Page 105 of Sohut's Protection

It was like slow motion when she fell.

Her eyes were locked on Sohut’s, on his brilliant greens as his gaze widened even more.

Gravity being her ally, Cleo aimed and when she landed, she slammed her hand as hard as she could into the beast.

The sharp pain that she felt immediately almost made her cry out.

The metal sunk deep into the creature’s back, slicing her hand open in the process.

It reared back. One moment she was on its leathery back, the next she was landing in the bushes.

She barely had time to see Sohut rise with a growl she didn’t know a man could produce, his blade slicing through the creature’s midsection.

The sick squelch of guts spilling reached her ear.

The beasts’ huge body went limp and only then did she breathe.

Her hand hurt.

Turning her palm to her face, Cleo winced.

It looked bad. Her blood was so red against the yellow-orange bushes around her that she didn’t know if she should be awed or horrified that she was bleeding so much.

She was looking at her hand when a shadow fell over her.

“YOU.” Sohut was glaring at her and when she looked up, she didn’t know what to say.

His face was a mixture of horror, dismay, disbelief, anger, and…yearning.

Before she could protest, she was in his arms.

He pulled her from the bushes, pulling her against him as he buried his head against her neck.

“Why did you come back?”

Cleo swallowed hard.

Because I couldn’t leave you to die?

“You could have found a way back to the camp. The Torians would have protected you. You could’ve left me…”

“No.” Was that her voice? That shaky thing? “I couldn’t leave you.”

He nuzzled her neck for a few seconds and Cleo allowed herself to relax against him.

“You could have died.” His words were just a whisper.

“You too,” she whispered back.

Sohut inhaled deeply and eased off her to study her face.

His eyes filled with rage by the second.

“Metal…I smell metal,” he uttered, before snatching her hand.

His eyes didn’t calm down when he saw the state of her palm and for the first time in her life, she wished she didn’t bleed.

He bared his teeth, his fangs protruding in a snarl so ferocious she almost pulled her hand away.

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