“It’s not your business.”
“No. But here you are, all alone in Meerland. If you go marching off into those woods on your own, there are plenty of other monsters who will find you before those you’re running from.” He shook his head. “You don’t want the monsters of these woods catching you.”
I gulped hard, knowing he was right. While I’d rarely left the safety of Haldek’s tavern, I heard plenty enough about the predatory animals who roamed the wilds of Meerland and the foothills of the Solgavia Mountains. And my syrenskyn magick wouldn’t work on monsters. Not that kind.
Returning to the fire, I sat back down. “Perhaps, if you wouldn’t mind, I could stay here until morning. Then you could point me to the nearest village. Other than the Borderlands.”
“The nearest village is mine,” he said. “And it’s the only one within leagues. It’s a two-day trek.”
“Oh.” I was surprised. “You don’t live out here?” I gestured toward the tent.
His frown returned as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Why would I live out here in the middle of nowhere?”
I bit my tongue before responding withbecause it looks like you do. He was still half bloody from carrying the deer carcass on his back, and half-clothed like a wild barbarian. This environment suited him well.
“Would you mind leading me to your village? If I could stay for just a little while until…”
He examined me with those eyes the same color as the firelight. “Until the ones chasing you have given up and gone home.”
I gave a stiff nod.
He grumbled something under his breath that I couldn’t hear.
“I can work in the local tavern or inn. I’m a good worker.”
“We don’t have taverns or inns in my village. We’re a beast fae clan.”
He was obviously put out by my request, but I had few options. “What is the village nearest yours?”
“Belladum. A week at least. And onlyifyou had a mount, which you don’t. Unless you go back to the Borderlands.”
“No. I can’t go back there.”
They’d be waiting and watching for me at Haldek’s. They’d likely have staked out all of the inns and taverns along the Borderlands.
He sat straight again and heaved a frustrated sigh, his breath coming out in a cloud of white mist. “Fine,” he snapped. “I suppose I have to take you.” He muttered something about an oath. “You can sleep in the tent. I’ll stay out here since I’m forced to.”
“No, you can sleep in your tent. I’m fine right here and—”
“What? Freeze to death when the fire goes out? Then what would they say?”
“What would who say?” I asked.
“My clan,” he snapped before barking more orders. “Just go on inside and sleep. You may think you’ve recovered but you’re still pale as the moon. You need rest. And we leave at dawn.”
Then he tossed the chunk of meat he’d been eating to Wolf and tromped angrily back into the woods. To do what, I had no idea. He was obviously upset about having to cart me to his village.
I had no other choice but to put up with him. I couldn’t take a chance on my own out here or travel a week or more by myself to Belladum. Plus, I was in dark fae territory. Whereas the light and dark fae often mixed in the small settlements along the Borderlands, that wasn’t always the case in the dark fae towns and cities of the north.
While King Goll married a light fae princess, there was still a great deal of animosity brewing between the light and dark fae. Perhaps even more so now. That was the reason I’d been running from the moon fae male I was supposed to marry. Because he had intentions to make war on all dark fae. And I wanted no part of his rebellion.
Heaving a sigh, I made my way back inside the tent, noting that Wolf followed me. I curled up in the furs again, the giant hound at my feet. I stared at the tent wall, determining it was made of deer hides sewn together and wondering what I’d gotten myself into.
But before long, my mind and body were too exhausted to fight. I drifted off to the heavy breaths of the wolf sleeping beside me.
Chapter 4
REDVYR
