Page 12 of Blade's Battle
“Then maybe we need to change that.”
“Wh-what do you have in mind?”
Her eyes traveled the length of his body, quickly returning to his face the second she reached his lower half. Yeah, Drake had done a number on her.
“How about Truth or Dare?” he suggested.
“I’m no good at games,” she said, but she’d relaxed the moment he’d suggest a game and nothing worse.
“Come on. It will give us something to do as we walk.” Blake held his hand out to her. She might not want him to carry her, but she had allowed him to hold her hand earlier, to keep her from falling.
She hesitated for a moment, but then she put her hand in his. His entire world lit up with that one act of trust. “Are you really taking me home?” she asked, her doubt coming through her voice loud and clear.
“Angel, I don’t want to break my promise, but I don’t even know where you live.”
“West of Boulder.”
“That’s good. A lot closer than Maine.”
She chuckled. “Maybe you shouldn’t make promises without knowing the details?”
“Why? Because they say the Devil’s in the Details?”
“That’s one way of looking at it,” she said, her eyes more focused now.
“I don’t need to worry about the devil when I have an angel on my side.”
Another shocked look on her face, followed by confusion. No fear though. He’d take it.
“I’ll get you home, Anna, but it won’t be the most direct route. First, I need to get us away from Drake, so we’re headed to Liam’s territory. It borders both Damien’s and Drake’s. The three alphas have an uneasy alliance, but it’s still an alliance. I mean it will stay an alliance if I don’t get caught with you in Drake’s territory. And those were my orders, to NOT get caught. Anyway, Liam should let us cross through his land to get back to my pack and then we can get you home from there. I may have to lie to Liam’s people a bit though, leave out the whole part about Drake holding you prisoner. I don’t want Liam asking too many questions, questions I can’t answer.”
She nodded, though she looked nervous.
“I promise you, Anna, one way or another, I’ll get you home.”
* * *
ANNA
Home. She didn’t even know where that was anymore. She barely spent any time at her house since Kurt had died. She sighed, too tired to think about it. One foot in front of the other. That was all she could focus on at the moment as she stared ahead, trying to ignore the pain shooting through her feet.
She tripped over a root and Blade kept her from falling, her hand still in his. The simple touch of another person, one that wasn’t pawing at or abusing her, was nice, even if it was a shifter who didn’t care for humans. Whatever she’d stepped in was sticking in between her toes now. Could she possibly get any dirtier? Anna stopped long enough to brush the dirt off. That ‘dirt’ was fine and white and all over the ground.
The moment Blade leaned over her shoulder, to see what she was looking at, her body tensed. Every damn time he got close to her, or worse yet—held her—she had a desire to lean into him, into the safety he offered.
“Salt lick,” he said. “Some hunters think it will attract the deer. Stupid humans don’t know much about hunting and they’re always looking for a shortcut.”
Keeping her mouth shut about his ‘stupid humans’ comment, Anna brushed the salt off her feet. Aggravating him wouldn’t be in her best interest. Maybe she should play his game, to get her mind off her feet and the thought of returning home to an empty house that would only crush her with memories of Kurt.
When Blade reached for her hand this time, she pulled away, feigning the need to adjust her shirt at the top.
“Ooh, wait. I should have thought of this earlier.” Blade tore a few inches from the hem of his pants. “Lean on my shoulder for a minute,” he said as he lifted her right foot.
Instinctively, she grabbed his shoulder, letting her fingers enjoy the feel of the thick, corded muscles. No one could harm her with Blade around.
And yet there was an appeal to Blade that extended beyond the protection he offered. He’d shown a softer side of himself, with his jokes and helping her put the crushed petals high on her shirt. Despite all his power, and the very real fact that he hadkilled, there he was, carefully wrapping her feet in cloth, creating makeshift shoes as if the task were not beneath him. He was humble, her Blade.
When he finished wrapping her right foot, he tapped on her other foot and she switched sides. “Thank you,” she said when he finished. There was that grin again, and all she’d done was thank him.
