Chapter 21
Calypsta
Somewhere in the Jungle
The tension in her shoulders eased as she realized the dense canopy overhead provided them with much-needed protection. The thick branches and layers of foliage cast shadows over the path, making it difficult for the raptors to track them. They were safe.
Reyne stopped when a winding creek—bordered by feathery ferns, orchids and colorful blooms, intersected the trail.
Smooth rocks of all colors and sizes, rounded over time and churning of water, littered the stream bed.
Larger rocks covered in spongy moss protruded from the gurgling flow creating a stepping-stone path that connected both sides of the trail.
It was beautiful, in both sight and sound. Peaceful. Serene. A chorus of bird calls, insect hums, and the distant rustle of leaves, all harmonized with the gentle babbling of the stream. The aroma of sweet fragrant blooms hung in the air.
With a grunt, Reyne shrugged off his burden and seated himself against a broad tree trunk. Bright crimson smears blotted his shirt where the gryphon’s sharp talons had pierced his flesh.
“Reyne, your wounds need tending,” she pointed out. “Let me have a look. Please, remove your shirt.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. Here, let me help you.” She reached for the hem, but he halted her with an I can manage this task myself look. Her hand dropped to her side.
Reyne grunted as he tugged the soiled fabric over his head.
Kendra knelt at his side and inspected his wounds. There were two deep punctures oozing blood, one just under his collarbone, the other in the middle of his shoulder blade. There was also a crimson gash on his upper arm that came precariously close to ending his life.
Kendra took his discarded blood-stained shirt to the stream. Dip, squeeze. Dip, squeeze. Once the material was clean, she hastened back to Reyne’s side. Kneeling again, she pressed the damp fabric to his wounds and began to clean the blood away.
It took several back-and-forth trips to the stream until his wounds were cleansed to her satisfaction.
Blood barely oozed now, which was a good sign—or so she hoped.
Tia was the expert when it came to tending to Armathea’s sick or injured crew.
Kendra suddenly recalled that Tia often used alcohol to stave off infection.
She rummaged in Reyne’s pack. The whiskey wasn’t difficult to locate.
“This will probably sting,” she mentioned as she held up the heavy bottle.
Reyne eyed her for a second before he snatched the whiskey from her, took a quick swig and thrust it back into her waiting hands. “Do it,” he instructed, watching her with a wary gaze.
He barely flinched when the potent liquid splashed his wounds.
She was gentle, although she didn’t know why she bothered.
He certainly hadn’t been gentle with her, she thought, remembering the way he had captured her in the cargo bay, with his knee pressed into her back as he bound her wrists with his leather belt.
Wrists that were still raw.
It would serve him right if she returned his cruelty in kind. Instead, she wiped away the excess alcohol with gentle pressure. “Do you have another shirt?”
“I believe I grabbed a spare.” He leaned back against the tree to rest his head against the rough-textured bark, his ebony hair a sweaty, tousled mess. Sooty lashes lowered as he rested his eyes. The purple bruises from Odin’s fist were almost covered by dark, scruffy growth.
His chest rose and fell as he took several deep breaths.
She rummaged through the pack again and found the water canteen and a fresh shirt. She returned to the stream, crouched, splashed cool water on her face, cupped her hands and drank hungrily until her thirst was satisfied. She returned to Reyne’s side and shoved the full canteen into his hand.
He took a long, deep sip, then lifted his steel gaze to hers. So intense and mesmerizing, she couldn’t pull her gaze away. A beat later she found her hand clutched in his strong, yet gentle grasp.
Without breaking eye contact, he tugged her towards him and placed her open palm over his smooth, muscular chest—above his heart.
A heartbeat pulsed beneath her touch. Strong and steady.
She marveled at how solid he felt beneath her touch.
An urge to walk her fingers over the rest of his naked chest filled her with a strange longing.
“Thank you, Kendra.” His voice was low, raspy. There was a sincerity in his gaze that jolted her.
The man before her now seemed almost unrecognizable, and it made her wary. Despite the glimpse of vulnerability that tugged her heartstrings, Reyne was still the same formidable bounty hunter who had abducted her, drugged her, and terrorized her just days before.
His intentions to deliver her to his master had not changed.
Kendra could never forget that.
She tore her gaze from his and removed her hand from his loosened hold.
If there was just one thing she could be sure of, it was her need to keep her guard up where he was concerned.
To erect an unbreakable wall around her exposed heart because if circumstances were different, she could easily be seduced by Reyne’s magnetic charms. And that would only lead her towards pain, and heartbreak.
Reyne rose to his full imposing height, donned a fresh shirt and shrugged into his bulky pack as if nothing happened, his jaw set in grim, hard lines. “We need to keep moving.”
Kendra released a sigh with a mix of emotions. Ruthless Reyne was needed to survive this dangerous planet. Yet, despite accepting this, she couldn’t deny the invisible tug to discover Reyne's hidden side.
Hopping from one moss-covered rock to the next, Reyne crossed the stream, leaving Kendra with no choice but to follow him into the unknown.