At the sight of him, she smiled. “There you are. I was beginning to wonder.”
Being unable to tell her what he’d seen led him to trotting into the jungle, not far because he found a squirrel almost right away. A crunch of its body led to a mouthful of blood, which he began spitting out soon as he changed.
Phoenix returned to Nadirah naked, thinking nothing of it until he noticed her gaze fixed on his body. A body that reacted and brought a blush. She turned her head and held out his bag.
“How did the scouting go?” she asked as he dressed.
“Good. Seven people in total. They’ve got a camp set up.”
“Meaning they don’t leave at night.” She frowned. “How will we get inside the ruin?”
“Very carefully.”
Because he wasn’t entirely sure those guns would be used only on predators.
Chapter Eleven
Nadirah and Phoenixhad their first argument as they waited for the dark of night to mask their planned excursion into the ruin.
“You’ll stay here while I go check out the structure,” Phoenix declared as he readied his pack.
“I don’t think so.” Nadirah shook her head.
“Barring any biting insects or reptiles, you should be safe. I detected no large predator scents, and before I shifted, I marked the area around to warn off any that might even think of passing through.” The urine of a tiger would act as a deterrent for many creatures. It probably explained why she’d not seen any small jungle creatures nearby.
“I’m not afraid of being by myself in the woods.” Not entirely true. She did feel out of her element. The real reason she wanted to go with him? “I want to see the ruin.”
“It will be dangerous.”
“I’m aware, but then again, so is me staying behind. What if you don’t return? I’m not sure I could find my way back out.”
A grimace twisted his features. “Guess it would be cocky for me to claim I won’t be caught. After all, we have to cross the camp to get inside.”
“Won’t everyone be sleeping?”
“Most likely, but there’s a possibility there will be a guard on duty. Not to mention, some people wake at the slightest sound, or someone could get up to take a piss.”
“What’s the worse they’ll do if they catch us?” she asked with crossed arms and an arched brow.
“I don’t know. However, I will remind you they have guns.”
“Most likely for animal danger. They are not going to shoot two curious tourists.” At least she hoped they wouldn’t.
His lips flattened into a thin line. “I don’t want you getting in trouble.”
“Too late for that,” her dry reply.
For some reason, that quirked his lips. “Guess so. You really want to come?”
She nodded. “All my life I’ve heard about the harimau. Now I’ve finally met one, and from the sounds of it, that ruin might have some clues about them, how they lived, where they might have gone.”
“Or there might be nothing at all.”
“True, but what if there is? If there’s writing, you’ll need me to translate. Besides, two sets of eyes and brains are better than one.”
He uttered a long-suffering sigh. “I don’t like this.”
“It will be fine. We’re not breaking into a bank or military installation. It’s an abandoned structure in the jungle, and we are simply two nosy people trying to take a peek.” She pitched her voice higher and batted her lashes in her most innocent look. “Oh, I’m sorry. I begged my boyfriend to do something unique for our anniversary.”
