Finding Elora

Chapter 32

Even when we're fighting.

It's the damn bond.

Abby stares at me through her dark lashes, her brown eyes narrowed as she tries to monitor what we're doing. Her pupils are about as wide as they can be as she tries to see through the dark, but I doubt she's getting much detail.

She doesn't even have her stupid flashlight on. I hate the damn thing, but she should be using it when it grows dark. Especially when she's by herself.

The trolls are afraid of fire, and they're probably dumb enough to think that's what the flashlight is.

Maybe Abby doesn't know as much as I assume. She's making idiotic decision after idiotic decision, even when she thinks she's alone. I find it hard to believe anybody from this realm would trust her with important information about Delysum.

I sure wouldn't.

Abby's body convulses once more, and I quickly scan to ensure her skin is covered before crawling over her. My fur is generally thick enough to be a barrier between me and others, but my belly doesn't have as much. I don't want to risk Abby accidentally touching me.

Her pulse picks up again as I cover her with myself. It's good she's still reacting, and I force myself to remain quiet so she doesn't get worked up and try to crawl away.

Kie wasn't joking when he told her I like a chase, and I don't know if I can hold myself back if she tries to run from me again. Especially when she's in such a weak state.

"I'll get the cover set up," Kie says, dropping our bags by Abby's feet.

I sure hope he will. I don't have opposable thumbs in this state, so there's no way I'm doing it. Plus, I'm not eager to get rained on all night.

Abby couldn't have chosen a worse time to run away.

Had she been with us, we'd have stopped and taken cover before it got this bad, but instead we were sent on a wild goose chase. I do have to give her credit for how long she lasted before taking shelter, though.

Kie gets to work putting up our covering, his movements efficient. We only brought a small one considering we were planning on staggering our sleep and never intended to use it simultaneously, and it hardly covers the entirety of my animal form.

It's better than nothing, though, and I'm relieved when it's up and I no longer feel the aggravating rain pouring down on me.

Abby continues to shiver, and I hesitate before lowering my body further onto hers. Allowing her to be so close to me when I'm undressed is risky, but I can't bring myself to sit back and watch her die. My body heat will warm her.

Kie shoves at my waist, pushing me aside so he can squeeze under the covering with Abby and me. There's almost no room for him, and his legs remain in the rain, but he doesn't need the extra heat. Faeries can easily handle temperatures twice as cold as this.

Minutes pass in tense silence. I spend the entire time listening to every one of Abby's heartbeats, ensuring it doesn't do anything drastic. I'm tired of her body trying to kill itself, first with the infection and now with the cold.

It's bothersome, and it makes me irrationally angry.

I should be pleased with the thought of her dying, but I'm struggling to feel the emotion.

"Should I make a fire?" Kie eventually asks.

I shake my head, shutting down the suggestion. We're still too close to the shifter border. They don't typically cross into troll territory, but they won't hesitate to investigate if they see the smoke.

No troll would ever light a fire, and they'd know it's us.

Besides, my body will warm Abby faster than a fire will. My belly is my warmest part, and I'm pressing it firmly against her. She probably thinks I'm preparing to eat her.

I would never.

Shifters have no problems killing evolved creatures, but we would never eat one. Humans are too similar to us, and cannabilism isn't our thing. I'm sure a few shifters would do something like that, but it's rare.

They'd be exiled from their packs, and lone shifters tend not to last long in the forest.

We're territorial people, defensive over what's ours, and that includes lands. My father is the leader of all the shifters, but underneath him are dozens of smaller, unfriendly packs. I faintly remember being taken around to visit them as a child.

It was important for me to meet the people I was set to lead once my father died, but now that responsibility belongs to my younger brother.

I can't share a mate with Kie and lead the shifters, not while he's leading the faeries. Neither of our people would allow it.

Kie turns and leans against my back, squishing my tail in the process. I have half a mind to wiggle and flick him off me, but I don't want to jostle Abby too much. She's being awfully docile this evening, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Plus, I don't want to risk her moving too much and accidentally touching me.

She's covered from neck to toe, but the skin on her face is exposed.

Not that it would matter too much if she touched me, though. I'm confident I'll know my mate when I meet her, and I feel nothing for this woman except for aggravation. I was already dreading Praxis, but she's made this trip infinitely worse.

I can't wait to give Abby to Zaha and no longer have to worry about her weak frame and angry temperament.

Several seconds pass, but Abby still doesn't move. She's not asleep, I know that for a fact, but she's also not really awake. I don't like it, and I let out an annoyed breath before wiggling my body on top of hers to try and jolt some movement from her.

It doesn't work, and Kie laughs.

"What're you doing?" he asks.

Ignoring him, I wiggle some more. I've had enough of this, and I'm ready for Abby to be angry with me again.

I may have gone too far by saying what the trolls would do to her if they found her. I wasn't lying, but she didn't need to hear it. We'd never let them put their hands on her, so it's not like it's something she ever needed to know.

The trolls are nasty little creatures.

If she's still distant and quiet tomorrow, I'll tell her they're afraid of fire. I don't like the idea of giving her information that would help her should she ever actually escape us, but I'm willing to give her small crumbs if it means she starts acting normal again.

Wiggling on top of her doesn't seem to be working, but I continue to try. Maybe she's still cold.

I already know Kie's going to mock me for this, but somebody needs to keep the stupid human alive and I don't see him doing anything to help. I rub my belly against Abby's side before letting quiet vibrations seep from my chest.

It's an intimate noise shifters typically only make in private situations, but the vibrations should help warm Abby quicker.

Kie slams a hand over his mouth, and I quiet my noises for a brief second before kicking out my leg. It lands perfectly where I want it, right against Kie's ribs, and cuts his laughter short. He's been bothering me more than usual these past few days, specifically since we met Abby.

He was supposed to kill her, but somehow he's got me vibrating on top of her like a fucking domestic animal. I'm tired of it, tired of him, and I can't wait until we're back in Elora and I can retire to my wing and put some much-needed space between us.

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