Page 121 of The Black Witch

“They’ll think you want to sleep with them!” I blurt out, mortified by my own scandalous words.

She looks over at them, irritated. “I am not tired. I always feel energized after I hunt.”

“No, no. That’s not what I mean. I meant that they might think you want to...tobewith them.”

She stares at me blankly. “I do not understand.”

“They’ll think you want to have relations with them!” I can feel my face burning. Gardnerians just don’tspeakabout these things.

“Are you saying—” she puts a hand on one of her hips and motions to the growing audience “—that they’ll think I want to take one of them as mymate?”

“Yes! Exactly!” I cry.

“Oh,please, Elloren, you must bekidding! Not one of them is worthy to be my mate.” She shoots the watching men a look of utter contempt. “They are weak. I am strong and magnificent. I need an equally strong mate, one of my kind. Besides, your men have too many strange ideas. I don’t understand them.”

“Pleasetake my cloak!” I’m growing desperate.

Ignoring me, Diana starts for the bench just as Echo and some other young Gardnerian women round the corner and look over to see what all the men are staring at. They spot me, then gasp in horror when they catch sight of Diana. They hide their eyes and quickly hurry away.

I open my mouth as if to call out something in my defense, embarrassed over being caught near a buck-naked Lupine.

I catch up with Diana, who’s now standing near the bench stretching, her hands high above her head, bending this way and that as she stares contentedly at the moon.

Just then, my brother Rafe comes around the bend, his bow and quiver and hunting bag thrown over his shoulder. He does a complete double take when he sees Diana, his eyes going wide, then narrowing as he looks around, taking in the entire situation, his brow furrowing in concern. As he walks quickly over to us, I feel my face growing even hotter, not knowing which way to look.

“Hello, Elloren,” he says, greeting me, his expression devoid of the usual grin.

“Hi, Rafe,” I say weakly, at a complete loss.

He turns to Diana, who’s regarding him with some curiosity.

I motion to Rafe weakly. “Diana, this is my brother, Rafe.”

“You must be the Lupine girl,” he states matter-of-factly, like there isn’t a stark-naked female in front of him. This really is completely surreal, and the most wildly mortifying thing that has ever happened to me.

Diana inhales deeply, closing her eyes for a moment. She opens them and looks at Rafe intently. “You smell nice. Like the forest.”

“Yes, well... I spent the last few days as a hunting guide around the Verpacian range.” Rafe motions toward the mountains behind him.

“Did you see the lake tonight? The one to the east, about an hour’s run in?” Diana enthuses.

I listen, completely dumbfounded as they launch into a conversation about the beauty of the forest, the abundance and health of the game, the best hunting areas. My brother is speaking to her as if he’s completely oblivious to her lack of attire, keeping his gaze militantly focused on her eyes.

Rafe glances over at our audience.

Diana follows his gaze, a look of annoyance crossing her features. “Why are they still staring at me?”

“I don’t think you realize it,” says Rafe politely, “but it’sreallynot acceptable to go without clothing here.”

“Oh, I’m just about to put them on,” she says unhurriedly. “I’m just cooling off from my run.”

“I understand that,” he says. “I’ve read about your people, so I’m familiar with some of your ways, but it isreallyimportant, Diana, that you put on some clothing.Now.”

Diana narrows her eyes at him and seems, at last, to infer that there could be something serious at stake here, as ridiculous as it seems to her. “All right,” she says warily, still looking closely at Rafe.

I quickly wrap my cloak around her, hearing some murmurs of disappointment from a few of the men. At my urging, Diana gives in and goes back into the forest to throw on her clothes before emerging once more, only fully clothed this time. The young men shoot her dark looks, then quickly disperse.

“I’m thirsty,” Diana announces imperiously.

---