Kyla sighed and leaned in to rest her forehead against Garnel’s. “You’re right. I won’t say anything. I just want him to be happy. I don’t know if Savine has ever truly been happy.”
Chapter nine
Avery
Avery sat in her sleeping bag, not knowing what to do. She had been awake for a few hours. Growls, roars, and pants had kept her up all night long. She wasn’t sure what sort of creatures made those sounds. They seemed like they were almost sexual, but in the most brutal way possible. Maybe some beast was mating outside of the encampment? Whatever caused that sound left her uncomfortable, especially since the fae had taken her multi-tool. She didn’t have any weapon on her now.
When she worked up the courage to go to the tent door, she’d asked her guard, a man named Weston, about the sounds. Helaughedat her and told her they were normal occurrences around the encampment.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Since she wasn’t in mortal peril because of beasts prowling the camp, she’d asked Weston to show her where the restrooms were. The outhouse, at least, was clean and didn’t stink. After returning to her tent, Avery asked for some food. Her guard returned with cornbread, eggs, and a hot cup of tea. It was comforting to eat food that were familiar. Obviously, coffee would have been preferable, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Avery expected Kyla to come to her tent, but so far, she had not. To pass the time, she unpacked her backpack and made an inventory ofeverything. The air was cool outside her tent, but her sleeping bag was warm, and she’d slipped her pants off after breakfast.
If the bear had attacked them before they put their backpacks on, she would have been in this land without her gear. Being here without something from home gave her goosebumps. At least now she could sleep in a familiar space, and smell the scents of Montana that clung to her sleeping bag and clothes. As she went through her stuff, she made a note of what she had left. A small amount of toothpaste, her base layers and one outfit, hiking boots, and some other important camping supplies. Then she saw the chunk of quartz that Morgan handed her just before they were attacked. It was so clear it seemed to glow, and the heaviness of it surprised Avery. Just looking at it made her feel nauseous. Without leaving her sleeping bag, she threw it across the room. It struck the canvas tent with a thud.
If she didn’t return to Montana, everyone she loved would never know she survived the bear attack. They would always think she died on that mountain. Were her parents mourning both their daughters now? What was happening in her own world to the people that she loved?
She had to convince Savine to return her to Quartz Mountain. There was no way she could run. She knew that now. At least she wasn’t in serious pain any longer. Even her injured shoulder was remarkably better.
Loud voices approached her tent. Someone was talking to her guard.
“Avery, may I come in?” A low, masculine voice asked. So it was not Kyla who came to visit her, but Savine. Her chest tightened, and her stomach did a flip at having to face the intimidating man alone. Plus, she’d need to convince himnowto let her go.
“Yes, come in,” Avery said, trying to sound confident. Savine entered her tent, and his presence engulfed the space. Avery was still tuckedin her tight sleeping bag. When she tried to stand up, the bag went with her, leaving her standing like an inchworm on a stick.
Savine let out a laugh as Avery tried to wriggle out of the sleeping bag. “Well, that looks cozy. Do you humans always sleep cocooned up like that?”
Avery blushed at his words, and her cheeks turned a vivid scarlet hue. “Only when we are camping. At home we sleep in beds with blankets.”
“And you prefer this tight little bag to our beds and furs?” Savine asked. He took a step closer to Avery, getting within a few feet of her. His blue eyes gazed at Avery. Avery studied him. His face wasn’t as severe as she first thought. He was actually very attractive—the male version of his sister. High cheekbones and dusty blue eyes accented his face. His lips were plush under a groomed beard. His shoulder- length hair was pulled back— this fierce fae warrior wore a man bun.
“It makes me feel more at home. Plus, I was a little nervous by all those roars and groans I heard last night,” Avery stammered. She didn’t want to tell him it gave her a bit more control, or that she wanted to cling to any piece of home.
“Roars and groans?” Savine asked, quirking his lip into a half smile.
“Yeah, it sounded like some sort of feral beast stalked the campground,” Avery said.
“You’ll get used to that sound,” Savine said as he looked her up and down. Avery realized she was still standing with her sleeping bag wrapped around her. He had a sardonic smile on his face as he looked at her.
“Are you going to tell me what is making that sound and why I shouldn’t be worried?”
Savine’s gaze changed to a scowl. “Are you sure you want to know?”
Now Avery was more curious than ever. “Yeah, of course!”
His scowl darkened. “Those sounds were the sounds of mates fucking. There are about fifty pairs of soulmates in theencampment. They have no respect for the rest of us who have to listen to their amorous nightly activities.” Savine shrugged as he spoke.
Avery turned the color of a strawberry. “Wow, um. The sex sounds intense,” Avery said. She stood there in her sleeping bag, asking about feral fae sex to this incredibly attractive man. Why was she even considering him attractive? The man was literally holding her captive. He was supposed to be the opposite of attractive to her.
“In the capital, Orofine, we lived in wooden homes or in the castle. The sounds weren’t as noticeable there, despite there being hundreds of mated pairs. Now, I’ve had to put up with them for twenty-five years. Fucking mates, fucking day and night.” Savine let out an exasperated sigh and grasped the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. There was no hiding the irritation in his voice about his people’s amorous activities.
“So you don’t have a mate, then?” Avery asked. She should have changed the subject, but she was curious. How could a gorgeous man like himnothave a soulmate?
“Little flower, my soul’s too tarnished for the Goddess to give me a mate,” Savine replied with that same piercingly sardonic smile.
“So you’re like the curmudgeon of love and sex amongst the fae or something?” Avery said, flashing him a flirty grin.
