, I guess it was more than a few days now since I’d been unconscious for over a week. But it still felt like a few days to me.
We made camp as the sun was setting, the sky dark reds and oranges. Cyrus picked another campsite that was protected on three sides with rocky outcroppings, one of which had an overhang that would shelter us against the weather. We were about a hundred yards from a forest and the closest we’d ever set up camp to the river. If it hadn’t been for the uneven ground and the bushes, I would have been able to see the fast-moving water from my seat near the overhang.
“Bishop, firewood. Knox and Audrey, fill the canteens,” Cyrus said as he dropped the two packs he’d been carrying — mine and his — and yanked off his shirt.
“I can fill the canteens by myself,” Knox replied. He dropped his packs — his and Bishop’s — and unhooked the canteens.
“It’s not far and she needs to rebuild her strength.” Cyrus dropped his pants, exposing all of his powerful, muscular body, and my breath hitched.
The yearning from before didn’t swell within me, I wasn’t desperate for sex with anyone I could get ahold of, but I did warm up. I might not be in heat anymore or aching to seal my mating bond, but Cyrus was a handsome man — in a dangerous bad boy kind of way — and I was still a living, breathing woman.
“The water is moving too fast,” Knox replied not bothering to look at the river. “If you want her up and walking, have her pace the campsite.”
“The campsite is flat. The way to the river isn’t and it’ll be better for her,” Cyrus said, a hint of his power rolling off him, the only indication his temper was rising.
“Andsheis standing right here,” I shot back as I heaved myself to my feet and used the nearby rocks to keep my balance. “She’s capable of making her own decisions.”
“So, are you going to stay here or be useful?” Cyrus demanded, his words stinging, a reminder that I’d been a burden to him and his brothers since I’d stumbled into this realm.
“I’m going to help with the canteens.” I might be weak, but I wasn’t useless and I refused to let anyone take control of my life again. With the bond sealed, leaving was no longer an option, but I would prove to Cyrus and everyone else that I deserved the same respect as anyone in his pack.
Cyrus huffed, shifted into his massive black wolf, and bounded toward the forest to hunt for our dinner. Bishop shot me an encouraging smile and followed him.
“So…” I turned to Knox. This was the first time we’d been alone since we sealed the bond and a churning mix of emotions swept through me.
“You’re staying,” he growled, grabbing the other two canteens.
“I’ll be fine. It’s what? Fifty? Sixty feet to the river?” I shuffled a few steps toward the river, staying close to the outcroppings just in case I needed to catch my balance.
“I don’t need your help.” His gaze flickered to me then jerked away as if he couldn’t stand looking at me.
“So, this is the way it’s going to be?” I asked, unable to keep my grief and frustration from my voice.
If I was smart, I’d bottle it all away and not give him more ammunition to hurt me, but I’d always been terrible at keeping my emotions in. Sterling had seen through any front I’d put up and knew exactly where and how to strike.
I didn’t want to go back to a life like that and yet sealing our bond hadn’t seemed to change anything between us.
“It’s the way it has to be,” Knox replied.
“Why? I know this isn’t what either of us wanted, but we’re—” We were what? Going to have to figure something out? Make things work?
There wasn’t awe,no matter what our bond said. And I’d never been able tomakeanyone do anything.
“Just mate with Bishop so we can move on,” Knox growled.
