Earth's Requiem(26)
They passed Rune and Bella. The animals were so deep in conversation that neither acknowledged their human. Fionn made a chirping noise, but the raven cawed so disapprovingly that he looked cowed.
“What was that all about?” Aislinn asked, curious.
“I asked her to come with me, and she told me to piss off.”
“Hmph. Are all bond animals temperamental?”
They reached a sheltered cove about a hundred yards down the lakeshore. He gestured for her to sit. “Only strong-minded animals seek the Hunter bond. So, I think the answer to your question is probably yes. Bella’s been my only bond mate. She’s certainly volatile, and the reason—” He broke off, looking uncomfortable.
Reason for what? Aislinn thought about Travis’s civet. The cat had seemed somewhat retiring, maybe because she’d never been included in conversations with it. Lots to learn here.
Aspens, their leafless branches twining together, grew thickly next to the shoreline. Sand and marsh grasses formed a rough beach. The two of them sat with their backs leaning against a sun-warmed rock. After his earlier familiarity, Fionn kept his hands to himself. She’d liked it when he touched her, but didn’t know how to ask him to do it again without him taking it wrong.
He pulled some dried meat out of a pocket and handed it to her, along with a few withered blackberries. He hadn’t said anything after his last words, but his sharp-boned face had reddened. Perhaps he wasn’t used to taking comfort either. She smiled wryly at the thought. Everyone was lonely. And afraid. The person you started to care about might die soon. It was easier to keep that door shut and not care at all.
“You look about fifteen when you do that.”
“Do what?” She met his gaze. His eyes were the most incredible shade of blue, with long, dark lashes.
“Smile.”
I’d do just about anything to be fifteen again, before all this started. “Thanks.”
“Do you want to know about the Hunter magic?”
She nodded eagerly. “Yes, everything. But do you think we’re safe here? Right before you showed up, we diverted a flock of bats that had obviously been turned by the dark.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Really? I thought they were on our side.”
Aislinn considered that and then realized she’d moved beyond expecting any species was immune to corruption. “Better not to have assumptions. False confidence means dead.”
He’d been leaning toward her and drew away, an odd look on his face. “You could freeze the tits off a boar, lady. If you think I’m wrong, there are kinder ways to tell me.”
Like a flash flood rising out of nowhere, anger ripped through her. She leapt to her feet and paced in an attempt to contain her rage. How could he be so naïve? Apparently, the last three years had been a hell of a lot better for him than they’d been for her, if he still expected kind. She recognized jealousy, and it made her feel ill. Aislinn tried to keep her mouth shut, but failed miserably.
She rounded on him and placed her hands on her hips. “Kind? Who the fuck is kind anymore? Or gentle. Or considerate.” She pounded a fist into her other hand for emphasis. “What world do you live in? There are no friends. No place is safe. And just in case you hadn’t noticed, no one is kind anymore.”
Because she couldn’t just stand there, looking at the incredulity—and something else, was it hurt?—in his eyes, she took off at a dead run back toward Rune and Bella. What’s wrong with me? Have I been by myself for so long that I can’t even have a conversation with someone else if they don’t see the world just like I do?
Yeah, it’s a whole lot easier to screw ’em and move on.
Arms closed around her. She’d been so lost in herself that she hadn’t heard him come up behind her. He held her against him. She felt his heart thud against her shoulders. Heard him breathing into her tangled hair. “Aislinn, Aislinn. Don’t run from me. Please. You carry so much pain, you remind me of a cactus. All spines. What happened to the human parts?”
“They died a long time ago.” To her horror, she wanted to cry. Wanted the relief of tears. Her eyes stung, but tears refused to come.
“Ssssh.” He held her easily with one arm. The other hand smoothed her hair. “Ssssh.”
She leaned into the hand cupping her head. If the only way I can feel anymore is sex, I know how to do that. Twisting in his arms, she pressed herself against him and turned her face up for a kiss. His lips covered hers. His arms tightened around her. Their kiss deepened until it was the only thing in the world. He drank her in, and she smelled the musk of his arousal. Her nipples hardened into points where they pressed against him. A low, frantic moan escaped her.