Chapter Three 3 страница

“Kael is very good-looking. He…I guess he’s—”

Elin stopped Anna’s rambling speech with another squeeze of her hand. “How about me?” she asked after a quiet moment. “Am I more your type?”

Anna felt her stomach drop at Elin’s query. She could be trying to trick me into saying something, was her first irrational thought. She’s crazy if she thinks I’ll admit to that when it will get me hated or killed by most people. An instant of heart-thumping paranoia, and then Anna remembered how at ease Elin had made her feel at every other moment since they’d met. Elin wouldn’t do that to me. I’m not sure Elin could hate anyone. But what does she want to hear?

“You’re a very attractive woman,” Anna said. Her palm felt sweaty in Elin’s hand, and her voice shook. “I’m sure Kael is just as happy that he found you as you are that you found him.”

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

Anna avoided her eyes. “I’m just not used to talking about this stuff.”

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I want you to know that you can talk to me about everything. I promise to never judge you or make you feel bad about anything you want to tell me, okay?”

Anna gave her an embarrassed nod. “I do want to talk about it. I just don’t know how.”

Elin laughed and brought Anna’s hand to her lips to plant a soft kiss on her knuckles. “Stick with me, babe. If there’s one thing I do, it’s talk. Sex and love are two of my favorite subjects.”

“Great.” Anna’s fingers tingled where silky lips had pressed against them, bringing a grin to her face. “Two I don’t know much about.”

Elin stopped and faced Anna, looking into her eyes. “There’s a lot I can teach you,” she said, and pressed a gentle kiss to Anna’s lips. “Like I said, stick with me.”

They started walking again, Elin still holding on to Anna’s hand.

I can die happy now, Anna thought in wonderment. She resisted the urge to touch her lips with her free hand, amazed at the sensation from the simple gesture. I guess that was lesson number one.

Kael rejoined them as they strode up a gravel path that led to the main road into Sullivan. Still reeling from girl talk, Anna blushed a little as he stalked toward them. Elin greeted him with a wide grin.

“Looks quiet,” he said. “I haven’t seen a soul.”

“Where are we?” Anna asked. God, I have no fucking idea even what state I’m in anymore.

Kael gave her an odd look. “Indiana.”

“And where are we going?”

“We’re going south for the winter.” Elin took Kael’s hand. “Got to keep moving, or Kael gets antsy. Kentucky or Tennessee,

I think. How does that sound to you?”

“Fine.” Anna tried not to stare at their clasped hands. Already she missed Elin’s attention and wished she could grab her other hand.

“Anna.” Kael’s dark, expressionless eyes moved over her. “When we go into a city, you stick close to me. We don’t separate. There are too many places for people to hide, too much chance I won’t hear someone coming.”

Anna frowned, feeling a twinge of annoyance at Kael’s commanding tone. Before yesterday, she’d been master of her own destiny. Nobody told her what to do. Even Garrett had never tried; she would’ve slugged him, and he’d known it. Though Kael was the best fighter she’d ever seen, and he’d already saved her life once, she was long past being told what she was allowed to do as if she were a child.

Kael must have seen her internal struggle. “Please don’t argue with me,” he insisted. “There’s a reason Elin and I do things the way we do, and it’s kept us safe for two years now. Okay?”

Anna bit her lip. “Fine. But do you think we could start sparring together in the next couple days, so you can see that I’m not quite as helpless as I may have appeared by the lake?”

“Deal,” he said with a brief nod. “But this isn’t about thinking you’re helpless. This is about safety in numbers. In cities, that’s what matters. And that’s final.”

Elin shot Anna a soothing smile. “Besides, shopping isn’t nearly as much fun alone.”

“Thank God.” Kael released a quiet snort. “At last we’ve found you a good shopping partner.”

Elin turned to Anna with a long-suffering sigh. “Kael thinks shopping is boring. Well, some shopping.” She raised herself up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I didn’t hear you complaining when we found that Victoria’s Secret store in Dayton, Ohio.”

Kael’s blush rivaled Anna’s. “Yeah, well—” He cleared his throat, gave Elin a scolding look, then dropped her hand and walked to the trees that lined the main road. “Who in their right mind would complain about that?”

Not me. Anna had heard of Victoria’s Secret. Uncle Roberto had kept a stack of catalogues from the lingerie store under his sleeping pallet. As a teenager, Anna found and fell in love with his collection.

Having scouted ahead, Kael knew right where to lead them. There was a sporting goods store near the edge of the city, requiring them to walk only three blocks on deserted sidewalks.

The glass front door had been smashed in some time ago, and the interior was dark. Kael led them to the entrance, then lifted his arm to stop their progress.

“You two wait out here. I want to take a walk through before we go inside.” He gave them a stern look. “Stay out of sight.”

“No problem,” Elin said. “We’ll just wait for your signal.”

Jaw tense, Anna said nothing. She walked over to the brick wall at the side of the store and folded her arms over her stomach. Elin came to lean against the wall beside her.

“Is this what you mean by ‘a little edgy’?” Staring toward the abandoned parking lot, Anna resisted the urge to glower.

“He doesn’t mean anything by it.” Elin’s kind voice drew Anna’s attention to her face and her tender hazel eyes. “He’s…been through a lot. He’s cautious. Please believe that Kael just doesn’t want to see any of us hurt.”

“I’m sorry.” Anna exhaled steadily. “I don’t mean to be difficult. I just have a hard time with being ordered around like that.”

“I understand—believe me, I do. I used to get frustrated sometimes, too, but now…I know Kael. I know where he’s coming from. He just wants to protect us from the bad things in this world.”

“Well, it’s a bit late for me. I know all about the bad things the world has to offer.”

Elin’s eyes flashed with pain. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that nobody was there to help protect you when you needed it, but please…let us help protect you now.” She placed her hand on Anna’s arm. “And you can help protect us.”

Elin’s warm gaze melted away the last of her anger, and Anna said, “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m oversensitive.” I just hate having a man telling me what to do all the time. It feels a little too much like home.

Kael poked his head out the front door and gestured to them. “Ladies, are you ready to shop?”

“You said the magic words.” Elin jumped away from the wall and went to him, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek as she walked through the smashed door.

Anna followed, hissing sharply when she took her first step. Her limp was still pronounced, though Elin had carefully wrapped her ankle the night before. The kick she’d received at the lake left her gritting her teeth in pain after only half a day of walking.

“How’s the ankle?” Kael asked.

“Fine. No sweat.”

Kael held her stare for a moment before turning to walk back into the store. “We’ll set up camp once we get far enough outside of town.”

“I said it’s fine. Look, I don’t want to be the dead weight who slows you two down. I can keep up. I promise.”

“Anna.” Kael paused and rubbed his palm over his shaven head. “I know that you and I are still…adjusting to this situation. I don’t want you to feel like I have a problem with you or like I’m questioning your abilities. I just have a certain way that I like to do things, and being careful is very important to me. For all of us. If you don’t let your ankle heal properly, you’ll be at a disadvantage if something unexpected happens.”

Anna released a frustrated breath. “I know, but—”

“But nothing. I only walked us as far as I did today so that we could get some supplies. If we hadn’t needed them, I’d have insisted you rest for at least a day.” Before Anna could respond, he continued, “Listen, you’re with us now. That means you’re going to have to put up with me and my moods. It means I care about you and how you’re doing. I know that Elin is better at this stuff than I am. Please don’t take anything I say or do personally. I’m not the bad guy, I swear.”

Anna couldn’t suppress a smile at that. Once again, Kael had reached out and smoothed over her hurt and anger, and despite his brusque manner, she heard the truth of his words. He’s not the bad guy. Elin wouldn’t be with a bad guy.

“I’m sorry. You’re right,” she said. “I guess you’re going to have to put up with my moods, and me, too. I just have an aversion to feeling like someone is telling me what to do.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Bad memories.”

Kael gave her a humorless smile. “I understand.”

“Hey, Anna!” Elin’s excited voice came from somewhere inside the store. “This place still has a few sleeping bags. Come check it out.”

Anna ducked her head in a quick nod to Kael, then followed the sound of Elin’s voice. Gazing around, she noted that the shelves were still relatively full of random sporting goods items, everything covered with a thick layer of dust. This was one of the more untouched stores she’d seen. It wasn’t unusual for a place like this to be well picked through.

“What do you think?” Elin held up two rolled sleeping bags. “Red or green?”

“Green.” Anna shot her a half-grin. “I don’t want to be too easy to spot when I’m unconscious.”

“Good call. You know, I saw some clothing up near the counter. I don’t know what they have, but maybe you could find something. I’ll look for a backpack for your stuff.”

“Thanks.” Anna limped to the racks of clothing at the other side of the store. As she walked past a center aisle, she caught sight of something that immediately captured her interest: a row of baseball bats, both wooden and aluminum. She disappeared between the tall shelves for a closer look and emerged a moment later with a sturdy wooden baseball bat gripped in her hand. I have a weapon again. Relieved, she set out in search of something to wear.

On her way past a cash register, she glanced down at a folded newspaper that sat on the counter. The headline was similar to the headlines of every paper she had seen from right before they had stopped printing them twenty years earlier: The Attack That Never Ends: Billions Dead As A Result of Biological Agent. She read the subtitle. Are These The Last Days?

“Not for all of us,” she muttered under her breath. “God knows why.” A tired sigh, and she limped off to go shopping for new clothes.

Chapter Three

After only a day and a half of rest at their campsite just out of Sullivan, Anna felt stronger and healthier than she had in months and decided it was time to start fighting lessons. She left Elin cooking breakfast by the fire, deeply engrossed in a tattered paperback book, and set off in search of Kael.

She found him standing in a small clearing, and as she looked on, he nocked an arrow and drew the compound bow he’d picked up in the sporting goods store in Sullivan. Anna stopped about fifteen feet from where he stood. As he aimed at something in the distance, she took the opportunity to study him in a way she didn’t feel comfortable doing when he could watch her in return. His body was lean and strong, muscled shoulders in stark relief beneath his black T-shirt. Dark energy radiated from his tense frame; his concentration on his target was silent and intense.

Do you think Kael is sexy?

Anna took in the unrelenting strength of her traveling companion, and her cheeks flushed at the sudden heat in her belly. She dropped her eyes to her feet, confused, then raised them again so she could keep watching.

Kael released the arrow, keeping his upper body straight and in line with his hips. His posture was impeccable, his entire presence cool and confident. The arrow whizzed through the air and landed with a thwack in the narrow trunk of a tree amongst dozens of others, just below the juncture of the branches. He held his position momentarily after the arrow hit its mark, then lowered his impressive bow with a quiet sigh.

“So, was that a hit or a miss?” Anna leaned against a tree, arms folded over her chest.

“Hit,” Kael said, not even reacting to her sudden presence. “I think I’m getting the hang of this thing.”

“Looks like it.” They stood in silence for a beat until Anna gave an awkward cough and cleared her throat. “Anyway, I was wondering if maybe you were up to helping me practice fighting this morning. Elin told me I’d find you out here.”

“Sounds good.” He walked over and set his new bow down near the tree, standing as close to her as he had ever been.

For the first time, Anna noticed the startling indigo color of his eyes. She blinked, entranced, then dropped her gaze. “Cool.”

“But I’m going to take it a little easy on you today.” Kael raised his arms above his head and stretched. “I think we should concentrate on good strategies for fighting with an injured ankle. No weapons.”

Anna stripped off her light jacket, laid her toiletries down upon it, and straightened to begin her own stretching. “Don’t go too easy on me. The point isn’t just for me to learn some new moves, but also for you to see that I already know a few things.”

Kael gave her a friendly smile. “Of course.” After some mutual stretching, he gestured to the clearing. “You ready?”

“Sure thing.” Anna bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, shaking out her arms. “Let’s go.”

Facing Kael, she took in his relaxed posture, his confident half-smile, and met his gaze in silent challenge. I need to show him that I can do this. I need to show him that I can hold my own in this group.

“Why don’t you show me what you’ve got?” Kael said. “Standard sparring rules apply. No elbow or knee strikes, attacks to the neck, spine, or eyes. Obviously I’m going to avoid that ankle.”

Anna nodded. “Okay.”

“Now, I want you to work around your pain, not fight through it. You got that? In a perfect world, you’d be able to rest up before needing to use that ankle again. I know this isn’t a perfect world, and I understand why you need to get back on your feet. But take it easy. Concentrate on using your arms, your hands. Try to keep that ankle out of the strike zone. Try to get an early advantage by going for vulnerable areas—crotch, eyes, throat.”

“Wait. I thought there were no attacks to the neck or eyes?”

Kael gave her a small smile. “I don’t expect you to go full-out, but you can try to hit me. If you want to avoid those areas, go for my feet or my head.”

Anna’s upper lip twitched at his utter calm. “Deal.”

Kael beckoned her with his hand. “Come on. Knock me down.”

Anna hesitated only briefly, then threw a punch at Kael’s face. She pulled it before it could connect and used her good foot to stomp on his instep. He grunted at the move, and she stepped forward to bring her knee into his crotch. He moved sideways, avoiding her, and she spun around to give him a wicked smile.

“Nice. Try again.”

Anna exhaled, then swung at Kael’s head. He ducked her fist and countered with a light punch to her shoulder. Anna scowled. “You can hit me for real, you know.”

“That’s not what this is about. Listen, let’s concentrate on self-defense. What’s normally your first reaction to a threat?”

“I listen,” Anna said. “I don’t normally get surprised. I’m very good at listening.”

“Good. That’s important. But what if you’re in a situation already? The threat is approaching. You know a confrontation is imminent.”

Anna considered. “I try to catch them off guard. Attack before they have a chance to realize I’m not just going to let myself be taken.”

Kael frowned. “Your first move should always be to try for an escape. First, be alert to your surroundings. Second, run away from danger if you can.”

Anna let out a disgusted snort. Taking advantage of Kael’s distraction, she jabbed at his midsection. He absorbed the blow and grabbed her arm as she retreated. She jerked back to escape his grasp, but he spun them around so that he was behind her. Wrapping muscular arms around her chest, he pulled her to his body and immobilized her with startling strength.

“If you get into a fight, you can lose. If you escape from needing to have to fight, you win no matter what.” Kael’s lips brushed her ear; his warm breath tickled her neck.

Anna shivered at the sensation, remembering her confusing flash of attraction for him earlier. Stiffening in discomfort, she squirmed in an attempt to get out of his hold. “What if I can’t run away? What if I’m trying to protect my tribe from slavers who are attacking us?” Her voice rose, and her heart pounded at the unwelcome assault of nightmarish memories that overtook her at the words. “What if women and children are depending on me?”

“Then you fight.” Kael’s voice was calm, his grip sure.

Anna seethed at being restrained. She continued to struggle for a moment, her heart rate rising as panic set in. “Goddamn you, Kael,” she growled, kicking back at him with her uninjured foot.

“So fight.” Kael lifted her off her feet, and she flailed her legs uselessly. “Get out of this.”

Anna closed her eyes, trying hard not to focus on the way his crotch pressed into her bottom. Her breathing increased as she remembered the smell of blood and male sweat, the sound of her tribe mates screaming in the distance. Summoning all of her righteous fear and anger, she went limp in Kael’s arms.

Obviously surprised, Kael shifted and Anna immediately drew her foot forward then kicked back hard, striking him in the shin to cause him to loosen his hold. She pressed her advantage, slipping down through his grip as her feet hit the ground. Turning her left hip forward, she drove her elbow into his solar plexus, escaped from his stranglehold, and stumbled backwards away from him.

He bent over at the waist, holding his stomach with one hand. “Christ,” he gasped. “You pack one hell of a punch when you’re pissed off.”

Anna shook out her arms and rolled her head from side to side. Facing him, she tried to push back her lingering fear. She didn’t want him to see how much he’d terrified her with his physical dominance. Somehow she managed a cocky grin. “So don’t piss me off.”

“Nah, it’s good to get mad. If someone is attacking you, and especially if you find yourself overpowered, you need to feel that anger. Get pissed off. Use that rage. Sometimes it’s the only thing that’ll save you.” Kael straightened, his hand lingering over his belly. “Use your fear, too.”

“Who say’s I’m afraid?”

“There’s nothing wrong with being afraid.” He took a careful step closer. “All animals, including humans, need to feel fear. Those without fear don’t live very long.”

Anna blinked rapidly as her eyes flooded. I’ve spent a year trying to block out my fear. Don’t tell me I should just live with it.

“And right now, we’re not going to worry about protecting others. This is about protecting yourself.” Kael feinted left, as though he were going to attack, then danced backwards. “Fight me off.”

“I’m not afraid of you.” Anna threw her shoulders back and raised her chin in defiance.

“Prove it.” Kael lunged forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him.

Startled, she allowed her body to be moved forward, using the momentum to drive her shoulder into his chest. He jumped backwards, clearly shaken by the blow, then grabbed her around the waist to pull her to the ground. Anna stumbled, going down with a muted cry of despair.

Kael followed her as she fell, quickly scrambled on top of her body, and pinned her wrists above her head. “Tell me you wouldn’t be afraid if someone got you into this position,” he said into her ear.

“Fuck you, Kael,” she spat, squirming beneath his heavier bulk.

“It’s okay, Anna.” He kept her arms pinned on the ground, his hips pressed hard against hers. “But I want you to use what you’re feeling right now. It’s not about the right moves or the perfect strategy. It’s about channeling everything inside of you into getting out of this situation.”

Anna closed her eyes, no longer able to focus on Kael’s voice through her panic. She felt the hard ground beneath her back, rocks and plants digging into her skin through her T-shirt. She felt his heart pounding against her breasts, his thigh insinuating itself between her legs as she struggled.

“Fight me off,” he said. “Go crazy. Do whatever you need to do, just get me off of you. I can do anything to you right now. You need to get out of this, Anna.”

“Don’t,” Anna whispered. Every move she made left her feeling more vulnerable than before.

“Look to press any advantage you can,” Kael continued, seemingly oblivious to her rising panic. He transferred both of her wrists to one hand and used the other to reach between their bodies. “Changes in my position, distractions, fumbling with clothing—”

Pure, animal terror rampaged through her. Her entire body stiffened at the familiarity of Kael’s movements. She no longer had control over her reactions to his words and actions. Razor-sharp memories of the last time she’d been overpowered and held down on the ground flashed through her mind.

The first one had lank, greasy hair that hung down and tickled her face as he moved on top of her. The pain had been traumatic, a shocking entry into a whole new world of agony. The second had a chin full of overgrown stubble that had scratched her tender cheek as his face rubbed against hers. He whispered to her, filthy words, the entire time. The third one, she swore, would kill her.

All of a sudden the weight above her was gone, and Anna instinctively drew her knees up to her chest and rolled onto her side, blind fear leaving her uncertain and confused. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks, heard the harshness of her gasping as she struggled to breathe. A worried voice penetrated the frantic hammer of her pulse in her ears. Elin was there.

“My God, Kael. What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Anna heard Kael answer. “We were wrestling, and I was trying to get her to use her fear and…maybe I went a little too far.”

Anna squinted her eyes closed, face hot with shame. Her entire body shook with the power of the flashbacks that had consumed her. Caught up in memories, she was unable to relax and assure her companions that she was all right. She choked back a sob and curled into a tighter ball.

A soft hand landed on her back, and she cringed instinctively away before she realized that it was Elin and allowed herself to be pulled up into a tender embrace.

“Anna, baby. It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re okay. You’re safe.” Elin rubbed her hands up and down Anna’s back.

“I’m sorry,” Anna mumbled into Elin’s T-shirt. “I don’t know what…I’m sorry.”

“Anna, you know Kael would never hurt you for real. Right?” Elin asked in a gentle voice.

Anna gave a miserable nod. “I know.” She tried to back out of Elin’s embrace, utterly mortified that she had broken down in front of Kael. And this after I tell him that I’m not afraid. She stole a cautious look at Kael and was shocked by the pain in his indigo eyes.

He sat on the ground, arms resting on his legs, looking wholly devastated by her distress. As she watched, he swiped at the dampness on his face with the back of his hand. When he saw her looking, he dropped his gaze to the leaves and murmured, “I’m sorry.” His voice was quiet, tremulous, and he sounded more vulnerable than Anna had ever heard him before. “I didn’t mean to…I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay, Kael,” Elin said. “Anna knows you didn’t mean to scare her like that.”

“But I did mean to scare her,” Kael mumbled, looking so miserable that Anna couldn’t suppress a tentative smile. “I just didn’t know—”

“Kael,” Anna interrupted in a whisper, “I know you were only trying to help me fight back. You had no reason to think I would react like that. I’m sorry, I—” Her words died away as she struggled for a way to explain what had happened. She had never talked about it with anyone, and Kael wasn’t going to be the first.

“Okay,” Elin soothed. “Both of you stop apologizing. Nobody meant for that to happen. There are no hard feelings, right?”

“Right.” Anna remained within Elin’s embrace, too exhausted to even think about moving away anymore.

After a moment, Kael added his agreement. “Right.”

Elin gave each of them a tender smile. “Breakfast is ready. Can you go back to the fire and take care of it, Kael? We’ll be there in a few minutes, okay?”

“Right. No problem.” Kael got to his feet and brushed his hands over the seat of his jeans. He hesitated a moment, then said, “I really am sorry, Anna. I never want to make you feel unsafe like that.”

Anna tipped her head in acknowledgement. Her entire body burned with her humiliation. “It’s not your fault,” she said, voice breaking. “Please, let’s just forget it, okay?”

“Okay.” Kael gathered his things and exited the clearing without another word.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Elin asked after they were left alone.

“No.” That’s not something I talk about.

“Have you ever talked about it?”

A bead of sweat rolled down Anna’s spine, tickling her back. She shifted within the circle of Elin’s arms. “No.”

“Maybe it would help.” Elin rubbed one hand over Anna’s side, while the other combed through her hair. “Do you think?”

“I can’t.” Anna closed her eyes, shuddering at the idea of putting words to the images that still assaulted her so many months later. “I can’t right now, Elin.” Her panic began to rise again, forcing her breathing to come out in harsh gasps.

“Shh.” Elin pressed her lips to Anna’s forehead. “It’s okay, baby. Really. I was just asking. You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to talk about. But if you ever do—”

“It’ll be you.” Anna eased out of Elin’s lap, and they both stood.

“Do you want to visit the stream and clean up before you come to breakfast?” Elin asked.

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Okay. We’ll see you back at the campsite.”

Anna stopped Elin from leaving with a hand on her arm. “Elin, could you…tell Kael again that I’m sorry?”

Elin caressed the side of Anna’s face with her hand. “You have nothing to be sorry about, baby. I will make sure that he’s all right, though. Don’t worry.”

“Thanks.”

Minutes later, Anna felt refreshed enough to consider rejoining her friends and crept through the forest, lost in thought. I’ve never had a flashback that bad before. Nightmares, sure, but never something like that. I felt like it was happening all over again.

Approaching the campsite, she heard Elin’s voice first. She couldn’t make out the words, but the tone was low, soothing, and insistent. With her emotion still close to the surface, fear sent her slipping into stealth mode and she slowed her steps and tiptoed closer, peering through the branches to see what was going on before she made her presence known.

She saw Elin first, facing Kael, and for a moment Anna could only see his boots, planted on the ground on either side of Elin’s legs. Then Elin moved, revealing Kael sitting on a rolled double sleeping bag with his head in his hands. From where Anna was standing, she could see the almost uncontrollable trembling of Kael’s fingers where they were pressed against his shaven scalp. Tears slid down his cheeks unchecked, drawing a silent gasp from Anna.

Elin knelt down and encircled Kael’s broad shoulders with one arm, leaning her head against his, speaking to him in a low voice that Anna couldn’t hear. Is this because of me? she wondered, thunderstruck. She knew her breakdown must have been startling for Kael, but she’d never dreamed the depth of the effect it would have on him. I never could have imagined Kael losing control like this. Over anything.

Kael shook his head at something Elin said. “I’ll be okay,” he said, loud enough for Anna to hear. “I just…it triggered so much—”

Elin placed her whole hand on top of Kael’s head, caressing his shaven scalp with her palm. She kept whispering and trailed a string of kisses along his jaw.

His posture was tense, ramrod straight. “I wanted to comfort her so bad, but I couldn’t—”

Anna couldn’t hear the rest and blushed when Kael captured Elin’s mouth in a long, slow kiss. She crept backwards into the woods, then rustled leaves and stomped around as she approached their campsite. By the time she walked into the clearing, Elin was tending to breakfast and Kael was sitting on the rolled sleeping bag with stoic eyes pinned on the fire.

“Ready to eat, Anna?” Elin greeted her with an affectionate smile.

Anna nodded and gave Kael a nervous glance. “Yeah. Your man over there worked up my appetite, kicking my ass.”

The corner of Kael’s mouth twitched in amusement. “I don’t know. You got a couple of good hits in there. I think my belly is going to ache all day.”

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14