Chapter Twenty-one
Bryon and his wolf loved the feel of her straddling his back. He could imagine her riding him a different way. He shook his head to get his concentration on getting her to the other side to safety. This wouldn’t be an easy leap for him. Fifteen feet was a long way with limited takeoff space.
When she finally stopped wiggling around, he sprinted for the pit. The light was almost gone, limiting his depth perception. This wasn’t a good time for that to happen. At the end of the path, he pushed off rear legs, thighs releasing their stored strength. Just past midway, he felt her slide to the side.
Fortunately, the shirt she’d tied around her kept her from dropping into the hole, but now she hung below him. If he didn’t land exactly right, she would slam head first into the rock.
He was losing altitude and the other side was within sight. He made the distance easily, but now had to stick the landing. Kari’s grip tightened and her head tucked up to his chest. Smart girl. He came down on stiff front legs, hind legs coming forward to balance momentum.
He stopped as quickly as he could, then fell onto his side to not squish her, waiting to see if she was okay. Kari lay on her side, facing him. She opened one eye and looked around. He breathed and his tongue fell out the side of his mouth. Thank the gods.
His mate laid her head on his side, her fingers digging into his fur, and laughed. Laughed? Bryon wanted to take her into his arms, but his wolf wanted to keep her. He had to be fine with that. His human side did get most of the time.
Kari untied the shirt holding her to his wolf. Her hands rubbed down his fur, sending a thrill through him. She reached up and slid a hand along the side of his face. That felt so good.
“I feel silly talking to an animal, but you’re not really a critter, are you?” she said. He yapped. He heard her heart racing. He wasn’t sure, but she might have a slight tremble in her hands. His mate was strong. She was scared shitless, yet didn’t complain. Pride filled him. He kissed her hand. Maybe a bit slobbery.
“You know, you’re really pretty in your fur.” He cringed a bit at the feminine word, but he knew what she was saying and was happy she liked his other half. “Well, since you’re a guy, it would be better to say you look manly in your fur.” Her stomach growled. “Hmm. Guess you don’t have any food on you, do you?” she asked.
His wolf hopped to his feet. They had to feed their mate. He had to show her they could take care of her.
“Hey, what are you doing?” she asked “Hold on. Let me light the torch.”
His wolf heard material rustle and knew she’d be fine. He sucked in a breath. Was that . . . He inhaled through his nose. It was food. He yapped twice and headed off in search of the source of the scent. After passing a couple turns they’d have to check out, he hit pay dirt. A room full of dried fruits, berries, and other preserved things stood unattended.
He raced back to his mate. She stood holding the fire sticks. She must’ve found the cigarette lighter in his pants pocket. Time for the human to retake control. The wolf backed down and let the other form come forward.
His mate yipped and turned as his two-legged body reformed. Her arm was straight out from her side, his pants and shirt hanging from her fingers. He snuggled up to her back and tilted his head down. He blew his warm breath on her shoulder.
“Thank you for taking care of my clothes.”
Her body stiffened, but she didn’t step away. “You’re welcome. Where did you go a minute ago?”
He slipped on his pants and the damn sequined top. “I’ve made reservations for two at the best restaurant in town.” Her brow raised. “What? You don’t believe me?” He bowed and swept his arm through the air. “This way, my dear.”
“Restaurant or not, I need to rest. My feet are blistered, my knees ache, and I’m about to pass out from hunger.”
“Hold onto the torch,” he said.
“Why?”
He swept her into her arms. She squeaked. “What are you doing? Put me down.”
“You said your feet hurt, so I’m helping you along,” he said. He was so close to her lips. He remembered their last kiss and wanted more of her taste. More of her scent. More of everything.
“That’s very kind of you,” she said. Her breath was wispy, her eyes darted to his lips. “But I can walk.”
“We’re here, madam. Your table is ready,” he said. He set her on her feet and took the torch from her. He looked around to see a few more torches in holders on the walls. He lit a couple more, giving the small room a soft, warm glow.
“I can’t believe this,” Kari said. “Why is all this stuff here?” There were figs, nuts, dried fruits, jerky meats, and anything else that could be preserved. Along the wall lay thick rugs and blankets. Several muslin-type robes hung from hooks.
Why was this stuff here? It was obvious these food items were put here recently. An exit had to be nearby. Then again, not necessarily. This place was a hideout for someone. They probably didn’t have it near an exit for fear of being found. They had passed a couple side paths in coming to this room. Maybe one of those led to an open exit.
He wondered if this place could have any relation to human trafficking. Could the bad guys be hiding people down here until the time to go came? Or it could be that those who got away were kept here until they could escape further? It would explain why he hadn’t found any clues to where the ring was, who was part of it, and who had been taken.
While Kari gathered food, he pulled out several rugs to make a suitable place to lie down. It was late at night, or rather, early morning in Cloustien. Washington DC time was about bedtime. No wonder her human body was exhausted. But it was also aroused.
He debated telling her that she was his mate. Would this be a good time or not? His wolf wanted to tell her then bite her—within the next five minutes, please. That wasn’t happening unless they wanted to scare her off. Even though she was his mate, she had no idea what that meant to shifters. Mating meant for life. No changing your mind. No divorcing. It really was “till death do us part.”
But what if she rejected him? How could he be so close to her without having her? Holding a wooden bowl, Kari sat next to him on a rug, leaning against the wall.
Time to find out.