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“Leca and some of the hunters have run ahead to grab more travois and manpower to haul the kills back. Huo will stay with a few hunters to guard the bison from predators, and Aktor...well, he’ll have to travel with you. For obvious reasons.”
“Obvious reasons being the blood bind and the fact that I can’t be away from him,” Runa clipped.
Niya sighed. “Be angry with him, Runa. Be angry with the fire and Solin. I’m not the one who—”
“I’m sorry.” Runa rolled her shoulders with a pained exhale. “You’re right. I didn’t mean to say that.” Smiling nervously, she asked, “Forgive me?”
“Nothing to forgive.” Niya shifted with Syn at her side. “I’ll just return and tell them you’re on your way. I’ll...um, give you some privacy to dress.”
I caught her black stare over my shoulder. “Thanks.”
A genuine grin caught her lips. “I hope you two had fun. It sure looks like it.” Her eyes darted to my bareness. “You might want to ask Hyath to make you a cloak next, Darro.” Her cheeks pinked. “You have rather obvious scratches on your back.”
With a wink at Runa, she broke into a run, taking Syn with her.
* * * * *
I followed the Nhil hunters travelling back to camp, keeping my distance like usual.
After escorting Runa back to the ashes and bones of their fire and meal last night, I took Zetas to find our own food. She flushed out a swift-footed hare, and we shared breakfast in the shadows of the long grass as Runa resumed her place at the front of the hunting party next to Solin.
The two of them walked behind Tral and Aktor.
I kept careful watch, my eyes never straying from Runa.
She’d ingested my blood.
Or at least, she’d tried.
My hands balled.
What was she thinking?
Not only had I released inside her, but she’d also drank my lifeforce that was swiftly changing to a substance that took life rather than nurtured it.
If she died...
I gasped and rubbed at the spasm in my chest.
Aktor suddenly slowed his pace, slipping from his position beside his father to walk beside Runa, sandwiching her between himself and Solin.
I tried not to care.
I did my best not to give in to my anger.
But it was hard.
Especially after last night and the rightness of it.
I kept walking as Zetas appeared from the grasslands, her horns tangled with a few broken flowers. I pulled away the debris stuck to her, then rested my hand on her large shoulders as I kept my eyes on the Nhil.
Everyone looked rested enough, apart from Runa. They carried their weapons at the ready and their eyes scanned the plains, alert and on guard. Runa’s footsteps seemed heavier than the others. Occasionally, she’d press a hand to her belly as if the pain I’d given her when I’d first entered her twinged now and again.
I winced.
I hadn’t meant to hurt her.
I never wanted to hurt her.
Runa rubbed her stomach again, making guilt cloud.
I had hurt her.
“She’s hungry, you fool.” Pelle appeared, flitting in daylight where no moth belonged. “You drained her of energy—sucked the life right out of her.”
I swatted at the winged insect, missing like usual. “I did not suck the life right out of her.”
“Does she look like she’s spritely today?”
I scowled, walking a little faster to get a better look at Runa’s drawn face amongst the other travellers. I smiled as love warmed my heart. She did look tired, but she wore the same secretive satedness as me. The contentedness from finally being with each other, even if we feared what the future held.
She stumbled, and Solin reached out to catch her elbow just as Aktor did the same.
She froze, looking between the two Nhil males, holding her up with courtesy.
My stomach knotted; a string of shadows unfurled.
“Careful, Moon Master, your possessiveness is showing.” Pelle swooped around my ear before vanishing.
Zetas growled a little as my bleeding darkness licked around her paws. Gritting my teeth, I sucked the shades back and noticed a small wilting patch of daylilies, valiantly trying to stay alive in such tall grass.
I couldn’t stop Aktor from walking beside the woman I wanted more than anything, but I could feed her. I could give her back the energy I’d stolen and show her that, even though I wasn’t with her, my heart and thoughts always belonged to her.
Dropping to my haunches, I ripped up the flowers, dusted off the thick tubers, and spied a late crop of wild strawberries. Grabbing those too, I carried my offerings directly into the heart of the Nhil, blatantly pushing Aktor out of the way and giving Runa a smile.
“Hi.”
She blushed as if the word was laced with want—which it was.
“I wondered where you were,” she said softly.
Aktor muttered a curse under his breath and strode forward to re-join his father. Solin threw me a look, his eyebrow arching. “Interesting weather we had last night.” He glanced at the sky. “Rain that appeared from nowhere. Very unexpected.”
