Page 16 of Bound in Flames

This was ridiculous. Whatever I felt, whatever this was, I couldn’t afford to let it distract me. I’d been attracted to men before, even intimate with a few, but it had never been morethan a tumble in the hayshed, a momentary thrill that left me relatively satisfied, nothing more. But this? This was different. The way heat curled low in my stomach whenever he looked at me, the way his voice sent a shiver down my spine… it fanned a desire that felt almost feral with need, unlike anything I’d ever known. I ducked my head, pretending to focus on the trail ahead, but the thought of him lingered, stubborn and impossible to ignore.

I stumbled over a tree root in my flustered state, pitching forward. His hand shot out and caught my arm before I hit the ground. His grip was gentle but strong, and when I looked up, I found his gaze lingered, flecks of concern warred with a myriad of other emotions, before he schooled his face to neutral.

“Careful.” His deep voice rumbled through the air, resonating in his chest like distant thunder.

“I’m fine,” I muttered as heat crept up my neck. I straightened and glanced back up at him, noticing the way his lips twitched as if holding back a smile. It was a small, almost imperceptible movement, but it was enough to make the butterflies take flight again in my stomach.Fuck.

We continued on, the silence between us no longer feeling oppressive, and I no longer felt like a burden. I was sure there was something more, though I wasn’t sure what. For now, I was content with this newfound companionship.

Chapter 8

Cleo

The terrain shifted as we crossed into what Dex called the Shadow Lands, and the difference was immediate and unsettling. The Shadow Lands were darker, more oppressive. The air itself was heavier, carrying a faint metallic tang that caught at the back of my throat. Shadows stretched unnaturally long, curling and twisting as if alive, and the sounds of the forest grew quieter, as though even the animals feared this place.

Dex led the way, his massive frame moving effortlessly through the tangled underbrush, while I stumbled behind, each step a battle against the brambles eager to snag my dress. The isolation of our travel pressed on me, amplifying the sense of vulnerability in the silence. Without a larger traveling party, there was no safety in numbers, no comfort in more eyes scanning the trees. It was just Dex and I, alone in the wilderness. The realization should have been unnerving, but as I watched him move, I felt oddly comforted.

The path twisted into jagged inclines and dropped suddenly into gullies filled with thorny vines, forcing us to climb over gnarled roots that clawed at the earth. The trees here stood taller and denser, their branches reaching for the sky like skeletalarms. The sun was already sinking, its light swallowed almost entirely by the thick canopy above, leaving the world bathed in an eerie half-light. The growing shadows gnawed at my nerves.

Dex glanced back to where I struggled. His golden eyes gleamed in the twilight, sharp and assessing. “You’re falling behind.” The low rumble of his voice carried effortlessly over the distance.

“I’m managing!” I snapped, though my legs burned with exertion and my breath came in shallow gasps. I pushed forward, swallowing my irritation. I wouldn’t let him see how much the terrain was getting to me.

We continued much of the journey in silence, the oppressive stillness broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath our feet and the occasional snap of unseen branches. Every step felt wrong, like trespassing in a place that wanted us gone. The hush unnerved me. Dex must have felt it too. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his gaze darting to every shadow that seemed too dark, too still. I reached for my magic on reflex, feeling the connection hum close to the surface, a comfort that hardened my resolve to press on.

The day passed in a blur and trees seemed to close in further, the underbrush thickening until the worn path became a mere suggestion beneath our feet. The whispered warning from Dex about keeping quiet was an unnecessary reminder that we were pushing deeper into dangerous territory. This part of the valley fueled stories of mystical creatures and death at every turn. Having once thought of them as nothing more than scary stories told to poor farm girls, I was angry with myself for having underestimated the forest.

Fatigue weighed on me, my legs aching with a dull, persistent throb. Complaining wasn’t an option. I wasn’t weak. Though his glances had softened over the course of the day, Dex’s wariness was still palpable, a stark contrast to the charged intimacy of ourconversations the night before. He was focused on keeping us safe, and I couldn’t shake the nagging guilt that I was little more than a liability, dragging him deeper into danger.

I gasped for air, my words coming out barely above a whisper, my lungs screaming in effort as I scrambled under a fallen tree. “We need to rest soon.” The rustle of leaves nearly swallowed my voice, but Dex’s stride slowed, his movements shifting to something more deliberate, as if to match my faltering pace. I appreciated his consideration, though I wouldn’t admit it aloud.

His sharp eyes swept over me, lingering on my labored breaths and the slight sway of my body. He didn’t speak at first, his jaw tightening as if weighing the situation. Finally, he broke the silence, his voice soft. “Not yet. We need more distance from the river.”

I nodded, though my strength felt like it was slipping through my fingers with every agonizing step. My body felt sluggish and heavy as every muscle a screamed in protest against the trek. The fiery stitch in my side was a cruel reminder of how unprepared I was for hours of constant climbing and trudging through the tangled forest. Though I had strength from years of labor, this was different—an endurance I hadn’t yet earned. Humiliation burned through me at my faltering pace. I gritted my teeth and forced myself forward, one aching step at a time.

The world around me seemed to blur as fatigue began to take hold. My vision narrowed to the path in front of me, dark spots dancing on the edges. I barely noticed the shift in the forest. The way the trees seemed to grow closer together, their branches forming a twisted, unnatural web overhead. Dex stopped abruptly and I crashed into his broad back, my breath catching in my throat as I stumbled to right myself. My heart was racing in my chest, but I wasn’t sure if it was from the exertion or the tension that suddenly filled the air. My magic crackled harderagainst my skin, my senses rushing back into me, energized by the flow of power.

Every line of his body radiated tension, his posture rigid and alert. The air around us felt different.Dark.It was as if the forest itself had paused, holding its breath in anticipation. The oppressive stillness pressed against my skin like a physical weight.

"What is it?" I whispered, my voice shaking more than I would ever admit to.

Dex’s golden eyes flicked to the shadows between the trees. "We’re being followed," he whispered.

Ice trickled down my spine, stealing the breath from my lungs and leaving my chest tight. Instinctively, I edged closer to him, my trembling hands brushing against my sides as adrenaline surged, setting my fingers into a restless twitch. "By who?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of blood rushing in my ears.

He didn’t look at me, instead keeping his eyes on the shadows that seemed to shift and swirl between the trees. "Not who. What."

The ground beneath us trembled with power. It felt like a warning from the earth. The trees above swayed, releasing a cascade of leaves that fluttered down like confetti, obscuring us for a fraction of a moment. His arms flexed in response, his body coiling like a spring as his hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, searching for the source of the disturbance. I could feel the sharp sting of panic tightening in my chest, making it difficult to breathe.Now wasn’t the time for a panic attack.

From the thick shadows, something moved. Large, dark, and unnervingly fast. My breath hitched as it materialized from the darkness, its massive form looming over Dex. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Easily twice his size, the creature's body was covered in coarse, black fur that rippled with everyshift of its weight. Its eyes glowed an unnatural red, piercing through the gloom with a malevolent hunger. Its mouth, lined with rows of jagged teeth, gleamed in the fading light, and its breath came in sharp, rattling hisses.

My heart slamming against my ribs, pure terror gripping me as I took in the monstrous wolf.

"Shadow Hounds.” Dex’s voice was thick with disgust. The venom in his voice was unmistakable. The orcs knew these creatures and they hated them.

"Stay behind me!" Dex barked, his voice commanding, cutting through the fog of fear clouding my mind. His sword flashed in the dim light, his body a solid wall of protection as he stepped between me and the creature.

A guttural snarl ripped through the air, freezing my breath in my chest as the massive creature burst from the underbrush. Its matted black fur bristled like quills, and its glowing red eyes locked onto Dex with predatory focus. It moved too fast for its size, a blur of jagged claws and snapping teeth barreling straight for him.

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