village,” Ella replied, taking a step back. “He knows I can’t stand being stuck in the village all day.”
“Promise me you’ll be careful,” Jayden whispered. “Kill him if you have to. This isn’t just about you, Ella, this is about the safety of the few of us who still remain.”
“Why do you think I’m doing this, Jayden?” Ella replied in a somber tone. “We’re dying. We just haven’t admitted it yet. There aren’t enough of us to continue.”
“I know, but…,” Jayden shook her head and looked up at the canopy of limbs above them, fighting for composure before she returned her gaze to Ella. “Just be careful. If I’m going to grow old, I want your sorry ass beside me, pushing me into the grave. You’re my bestie, Ella.”
“You’re mine, too, Jayden. I’ll be careful. If he tries anything, I’ll take care of him. I just need to know what we’re facing. We are running out of room to hide,” Ella said, drawing in a deep breath and turning away from her friend. “I’ll be back before dark.”
“You’d better be,” Jayden muttered.
Ella grinned and took off through the woods. It was still dark, but that had never stopped her before. She enjoyed living in the forest and found it peaceful.
It didn’t take her long to cover the distance to Ty’s camp. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when she stopped just inside the tree line. She studied the quiet camp for several minutes before a grin curved her lips and amusement changed the worry to laughter. The soft sounds of snoring told her that he was still in the tent.
Her gaze moved to the river and she decided that perhaps he would be more talkative if he was fed when he woke up. Jayden’s dad was always grumpy until her mom served breakfast. She remembered her own mom saying that men were always grouchy bears until they were fed.
Striding over to the river, she climbed up on one of the rocks near a shallow pool. Ten minutes later, she had a nice trout roasting over the fire that she resurrected from the bed of coals. She pulled out the small, wrapped package of dried fruits and nuts that she brought and divided it between the two plates from the day before.
She looked up when she heard the sound of rustling in the tent. A moment later, Ty emerged. She chuckled softly when she saw him lift his head and sniff appreciatively at the air before he scratched his….
Ella glanced down, refocusing her attention on not burning their breakfast. She could feel the heat in her cheeks. The fiery color in them had nothing to do with the fire and everything to do with her wild imagination.
“You’re back! And you cooked breakfast?” Ty asked in surprise, staring down at where she knelt.
Ella glanced up and shrugged. “I want you to answer some questions. Food is good at loosening the tongue. Plus, if I feed you, you are less likely to want to eat me,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Ella didn’t miss the scowl that darkened his face at her last words. She cautiously rose to her feet and picked up her lance. She held it ready. There was always the possibility that she had underestimated him and he really was a beast who preferred humans to fish for breakfast.
“For the last time, I don’t want to eat you!” Ty snapped in irritation before he suddenly grinned at her. “Well, only in the most pleasurable ways. I need to get cleaned up. I’ll be back in a few. Save me some of that fish.”
Ella knew her mouth was hanging open when he turned and walked toward the river. Did he just flirt with her? And what in the hell did he mean he only wanted to eat her in the most pleasurable ways? How could getting eaten be fun?
Shaking her head, she knelt down next to the fire again and turned the fish once more. He was a very, very strange man. He was also nothing like what she had been expecting.
In the old stories handed down from parent to child, elders to the clan; the Others had attacked the humans en masse, slaughtering or
“Promise me you’ll be careful,” Jayden whispered. “Kill him if you have to. This isn’t just about you, Ella, this is about the safety of the few of us who still remain.”
“Why do you think I’m doing this, Jayden?” Ella replied in a somber tone. “We’re dying. We just haven’t admitted it yet. There aren’t enough of us to continue.”
“I know, but…,” Jayden shook her head and looked up at the canopy of limbs above them, fighting for composure before she returned her gaze to Ella. “Just be careful. If I’m going to grow old, I want your sorry ass beside me, pushing me into the grave. You’re my bestie, Ella.”
“You’re mine, too, Jayden. I’ll be careful. If he tries anything, I’ll take care of him. I just need to know what we’re facing. We are running out of room to hide,” Ella said, drawing in a deep breath and turning away from her friend. “I’ll be back before dark.”
“You’d better be,” Jayden muttered.
Ella grinned and took off through the woods. It was still dark, but that had never stopped her before. She enjoyed living in the forest and found it peaceful.
It didn’t take her long to cover the distance to Ty’s camp. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when she stopped just inside the tree line. She studied the quiet camp for several minutes before a grin curved her lips and amusement changed the worry to laughter. The soft sounds of snoring told her that he was still in the tent.
Her gaze moved to the river and she decided that perhaps he would be more talkative if he was fed when he woke up. Jayden’s dad was always grumpy until her mom served breakfast. She remembered her own mom saying that men were always grouchy bears until they were fed.
Striding over to the river, she climbed up on one of the rocks near a shallow pool. Ten minutes later, she had a nice trout roasting over the fire that she resurrected from the bed of coals. She pulled out the small, wrapped package of dried fruits and nuts that she brought and divided it between the two plates from the day before.
She looked up when she heard the sound of rustling in the tent. A moment later, Ty emerged. She chuckled softly when she saw him lift his head and sniff appreciatively at the air before he scratched his….
Ella glanced down, refocusing her attention on not burning their breakfast. She could feel the heat in her cheeks. The fiery color in them had nothing to do with the fire and everything to do with her wild imagination.
“You’re back! And you cooked breakfast?” Ty asked in surprise, staring down at where she knelt.
Ella glanced up and shrugged. “I want you to answer some questions. Food is good at loosening the tongue. Plus, if I feed you, you are less likely to want to eat me,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Ella didn’t miss the scowl that darkened his face at her last words. She cautiously rose to her feet and picked up her lance. She held it ready. There was always the possibility that she had underestimated him and he really was a beast who preferred humans to fish for breakfast.
“For the last time, I don’t want to eat you!” Ty snapped in irritation before he suddenly grinned at her. “Well, only in the most pleasurable ways. I need to get cleaned up. I’ll be back in a few. Save me some of that fish.”
Ella knew her mouth was hanging open when he turned and walked toward the river. Did he just flirt with her? And what in the hell did he mean he only wanted to eat her in the most pleasurable ways? How could getting eaten be fun?
Shaking her head, she knelt down next to the fire again and turned the fish once more. He was a very, very strange man. He was also nothing like what she had been expecting.
In the old stories handed down from parent to child, elders to the clan; the Others had attacked the humans en masse, slaughtering or
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