Page 69 of Whispered Warnings: Part One

When it turns to look back at me, I realize that it looks familiar. It takes me a moment, and I’m going to attribute my slow brain to the cold, pain, and exhaustion from fighting for my life, but eventually, it clicks.

He’s the kelpie that I rescued.

My shoulders tense as he slowly moves back up the beach to me, I could run. I probably should run, but for some unknown reason I stay exactly where I am. It stops an arm’s length away from me and just stares. When I just stare back at him, he surprises me when he rolls his eyes and huffs like he’s exasperated with me. I can’t help the smile that crosses my features. Who knew kelpies could be sassy? Before I can react, hemoves even closer and nudges the hand not holding my sword. I tense, thinking he’s about to take a bite out of me when I realize that he’s behaving like a dog would when they want pets.

Surely not?

Surely this giant, and I do mean giant, my head comes to not even halfway up his side. Surely, he isn’t asking to be stroked?

Honestly, this whole interaction is weird, and the chance to pet a kelpie and not get eaten is something that I simply can’t pass up, as stupid as that may be. I’m most likely about to lose a fucking hand.

Hopefully, Doc can grow it back.

I slowly turn my hand and using the tiniest movements, I gently stroke his soft nose. He jumps at first, as if he’s unsure of the touch, and to be honest that would make a lot of sense. These creatures don’t get stroked with hands, and if they haven’t lured unsuspecting supes and humans to their doom then they are being hunted by them, and so a soft gentle touch is most likely something that they have never experienced.

Slowly, I run my hand up and down his nose, and the tension in his body drains before he leans his head into my shoulder heavily, and I end up stroking the sides of his neck as I desperately try to stay upright.

I laugh quietly, “Oh, so you like cuddles, huh? That’s okay. I can give cuddles.”

He snorts in response, his head still pressed against my shoulder, and I realize that he has at least a small level of understanding. He knows what I am saying, and that means he is a hell of a lot more intelligent than all the books that I have read have made them seem to be. I am quickly coming to realize that all of the books that the humans have, at least, do not have the correct information in them.

After a moment of more cuddles, I add, “Thank you for saving me; I am sure that they would have eaten me and enjoyed it.”

The chuffing sound he makes is almost like a laugh and I’m assuming that means that I was right.

“I knew it. Do you have a name? If we are going to be friends now, I need to know what to call you. I’m not sure you want me to pick out a name myself,” I ask.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Neith

To be honest, even if he did have a name, I have no idea how he would tell me because he can’t speak, and although he has some level of understanding, I doubt he could mime it for me or some shit. I try not to laugh at the image that thought invokes in my mind. The last thing I want to do right now is offend him because he thinks I’m laughing at him when actually I’m just laughing at my overactive imagination.

I’m pondering how I am going to figure out his name when we can’t effectively communicate when a name blazes to life in my mind’s eye. I haven’t stopped stroking him, and he’s not looking at me like he has said something, in fact his eyes are shut as his chest rumbles in what I’m hoping is a scary ass purr, and notan ‘I’m about to eat you’ noise. It’s come from nowhere, and I frown. I suppose I don’t have anything to lose by using it, unless of course it’s a slur of some kind in his language or a command to kill.

Sometimes, my imagination really needs to shut up.

I decided to risk it, and still stroking his nose I ask, “I know this is pretty crazy,” he opens one eye and looks at me like he’s saying no shit, I smirk but continue, “I don’t suppose your name is, Mael?”

He jolts slightly, and then neighs in a happy way, and stomps his massive front feet, it doesn’t seem like he’s doing it in an aggressive way, he actually looks more like an excitable puppy. A giant, deadly, bitey puppy.

Just to clarify though, I ask, “Is that a yes?”

He stops hopping around and nods, chuffing happily as he comes back for more pets. I have just reached up to stroke his neck, and when his head snaps up, he looks toward the woods behind me. He lets out a terrifying roar that has the hair on the back of my neck, hell my whole body stand up on end. Using his head, he lifts me and sends me flying through the air until I land with a thump on his back. I grip his mane so that I don’t fall off, and realize that it’s not slimy like I thought it would be, it’s actually really soft and I get distracted running my hands through it before Mael growls again, and I remember that there is something going on.

“If it’s one of those damn imps you can pretend that you’re going to eat them until they answer some questions I have,” I say, and Mael chuffs in what I’m assuming is agreement.

I am so fucking high up, it’s a damn good thing that I’m not afraid of heights, although I have no idea how I’m going to get down again. That’s not really the issue that I should be focusing on right now.

I tense as I start to hear the noise that obviously alerted Mael to the approaching whatever it is. The guys suddenly burst from the forest, and all of them freeze as their eyes land on the kelpie, their expressions fierce and looking hot as hell. Damn, they all look like warriors, swords raised, magic at the ready, and there is just something that is extremely attractive about it.

“Is that a fucking kelpie?” Ransom asks.

“Yep,” I reply, grinning happily. I watch as all of their eyes snap up to meet mine, their mouths dropping open in shock.

“Neith?” River questions.

“Get the fuck down from there. Do you realize what that is?” Griff asks as he takes a step forward as if he’s going to come and get me.

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