An hour later, Ka’ya had a fire going with a small fowl roasting on a spit over the flames. The wolfhounds were settled around her. She sat on a log and skillfully made shafts from the thin branches from a particular type of tree her father had shown her when she was young.

The process soothed her. Her mind felt shattered and confused. Neither of those emotions was familiar to her. She placed the knife she was using down on the log next to her and blew off the shavings on the shaft. She lifted the shaft and eyed it, checking to see if it was straight before she lowered it and ran her fingers along the wood.

“You know, a man could get some wild ideas watching you do that,” a tired voice commented from the shadows.

The wolfhounds scrambled to their feet in surprise. The alpha released a soft warning growl before whining. Ka’ya slowly lowered the shaft and placed it next to her knife. Rising to her feet, she ran her trembling hands down along her side.

“Alexandru,” she breathed.

Alexandru stepped into the light of the fire. Her gaze ran over his face. Deep lines around his mouth and eyes told of his exhaustion. The front of his shirt was ripped and she could see the stain of blood on the front of it. She quickly stepped around the fire and held her hands out to him when he swayed.

“I told you,” he said, leaning heavily on her when she wrapped her arm around him.

“You told me what?” she asked.

She tilted her face to gaze up at him in the flickering fire light. She could feel the fatigue threatening to buckle his knees. Guiding him over to the pallet she had made, she tenderly helped him to sit down on it. A surprised gasp caught in her throat when he pulled her down beside him.

“I promised you that I would find you,” he said in a slurred voice.

“Yes, you did,” she replied, turning to face him. “Let me look at your wounds.”

“They hurt, but they’ll heal,” he said.

“I’m sure they do,” she chuckled.

Gently reaching forward, she brushed the opening to his jacket aside and lifted the bottom of the shirt he was wearing beneath it. It was destroyed. Three long rips down the front went from the collar down to almost the end. The fabric was saturated with blood.

Ka’ya’s drew in a swift breath when she saw Alexandru’s torn flesh. Shaken, she reached for the leather knapsack lying on the top corner of the pallet. She pulled out a small pouch filled with herbal ointments she used for wounds.

“Ka’ya,” Alexandru said, reaching out and wrapping his hand around her wrist. “There is only one thing that will help me heal.”

A frown creased Ka’ya brow and she looked back at him with a worried expression. The cuts were much deeper than she’d thought at first. It was amazing that he was even talking, much less capable of finding her in the dark.

“What do you need?” she asked.

“Blood,” he replied, staring down at her with an intense gaze that sent a shiver through her.

“Blood? I… How?” she stammered.

“Will you trust me?” he asked.

Ka’ya swallowed. Her mind swirled with confusion. Nothing made sense to her any more. The memory of his teeth, sucking the blood from her thumb, the speed at which his forehead healed, and the way he moved up on the cliff were frightening – and yet, his determination that she escape so she could save her brother told her that no matter who or what he was – Alexandru was a good man.

“Yes, I trust you,” she whispered, not looking away from him.

A low groan escaped him and his hand moved up her arm to her neck. Another shiver ran through her when he wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and leaned forward. From the corner of her eye, she saw his teeth lengthening again. The knowledge of what he was about to do hit her and she stiffened.

He paused, waiting to see if she would pull away. His warm breath fanned across her skin. Ka’ya’s eyelids fluttered and she tilted her head away to expose more of her neck.

Alexandru brushed her neck with his tongue. Ka’ya moaned and her hands rose to grasp his shoulders. Pleasure washed through her when he sank his teeth into her neck. She had expected pain, not a sense of overwhelming warmth and driving need.

“Alexandru!”

Ka’ya’s guttural cry mixed with the wind and sound of the river. Her hands kneaded the material of his leather jacket while her eyes closed at the sensual feel of his lips pressed against her throat. She didn’t know how long they stayed like that – it could have been a few seconds to several minutes. All she knew was she didn’t want the rush of feelings to end.

It took a moment for her realize that Alexandru was gently stroking his tongue over her skin again. She opened her eyes and blinked at him with a dazed expression as he pressed her back onto the pallet. A tender smile curved his lips as he gazed down at her.

“You taste delicious,” he said with a smile.

Ka’ya blinked up at him. She noticed that even in the dim light he didn’t look as pale or as tired as he had just minutes before. Her gaze moved to his chest. She watched in disbelief as his wounds healed before her eyes through the rip in his shirt.

“The purple lady was right, you must bounce even better than the other creature she said,” she replied in awe.

“Purple lady?” Alexandru repeated with a confused frown.

Ka’ya nodded and struggled to sit up. Her stomach growled when the scent of the dinner she was preparing floated toward her on a gentle breeze. She glanced at it, relieved the fire had died down to a bed of coals and the meat wasn’t burnt.

Alexandru saw her glance and stood up. He reached for the bird that looked a lot like a chicken back home and handed the spit to her. He settled back down next to her when she crossed her legs and pulled a piece off to hand it to him.

“Do you…?” she asked, holding a leg out to him.

“Yes, being half…,” he started to say before he shook his head and frowned.

“Being half what?” she asked, pulling the other leg off.

“I don’t know,” he said, staring at the dark brown meat. “It was on the tip of my tongue and vanished.”

“What are you, Alexandru? I’ve never seen anyone like you before. Back up on the mountain I saw your face and hands. The female Gonda….” Ka’ya swallowed and looked down at Alexandru’s hand. “She was afraid of you. Granted, I’ve only had limited contact with the creatures, but I’ve never seen them show fear before. I’ve also never known anyone who drinks the blood of others. It does something to you. The color of your face is normal again and your wounds…. What are you? Where did you come from?”

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly, staring at the fire. “I see images, but they fade too quickly for me to understand.” He turned his head to gaze at her again. “You said something about a woman in purple. What did she say?”

Ka’ya shook her and gave a strained laugh. “She said her name was Topper and that someone called the Fates sent her to make sure you were alright. She said Tory was upset and that it wasn’t good for her in her condition. Oh, and something about a thing called a Belmont. She was wearing this beautiful lavender dress and white ankle boots. Her hat…. Alexandru, it was alive! A bird sat on the top and she was annoyed with it and it stood up and moved!” she said with a shake of her head. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”

“Topper,” Alexandru murmured.

Ka’ya nodded and took a bite of the meat she was holding. Wiping a hand across her mouth, she swallowed and gazed at his face. He had a thoughtful expression on it, like he might be remembering the woman.

“Do you know who she is?” Ka’ya asked curiously.

A slow smile curved his lips. “My great-aunt,” he said with a nod. “I don’t remember much else, but I know she is my great-aunt – and that she is different.”

“Like you,” Ka’ya said.

“And like you,” he teased, turning to smile down at her.

“I’m not…,” she started to argue before she gave him a rueful smile. “You’re right. I guess I am different from my people as well.”

Neither of them talked while they finished eating. Ka’ya reflected on everything that had happened since she’d first found Alexandru. It was hard to believe that she had known him for such a short time – yet, felt so connected to him. They still had a long journey ahead of them. It would take another three days before they reached Perth.

“I never thanked you,” she said, tossing the remains of her meal to the alpha.

“For what?” Alexandru asked.

“For saving my life,” she said, rising to her feet. “I need to clean up before I retire for the night.”

Ka’ya needed a few minutes alone. The alpha rose and stretched before trotting over to her side. She had only taken a few steps when she heard Alexandru quietly call her name. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw he had stood up as well.

“This is confusing for me as well, Ka’ya,” he admitted, gazing back at her with an intense expression.

She nodded and continued on toward the river. The chill of the breeze once she moved away from the fire did little to cool the heat burning in her body. She wanted to believe it was just a byproduct of her relief that Alexandru was alive.

Her hand rose to touch her neck. There was no mark on it, but she could still feel the imprint of his lips against the column of her neck. Stopping at the edge of the river, she gazed out across the rippling water. A small smile curved her lips.

“I think I have feelings for our captive, alpha. What kind of huntress am I?” she mused.

The wolfhound sneezed and sat down. A soft chuckle escaped Ka’ya. Yes, she was just as perplexed. Perhaps, she would see things differently tomorrow.

Stripping out of her clothes, she stepped into the shallow waters of the river and sank down. Until then, she would cool her body in the chilly waters. Or at least try to, she mused, when thoughts of Alexandru rose to her mind.