Page 46 of Riv's Sanctuary

Riv resisted the urge to set the bowl down and walk away.

The only reason he didn’t do that was because he’d have to return for it later.

She’d placed the chest in the middle of the entryway and he had to step over it to enter.

Eyes moving over her quickly, he didn’t see any physical ailments. She looked the same as she did the day before…unless she was ill and didn’t show it outwardly.

He knew animals like that—animals that hid ailments because they were scared exposing such weakness would surely lead to their exclusion.

If that was the case, he reckoned she belonged to some species of pack animal. Being the weakest in the pack was usually seen as a liability.

If she was ill, that would explain why she’d stayed in the room the entire day.

Watching her now, a weak smile spread her lips as her eyebrows lifted a little and her eyes fastened on the bowl in his hands.

Her small, pink tongue exited to wet her lips before her eyes met his again.

Riv’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Eat.” He thrust the bowl toward her and she paused for a second before throwing her legs over the side of the sleeping cushion and sitting upright.

She took the bowl from his hand and stared at the contents.

“See-ree-uhl?”

Riv’s eyes narrowed a little more as he stepped back and leaned against the wall, watching her.

“Gess soh.”

She blinked at him and smiled a little more. “No supoon doh.”

Then she shrugged and brought the bowl to her lips.

Riv tilted his head a little as he watched her, a frown materializing on his brow as he studied her.

She took a tiny sip and, for a moment, she froze. For that moment, he thought she didn’t like how the food tasted but then her eyes flew to his. There was such growing awe there that it surprised him and his frown disappeared immediately.

The female’s face lit up, her mouth falling open.

“Oh mai Gohd. Dis iz…ahmayzin!”

Her glee caught him off guard as she bared her teeth in a seriously confusing challenge before bringing the bowl to her lips and taking a huge gulp of the rai.

Riv stood, dumbstruck, as the female ate. He’d never seen someone guzzle rai so fast. Not even Sohut could do that. It didn’t even look as if she paused to chew.

She ate like this for a few moments before she froze again and looked over at him. Wide brown eyes blinked at him before she lowered the bowl slowly.

“Saw-ree, was dis for bowth ov us?” She stretched the half-full bowl toward him and jerked it a little as if she was offering him some of the food. “Dihd yoo wahnt som?”

Riv stared at her outstretched hand.

He didn’t know what to make of that.

She was obviously hungry and needed to eat it all.

“You eat.” He met her gaze and she looked at him without a speck of fear before she smiled again and gulped down the rest of the meal.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she smiled.

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