All Things Wild and Beautiful

17. Declining Progress

"Wake up." A hand shook her roughly.

Nascha groaned, swatting it away. "Leave me alone."

"You have training and I'm going to be late for a meeting if we don't leave soon. Get up," Fenrys replied. There wasn't an ounce of sympathy in his voice.

Nascha sat up and massaged her temples, where a dull headache throbbed. The sunlight streaming through the open window only made it worse. "What time is it?"

"Time for you to get up."

"Prick," Nascha huffed. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and brought her head down between them. "Get me some water, unless you want me to throw up when I try to stand."

Fenrys sighed and grabbed a cup off his nightstand. He crossed over to the bathroom, keeping her in his line of sight. He filled the cup with water from the sink before returning. Nascha took the cup and sipped slowly, letting the cool liquid settle in her stomach. She stood hesitantly and waited for her head to stop swimming before she began to gather up her clothes.

She was aware of Fenrys watching her. There was a certain curiosity emanating from him. Nascha fought back a blush as she recalled what had transpired the night before. She couldn't believe she had actually flirted with him! And not only that, but she teased him about fucking her!

That was the last thing she wanted. Suppose he had taken her seriously? Would she have come to her senses in her drunken state or would she have let him do whatever he wanted? Part of her thought Fenrys wasn't the type of male to take advantage of her like that. The other part of her wondered if he would have declined if she actually offered herself to him.

Nascha glanced at him from the corner of her eye. It could be worse, she thought. I could've flirted with Lorcan. And there are less attractive males to have a drunken hookup with. She had admitted that fact to him and to herself, and she knew she couldn't take the words back. She found Fenrys attractive.

"Are you planning on watching me change?" Nascha grumbled.

"If you don't change within the next five minutes, I'll do it for you."

"At least turn around."

Fenrys obliged her, but she didn't miss the teasing look in his eyes. "You've spent most of your life on the run. I'm surprised you're so modest."

"I haven't known you that long," she pointed out, jumping into her pants.

"And yet you've seen me naked every night for the past...almost two weeks."

"I didn't look, I'm relieved to say. Anyway, not everyone is comfortable with putting themselves on display to others. Despite the circumstances I faced, I've always tried to have some dignity." She slid her shirt on and fastened a leather tunic over it, before grabbing her boots.

"I'm dignified."

"Hardly." She joined him and crossed her arms.

Fenrys' gaze swept over her. "At least I'm not the one who was begging for someone to fall in love with," he chuckled.

Nascha curled her hand into a fist, but a bout of dizziness made her reconsider her intentions. "And at least I'm not the one holding someone hostage because my Queen is incapable of negotiating."

All laughter faded from Fenrys' eyes. He strode out the door, beckoning for her to follow. Nascha lifted her chin and complied. Once they were outside the cabin, Fenrys took her by the arm. Wind roared in Nascha's pointed ears as he teleported them to the Bane's camp.