Finding Elora

Chapter 23

If they haven't already. A decent amount of blood is pouring out of Abby's knees, and already I can smell the metallic scent seeping into the air surrounding us. If any shifters are nearby, especially in their animal form, they're already on the way.

Abby's throat bobs at the mention of the other shifters. She's scared of us, which is for the best.

I don't know that my kind would go out of their way to kill a random human they found in the woods, not like the trolls would, but now that she's traveling with us, they most definitely would. The second she began following us, she signed her death sentence.

If anything, she should be thanking us for keeping her alive.

"Make her sit," I tell Kie.

Abby's shivering has grown worse, and I'm beginning to worry she's going to die. I don't know much about humans, but I do know they're fragile. Her body doesn't seem to handle anything well, and it's failing her at every turn.

It's a miracle she's made it to adulthood.

Abby buries her nails into her bicep, and I can't tell if the wetness on her face is river water or tears. I noticed she was crying earlier, so I assume it's a mixture of both.

Kie steps forward to restrain her again, the action finally urging her to move. She stumbles over her feet in an attempt to get away from him, her movements clunky. She's always floundering around, and I wonder if it's a human or Abby trait.

She sits on the rock, and her knees clank against one another as she slams her thighs together.

I roll my eyes, still annoyed she fears us raping her.

She's an attractive woman, that much is obvious, but it's gone to her head.

I crouch in front of the rock and set my supplies on the ground so I can roll my wet sleeves back down. I've never let another person touch my bare skin, and I won't be breaking that tradition today.

Although, after the way we've treated this woman, I know she's not our mate. It's said that shifters know who their mate is even before touch, that we know the moment we lay eyes on our person. My father once told me he knew who my mother was to him the second he first saw her, and I know I'll feel the same way for my mate.

Even if I can never touch her and ignite the bond, I'll know who she is.

Abby still seems skeptical, and I let out a quiet sigh as she glances into the forest behind me. I hope she's not thinking about running again.

She won't like the consequences.

I grab her calf before she has the chance to see what I'm doing and pull away. She lets out a dramatic gasp as my gloved hand curls around the limb, but she's smart and doesn't scream.

No, she does something significantly worse.

She begins to cry.

Her bottom lip wobbles, and she turns away from me and stares off into the woods as she lets out a choked sob. I was hoping she wouldn't be one of those women who cries at the smallest of inconveniences, but it seems she is.

Wonderful.

I try to ignore the tears as I rifle through the items between my feet and grab cleaner. I went light with this last time to preserve it, but I guess it wasn't enough for Abby. Her calf muscle tightens beneath my fingers as she braces for me to put it on, which I take as a good sign.

She must recognize what I'm using, and I don't have to worry about her panicking when the cleaner touches her skin.

Kie comes over and helps me pour the liquid onto a single-use cloth, and he casually steps behind Abby as he waits. He's positioning himself to cover her mouth should she decide to scream again, which I really fucking hope she doesn't.