Page 28 of Rescuing Red

“You’re hurting yourself. Stop wringing your tail.”

She couldn’t stop the half-snort, half-gasp as his words woke the pain in her favorite tail.

“I-I didn’t even realize I was doing it. It’s a nervous habit. I’m sorry.”

“We’re almost there, Red. Finish that water, then eat some jerky. Do you remember where her home was in relation to Rontu?”

She scrunched her eyebrows as she thought about it, releasing her tail so it could join the others in playing with his when he growled as a reminder. After repeating what her nana had said about the little winding path she took to get to the village and how she liked to watch the sunset in front of her when she walked home in the evenings, Blaide stopped walking and turned them to face each other.

“Sounds like she’s southwest of Rontu, which means we’re closer than I thought. Drink and eat, then we’ll keep going.”

“I don’t want to stop.”

“We don’t know what we’ll encounter. Give your body the sustenance it needs before we face potential complications.”

Liz wanted to scream her frustration, but she knew it wouldn’t help. Instead, she looked at her alpha and lifted her chin.

“Only if you eat and drink, too.”

His chuckle preceded the flood of endearment he sent through their link, his joy at having such a fierce and loving mate causing the glow in her heart to spread.

“Anything for you, my little Red.”

When she tried to guzzle the water down, he speared his fingers in her hair and lessened the pitch of her drink so she couldn’t. He regulated her intake, which both irked and centered Liz, especially since her bladder made itself known the second she emptied the bottle.

She held it until they’d eaten the jerky. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and motioned to a nearby tree, sensing her need to pee. He turned his back, taking care of his own personal needs before rearranging the supplies in his pack, but staying close as she relieved herself.

He magically produced a little packet of sanitizer, which they both used before he slid it back into a side pocket on his pack.

“Still have the knife I gave you?”

Liz nodded and lifted her shirt to show him. He gave her a tight smile, then pointed to the blade on his hip closest to her.

“If anything happens, use this one first. Keep yours sheathed unless we get separated. Understand?”

She nodded again, a lump forming in her throat, but she pushed it down and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

When they stopped at the edge of a clearing, she scanned the other side and found the little cottage tucked away under a tree and gasped.

“That’s it! The door is exactly like she described.”

Blaide squeezed her hand and gave a quiet purr while he placed a finger over his lips, instructing her to be quiet. After a few agonizing seconds, he led her around the edge of the clearing that didn’t have a path and approached the cottage from the side.

Liz’s heart sank as her senses told her no one was in the house now and hadn’t been for at least a day. Her mate paused again, taking stock of the surrounding dirt before stalking to the back door. Only stale smells leaked under the doorjamb, and when they stopped and stood still, zero noise came from the cabin.

She fought down despair as her mate rounded the corner and took her around the other side until they stood at the front of the house. There were no lights on inside, no sounds of movements, and no smells of wrongness.

“My nana isn’t here.”

Liz’s voice came out thick with tears, but she refused to let them fall. They had to find her. At least there were no signs of a struggle.

A sound tickled her ear, making her stomach sink to the ground. Even though she moved as fast as she could, she felt like her head swiveled in slow motion.

Off in the distance, a plume of smoke rose above the thick canopy of trees, the crackling of fire popping faintly in her sensitive ears. By the time she turned to look at Blaide, she knew he’d discovered it before she had and he’d already run through several scenarios in his head, but she whispered before he opened his mouth.

“That’s Rontu, isn’t it?! Nana must be there. We have to go.”

Her gigantic mate swept her off her feet and cradled her against his chest before darting into the trees.

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