Page 75 of Sohut's Protection

It took him a second to realize that the darn slizz had leaned across her back to attack him.

Opening his mouth to curse the thing, he stopped, his breath catching in his throat as Clee-yo’s laughter reached his ears.

“I guess he’s a bit protective of me,” he assumed she said, for he couldn’t hear her words, all he could see was her lips move and all he could remember was the fact those same lips had been on his not long ago.

A sort of mouth phekking.

They’d mouth phekked.

And it had been glorious.

Cleo cleared her throat and movement behind him caused him to glance that way.

A family of six mogs waddled from the bushes to stop in front of them. The mogs’ expectant eyes moved to their party of two—fine, three, if he was going to count the unlikable animal on Clee-yo’s shoulder.

“How did you do that?” Cleo moved to stand beside him. “They hide from me.”

“And that has nothing to do with you munching on them.”

A slap on his arm made him wince out of pure surprise and Clee-yo’s eyes grew large. “Oh my god, I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”

Not enough, he wanted to say.

“Of course, not.”

Crouching, he beckoned to one of the little animals and whistled as he did.

The mogs obliged, moving closer. Close enough for him to grab two of the fattest ones.

“And that’s how you catch a mog,” he said, standing with two hardly-struggling mogs in his hands. Raxu knows, they should be extinct for their stupidity.

But Clee-yo didn’t move. She didn’t even say anything. She just stood looking at the four remaining mogs, bewilderment on her face.

“What is it?” he had to ask. He’d never seen anyone look at their food with such pity before.

“It’s different when you catch them. Seems more…heartless. They trust you.”

“Which is why they’re going to be eaten. Just because something is nice to you that doesn’t mean it’s your ally.”

For a second, she didn’t reply, then a look came over her face that made him instantly regret what he said.

Clee-yo’s shoulders stiffened and she adjusted her gaze toward the bushes.

He could almost see his words repeating in her head and realization came too late.

He hadn’t been referring to himself but that’s obviously where her mind was going.

“You’re absolutely right,” she finally said.

18

Cleo struggled with her spindle and fire board. Across from her, Sohut sat cross-legged beside the two mogs waiting to be prepared.

He’d attempted to eat them raw, much to her horror.

Now he sat watching her with interest.

His presence was…soothing and as she worked to get a fire going, she thought about that.

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