It was show time.

Gage gave the area a final check. All was quiet and had been for some time. That male who had brought him there earlier had returned with food. The male had refused to answer any questions. He'd essentially tossed a basket into the room and headed back out. Jumping from the ledge before Gage could get a paw on him. These beasts weren't interested in him. That much was clear. Gage had forced himself to eat it all, even though his stomach was tied in serious knots. Meat, charred on the outside, still raw on the inside. A flatbread and some berries.

He’d breathed a sigh of relief when the same male had brought Edith back some hours ago. She had seemed unharmed. There was no more screaming. He hoped she was okay. The male had brought her food as well.

Gage gazed from the window, it was dark out, except for a few of the towers that still had fires or candles lit. He could tell by the way the light danced at the openings. None of those fuckers had ventured out since dusk had fallen two hours ago. There was a part of him that knew he should probably wait until everyone was asleep, but they needed all the time they could get if they wanted to escape. Gage had a feeling these beasts would be after them the moment they knew the two of them were missing. He only hoped it would be morning before that happened.

Gage tested his leather rope one more time, giving it a hard yank. He’d tied it to the torch to the right of the window. It was made from solid gold and seemed sturdy enough. Next, he eased himself over the edge and walked down, slowly easing down the makeshift rope. Gage carefully climbed all the way down. He needed to be sure that its entire length was strong enough. That each and every knot would hold. It seemed that he’d done a good job.

All of his senses firing, he quickly climbed back up, using the rope to assist him. Gage clambered over the edge. It felt good to have solid footing again. Moving quickly, he pulled the whole length back up, rolling it around his arm in a wide circle. Then he untied it from the torch. Gage tied the shorter piece he had left on the bed around his waist. He hauled the looped rope over his shoulder.

On high alert, he reassessed that the perimeter was still clear and lowered himself over the rim. Now, he would have to tread very carefully. Painstakingly so, because dying was not fun. Regenerating was even worse. Hours of agony. Not fun at all!

The tower had been built from stones. It wasn't much, but there was a bit of an edge on each rough rock to hold onto. Gage partially shifted so that he could use his nails as well, wishing for the second time today that he had been born as a panther or a wolf instead of a bear. Curved, sharp nails would have worked so much better than long, thick ones. He would have to suck it up and make do.

Going much slower, he made his way down, one hand-hold and one foot-hold at a time. It was slow going. He was covered in a light sheen of sweat by the time he made it to the bottom. Gage shifted back into his human form and went down onto his haunches for a few minutes so that he could catch his breath. It was still completely quiet, except for the sound of his breathing. One or two more candles had been snuffed. It seemed that these creatures didn’t move around much at night.

Good!

Gage rose silently to his feet and made his way to the tower where the human was being held. After partially shifting, he began to climb. It was just as slow. He lost his footing more than once. By the time he made it to the ledge, his arms were shaking and sweat dripped off of him. He quickly pulled himself into the room and removed the ropes, placing them by the opening. Ready for their escape.

Edith was fast asleep. Curled up in a ball under one of the larger furs. He touched the side of her arm, quickly sealing a hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. Her eyes were wide. Her chest rose and fell as she sucked air through her nose.

“It’s me,” he whispered.

It took a few seconds for his words to register. Her eyes went from wide and fearful to reflecting pure relief. She huffed out a breath as he removed his hand. “Gage?”

“Shhhh. Yes,” he smiled, “it’s me.” He’d never been so happy to see someone. She looked fine. He couldn’t scent those males on her.

She made a sobbing noise and launched herself at him, her arms going around his neck. He instinctively folded his arms around her.

He realized with a start that she was crying softly.

“I promised I would keep you safe and I meant it.” He stroked the hair at the back of her head. It was soft.

She tensed slightly in his arms.

“You okay?” he whispered.

“You’re naked, aren’t you?”

“Yep … I’m afraid so.”

“I hate to tell you, but you’re also really hot and sweaty.”

He couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t pull away. “Climbing up and down stone walls will do that to a male.”

She let him go. “I’ve never been so afraid in my whole life.”

“I’m here now. We need to move though.”

Her eyes widened. “Move how? Where?”

“We’re getting out of here. Tonight … right now.”

She swallowed thickly. “You don’t mean …? Look, unless you magically sprouted wings, I don’t think—”

“I made a leather rope. I’ll tie you to my back. The longer rope is over there.” He pointed to where it lay. “I’ll use it to slowly lower us down …” He stopped there because she was shaking her head really hard.

“That’s dangerous!” She sucked in a deep breath. “What if …”

“I’m strong.”

“What if the rope snaps?” Her breathing quickened.

It was Gage’s turn to swallow thickly.

“You’re not entirely sure this will work, are you?” Even though she was still whispering, her voice had grown high-pitched.

“It’s not without risk. If we fall, I will be sure to take the brunt of the impact. We will move quickly and carefully.” He shook his head. “The only other option is to leave you here while I—”

“No!”

“Shhhhh.” He put a finger to his lips. “We can’t alert them. We have to leave soon. It’s up to you. I don’t want to leave you here. I’m pretty sure I can get us down in one piece.”

“I’m afraid. Afraid to stay but afraid to climb down the side of a sheer wall too.” Her eyes were wide and filled with definite fear. Before he could say anything more, she pulled back her shoulders. “I can’t stay here. These guys, they—”

Anger gnawed at him. “You can tell me all about it later. I take it you’re coming?”

* * *

Edith chewed on her lower lip for a second or two before nodding once.

“You don’t look sure.” It looked like Gage was raising his brows. It was hard to see much in the dark. Especially considering it was a half moon. At least the stars were pretty bright.

“I’m not sure at all, but it doesn’t mean I’m staying.” This was the most stupid thing she had ever agreed to. Her gut churned and her whole body felt clammy all of a sudden.

She looked around for her shoes and put them on, tying the laces.

“You need to be very quiet.”

She nodded. “Understood. We don’t have any food or water or—”

“Don’t worry about any of that. I’m quite capable of looking after us.”

Of that she had no doubt. “How did you get here?”

“I grabbed onto the beast that took you and hung on for the ride. You were out cold.”

“That sounds really dangerous.” She widened her eyes. “What if you had fallen?”

“I gave you my word I would protect you and I meant it.”

“Thank you!” She reached out and touched the side of his arm. At least she hoped it was his arm.

Gage shifted his weight on the bed. “Maybe tie one of those smaller furs around your shoulders.” He lifted his arm.

She felt around until she found one that didn't weigh a ton and tied the arms around herself.

Gage was busy by the opening; it looked like ‒ from what little she could see ‒ he was tying the one end of the long rope onto the golden torch. She watched his large silhouette as he leaned out, scanning the area before turning around. It was too dark to see much otherwise, thankfully, considering he was butt naked.

Gage walked back to where she was standing and lowered himself, bending at the knee. “Climb aboard,” he whispered.

She gripped his shoulders and did as he said, trying hard to avoid his man-part. Maybe it was good she couldn’t see much. Her eyeballs were going to need a serious wash after this.

He walked backwards, lowering them onto the bed. “Tie this around your waist, make it snug and use a double knot.”

Again, she complied. Gage gave the twine rope a sharp tug, checking to see if she had done a decent job. Then he tied the other end of the rope around himself, giving the twine another sharp tug. “Ready?” he asked.

“I guess.” Her voice was a bit shaky. Was she really going to do this?

He gripped her thighs and rose to a standing position. “Um, you’re going to need to lock your feet around my waist.” She could hear that he was smiling.

“Okay.” She really didn’t want to be anywhere near … that part of him.

“Watch out for …”

For his you-know-what. “Yeah, I will,” she quickly replied, locking her feet as he had instructed. His abs felt rock hard, as did the rest of him.

“I’ve got this,” he whispered, his voice deep and assuring.

“I know.”

“You’re shaking.”

“Do you blame me?” Oh god! Oh god! She tried not to grip him too tightly. Tried not to think about what was about to happen. Despite not knowing him, she trusted Gage. He had somehow managed to track her down. He hadn’t given up, and now was about to rescue her.

“I guess I can’t blame you for being afraid. We’ll be okay. Let’s do this.” Was he trying to convince himself or her?

“Okay.” Her voice hitched.

Gage stood on the edge; he gave the rope that would be their lifeline a hard yank before lowering them out in the open. His muscles bunched and hardened. Edith whimpered, having to hold on tight as gravity pulled her down. She squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn’t sure she could hold on until they got to the bottom. If she fell, would the makeshift rope hold? Would she end up pulling Gage down with her?

Gage paused for the longest time, not doing anything. They just hung out several floors from the ground. It was getting more and more difficult to hold on. What was wrong? Why had he stopped? She was about to ask when he pulled them back onto the ledge, stepping back into the room. “What is it?” she whispered, her voice quivered.

“We’re doing this the wrong way. I need you tied to my chest. You might end up slipping and dragging us down. Also,” his body tensed, “if we fall ‒ though I’m sure we won’t ‒ as a precaution, I want you on top so that I’ll definitely land first.”

“Oh, so you like it when the lady is on top.” She gave a whispered snicker. Why had she said that? She really needed to get a handle on these nerves. “Okay. That’s fine,” she quickly said, trying to cover up for her bad joke. “I think it’s a better idea that I’m on top,” she added, wishing she could stick her foot in her mouth to shut herself up.

Gage ignored her stupid statements. He walked back to the bed and they went through the motions of untying the rope. It wasn’t easy after securing the thing so tightly in the first place. She climbed off the bed.

There was a soft patting noise which she realized was him tapping his thighs with his hands. “You need to straddle my lap. I’m sorry I …”

“It’s fine. I get it. We don’t have much choice here.” Her cheeks burned. She hoped he couldn’t see her but by the way he moved around the room, she got the feeling his eyesight was pretty darned perfect.

“You don’t have to feel embarrassed about this. It’s not a big deal.” He could obviously sense her apprehension and was trying to make her feel better. It was really sweet.

Although his words had helped, they didn’t eradicate the tension. “I can’t help it. I apologize upfront if, you know,” she had to stop herself from giggling, “I touch you … you know.” She closed her eyes, feeling like a total idiot. It was a distinct possibility, given how they would be tied to one another and given that he was bare-ass naked. Why was this such a big deal? He was trying to help her. This wasn’t sexual in any way.

“It is what it is. Just as long …” He pulled in a breath though his nose, slowly releasing it. “Just as long as you understand if I accidentally react in any way. Given the circumstances, I’m sure it won’t be the case, but …” He scratched the back of his head, clearly also a little embarrassed by this whole thing. She found it sweeter than sweet. It was turning out that Gage wasn’t the asshole she thought he was.

"Sure thing," she blurted. "No worries." Although she meant every word, for a moment, she was tempted to stay. Who could blame her? Edith didn't want to die or get seriously hurt. It was also the embarrassment of the whole thing, but she'd rather be tied to a very naked Gage than face Leukos and his crew in the morning.

The Feral.

She shivered.

“Good.” She heard that patting sound again. “Climb aboard.”

“Oh, right.” She stood on the bed and then threw a leg over him, carefully lowering herself until sitting on his thighs. As far away from there as she could get.

Gage gripped her hips and apologized. She was about to tell him he didn’t have to keep saying he was sorry when he pulled her flush again him and there it was. Right there at her core. His you-know-what. He was a big guy, of course she knew it because she had seen for herself, but right now she could feel it. Not that he was hard in any way. Just big. She had to stop thinking like this. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Gage lifted her so that things weren’t quite as intimate. “You okay?”

She made a sound of agreement, not quite trusting her voice.

“Good. Let’s get this rope tied,” he whispered. “I don’t want to take any chances.” He reached around her and tied the rope around her first before securing her to himself. Gage stood up, walking back to the opening. He leaned in a little. “Hold on tight.”

“Okay.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her feet at her ankles, which were at his back.

“Trust me.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. “Still and quiet.”

She nodded. Her cheek brushed against the stubble of his.

“Good,” a soft vibration.

His whole body tightened as he lowered them off of the ledge. They were almost parallel to the ground. Edith made the mistake of looking down. Holy crap! She grabbed him tighter.

“Easy,” Gage whispered. “I’ve got you.”

She pushed out a deep breath before pulling in another one. Edith closed her eyes. Not looking! It wasn’t nearly as dark outside as it had been indoors. She had been able to see the ground and ‒ more importantly ‒ the fact that it was far away. If they fell … no, she couldn’t think like that.

She stifled a yell when they started to move. They were going more quickly than she expected. It would be over soon. Please let it be over soon. Please let them make it. Oh god!

Down, down, down. Her stomach was tied in knots. It lurched as they dropped a little faster. She swallowed hard and sucked in a deep breath. The last thing she wanted was to throw up, especially considering chances were good that Gage would become collateral damage.

They continued their descent. It couldn’t be far now. Surely? She was too afraid to open her eyes.

There was a sudden hard jerk. Gage growled as they began to freefall. The drop lasted all of two seconds. She groaned as her back hit the stone wall. Hard enough to bruise but not so hard as to cause any type of long-term damage.

Gage was breathing hard, one of his arms was raised above his head and the other clutched a rock to the left of them. “Shhhh,” he whispered straight into her ear. So soft, she could barely hear him. She clutched his shoulders with her hands. Her back still throbbed, the pain becoming more manageable.

There was a rustling noise. It came from the closest tower to them. A silhouette appeared in the opening. Oh no! They were about to be busted. The griffin shifter seemed to lean out of his tower. He didn’t shift or sound the alarm though, he just stood there.

What the …?

There was a pushing against her … well, there … against her vagina. Gage was flush against her, his breath soft against the top of her head. She’d slipped down during the fall. Oh good god! He was becoming erect. Here and now, despite them dangling off the side of a sheer wall, still a good fifteen feet above the ground. Gage had warned her that it could happen, but she didn’t think it actually would. Never in a million years. They stayed perfectly still, perfectly quiet. Go away! She silently pleaded, keeping her eyes on the griffin, still standing in the opening.

At the same time, she couldn’t help but notice that Gage’s chest pressed against her own, squashing her breasts. His member pushed against her most sensitive place. Long, thick, hard and oh … oh good god, it was throbbing. Her breath caught in her throat. Act normal! Okay, that was pushing it under these circumstances. Stay calm! Don’t react. Oops, too late.

Her mind may have made a decision, but her body chose to ignore it. Oh boy did it ever! Her girl parts hadn’t gotten the ‘do not react’ memo from her brain.

It was so wrong that her nipples pebbled, that her breath became quicker. That her core began to feel that much more sensitive as he throbbed against her. A groan lodged itself deep in her throat. She succeeded in holding that back, but only just.

The griffin finally moved away. Thank god! Using his free hand, Gage gripped her thigh, anchoring her more firmly in place. “Shhhh,” he warned as he brushed more firmly against her. It wasn’t like this was on purpose or anything. If he moved back, even slightly, she might fall. This was torture. If he let her go, she might slip. Might cry out. They might get caught. They had to be totally quiet. They hung like that for long minutes. The throbbing didn’t abate. If anything, it became more insistent. A need slowly began to grow in her. The need to move. Not away. Oh no! It was the need to rub herself against him. It was merely the adrenaline talking. The sheer intensity of this whole situation. That and the feeling of being alive. They weren’t far from the ground. The griffin hadn’t seen them, but they weren’t home free. Not yet.

Throb. Throb.

She heard Gage swallow hard. Could hear him trying to control his erratic breathing. Did he feel it too? Of course he did! He was hard. Her cheeks burned. Her whole body burned with both need and embarrassment. Gage was breathing fast, probably from the exertion of holding them up for so long with only one arm.

He finally moved, he seemed to be trying to find purchase with his feet. Rub. Bump. Rub. She bit down on her lower lip to suppress a moan. What was wrong with her? Gage finally found footing and pulled away. Thank god! Still holding her tightly with that one arm, he hoisted her higher up so that they could both breathe a silent sigh of relief. She tightened her legs around him once more. Anchoring herself above his hips. Holding on for all she was worth. They began to descend again, slowly and carefully. Painstakingly so. Her back knocked or scraped against the odd rock. She wasn’t going to get out of this completely unscathed but hey, at least she’d be alive. It took several minutes to negotiate the final ten or twelve feet.

At long last, they made it to the ground. Gage didn't stop to untie her. Instead, he wrapped one arm around her middle, the other secured tightly under her ass. His hand closed on her thigh. He moved quickly, taking big, silent strides. It wasn't long before the towers were in the distance.

“I can walk,” she whispered.

Gage nodded, finding a fallen log to sit on so that they could untie themselves from one another. “I’m going to shift. You need to ride me.”

“You really do prefer to have the woman on top.” Shit! What the hell! Why did she have to have such a big trap?

“On top.” He chuckled softly. “You would be wrong on that note, sweets.”

Edith begged for the ground to open up and swallow her whole but since it didn’t happen, she needed to backtrack and fast. “I’m sorry. Again, with another stupid joke.” She shook her head. “I guess I’m still a little nervous.”

“You did good. Better than good, you did great. It took real guts to get through that. You’re allowed to feel unsettled.” He looked away for a second before locking his eyes with hers once again. “Sorry about earlier when …”

Oh shit! He wanted to bring that whole embarrassing moment up. “Forget about it,” she blurted, waving her hand. Truth was, she’d reacted just as much as he had, only his reaction was a lot harder to hide.

He nodded. "We need to make good time, put some distance between them and us. They might be big, bad and fast, but they can't see at night for shit. Right now, it's our only advantage and I plan on cashing in on it."

“Yeah, you’re right. That griffin seemed to be looking our way. It was too dark at that distance, but it looked like it was looking straight at us. It would have sounded the alarm if it knew we were escaping. Do you really think they’ll come after us?”

She couldn’t make out his features because it was too dark, but she saw him straighten up, his frame becoming rigid. “They took you for a reason. They’re not simply going to let you go.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter because we’re going to assume the worst. We’re not taking any chances.”

She nodded.

“Let’s get going,” Gage said. “We can talk some more later. It’s going to be tough going. Let me know if you need a break. We can’t stop too often though, we need to get as far away as we can.”

“Okay. How far until we get back to your village?”

“I’m not sure.” She heard him sniff the air. “I think we’re days away from the village. Possibly longer. I’ll take care of you, so don’t worry.”

“I won’t.”

He turned and took a step away.

“And, Gage …”

He looked back. She could just make out his features. “Thank you.”

“You can thank me when we get back safely.”

She nodded once, watching as he shifted.