Chapter 13
thirteen
. . .
Kex
When I felt like my legs would hold me once more, I carefully set my mate down, tucked my cock back into my loincloth, and adjusted my gear so I could carry her for the rest of the day.
We could get a few more hours in before the sun dropped too low, and if we split the time with me carrying her, we would cut a few days off the journey.
My Emily had been so distraught over her lost people, and I hadn’t had the words to explain that by the time we reached the village, the need to hunt her people down might no longer be necessary.
I sent a silent prayer to Monai to watch over her family, as she called it.
If her people were as defenseless as she was, they needed all the protection they could get.
My lovely mate made a sad noise when I pulled her back to her feet but didn’t protest climbing onto my back this time.
I set off through the forest at a steady pace I could maintain until the night forced us to stop.
If I was by myself, I could continue past dark, but I wouldn’t risk my mate to the dangers that increased after nightfall.
When the sun sank and the forest darkened, I found a soft spot among the trees and set up a nest. We ate the prepared food I’d brought and would do without a fire for the night.
With the blanket I’d packed and my mate held close to my body, we would be warm enough.
After an early night to bed, we could be up with the sun and on our way quickly.
My mate winced and hissed as I cleaned and replaced the healing paste in her ranook bites, and I made a note to check them over in the morning light since they seemed to pain her more than they had earlier in the day.
After packing away our dinner things and setting my spear within easy reach, I pulled my Emily down next to me and tucked her against my chest to sleep.
We lay like that for a few moments before my mate rolled over and gave me a look I couldn’t interpret.
I ran a finger over her brow and across her cheek. “Sleep, my dearest Emily.”
Her little eyebrows pulled together in a frown. “No sleep,” she said and smacked my chest with her weak little hand.
I snatched her hand and held it against my chest. “Yes, sleep,” I said in her words.
She bit my chest, then licked her way down and sucked my nipple. Clearly, my mate wasn’t tired enough yet.
I growled and rolled her onto her back, catching her gasp with my lips.
I kissed her until her eyes were glazed and unfocused, then worked my way down her body and wrung two orgasms out of her with my tongue and lips.
I sank into her hard and fast, and after we both orgasmed together, I lay down next to her and once again tucked her against my chest.
She let out the sweetest little contented sigh. “Kex good,” she said. “Somuchbetterthangood, Kex. Iwishicouldtellyouhowmuchilovethisbeingwithyou. Ithinkiloveyou, Kex. Andnotjustbecauseyoumakemecomeharderthanieverhavebefore.”
“Sleep, my heart,” I said, squeezing her tight for just a moment. “Tomorrow is another day, and perhaps the following one we will reach the village. Then at last, the rest of our lives can begin.”
The next morning I refreshed the paste in my Emily’s ranook bites and tried not to let the swollen, red flesh around two of the punctures send me spiraling.
We would be at the village by tomorrow morning if I pushed, and my Emily would receive proper healing.
If an infection was growing, it was new and would take longer than a day to progress.
I’d seen warriors die from small infected wounds on the battlefield.
It took little for a wound to become life-ending without proper care, but it did take time.
When my mate tried to refuse being carried, I got firm. “No. Emily no walk.”
She glared at me, her arms folded across her chest, which made her breasts press together and wasn’t as intimidating as she likely wished.
I let my gaze rake over her lovely cleavage, then forcibly tore my attention away.
She was smirking mischievously at me and I narrowed my eyes at her.
Lovely temptress that she was, I shook my head at her in her gesture for no, and with a little growl she finally relented.
We traveled quickly, stopping only to relieve ourselves, and, as though more subdued than the day before, my mate didn’t try to initiate mating.
She was hot, with a slight sweat on her skin, but she had been sweaty before, and it was difficult to tell whether the body heat was unusual for her species.
When we stopped for the night. I built a small fire in the clearing and boiled water, adding purifying herbs to the brew. I let it boil for some time, then took it off the tripod to cool while I set up a second sack of water to boil, this time with dried meat, root vegetables, and some herbs.
When the water was still warm but no longer hot, I guided my Emily to lie down and gestured from the water to her bites.
“Yeahtheydontlookgooddothey?” she said.
I stroked her stomach. “I’m sorry, my mate, but this looks like it will hurt. I promise to be as quick as I can.”
She didn’t know my words, but she understood my actions.
She took a deep breath and let her head tilt back, her eyes closed tight.
Carefully, I removed the old paste from her bites and gently poured water over some of the better-looking wounds.
When I reached the two swollen punctures, her breath hitched.
I soaked a few soft leaves in the healing tea, then gently laid them over the wounds.
When they cooled, I replaced them with fresh leaves, causing my Emily to hiss, and repeated the process a few times.
Hoping the compress helped, I repacked the wounds with healing paste, then lay next to my Emily and held her.
Her breathing was a little ragged and there was sweat on her brow.
When the stew was done, I urged her to sit up and take small sips before letting her rest.
The next morning, her wounds didn’t look any better, but they also didn’t look worse.
I fed my mate and made her drink before lifting her onto my back.
I set off at a quick pace, desperate to reach the village swiftly.
We were nearly at the edge of the sacred land when a musky scent, sharp and fresh, reached my nose.
Fear slid down my spine, not for myself but for the precious creature on my back.