"We have been walking for two days surely we can stop at a motel, I need to feel water caressing my skin." I cooed at Aria, already imagining a nice full tub of water, if we were lucky then it would be a wooden tub. Not all those metal ones that burnt your skin.
She shook her head. "Nope, because of you, we went off course, and I would like to make it as far south as I can before winter, or we'll freeze to death."
Oh, that.
"Besides, we can't risk you being exposed or any anyone finding you," she snapped a twig and began sharpening it with her knife. I jumped over a rock and skipped a few steps to catch up with her lengthy paces.
"I know, I know, but just think about the nice soft bed, hot bath, actual cooked food?" I trailed off, leaving the rest to her imagination.
"We eat cooked food!" She snapped, her long neck twisting at an angle as she glared at me. I couldn't help but shake my head. I cook the food and if I the cook says it's wrong, then it's wrong.
"Sure, of course, like the snails we had yesterday, they were mighty fun!" I rolled my eyes.
I could see her fighting with her demon. I hated the bitch; she hated me too, we'll I guess it was more of a mutual hating!
"Fine!"
She won! Yay!
"Just know, it's not happening again," she warned.
Yeah, yeah. She should keep telling herself that. I will always win!
**************************
"Aria," she stirred. "Aria!" I shook her.
Still no show.
"Aria!" She jerked up and grabbed a dagger from her inner thigh.
"Where is that noise coming from?"
"Uh, probably a rogue?" I shook my head. She's normally the sensitive one. What's putting her off?
"No, it sounds almost sweet, like a low rumble, but with a melody," she smiled.
Huh?
"It could be my mate!" She brightened up.
I shook my head. It is pointless trying to explain to this girl.
"Ugh," I shuddered. "You know, for someone who is so lethal, it's pitiful that you could still believe in something so stupid and overrated like love and mates"
She pouted.
"Hey just because you don't have a mate doesn't mean I'm cursed with the same fate."
I grasped my chest and feigned pain. "Way to put it, dear friend. You are young and beautiful and still have a lot to accept from life. Not like an old spinster here."
She smiled at me.
"Hey, I'm not as beautiful as you are anyway, and you never know he might still be out there"
Yeah right.
"Well, I hope for my sake and his that we never meet."
She shrugged and picked up her sleeping bag.
"Going to wash down in the river we saw yesterday."
"Really? When do you ever care?"
"It's that time of the month," she whispered as if she didn't want the trees to hear.
"Makes sense," I nodded. Aria is more animal than human and, let's just say, she follows her animalistic side when it comes to hygiene. I am sure if she didn't have me with her, she would never shower, ever. Makes me question the entire sincerity of her former pack.
My ears twitched. There was that sound again. I turned I couldn't see anything. What was up these days? Just two days ago, we fought off attacks from getting too close to a pack and it couldn't be another pack because the packs were not close enough that we would reach another one in just two days. I got up when I heard running. I grabbed the bow and arrow and looked for where the sound was coming from.
"Ow!" I slapped a dart from my neck. Shit! I tried to scream for Aria, but I couldn't. What the hell was in this? Next thing I was struggling to open my eyes.
"How is she still awake?"
"I don't know."
"Shoot her again."
That's all I heard before the darkness overcame me and I couldn't fight it.
***************************
"Iris, that's not a motel, you know that, right?" Aria grabbed my arm, preventing me from taking another step. The building stuck out from the rest and it had a vivid sign board we could read even from the outskirts of the wood where we stood.
"Yeah, it's better. It's a hotel," I said, and she rolled her eyes, taking a step backward.
"It's expensive," she replied.
"As that has ever stopped us before?" I smirked, and she shook her head vigorously.
"No, no, no!" she turned around, walking in the other direction.
I grabbed her arm. "Come on Aria."
"No Iris no, no way!"
I couldn't help but smile how many times have we had this conversation, and each time the outcome is always the same. I always win!
"You!" She pointed at my chest, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. "-are crazy and one day you might just get us in trouble with the humans. For goodness' sake, we are already wanted in three counties."
She scrambled farther away from me and the hotel.
"You are overreacting and we are not criminals in this place." I threw my hands up in frustration, smiling when I saw her stop and turn back around..
"Wipe that smug look out of your face because I swear to the Moon Goddess I will wipe it off your face," she scowled at me.
She walked away, and I was so sure her wolf was cheering her on, it made me angry. Damn, I hated the bitch. I picked up a stone and threw it at her, making sure to injure the back of her head. Why? I have no damn idea because now I'll have to fight her. She turned and I could see her green eyes turn bright yellow.
Damn me!
I started running when I heard her clothes rip.If she kills me, I swear I will make sure she is walking around naked. I could sense that she was gaining up on me, so I did what I do best.
Talk my way out of this.
I stop running and turn around to see the brown wolf running towards me. I could tell it was pleased to be free, free, and attacking me.
"Aria, I know you're in there. Don't be stubborn. You're better than this fallacy of a thing that you call a wolf."
She growled and I'm pretty sure it wasn't possible, but she appeared to run faster?
"Look, let's talk like civilized humans, huh? No inhumane barbaric wolves involved."
I know, I know I'm doing a good job!
By the time she reached me, I barely saw her raise her paw when I hit the nearby tree, and I felt my bones crack. Falling to the ground, I clutched my ribs in pain, struggling with a pained cough, a cough that came with crimson liquid bursting out of my lips and staining the ground beneath me. "Ouch!" I groaned.
That bitch.
"Huh, is that all you can do? I thought there was more to you?" I goaded her.
The sound of her paw sinking into the soft earth forced me to look at her towering from above me. This wasn't Aria right now. The distance between us was now nonexistent. It raised its paws to smack me and I rolled out of the way in the nick of time, only to get trauma to the side of my head from a... well, what do we have here? Ignoring the throbbing on my temple, I got up and quickly picked up the branch I rolled into and swung it at her. Pushing her onto a rock hard.
I flinched when I heard the loud crack that followed as she made impact with the sharp edge. The fall had her body draped over the rock, while her limbs spread out like a starfish. She lay there whimpering, unable to move, and I could see she was struggling to shift back.
"Aria, no, you'll die if you shift. Let your wolf try to heal first," she looked at me with the 'I went easy on you' look.
Yeah right.
"I'll be right back. Let me get some herbs to hasten the process."