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SIX
HAMMER
Package. This person behind him was apackage. Hammer said this to himself repeatedly as they trudged through the woods. It didn’t matter that she was his mate. It didn’t matter that heat rose from her fingers through his hand and tempted him to change his mind.
Hammer’s words attempted, poorly, to erase the sensation lacing up his forearm.
Rain spat down on them, and the ground became slick. Charlie grunted and tripped on something. Hammer’s dragon senses could tell she was fine. Instead of stopping or turning, he let her hand slide out of his, which was the best way to stop the electric pops of wild magic that came when mates met one another.
Hammer flexed his fingers and cursed. A piece of him, the part betraying him right now, was hollow since they were no longer skin-to-skin.
“Get the hell up. We don’t have time for that crap,” Hammer growled at Charlie amid his frustration and irritation at how his instinctual side was taking over.
“I’m going as fast as I can,” Charlie snipped.
She was a foot shorter than he was. She would only keep up if they were on a sunny beach taking a leisurely stroll. His legs were able to take one stride to her three.
“Go faster,” Hammer said over his shoulder. “Keep up.”
Hammer heard footsteps pick up their pace as Charlie ran in front of him. Her sea-blue eyes flashed at him as she stopped to face him, her hands on her hips. Hammer back peddled a little. She was a force. Even though she was tiny, her energy filled the air, making it hard for Hammer to breathe.
“I don’t know who you think you are or what favor you think you’ve done for me, but you don’t get to act like I’m a piece of garbage, and you can fling me around however you’d like,” Charlie huffed.
Hammer stared at her. Even through the mud on her face, he could see her cheeks blushing with anger. He bit back a desire to smile at that trait.
He inhaled deeply. The scent of rosemary and cinnamon danced through the air. This was how she would smell for all time. He studied her face. The sharp lines of her cheeks were etching themselves into his soul. Her messy dark hair framed her face and gave it a heart-shaped quality.
Her pink lips were full. What would it feel like to have her mouth wrapped around his? Hammer cleared his throat but began to grow hard.
“No,” he said aloud more to himself, but forceful enough for his body to stop reacting and for Charlie to balk.
“What?” she snapped. “That doesn’t even make sense.”
Hammer made himself as large as he could to shake off the desire his body was collecting. “I said no.” He stepped up to her so close that Charlie had to crane her head back to look at him.
To her credit, Charlie did not step back.
He felt the sizzle of her on his skin. Hammer used the sensation and poured that energy into his voice, making it strong, deep, and angry. “You will not stop to do this.” His breath was so cold, he could see it brush the side of Charlie’s cheek. “There will be no fits. There will be no yelling. We are in very real danger. End of life kind of shit.”
Hammer lowered his face down close to Charlie’s. He meant intimidation, but again, his body reacted to her. “We keep going. You will keep up. You will keep quiet. Do you want to live? Those are the rules.”
Charlie blinked at Hammer. She glared at him, but something else was underneath that rage. He wondered if she felt what he felt … could humans feel the mating connection? He thought he had a flash of it beneath her ire, but he didn’t want to involve himself with that thought.
“You are a package. I will deliver you alive. Got it?”
Charlie looked like she wanted to argue more. Questions, quips, and comebacks blazed through her eyes, but she took a step back and nodded.
“Let’s go. Now,” Hammer said, pushing into her and walking past her. He didn’t grab her hand this time. It was too dangerous for him to touch her again.
He wasn’t sure what would happen if he did.
A few hours later, Charlie was shivering to the point where she could barely walk. It was slowing them down. He took a sharp right. There was a town just ahead. He could find food and lodging and get into clean, dry clothes.
Because they were closer to a populated area, Hammer knew they would have to be more careful. When he came to a large stone, he yanked Charlie’s arm, touching the coat fabric, and pulled her into a crouching position.
“Stay here. I hear something and want to check things out.” Hammer stood and walked around the road. He sensed her shaking. He wanted to pick her up and keep her warm with his body heat, but that would do neither of them any good.
Although he hadn’t heard anything, his vision was much better, and as far as he could see, no one was coming.
