How did I not notice the blood before now? The biters, they’ll smell us from miles away. They’ll be coming now. They’ll come and they’ll—
“The blood,” I whispered, cringing. “The blood ...” I looked away, unable to say more.
Eagle glanced down at his shirt and his hands. “Shit,” he muttered, and a muscle twitched in his jaw. “Shit, Squirrel, just sit tight. I’ll find us somewhere to clean up.”
Putting the truck in gear, he started to drive again. My gaze stayed on him, unable to stop staring at the blood.
The blood, the biters, the snarls, the teeth. Bony hands on me, digging into me, ripping open my skin. Blood and death. Blood and death ...
The truck jerked to a stop, and I watched as Eagle climbed out, leaving me alone again. I stared after him, wondering if this was where he’d leave me, and found that I didn’t care if he did.
There’s nothing left. There’s nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing ...
My door opened, startling me. I jumped as hands pulled me sideways and out of the truck. Outside, the sun was warm against my freezing skin, but Eagle was even warmer. As he held me against him, I felt his warmth and leaned into him, squeezing my eyes shut, desperate for more.
“Here we go,” he said.
I felt him stop and there was a small splash, and beyond that the rush of water echoed in my ears. I kept my eyes closed, whimpering as he lowered us both into the water, and the cold engulfed us.
His wet hand touched my face, wiping softly and rubbing gently. Eventually, as he gave my arms the same treatment, I opened my eyes. Surrounded by large looming trees, we were seated in a shallow creek, the water only reaching Eagle’s waist.
He continued cleaning me, scooping up water and letting it pour over me. I trembled with every wipe of his hands, every touch of his fingers, until I was shaking so violently, I could no longer contain my tears. Clinging to Eagle, I started to sob.
I didn’t know how long we sat there, seated in the water as we clung to each other, but he never once let me go. He held me tight against him, his hands rubbing soothing paths up and down my back, until eventually my sobs subsided and I fell limp in his lap.
“I need to clean up,” he finally said.
He set me down beside him, and I brought my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. Standing before me, he pulled his shirt over his head and used it as a rag, dipping it into the water and then wiping it over his skin. When the blood was gone from his face and body, I stared up at him, shocked.
What happened to him?
His face and neck was a mixture of swollen cuts and rapidly darkening bruises, and his torso was more of the same. He hadn’t left me, I realized. He must have tried to get to me. And his body displayed a map of the pain he had gone through while trying. The realization gave me a surge of energy, and I let go of my knees and shakily got to my feet.
I reached for the rag and he readily released it. Dipping it into the water, I stood on my tiptoes and tentatively daubed around the worst of the cuts on his face. As I gently wiped a nasty-looking cut slicing through his eyebrow, our gazes locked. His fingers encircled my wrist and pulled my hand from his face.
“Squirrel,” he said, his voice a throaty whisper. “I’m sorry.”
I didn’t know what to say. To tell him I was sorry as well sounded weak and placating. Instead, I simply stared up at him, telling him with my eyes everything I couldn’t say. Telling him I was sorry too, that I was sorry for everything. For the infection, for his family, for my family, for barging into his life and screwing it up, for the loss of my cave, for forcing him to leave his home. For everything. I was sorry for it all.
He cut off my silent apology with a kiss. The kiss was soft and incredibly sweet, all lips with only a touch of tongue. It was unlike any kiss we’d shared before, and utterly unlike Eagle.
Pulling away, he bowed his head and pressed his forehead to mine. “So,” he said. “Where to?”
I looked up and into the black depths of his eyes. It was quiet here, wherever we were, and peaceful. Despite the cold water at our feet, in his arms I felt warm. That was where I wanted to be, somewhere quiet, and with him. Only him.
“Somewhere quiet,” I whispered. “No people.”
“No people.” He pressed a kiss to the top of my nose. “We’re going to be okay, you hear me?” Not waiting for a response, he crushed me to him. “We’re going to be fine,” he muttered. “Just fucking fine.”
Maybe we would and maybe we wouldn’t; I didn’t know. The world was a big place, and full of danger. But if we could find a corner of it, a quiet and safe place, and make it our own ... just maybe we’d have a chance.
Epilogue
Eagle
The shrill scream penetrated my thoughts and sent me running back in the direction I’d come. Not an easy feat in mountainous terrain. The rocks were slippery, thanks to the last remnants of winter snow still melting away, and I was falling more than I wasn’t. Black ice lurked on most of the landscape, catching me unaware and sending me flat on my back each time my threadbare boots touched down on it.
I needed new boots; hell, I needed new everything at this point. Not that any of those things were obtainable. Living off the land came with little-to-no guarantees, especially when more often than not, you didn’t have a goddamn clue what you were doing.
