There’s a bite of sarcasm behind the words.She’s critical of my failure to jump to her rescue.
This is no time for me to tell her that she has taken my breath away.
“Sure thing.”I go reaching for the nearest branch, pretending to make an effort as I break it off the trunk.
The woman babbles nervously, trying to fill the dead air with conversation.Her eyes follow my dark shape as I saunter over to the nearest tree.
“The sun seemed to drop down from the sky like a stone.I swear, one moment I was pottering around the inn and the next moment it was twilight.”
A loud crack as the branch breaks loose.She levitates slightly as the noise startles her, but then she forces herself to pretend she’s not strung as tight as a guitar.
“I’m-a use my knife to slash off the twigs, okay?”
A nervous laugh.“It’s not like I have much of a choice, do I?”
Yes, ma’m.You do have a choice.If you could suspend your disbelief for one second, I could prise those trap teeth open with my bare hands.
Taking this to mean she’s going to grin and bear it when I unsheathe my knife, I withdraw the weapon from the leather scabbard tied to my right leg.
A flurry of swipes and the branch is bare.I do this with my back to her so she cannot see how skillfully I brandish the weapon.Or how fast.
The mist billows and eddies around my torso as if it wants to help me hide the monster within.
Making sure to sheathe the knife before I turn around, I move towards her.
“Okay, let’s get these teeth open.”
Her face is pale from all this pretending she’s having to do.All the blood in her body has rushed to her heart to give it enough oxygen in case she needs to run away.Sometimes, I find those primitive responses so endearing.
Placing the tip of the branch into the space created by her ankle, I lean in.
“It’s best to close your eyes”—so that you don’t see how easy it is for me to do this—“in case you get spooked by the release of pressure.”
The woman uses her hair to hide her gaze.It falls like a red velvet curtain over her face.
Tapping the toe of my boot on the bottom trap jaw to hold it in place, I lever the teeth open with my hand.She doesn’t feel anything.Her foot must be numb from the constriction.The woman only opens her eyes when she feels me lift her leg.
“How is it?”Hunkering down on the ground, I cradle her booted foot in my hand.“It might sting as the blood begins to flow again.”
Yep.Her blood is definitely flowing.As the adrenaline disperses, her heartbeats slow down.
Her flight-or-fight reflex disappears.She trusts me enough to give a small hiccupping laugh.
“I’m sorry, I’m not hysterical, I promise.I’m just so relieved… and you look like Prince Charming crouching there holding my foot.Like, you know, Cinderella.Only with boots instead of glass slippers.”
Her words spill out with no filter.The red-haired beauty in the woods is babbling.
Clapping her hand over her mouth, she apologizes some more as she speaks through her fingers.
“I mean, you don’t look like a Disney Prince Charming.Ugh.It’s only the position we’re in, you know.”
Muohta barks, like the dog is embarrassed for her.
I swear I’m smiling underneath the black scruff of my beard, but I might sound a little gruff when I respond.
“Let’s get you on the bike.You need light and warmth.Maybe a bandage.”
Her expression is contrite.“I’m sorry if I offended you.Thank you so much for helping me.I thought you might be a creep, you know.But you’re not.I think.”
