16. The Hidden Spring

She woke when the wagons stopped and stood with Caleb’s help. Her eyes sought Farrel out and she smiled when she did. However, her smile soon fell as he went about his work as though she didn’t exist and left with the others without a word. She felt as though her heart was in her throat, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Caleb’s words snapped her out of the sullen mood she was sinking into. If this night was anything like the prior night, the other hunters wouldn’t be back until it was near dawn. She turned to Caleb and nodded.

“I would like that.” She mumbled, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. “Does he blame me?” She asked without pausing long.

Emmalyn could have succeeded at hiding the tone of her voice if his hearing wasn’t so sharp. He gave her a sympathetic smile, then reached up to ruffle her hair. When he did, a spark seemed to jump from her to his hand. It raced up his arm and caused his heart to beat painfully in his chest. The surprise didn’t show on his face as he distracted himself by answering her question.

“Of course not. And he knows you’re hurting because of it. He can read my thoughts too. Unfortunately, he won’t stop punishing himself until he feels he’s learned his lesson. He’s thinking at least until you’re recovered fully,” he explained.

She nodded a bit. At least she had some connection to him, even if it was through Caleb.

“At least he knows I miss him.” She said, giving him a little smile.

“I’m healed now, not even so much as a bruise.” She said as she lifted the hem of the tunic, but thought better of it when she remembered she had nothing on under it. The sleep had done wonders for her and helped her heal that much faster. Plus, with Caleb’s care, she had eaten and was feeling stronger already.

“I’m just sore, that’s all.” She said truthfully.

In that moment she started lifting her shirt, Caleb’s amber eyes darkened to deep gold. His gaze flashed down, peering at the lovely expanse of curvy leg she showed him, then immediately looked disappointed when she stopped the material again.

He took a moment or two to gather up some clean clothes and a large cloth she could use as a towel. Bundling it all up with the same soap he had used to basin wash her earlier, he gripped it all in one hand, then dropped into a crouch in front of her.

“Climb on. The spring’s a few miles from here and it’ll be faster if I run.”

She couldn’t help but laugh softly when he bent down in front of her. It was the first time she had really laughed in a while. Emmalyn thought that she would have to thank him for it later. She climbed up and on him, wrapping her arms and legs tightly around him.

“Is it safe?” She asked, chewing a bit on her bottom lip.

“Of course it is. I’m a better mount than a horse!” he stated then slid his warm hands under her knees to help support her.

As he rose, he encouraged her to tighten her grip on him, assuring her she wasn’t strong enough to choke him. When he was certain she had a good grip, he took off running.

The strength behind his long strides propelled them far faster than a human could run and he moved gracefully, as if he didn’t have the burden of his own weight, let alone the extra pounds her slight frame added. Caleb jumped rocks, fallen branches, and frozen stream beds. He wove through the ancient forest. A thick fog hung in the air As they neared the hot spring. Steam from the hot water pools hitting the cold snow around the area.

He slid to a stop as they reached the small clearing surrounded by dense brush and ferns. There was a small pool of water underneath an icy waterfall. As he gently set her back on her feet, he waved a hand towards it.

“The stream feeds cold water into the spring. Keeps the temperature nice and comfortable.”

She opened her eyes once he stopped and looked around. It was beautiful.

“It’s so pretty,” she said in amazement.

She got to her feet and swayed a bit, holding her head with one hand and reaching out to hold on to his arm with the other. The dizziness passed and she looked up at him with a reassuring smile. Concern flashed over his face when Emmalyn first staggered. His hands shot out, gripping her arms until she seemed steady, then reluctantly let her go.

She took a few steps towards the spring, moving some of her hair behind her ear. Emmalyn dipped her foot into the water to test the temperature. She smiled again and looked back at him.

“It’s perfect,” she said.

Emmalyn walked over to where he stood and pulled the tunic off, leaving her bare in front of him. She looked up at him, blushing a bit. Eager to get into the spring himself, he yanked his tunic off over his head, tossing it over a nearby tree limb. He was just reaching for his trousers when she oh so willingly slipped her own means of cover off in front of him.

“Is it deep?” She asked.

His eyes were everywhere on her at once. Darting over her flawless skin, that seemed to glow in the darkness. His eyes drank in her slender curves, the shape of her breasts and the small pink nipples tipping them, then darted down to peer at the soft nest of curls crowning her sex. One thorough perusal and he was panting quickly like the beast he actually was.

She turned bright red when his eyes moved over her. Before yesterday, she would have run and hid, trying to keep herself covers so that no one else could see her. However, her time with them, though short so far, had helped her get over her modesty. Farrel had called it a human trait and didn’t make it sound like his kind liked it too much. So, she was trying to get over her hang-ups and fit in with them better. After all, she would be with them a long time if they didn’t decide to kill her.

Realizing what he was doing, he sucked in a breath and forced himself to bit by bit relax once more, then flashed her a wide grin.

“It’s only waist deep. And be careful of the area by the waterfall. That’s where the hot water feeds in and we don’t want to burn those lovely legs of yours, do we?”

Emmalyn reached out a hand to put on his arm to help steady her as she walked to the edge again. Even though her skin was the same as it always was, she was still weaker than she let on. The lightheadedness would pass by morning, but for now, she knew she had to be careful or she would cause him to worry. If he worried, so would Farrel, and that wouldn’t get her to see him any faster.

“So, do you bring all the humans you take from the city here?” she asked playfully, hoping that he would take it.

Emmalyn stepped into the water, letting the warm liquid move up her leg. Caleb let out a sharp snort of laughter at her joke. He turned his arm, gently gripping her elbow to help her down into the water while his other hand made quick work of unlacing his trousers. He let them fall, heedless of the fact the damp ground would soak them in no time. It was hard to care about trivial things like that when he was so busy admiring the firm curves of her bottom.

“We don’t steal humans. There are outer wolves. Rogue packs that prey on your kind. The Peratuth pack is not involved in the horror stories you’ve heard,” he assured her, waiting until she settled in the water before he eagerly climbed in beside her. Easing down beside her on a flat rock, he stretched his legs out, groaning happily as the hot water sank into his weary muscles. “Ahhh...”

Breathing in deeply a time or two, he tossed his arm across the outer edge of rocks behind her back and lightly slid his fingers across her shoulder. “You know, you’re beautiful when you blush.”