Page 36 of Scarred

“Wow, you’re strong.” Amma grabbed the pot and patted his arm. “You can put me down now. It will be hard to cook like this.”

“What if I cannot?”

She glanced over her shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“I fear if I let you go, you will disappear,” he answered honestly.

“Suni.” Amma tried to turn. “This conversation would go a lot better if we were face to face.”

He grunted. He didn’t want her looking too closely at him and finding him wanting. She had only seen two young warriors. What would she think when she saw a seasoned warrior who was still whole? Would she abandon him for another? Frustrated, he lowered her and reached above her head to get the basket where he smelled smoked meat. He would have to refill it before returning to the village, but at least he wouldn’t have to go out hunting and leave Amma alone again. Joining Amma by the firepit, he squatted and finished starting the fire without looking at her. He didn’t want her to see the desperation in his eyes.

“Suni?” Amma handed him the pot before sitting next to him. “Did I do or say something wrong?”

“You did nothing wrong.” Suni sighed. “Look at me,” he waved at his body. “I am not a handsome male. My horns are destroyed, my fur is missing pieces, and I have a limp. What would a female like you see in me? When we get to a village, you will see what a real warrior looks like.” Suni’s chest rose and fell rapidly as he huffed out breath after breath. He hadn’t wanted to blurt out what he had. Amma would see him as a lesser male and demand he leave her.

“Suni,” Amma’s voice was softer than he had ever heard. “Suni. Look at me.”

His ears flattened against his skull as he forced his eyes to her face. He expected to see pity, anger, bitterness, or even disgust. Instead, he saw affection? It couldn’t be.

“I don’t see any of your so-called flaws. I see a strong male who has seen battles and lived to see another day.” Amma stood and moved between his legs, placing her hand on his scarred cheek. “I see a male who’s escorting a stranger through danger to make sure she makes it safely to her destination. I see you.”

Suni's ears snapped forward at her words. He had waited so long to find a female who saw the real male behind his looks. He could barely move, but he was able to lean into her touch. It was the first touch of kindness from a female who was not his dam. It calmed a place in him that had raged all his life. He placed a hand over hers and closed his eyes.

Chapter 14

Amma

Amma felt the tension slowly leave Suni’s body. While she couldn’t understand why such a strong beautiful male would feel he wasn’t deserving of love, she was happy she was the one who gave him peace. While she didn’t know if she loved him, she knew she could grow to love him. Suni didn’t use his size as a weapon and the gentle way he was towards Gar and Rown spoke of his caring soul.

Are we going to eat? Mike asked.

Amma reluctantly released Suni and took a step back. “The boys are complaining about being hungry.”

“Do you need mittens?” Suni teased.

NO! Sam screamed. We are not food!

“Oh, stop your screaming. You know he’s joking. Suni, is it safe for them to go out and hunt?”

“It is safe, but I think they should stay.” Suni answered. “They are small and there are a lot of hungry animals who will make them a snack.”

“They eat grubs.” Amma placed a pile in front of the boys, and they dug in. “I’m sure they ate while we hiked. Hey,” she picked Mike up. “You need to be nice.” She waited until he blinked before setting him back down. She hoped they would eat enough to fall into a food comb and give her some time alone with Suni. Amma returned to the fire and sat cross-legged. Suni was stirring something into the boiling pot that smelled delicious. “What are you going to make? Cast a few spells?”

“Cast spells?” Suni's head tilted to the side. “What do you mean?”

“One of my cousins works with potions. She uses something that looks like that,” she said, and pointed at the cauldron. “What are you making?”

“There was dried hukmu and vegetables in the storage containers. I will have to resupply them before returning home, but for now we will enjoy a popular hunting stew.”

“My mouth is watering,” Amma said. “How long does it take to cook?”

“If you want the flavors to deepen, it will take a while. I am sorry I should have gathered more grubs.” Suni looked up. “Would you like me to grab more?”

“Oh no, you have done so much already.” Amma felt like she needed to start pulling her weight. “If you tell me where to find them, I don’t mind going out.”

“It is my honor to protect you.” Suni stood and wiped his claws on his pants. “We can go together, and I can show you some edible plants that only flower at night.”

“It would be nice to know what I can eat and what I can’t.” Amma followed him outside. “Can we keep the door closed? Maybe the guys shouldn’t take a midnight stroll.”

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