Chapter 7 #3
Around a secluded bend, the water widened into a calm, shallow pool sheltered by dense willow thickets. The water was so crystalline that I could see every smooth pebble on the riverbed.
I stripped down to my modest sports bra, rolled the legs of my jeans to my knees, and waded into the current.
The glacial cold hit me with an icy shock that stole my breath, but the relief was instantaneous.
I dunked my head beneath the surface, scrubbing the dust from my scalp until my skin tingled with freshness.
Standing there for a quiet moment, I watched the storm clouds catch the dying rays of the sun, glowing with an eerie, golden light.
Everything felt heightened, from the icy rush of the water to the sharp perfume of damp pine needles and approaching rain.
I felt more completely alive than I had felt in years.
Moving quickly against the dropping temperature, I dried off with my towel and changed into a clean pair of jeans and a soft flannel t-shirt. My damp hair hung heavy down my back as I braided it loosely, stepping onto the trail back toward the clearing.
The canvas tents were fully pitched now, standing in a protective ring around the fire pit while the cattle rested quietly in the meadow beyond.
As I stepped near the clearing, I stopped short.
Ripplan stood near the edge of the trees, watching me with an intensity that sent my pulse leaping into my throat. He wasn't smiling, nor was he scowling, but his heavy amber gaze anchored onto me the moment I appeared.
My stomach did that familiar, breathtaking flip.
He had positioned himself directly between the camp and the path I had taken to the river, standing like a sentinel who had waited for my return the entire time. The realization sent a wave of heat straight through my chest, blending irritation with something dangerously close to pleasure.
He was watching me as though I belonged to him.
The thought should have frightened me after everything I had endured with Arlo, yet Ripplan's fierce presence felt entirely different. He wasn't trying to diminish me or lock me in a cage. He was standing guard over me.
I remembered Jordan telling me how her Orc mate, Ruka, watched over her with that same unyielding intensity.
She had explained that Orc mates were possessive by nature, driven by an instinct rooted deep within the mate bond.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I wondered whether Ripplan was feeling that ancient pull, or if he was simply an overbearing asshole who disliked seeing other men pay attention to me.
The setting sun illuminated the strong planes of his face, making the green tones of his skin glow with striking warmth.
Even from this distance, I could feel the coiled strength in his massive frame, ready to defend whatever he considered his.
Heat pooled low in my belly, leaving me hopelessly conflicted.
I'd felt annoyed by his heavy-handed jealousy throughout the day, yet my body responded to his raw, protective presence with undeniable desire.
I turned away, my face burning with conflicting emotions as I stepped toward the main path to clear my head.
In the next heartbeat, everything shattered.
Ripplan shouted my name, the sound harsh, explosive, and full of raw panic.
Before I could even spin around, he was on me with speed that defied his massive size.
His large hands clamped firmly around my waist, lifting me effortlessly into the air as the ground fell away beneath my feet.
He swung his entire body in a powerful arc, tossing me to the side as he took my place on the path.
"What—" The breath caught in my throat as my hands grabbed for balance against his broad shoulders.
That was when the violent rattle tore through the evening air, vibrating like dried seeds inside a shaken gourd.
I twisted my head around and saw the thick, patterned body of a Western diamondback rattlesnake coiled in the grass where I had been about to step. The serpent struck with blinding fury, its long fangs sinking deep into Ripplan's calf with a sickening, wet thud.
"No!" I screamed in horror.
Ripplan set me firmly behind him, his jaw clenching against what had to be searing agony as he reached down in one fluid motion.
His massive hand closed directly behind the snake's flared head, pulling it away from his leg.
With a brutal crunch of bone and muscle, he crushed the serpent's skull between his fingers.
The lifeless body went limp in his grasp, twitching only with dying reflexes before he dropped it into the dirt.
He stood breathing heavily, looking down at his leg where two dark puncture wounds were already bleeding through the torn denim of his jeans.
"Oh my God," I breathed, my hands trembling as panic seized my chest. "Oh my God, Ripplan..."
The snake had been waiting in the grass directly in my path. Ripplan had seen the danger, and without a single shred of hesitation or regard for his own safety, he had thrown me clear and taken the deadly strike in my place.