— Kaden —

“What the hell has gone into you?” asked Ylva behind me.

I felt her foot land somewhere on my buttocks. Everyone around us cleared up. There aren’t many people who’d dare kick my ass, literally, without expecting severe retaliation.

No one wanted to become collateral in what was about to happen.

I turned around ready to tell her about respecting her superior in a very brutal way, but when I saw her with her left hand pressed hard against her bleeding stomach I changed my mind immediately.

“What happened?” I asked her.

“Some idiot had the brilliant idea to charge on his own at the enemy. Without back up. So I took care of it.”

“I never asked you to do this. I said to keep ranks.”

“You also said no man on his own.”

“Not tonight.”

“What changed then?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer this, but David saved me.

“Man, I thought we’d be at it for longer than this.” He said coming my way, walking over the leftovers of the battle.

Ylva looked at me askance.

I ignored her.

“Every man accounted for?” I asked him.

Ylva growled in frustration at me and left.

“The preliminary counts seem so, but the official numbers should be out soon.”

I nodded and swept the place with my eyes one last time before I looked at the sky. It was slowly brightening.

“I guess the plane is gonna leave soon?” asked David.

“I can’t ask a small pack like Monaweard to feed and care for all my men.”

“Right,” he acquiesced. “Do you think I could ask for a ride home? I’ve been away for too long.”

“Sure, no problem, I’ll send a message to the pilot.”

I took my phone and did just that. I looked at the time, nervously. It would be tight.

“Pick everything and the men, we should evacuate this place as fast as we can,” I told him.

“Sure,” he said, looking at me questioningly.

Sam came towards me, and I moved to join him, away from prying ears. David left to help clean up. Men were already slowly packing up. A few, carrying the injured. Others had gone, per my order, to raid whatever Nubinero had brought with them. A series of artifacts had already been secured. Their survivors captured.

“As meeting your mate gone to your head?” Sam asked in a half-whisper that didn’t mask the scorn he felt towards me.

“No,” I said running my hand down my face, I felt wetness and when I looked at my hand, it was covered in blood. That was not ideal. “She’ll wait for me until sunrise,” I told him exasperated.

“This is pretty close to now,” he said.

“I know,” I said. “I have to go.”

“You look like you’ve been chainsawing bloody meat all night.”

It wasn’t a bad analogy. “I’ll need to clean up.”

“I’m not an expert in women, but I’m pretty sure, even Ylva would not tolerate blood as an aftershave.”

“No, she wouldn’t,” I said.

“You told her?”

“Ylva?” I asked. “I don’t even know what’s gonna happen with my mate.”

“How did it go?”

“I didn’t have the time to even get her name, or see her face. I don’t know how I did, I’ll answer this after I’ve gotten back. Get the words to the others to pack everything, the plane is leaving as soon as it can. We’ll need better medical attention for the injured and we don’t have supply for days here.”

“What about you?” he asked me.

“I’ll update you when I can,” I told him and left.

He didn’t try to stop me this time.

I had a bag at camp and went to grab it, then went to the small clearing I’d found earlier and followed my own tracks to the small stream. I was far from people, so I didn’t bother with modesty and undressed. I cleaned up all the blood that I could, then put on some fresh clothes.

It was not perfect, it wasn’t as efficient as a shower, and without soap, I could only take so much of the smell off of me.

Once done, I unloaded my bag and weapons at camp and left in a hurry.

I ran again as fast as I could. The sun had not peaked through yet, the moon was still visible, the midnight blue of the sky slowly turning into a clouded gray, still dark enough to make me careful of my steps in the woods.

The trek was barely easier than last time, knowing better where to go and with a clearer scent to follow, but at the same time, I was tired. It had been a long day and a long night. I had tried to take a nap in the afternoon, knowing of the long night ahead, but responsibilities had taken over my life once more, and I was now paying the price.

I tried not to let this slow me. I had the feeling if I went pass this deadline, I might not be able to get a second chance.

By the time I reached the vicinity of the river, the sky had brightened some more. Today would probably be a cloudy day. The clouds were getting thicker now and I couldn’t see if the moon was still there, or if the sun had finally risen.

I slowed my steps as I approach the place I’d last seen her.

She wasn’t there.

For a second, my heartbeats peaked and my breathing became erratic.

I messed up.

It took maybe five seconds for my reason to tell me to calm down and pick up her scent.

I took a few long breaths then went to track her.

It didn’t take me long to find her scent. It was edging towards the water. I forced myself to calm down and keep following the scent. Unless I would lose it at the waters edge, then it was not over. And to my relief her tracks went between some large boulders and the water, moving further.

After maybe a minute, I found myself in a thicket of trees, she was sitting on a rock near the edge. Her shape dark in the growing light. But she was there. I looked at the sky, I could see a bright shape under the clouds. We were past dawn. But still, she was there.

I cleared my throat.

She didn’t turn right away, but she didn’t jump either. I’d kept my steps audible to help with that. After a few heartbeats, she turned around, her head low, she moved down that rock and came to me.

She seemed far calmer than the last time I’d seen her, though I still couldn’t see her face hidden deep under her hood.

“You waited for me?” I told her.

She nodded.

“The sun is up,” I noticed.

“It is,” she said. Her voice was soft, melodic.

I didn’t know what to say. ‘Come with me?’ It sounded terrible even to me.

She turned her head towards the direction I came from. “There is a battle,” she noted.

“Was,” I corrected her.

She turned her attention back to me. “You were there.”

I couldn’t tell if it was a question or an observation. “I was.”

“I can smell blood on you.”

I nodded. There’s nothing I can say that could make this sound any better.

She took a slow step towards me. I didn’t move.

“You smell of death,” she told me.

“I probably do,” I admitted.

“Who are you?”

“Someone from far away.” I didn’t know how else to describe myself without freaking her out.

She nodded as if this meant more than it said.

I took one step towards her.

“I need to go now,” she told me.

“Where?” I asked.

“We should have left this place already.”

We?

“To where?”

“South America.”

I had spent years going back and forth in South America. I had no plan of going back soon. If she’d left a little earlier, I would probably have never met her.

“Why?” I asked.

“It is far,” she said simply.

“Are you running from something?”

She shook her head.

“Who is with you?” I asked.

“My parents. We were supposed to meet hours ago. They must be worried now.”

“They must be,” I admitted. “What is your name?” I took another step towards her.

“Elaeya.”

“I’m Kaden.” I took one last step, we were close now, but the light was mostly behind us and I still couldn’t see her face.

I raised a hand to pull her hood back, but when my fingers brushed inadvertently against her cheek, a lightning bolt went through my nervous system, I instinctively pressed my hand fully against her skin, the sensation both euphoric and addictive.

In response, she bent her head backwards and I took it as an invitation. I bent my neck down to brush my lips against hers.

She mewled softly against my breath, and it only intensified the desire. I cupped my other hand against her other cheek, holding her face to mine.

She snaked her hands in response against my chest, clawing at the fabric.

I moved my hand deeper under her hood, letting it fall backwards. Her hair was wrapped in a low bun held by a single pin. I pulled on it instinctually and glided my fingers through her mane. I don’t remember ever touching anything this soft. I lost myself in the movements, from the back of her head, to the back of her neck, to her cheeks and jawline—all the while covering her lips with mine in slow sensuous motions.

Her hands by then had found my neck, her finger delicate, the gesture velvety against my skin.

I opened my eyes slowly. The light brighter now, but still subdued. It was at an angle enough to draw the contours of her face, and shine through her eyes.

I pulled back.

Those eyes.

I never saw eyes like these.

The line that circled her irises was the colour of frozen raspberries, but the center was of the palest pink—like the colour you see on the cheeks of a child coming back from playing in the snow—a light blush. Her skin was devoid of any imperfections that I could find, even from this close, and had this shimmering texture, refracting the modest light in a faint glow. And her hair was of pure white.

I don’t know what I expected to see, but my heart faltered as I took in the sight of her. Her features were delicate and perfect. No one can be this perfect.

She swallowed as I kept looking at her, entranced.

“I really need to go now.” Uncertainty grew upon her face.

“I can come,” I suggested.

I thought she would shake her head at me, but she looked in my eyes instead, searching for I don’t know what. I was half-afraid she might find something she shouldn’t and leave.

After an eternity that lasted maybe a few seconds, she nodded.