“Did a screamer make this trail?” Should I be more worried? We didn’t see them until we were in the grass. And when I first saw them, it was in a clearing.
He lifts a fist. “Shh.”
I don’t know what he’s hearing that I’m not, but I stand still, the same as him.
All I can hear is my own heartbeat. Then I remember he’s not hearing. He’s sensing the charge of hearts. Which means he can also sense mine.
Are we being stalked…or is he stalking?
Sweat forms in my underarms and my bladder decides now is a good time to remind me about all the water I drank before leaving.
His fingers uncurl and the hair on my arms lifts.
Whatever it is, I can’t hear it. All around us are the forest noises, leaves swishing and animals chittering and insects buzzing. My breathing is too loud. A bead of sweat rolls over my side.
I almost miss the bolt that leaps between him and something in the bushes.
He pauses, then saunters over, reaches in, and pulls out a dark reddish-brown thing, with pointed ears and a long tail. Its hind legs are much bigger than its front legs, not that they did it much good.
“What is it?”
“Don’t know, but it felt like dinner.” He kneels and holds the knife to its throat. “You want a drink?”
I stare at him and then the creature. “Of its blood?”
“Yes,” he snaps.
“No.” I think I’d vomit.
He’s not as fussy, taking a few swallows before gutting it. Then we are walking again.
Yesterday we talked…today he is stormy and silent. “What’s wrong?”
“Aside from no water and no supplies, nothing.”
“Bullshit.”
“What is bullshit?”
I snarl. Now he’s pissing me off. “You’re lying about something. We went to sleep and everything was fine…as fine as it could be anyway…and now you’re glowing and in a mood. And I need a rest.”
I stop walking and cross my arms.
He takes a few more steps before he must sense that I have stopped.
He turns and glares at me. The glowing markings make him appear fierce and dangerous.
“You think I want this?” His lips pull back, revealing his teeth, and I take a step back. He’s like a different man. Did sex do this to him? I had no side effects from swallowing—something I only worried about after as I was falling asleep.
“Want what?”
His lips twist and he shakes his head. “It does not matter.”
“Clearly it does.” I’m putting my life in his hands.
“You would not understand. You aren’t Honey.”
“I’m not fucking stupid either. You could try explaining.” I’m regretting having sex with him, even though I enjoyed it and it was exactly what I needed.
