Bloodied and feeling more satisfied and focused, he let the rain wash the remnants of the wolves from him as he kneeled quietly beside their carcasses. Always the resourceful one, aren’t you, he reflected. But I can be patient. And when you use it again, I will find you. He stood and began walking towards the next nearest settlement.
As he journeyed towards Birclan, she was all he focused on. His training had shaped his mind and body for a singular purpose. He would hunt and bring her back to the empire. Almost all his fellows had not survived the transformation. He had. All of what he had endured, now provided his strength. He was forged for one goal, and now it was so tantalizingly close.
He’d felt a hint of her presence outside of Serenity Falls. At the time, she was a curiosity. He had not fully realized that she was the one he sought. The prowler had managed to come close, even injuring her with a well-placed arrow, but she’d escaped. She had been lucky twice since that encounter. Unknown trickery and his over-eagerness to possess her had clouded his judgment. He would not allow her to benefit from such things again. Feeling more centered, he savored and encouraged his insatiable appetite for her to grow as he continued his journey towards his target.
Chapter 10
Nev and Wyatt walked for several quiet hours in their private underground world. The carved tunnel had led much farther than he would have anticipated. It was also strangely beautiful. Wyatt had used his abilities to enhance the light being emitted by the mushrooms than clung to the cave’s walls. He thought Nev almost smiled when he first did it, and that made the exercise and nagging headache worth it.
When their path slowly started to carve its way upward, they were many miles from where they had entered. Wyatt was relieved to be back on the surface. He deeply breathed in the cool, night air. The cave had smelled heavy with minerals, and he was happy to be done with it. The feeling was fleeting. Having reached the surface just before him, he was not thrilled to see Nev turn to reenter the cave. “Decided to go back for another swim, have you?” he queried unenthusiastically.
“No, but we should rest for a bit. It has been a very long day,” she noted, sounding utterly exhausted. She moved several feet inside the cave and then pointed towards the ground. “Stay here. I will be back shortly,” instructed Nev as she headed back towards the cave’s exit.
“If you are heading out, then I will come with you,” Wyatt quickly protested.
“No,” she replied, sounding harsher than intended. She took a deep breath. “I am sorry. I just need… I just need to clear my head.”
Perhaps it wasn’t a terrible idea for them to take a short break from each other, thought Wyatt. Their time together had often been quite intense. “Alright, just be gentle with your shoulder and don’t go too far. Also, be careful, please,” he said, sounding worried.
Nev nodded quickly and then headed out in the night air. The rain had eased off again and was barely more than a mist now. She stood for several minutes, trying in vain to center herself. Every time she started to quiet her mind, thoughts of the kiss they shared pushed back to the forefront. She rubbed her face with her hands and let out a heavy groan. Why did I let him kiss me?Nev reprimanded herself.
Of course, she already knew the answer. It was because, despite all her best efforts to the contrary, she had started to genuinely care for Wyatt. Nev could feel a bond between them growing, and it left her feeling confused and unfocused. She’d never kissed a man prior, and now she could think of little else. Nev needed to put a stop to it all. It was too dangerous to allow herself to become so distracted while they were being pursued by an unrelenting and malevolent force.
Committed to staying on task, she breathed in deeply for a few minutes. Unfocused or no, she had duties that needed to be accomplished. Her mind and senses were far too scattered to hunt, so she turned her attention to looking for any edible berries or nuts in the area. Nev lucked out and found an easily recognizable hillberry bush that was heavy with fruit. She gathered them and gently put them in a small bag she’d pulled from her pack. While gathering sticks, she also came across a handful of agner nuts. They could be hard to open, but a rock usually made short work of it. Placing the nuts inside the pouch with the berries, she bundled the sticks up with her rope.
Seeing the rope again caused flashes of Wyatt laying unbreathing before her to abruptly push into her mind. She shuddered from the memories. Breathing out sharply, Nev attempted to shake the thoughts from her head. She was minimally successful. Feeling tired and with food and fuel for a fire, Nev headed back towards the cave. She stopped only briefly to fill a small container with rain that had collected in a very large leaf. Satisfied enough with what she had gathered and her muscles aching for sleep, she headed back towards the cave entrance.
Wyatt had been waiting anxiously for Nev to return. He didn’t like the idea of her being out there without him. Still, he knew she likely needed the solace that sometimes only came from being alone. He felt greatly relieved when he saw her reenter the cave. Wyatt wanted to rush to meet her, but he got a distinct impression that was not what she wanted. So, he sat and waited.
