The wolf was gone. In his place a young man stood. He was nearly naked with torn pants or shorts hanging loosely around his waist. His golden yellow eyes reminded Cara of the orange flames in a fire. His black hair slightly on the long side fell across his forehead and over part of his left eye. His gaze was intent on her. Everywhere his eyes roamed felt like a heated caress over her cold skin.

Cara recognized desire in his features. She stiffened. The filth from the water was so rank it was making her feel nauseous, and Cara knew the wound from the wolf bite was getting infected. She’d had no choice but to wash.

Naked in front of a shifter. Not smart, Cara.

She’d be lucky if all he did was force himself on her. Surviving an attack by a shifter had to be nearly impossible. The strength wielded by the creature would break her like toast.

She took a few steps back toward the shore. If she could get her dress on maybe the shifter would be put off by the smell. Maybe he would stop looking at her like she was something to eat.

The ground below the water’s surface was slippery. Each step she took, Cara had to take slowly and carefully. As the water grew shallow, she could see his nostrils flaring. His eyes were on her waist. If she took another step he’d see more than she was willing to show.

“Stop. Staring. At. Me,” she enunciated each word in a commanding tone. “Get out of here,” she yelled. Cara hoped raising her voice would scare him off.

It didn’t.

“You have nothing to fear from me,” the shifter said. His voice was low, and heated.

“You can talk? I didn’t know you had human intelligence.”

His yellow eyes narrowed on her face. At least he was no longer trying to see her nakedness. “You know nothing of shifters.”

“I know enough,” Cara said. She let the bitterness she felt fill her voice. “You attacked me, and bit me. You’re refusing to give me privacy. You’re an animal, and as soon as I turn my back on you, I’m sure you’ll try again to kill me.”

The shifter lifted his lean, muscular arm as he pushed his hair from his eyes. The long red cut over his bicep was the cut she’d given him. “I should not have bitten you. I didn’t know who you were.”

“You still don’t know who I am.” A wave of dizziness washed over Cara and she fought to stay upright on the slippery rocks.

“You are, my Cara.”

My Cara?

She gripped the blade harder, doing her best not to drop it. Her energy was seeping away. Cara knew she’d lost some blood from the bite but not so much she should be so weak.

“Cara, you’re growing pale. Come out of the water. I swear, I won’t hurt you.”

“Stop looking at me. Then I’ll come out,” Cara growled at him.

To her surprise, the shifter turned around giving her his back. He’d actually listened to her.

It’s just a trick. He’s still going to try and kill me. I’m not stupid. I’m not going to fall for his trap.

Cara marched forward keeping her eyes on the defined, muscular back of the shifter. When she looked down to locate her night gown she spotted dozens of slimy black patches of mud all over her legs.

She went to swipe one off and the slippery fat thing moved under her fingers. Cara gasped as she realized her legs were covered in a slug like creatures.

“Don’t pull it off. The head of the leech will detach and burrow into your skin. It will continue to suck your blood,” the shifter told her.

“Suck my blood?” Cara felt another wave of dizziness. “How do I get them off?”

He went to the pouch the guard gave her and came back with flint and a candle. “Aldrich can’t trade for a lighter?”

“What are you going to do with that?”

“Burn them. The heat will make them let go of you.”

Cara sank to her knees. She was too light headed to stand. Too sick to her stomach to think. He lit the candle and applied the flame to the leach. The fat, black, slug-like thing fell off, dropping like a stone. A dozen tiny bleeding pin pricks marked her skin where the leech was feasting on her.

Tiny little bastard.

The shifter moved the flame to the next leech. The heat began to hurt but she refused to let the shifter see her pain. As soon as he saw weakness he would prey on it. That was what men like Aldrich, her father, and this shifter were like. They were the kind to prey on the weakness of others.

Knowing the things on her were sucking her blood made her want to cry, but she wouldn’t cry in front of him. Cara wasn’t sure why he was helping her at all.

He probably needs me alive to torture information out of me.

The shifter moved fast, going from one leech to the next. As the flame was applied higher, and higher on her legs the skin became more sensitive. The skin on the inside of her thigh hurt so much she couldn’t keep her eyes from watering. Her mouth was clamped shut to hold in the cry of pain she refused to let out.

“I’m sorry it hurts,” the shifter said as he gently lifted her leg to check the back of her thigh for any more. “Can you stand?”

Cara nodded even though she didn’t know if she could. She wasn’t about to tell the wolf she was so weak she couldn’t stand.

His hands wrapped around her waist and he lifted her easily setting her on her feet. He moved around to her back, working quickly to remove the rest.

“Finished.”

Cara heard him blow out the candle. She let out the breath she was holding, hating that it sounded like a whimper. The shifter swept her up in his arms. “Do you want to return to Aldrich Town for medicine?”

“No.” Cara fought to get free of his hold.

He stopped walking and turned in a different direction. “Then you will come to my home. You need medicine.”

“Put me down, creature,” she demanded.

The muscle in his jawline flexed and he looked down at her as he continued walking. “I am Darian. I recommend you don’t call any shifter a creature.”

Cara, crossed her arms over her chest. “I need my dress. Please, just let me go. I don’t know anything about Aldrich Town that would be of any use to you. I need to keep moving.”

“Your dress is infested with disease and is septic. Why did you swim in that water? Was the man you killed attacking you?” He sounded hopeful.

Blood-thirsty creature.

“I fell in. The man who died, he saved my life.” The shifter was looking at her again. Cara tried again to cover herself. “I demand to have clothes.”

“I will provide you with all of your needs. You may rely on me. It seems destiny has plans for us. Though I can’t say I understand them at the moment.”

He was moving fast. Too fast. A wave of nausea crashed through her stomach again. Her brow was sweaty, her palms clammy. “I’m going to be sick,” she tried to warn him but he didn’t slow down. Turning her head toward the ground she threw up.

Her body was determined to expel the poison from the dirty water. Cara’s entire body strained as she threw up again, and again.

“Your simple system can’t fight the germs on its own. You need strong medicine. Cover your eyes and I will take you to my home where there is medical help.”

If I cover my eyes he’ll probably kill me. Stab me with my own blade or something. Oh no, where is my blade?

“I don’t trust you. Please, just put me down.”

“Why not? I’m trying to help you.”

Cara shook her head. “You attacked me. You want to kill me.”

“I was wrong. I thought you were a hunter.”

“You want me to trust you? Put me down, Darian.”

He stopped walking and set her on her feet with a huff of hot breath blasting through her wet hair. “Thank you…” Her vision swallowed up in darkness and she felt herself begin to fall.

Strong arms wrapped around her, catching her. “It’s okay. I’ve got you, Cara. Stubborn, human.” His lips, pressed against her temple, was the last thing she registered before she passed out.