Chapter 8
Krieger held a jaw full of razor-sharp teeth away from his neck. The animal resembled a cross between a wolf and a dog. Its beady black eyes centered on him as its claws dug into his abdomen and chest. Saliva dripped on his skin as the beast roared with frustration. It wanted his blood...
He shoved the coyote back, but the bastard was strong. His gray and white fur was wet, and Krieger’s grip was slipping. Where was his gun?
This had to be the reason Eva said to keep the thing on him at all times. This place was an unpredictable gauntlet of terrible and awful. Terrible one minute, awful the next. Whipping his head from side to side, he looked for a weapon.
Eva was over by the pack looking for something—a weapon perhaps—but he couldn’t wait any longer to act.
His grip slipped, but he was able to move his neck away from the deadly fangs. Instead, Krieger felt the sharp pierce of his skin as the beast bit down hard on his right shoulder. Blood soaked his shirt as he let out a roar of pain. Then, as if to rip the tissue from his body, the animal shook his head.
Without thinking, he punched the monster in the face, then repeatedly did the same to his ribs. It let go of him, leaping away, and he thought he was free, but then it circled back around.
Krieger stood in the five seconds it took the mutt to counterattack. The animal started to rush at him again when a loud bang filled the air. Gunfire...
The beast’s ears flattened to its head before it took off in another direction. It ran into the dead forest and disappeared into a denser brush.
Krieger was breathing hard as he turned to look at Eva, who was still holding the gun. She hadn’t aimed to kill—she pointed the gun into the air above her head.
He took a step in her direction and asked, “Why didn’t you kill it?”
She lowered the pistol as her gaze met the ground. “I-I just couldn’t...”
“Eva...” He strode toward her. “It could have killed us.”
She looked to him, but her eyes were cold and guarded. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”
He looked to his shoulder and held out the flannel button-down splattered in blood—his blood.
She stuffed the gun into her waist band and grabbed the pack, then closed the space between them. “I couldn’t steady the gun in my hand. My aim is off since being shot. I... just couldn’t risk hitting you. Now sit.”
He softened at her words and sat next to the fire. The oatmeal had been spilled onto the ground from the fight and had been long since forgotten.
Pain laced his movements as he undid the buttons to his shirt, then he sat and watched Eva grab a small bag from the backpack. She positioned herself in front of him and began to examine the wound. Teeth marks marred his skin, but they didn’t appear to be deep.
Eva opened the first aid kit and sifted through the items before removing antiseptic wipes and bandages, then made quick work of fixing him up.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know.” Her words broke the silence that hung between them as she placed the first aid items back into the bag.
As he rebuttoned his shirt, he said, “Do what?”
“Push me out of the way of the coyote. You put yourself in danger, and you shouldn’t have—”
He looked to her, resting his hand on top of hers, stilling her movements. “Angel, I would make the same choice a hundred times over to save you from pain or worse... You are someone worth hurting for.”
Krieger heard her deep intake of breath as her eyes swirled with an emotion he couldn’t place. Her cheeks flushed under his gaze. He couldn’t help but notice that the rosy color of her skin made her green eyes stand out. Time seemed suspended as they just regarded each other. She’s so beautiful.
A moment later, she broke the trance by averting her eyes and zipping up the bag. Her face became unreadable—her wall was firmly back in place. Would that wall ever crumble for him?
But as she stood, she stilled and looked at him over her shoulder. She hesitated only a second before she said, “Thank you, Krieger.”
Once they were on foot, Eva was silent as she ascended the landscape, determined to find the lean-to. The clouds looked ominous, the wind was picking up again, and the temperature was dropping.
“Are we close?” he asked.
She stopped once she crested a steep summit. She was winded, no doubt still feeling the bullet hole in her shoulder.
With heavy breaths, she pointed and said, “It’s just over there, within that tree line. I think.”
As they scaled to higher elevation, the trees held bountiful leaves. Ranging in color, it looked like a different planet from where they had just been. He adjusted the pack on his back as he closed the distance between them.
“The flood waters don’t reach this place?”
She shrugged. “Not usually. The quakes can be felt here though. It’s still dangerous to be out this far from Everwood. We will have to take turns to be on watch.”
Krieger couldn’t help but notice Eva’s face; her eyes were hollow from the lack of sleep and stress of the last few days. She would need to eat and rest soon. A large open field separated them from the tree line; they could make it before dark and still have time to scout for fire wood.
Eva scowled at him, as if she could see the concern for her in his eyes, and said, “Let’s get going, I don’t like the looks of these clouds.”
He wanted to ask her so many questions as they made their way through the field. But if he had learned anything about her, it was that she did not take well to being pushed. She would open a door in that wall of hers to him when she was ready. Hell, he’d be happy with a window, but now was not that time...
The grass here was sparse. Half of it was already dead or dying. The ground was gritty—sand lay beneath his boot. That could only mean one thing. Water had come this way, at some point. He didn’t know how much more they could take of the terrible-awful. He wondered if last night’s flood was Mother Nature’s ultimate checkmate.
Krieger would give anything to give Eva a time-out from all of this. She deserved that and more.
As they approached the trees, the lean-to came into view, and Eva visibly relaxed, the tension easing out of her shoulders and neck.
The lean-to had three sides, with an open-face front. The dirt floor had the same fine sand mixed in throughout. Eva entered and rested on her haunches against the side wall, and he removed his pack and set it next to her.
“I’ll find some firewood. Why don’t you set up a pallet for the night?” he said.
His eyes were drawn to the dark circles that had appeared under her eyes when she said, “Here, take the pistol. Just in case.”
A deep ache settled in his chest. He hated seeing her this way. He accepted the gun and rounded the lean-to. This would give him the opportunity to get the lay of the land here. What evil beast roamed these woods?
With the mood he was in, the beasts should be scared of him.
The area behind the lean-to was under a canopy of tree branches and leaves, and he collected twigs, large sticks, and a handful of dried leaves before returning.
He had no sooner entered their camp when a low rumble eased over the land. Eva was kneeling on the tarp, laying out the pelt, when she looked to him. They froze, waiting for what may come next. The earth shook hard, sending Krieger into the side of the structure.
“Krieger!” Eva yelled to him as the trees let loose their leaves.
Mother Earth was shaking the snow globe again. Didn’t the bitch ever rest?
His back hit the wood hard as he dropped the fire wood and got low to the ground. Eva was crouched in the corner, her hand outstretched toward him. With slow movements, he made his way to her and wrapped his body around hers. As soon as he had her, she gripped both his arms, anchoring him to her body.
He had no idea how much time had gone by. Minutes... a half hour? Frozen in time, he held her close.
When the shaking finally stopped, Eva moved out from under him, easing back onto her knees. She faced him and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her face on his shoulder. Slowly, he enfolded her in his arms once more. Angel from the front.
His hand moved rhythmically down her back. “I got you... I got you now.”
Warmth filled his chest. This is where he wanted to be. Intertwined with her.
Krieger smoothed her hair while he whispered soft words in her ears. “Don’t fear, Angel, I’m here. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
She lifted her head and met his gaze. “I believe you.”
Krieger’s heart pounded, a tingling sensation drifted across his skin, and he felt a shift in the mood between them. Silently, she stared at him, and an understanding passed between them. Had he just created a crack in her impenetrable wall? Only time would tell...
The darkening clouds outside promised more days of terrible-awful. The earthy smell of rain filled the air, and lightning streaked the blackened sky as thunder rumbled in the distance.
She placed her head back on his shoulder just as the ground began to tremble once more. Would they ever make it out of this alive? A knot formed in his gut as he watched the storm close in on their small moment of peace...