Page 28 of Beg Me Angel

“I'm sorry, it's just, we've been at this for a long time, and we have yet to set a trap or see anything worth catching and taking back. It's a waste of time if you ask me.”

“I didn't ask you, so unless I decide to ask your opinion, keep it to yourself. Now shut your mouth, stay close, and stop complaining. I'm warning you now, I won't hesitate to leave you here.”

Rolling my eyes, I stuffed my hands into my hair and looked up at the sky. Pax stalked angrily through a thick patch of brier bushes without a blink of the eye, not even bothering to wait for me.

Did I do something to piss him off?

His mood was so much different than when I woke up yesterday, I couldn't understand what I had done to cause it. He had gone from soothing and caring to as hard and cold as the ground we walked on.

His frustration seemed sky high, fueling this anger that was making me want to just walk off on my own. If I was getting in the way, if I wasn't doing it right, why the hell did he drag me out here to begin with?

Keeping him in my line of sight, I plucked at a bush by my side with bright red berries. They looked similar to a cranberry or a miniature cherry. Snapping a bushel off the branch, I ran my fingers around the smooth orbs.

My stomach growled for food, eager to just have something to fill it. Picking a single berry off the small stem, I held it to my lips.

In one heavy swoop, Pax's hand came down hard, slapping the berry to the ground. “What the hell are you doing?”

I stood baffled, my fingers still grasping an invisible cluster of fruit. He had dropped in from nowhere, coasting on the sounds and stealing the silence for himself. I wasn't sure how the hell he moved so swiftly without me noticing.

“What the hell, why'd you do that?”

“Do you even have a fucking clue what those are?”

Glancing down at the berries, I looked back at Pax. “They're berries.”

“No, those are Baneberries.”

“So?”

Sighing loudly, he dragged his hand over his beard and shook his head. “They're fucking poisonous. Do you have a death wish? Is that what this is all about? Did you do all this to yourself too?” Outlining my body with his hand, he stared coldly into my eyes.

Did he really just say that?

Pursing my lips, my brows shot up. “Fuck you. How can you even ask me something like that?” I wanted to slap him for even making the suggestion that I harmed myself for some unknown reason.

I wouldneverdo that, not ever. It wouldn't matter what the hell was going on in my life, nothing was bad enough for me to try and hurt myself on purpose.

“Look, I'm not going to babysit you out here. But if I have to talk to you like a five year old, I will—don'tput anything in your mouth. Got it?”

My mouth shot down in an angry frown, pressing my eyebrows into the bridge of my nose, I scoffed. “You know what, have fun with this. I'm out.” Storming off in the opposite direction, I made sure to slam my feet into the ground to be as noisy as possible.

It was a bit childish for me to throw a temper tantrum that way, to purposely foil his hunting game because he pissed me off.

But screw him for saying that, for even implying something so cruel. I'm not a child and I don't expect to be treated like one.

I didn't need him to hold my hand in these woods. If Pax wanted to diddle around in the damn trees, trying to serenade the wildlife into his hands; he could have all that fun to himself.

I had other plans, more pressing matters that deserved the time and attention he was putting into stalking prey.

I was going to go find that bush, with or without Pax.

The air was frigid, nipping at the tip of my nose and making it numb. Sniffling, I cupped my hands over my face and blew a few hot breaths into my palms to warm up the skin.

I had no clue what the hell I was looking for or where I was going. But I was done playing Daniel Boone.

There seemed to be a light trail that zigzagged through the trees and bushes. It was mostly clear of debris and sharp thorned branches. If he had been able to stumble upon me out here in this, then I could find my way back to it.

A loud thrash overhead forced my body to jerk in surprise. Looking up, I noticed two squirrels chasing each other angrily. They were making high-pitched squeals as they bounced from tree to tree.

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