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But how long will Kian be in my life? That is the question. And while it does its best to linger over me, I won’t let it ruin our time together. I will stay with Kian as long as he is willing to be here with me. And I hope that he is thinking the very same thing.
If anything can pull us apart, it won’t be one of us. It would have to be someone else. Someone neither of us know, or someone that he had once known but now forgotten.
“I love you,” I whisper and press myself against him.
“I love you, too,” he answers, and we roll over each other as we fuck, over the soft bed of leaves and grass in the shadow of the great trees.
The forest is ours, and we are each other’s. All of the animals and plants seem to whisper to us. “Have fun. Enjoy yourselves. We’ll keep watch for anyone who wants to hurt you.”
22
KIAN
We return to Amara’s home, leaving the hideout with the meat, skin, and bones of the lion and lionesses that Amara will use throughout the winter.
She has told me several fascinating ways that she will use the skin and bones. She’ll utilize the bones to fortify vegetable soups. The marrow and remaining cartilage help to thicken soups and gives it a meaty flavor.
She’ll use the skins to make articles of clothing that she’ll either wear as the winter becomes colder, or she’ll sell them at the settlement’s trading post.
The sun has set by the time that we have returned to Amara’s little house in the middle of the clearing, deep in the forest.
I let go of her hand – I wasn’t even conscious that I was holding it – as I help her take the remains of our prey to the shed attached to her little house, where she keeps all her preserves.
The wolves roam around the clearing, sniffing and pawing at the ground as if they are inspecting the place to make sure that no one has trespassed onto their territory.
After Amara and I have put everything away, she goes over to her little garden to see what has grown or bloomed in our absence.
“Is everything okay?” I ask her as she moves slowly down each row of fruit and vegetables.
“Hmm.” She sighs. “We’re going to have a nice harvest of potatoes this winter. We’ve got a lot of shallots and garlic growing here, too. But I don’t think any of my beetroots made it.”
“I’m sorry,” I say immediately, instantly disappointed that Amara won’t have any beetroot, even though I am quite sure that I do not know how beetroot tastes or even what it is. “I hope you won’t miss it too much.”
She straightens up and runs a hand vigorously over her hair, which has grown slightly.
“No, I’m not unhappy.” She turns to me with a smile on her face. “I’m glad. Most of the shed is filled with jars and jars of preserved beetroot and onion jam. Shannon at the settlement has banned me from trying to sell or trade them.”
We both burst into laughter as we head back to her little house and prepare for the night.
* * *
Three days have passedsince we returned home from our hunting expedition.
Home? Is that really how you feel about this place?
I look around the clearing. I am busy digging a moat around the edge of the clearing so that the coming rains will drain off into it.
Amara went off to the settlement’s trading post to trade some of the animal hide clothes that she has made in the three days we have been back.
In return, she says she’ll get some more medicines, which she wants to stock up on just in case.
I look down at Alfa, who has been following my every move since we returned home.
“I think.” I lean down to give her furry head a rub. “I think we might need to fortify the house more. Amara did tell me that her house flooded last winter. I don’t want that happening again.”
I dig as much as I can until Amara returns with several packages.
“I think we need to fortify the foundations of your house before it starts raining,” I tell her. She raises an eyebrow as she sets the packages down in the small space that she calls a kitchen.
