Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75388 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75388 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“Oh, you mean other than everything? Everything is wrong?”
“Why is everything wrong? You must tell me.” He rubs a knuckle along my jaw. “I do not like to see you cry.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like crying, either.”
Hassen tugs my coverings closer to my body, and then his breath hisses. “Mah-dee, this is wet—”
“Yes, I know! I’m shitty at surviving. I know this! I just…I had to escape before the guys noticed me again.”
He grabs me and hauls me into his arms, not in the romantic way that heroes carry fainting heroines, but like a mother carries her child. “I am taking you to the nearest hunter cave and we are going to get you something warm to wear, and then we are going to talk.”
“Okay,” I say in a sniffly, whiny voice. I put my arms around his neck and bury my face there, except when I do, I bang my forehead on one of his down-curling horns. Typical. Even Hassen’s trying to kill me.
We’re silent as he moves through the snow, heading unerringly for one particular cave that we tend to visit a lot. The walk seems like it takes forever, and by the time we get to the cave, I’m trembling with cold, the furs I’m wrapped in feel soaked, and I’m miserable all around. He ducks into the cave, shoving aside the screen over the entrance, and then gently sets me down. He rubs my arms and legs with his big, warm hands, stripping off my wet furs. The look on his face is full of anger, though, so I don’t thank him. I don’t think he’ll appreciate it. He grabs one of the bundled furs and cuts the ties with his knife, then flings it around me.
I know I’m in the doghouse when he then moves to the fire pit and begins to make a fire. If I’m cold enough to warrant a fire and then we have to replenish the fire-making supplies, I’m so going to get an earful from him.
“I’m sorry,” I begin, but he shoots me an irritated look that makes me go silent again. Okay, if he’s not in a talky mood, I’ll just sit here and shiver. I clutch the blankets closer and feel pretty sorry for myself at the entire situation.
It takes a few minutes before the fire catches, but eventually there’s a little flame going and Hassen scoops me up and drops me next to the fire like I’m a child. He adjusts the furs wrapped around me, tucking my feet under them, and then rests on his haunches, pausing to glare at me. “Why are you out in wet furs? Explain.”
“I told you.” I shift on the floor, a little uncomfortable at his angry scrutiny. “I had to sneak out when no one was paying attention.”
“Are the others back? I thought I saw their tracks.” His expression darkens. “Are they being cruel to you?”
“Only if you count trying to smother me with gifts and attention cruel, I guess.” I wiggle my bare toes and dig them into the furry underside of the blankets, because, okay, it does feel much better than my snow-wet boots.
“Gifts? Attention?” As I watch, his mouth draws into a scowl. “Who is giving you gifts? Bek?”
“Not him.” I shake my head. “Vaza gave me some tea, and every time I turn around, Harrec’s trying to feed me, and Taushen’s trying to be my new best friend. I mean—”
He growls.
I’m so startled by the sound that I stop talking. He actually growled. Just like a rabid dog…or a bear. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he snarls at me. “Any others?”
“Any others what?”
“Any others courting you?”
“Fuck, I sure hope not.” The thought makes me miserable. “I can barely sneak away as it is.”
“No more sneaking,” he tells me, tucking the furs closer. “It is clear that you cannot take care of yourself.”
For some reason, that really hurts. I burst into fresh tears. “You asshole. N-n-now you s-s-sound like Lila.”
He snorts and takes one of my cold hands and grips it in his, rubbing it to warm it. “Your sister has learned how to set a snare and build a fire. That is all. Do not let her words tear you down.”
Actually, my sister never said those things. Lila is too sweet and kind. She would never willingly harm me. And so now I feel worse because I’m making Hassen think bad things about her. “She is my sister. She’s just trying to look out for me because she wants me to be happy,” I sigh. “And I’m not happy because I don’t fit in.”
Though I don’t point out that I’ve been happy in the week that she’s been gone, because it makes me feel worse. I don’t want to think that I can’t be happy around her. I need my sister in my life. I love her. I’m just not sure we’re on the same page anymore.