Page 22 of Rescuing Red

Pulling his attention back to the surrounding jungle, he forced himself to focus on the ground ahead of him, being careful to take the smoothest path so Liz could sleep. It meant taking a winding trail through the trees instead of cuttingstraight through, but he didn’t mind. Being able to move at his pace still cut down on the time it would take to get to his den.

The sun was sending its first morning rays through the leaves when Liz finally stirred. Her snores stopped with a cute hiccup before she raised her head and looked around. Her ears tickled his chin, and her gaze turned up to him when he huffed a laugh into her hair.

“How long was I asleep?”

He longed to soothe the crease between her brows and kiss her frown away, but with how much her scent had increased in the past few hours, he’d never stop if he laid his lips on her. Just the thought had him aching and reminded him how long he’d already been walking with a hard-on.

“Don’t worry about it. You needed the rest.”

Her frown deepened and her lips parted, but she gasped in pain instead of speaking. She released his neck and clutched at her belly as a whine rose from her throat. His chest clenched.

“Is it much farther?”

Her whispered question sent a spike to his heart. Even at the pace he’d kept as he carried her, it would be a few hours more, but he didn’t want to tell her that.

“I can get us there faster if you climb onto my back.”

It wouldn’t be as comfortable for her, but then he’d be able to run.

“No, you’ve already carried me too long.”

When she wiggled and pushed at his arm, Blaide reluctantly stopped and set her on her feet. A moment later, she doubled over with another gasp.

He waited until the worst of it passed before he reached out and took her chin, making her look up at him.

“At the pace I was going, it would be almost noon before we make it to my den. Can you walk faster than before?”

He knew the answer, but watched the same thoughts flick across her face before he continued.

“I can carry you and get us there faster than you can walk. If I run, we can be there in half that time.”

Her eyes moved to the leaves above them. It was hard to tell where the light came from because of the thick canopy, but the color of it let her know it was still early morning.

“But won’t you be too tired to…”

She trailed off and his erection kicked inside his pants, encouraged by the fact she was thinking of their mating. Smirking, he stepped closer and slid his hand into her dark hair.

“I’ll be fine. I can rest while you build us a nest.”

Liz’s lips parted, her pupils expanding until they almost swallowed the green of her irises as she let out a low moan.

“It’s the only way to get us there faster. I don’t think you have the time to argue.”

It was a moment before sense returned to her features. Wrinkling her nose, she let out a huff before giving him a curt nod.

Swinging his pack around to his chest, he adjusted the straps before crouching and turning his back to her. Her hands were hesitant as they crept around his neck, but he grabbed her wrists and pulled them tighter around him. She tried to wrap her legs around his waist but couldn’t get her ankles to lock, so he held out the straps of the bag.

“Put your legs through here, then tuck your feet against my back.”

She followed his instructions, the tops of her feet pressing against each side of his spine above his tail. He worried the straps would cut into the back of her knees and be painful, but it was the best solution he could come up with.

Slipping his fingers between her pants and the strap, he cushioned her legs as much as he could and rose to his feet.Her arms tightened and one hand slipped under the collar of his shirt, fingers tangling in the hair on his chest. She let out a small whimper as he hitched her higher, but he pushed his purr louder.

“I’ve got you. Just hang on and we’ll be there soon.”

Blaide took a few strides to test the way her weight rested on his back before breaking into a lope. He kept his grip on the straps to reduce the pressure on her legs and so she didn’t have to hold all her weight on her arms. The trees blurred past as he followed his instincts home.

Whimpers of pain regularly came from over his shoulder, and the wetness soaking into the back of his shirt wasn’t only his sweat. The delicious scent of slick teased him, driving him on as he recognized the outer perimeter of the land he’d claimed.

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