dropped their blankets beside the wood.
“You start the fire and I’ll see about catching us some dinner. Again. We’re far enough north so our smoke shouldn’t drift to her.” He took their cooking shell out of his pack and kicked off his boots.
He splashed into a tidal pool. The moonlight sparkled on the little waves he stirred with his hunting. Both moons now beamed down on them but she didn’t find the light cheery in any way. Instead the night was now filled with a creepiness that made her heart race.
She fumbled through Brady’s pack and found the oil cloth protecting his matches. Only a dozen or so remained, but they could use the flint to strike a spark if they must. She retreated to the coarse grass further up the beach and gathered a handful to use as tinder. Coaxing the wood to catch took her attention, and the mundane chore settled her stomach and nerves.
It unnerved her to see the subhuman creature acting so motherly to its infant. She didn’t want to see any soft emotions in the barbaric beast. Nothing would give her more satisfaction than to run her sword through the Savage bitch and make the world that little bit safer. And the baby? Damn. Not even her need for revenge rendered her heartless enough to kill an infant.
There was nothing to fear. Not immediately. A single female was no threat to the two of them without the element of surprise. The Savage seemed fully occupied caring for its little one.
Cara’s stomach lurched again as she recalled the sight of the baby taking its mother’s nipple so eagerly. Another generation of animals.
Brady startled her from her thoughts when he flopped down beside her. Though he’d rolled his pants, they were wet up to his knees. Water beaded on the sparse, dark hair covering his calves and sand stuck to his feet.
He poured fresh water from the water bag so it covered the crabs. He nudged the shell close to the small fire. “Finally we’ll get to eat.”
“Can’t you think of anything but your damned stomach?”
His gaze turned wary. “Aren’t you hungry?”
What a dunderhead! “How can you even think of eating after seeing … that?”
“That?” He turned his gaze back to the simmering crabs and shrugged. “We saw a lone female Savage and her baby.”
“A dirty Savage nursing the next generation of animals.”
His brow crinkled but he kept his gaze on the crabs. “Did you look close at the female?
She looked … cleaner somehow. Did you notice her gentle way with the baby? She acted like any human mother.”
ONE GOOD WOMAN SUSAN KELLEY 30
“What are you talking about?” Even the lowliest of animals cared for their young. Such behavior didn’t indicate human tendencies. “We should go back and….”
“And what?” Brady looked at her with his eyes ablaze. “Kill her? Are we going to kill the baby too? I mean are you? Because I can tell you I won’t. If we kill only her, are you going to take care of the baby or let it starve?”
Her arms lifted unwillingly to cover her flat chest. They were nearly starving themselves.
Even if she were so inclined, she wouldn’t be able to take care of a baby of any kind.
“We have no way of knowing where the female came from, but there has to be at least one male around. Maybe there’s an entire pack of them.”
“So what do you think we should do?” Her nerves untwisted from the tight knot seeing the Savage had caused. They weren’t going to confront it tonight or even the next morning.
How did an encounter with one Savage distress her so? Thank goodness there was no one here to notice except Brady and he seemed oblivious of her anxiety.
Brady tugged the shell away from the fire and tipped it to drain off the water. He pulled his knife and speared one of the boiled creatures. He frowned at it with hunger and dreary acceptance.
“I think we should eat our dinner and then make our way back to the trees. At first light, we’ll follow this female’s back trail
“You start the fire and I’ll see about catching us some dinner. Again. We’re far enough north so our smoke shouldn’t drift to her.” He took their cooking shell out of his pack and kicked off his boots.
He splashed into a tidal pool. The moonlight sparkled on the little waves he stirred with his hunting. Both moons now beamed down on them but she didn’t find the light cheery in any way. Instead the night was now filled with a creepiness that made her heart race.
She fumbled through Brady’s pack and found the oil cloth protecting his matches. Only a dozen or so remained, but they could use the flint to strike a spark if they must. She retreated to the coarse grass further up the beach and gathered a handful to use as tinder. Coaxing the wood to catch took her attention, and the mundane chore settled her stomach and nerves.
It unnerved her to see the subhuman creature acting so motherly to its infant. She didn’t want to see any soft emotions in the barbaric beast. Nothing would give her more satisfaction than to run her sword through the Savage bitch and make the world that little bit safer. And the baby? Damn. Not even her need for revenge rendered her heartless enough to kill an infant.
There was nothing to fear. Not immediately. A single female was no threat to the two of them without the element of surprise. The Savage seemed fully occupied caring for its little one.
Cara’s stomach lurched again as she recalled the sight of the baby taking its mother’s nipple so eagerly. Another generation of animals.
Brady startled her from her thoughts when he flopped down beside her. Though he’d rolled his pants, they were wet up to his knees. Water beaded on the sparse, dark hair covering his calves and sand stuck to his feet.
He poured fresh water from the water bag so it covered the crabs. He nudged the shell close to the small fire. “Finally we’ll get to eat.”
“Can’t you think of anything but your damned stomach?”
His gaze turned wary. “Aren’t you hungry?”
What a dunderhead! “How can you even think of eating after seeing … that?”
“That?” He turned his gaze back to the simmering crabs and shrugged. “We saw a lone female Savage and her baby.”
“A dirty Savage nursing the next generation of animals.”
His brow crinkled but he kept his gaze on the crabs. “Did you look close at the female?
She looked … cleaner somehow. Did you notice her gentle way with the baby? She acted like any human mother.”
ONE GOOD WOMAN SUSAN KELLEY 30
“What are you talking about?” Even the lowliest of animals cared for their young. Such behavior didn’t indicate human tendencies. “We should go back and….”
“And what?” Brady looked at her with his eyes ablaze. “Kill her? Are we going to kill the baby too? I mean are you? Because I can tell you I won’t. If we kill only her, are you going to take care of the baby or let it starve?”
Her arms lifted unwillingly to cover her flat chest. They were nearly starving themselves.
Even if she were so inclined, she wouldn’t be able to take care of a baby of any kind.
“We have no way of knowing where the female came from, but there has to be at least one male around. Maybe there’s an entire pack of them.”
“So what do you think we should do?” Her nerves untwisted from the tight knot seeing the Savage had caused. They weren’t going to confront it tonight or even the next morning.
How did an encounter with one Savage distress her so? Thank goodness there was no one here to notice except Brady and he seemed oblivious of her anxiety.
Brady tugged the shell away from the fire and tipped it to drain off the water. He pulled his knife and speared one of the boiled creatures. He frowned at it with hunger and dreary acceptance.
“I think we should eat our dinner and then make our way back to the trees. At first light, we’ll follow this female’s back trail
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