Page 19 of Hunting for her Heart
Avine uncurls right in front of us with a tiny violet flower perched on the end, making me frown as I step around it.
My chest hums in satisfaction, and for the first time since I laid eyes on her, the tugging sensation has finally stopped, telling me that she is exactly who I think she is. My fated mate.
I was the last of us to depart for the Mating Hunt, thanks to the random draw, and when I let my heart guide me in the right direction, I ran straight to her, finding Hawk and Bo guarding her hiding place, unbeknownst to her.
I hold her a little tighter, reveling in finally being able to touch her. I still can’t believe it’s true—that my clansmen and I have been given the rarest of gifts, a fated mate. And here she is, in my arms, letting me protect her even though she seems completely confused by the entire situation. It’s clear she doesn’t know we’re her mates, so we need to tread carefully with her so as not to overwhelm her.
Seeing her cry is something I never want to see again. But being the one to soothe her and calm her down almost made up for seeing her that upset.
Something tells me that her life has been far more strenuous than our own. When I saw her, crumpled on the ground, looking terrified and filthy, I was ready to rip the world apart to get to her.
But I knew we had to be careful on the mainland. They didn’t believe in fated mates like we did in Redmere. And slaughtering her brother in front of her might not endear her to us, either. That was why I beat my fist to my chest for her. It was a silent promise. An oath that I will give my life for hers, that I will protect her above all others.
We might have come here to find the magical charm that will save our island, but now our plans must include keeping our mate safe and protected while we search.
The sound of flowing water reaches my ears as I follow behind Bo, and as we move through the trees, the sound gets louder. When we step into the clearing, a small waterfall, about eight feet tall, looms in front of us, spilling into a small pond, which is surrounded by large rocks. It’s perfect for cleaning her up.
We stop at the edge of the water, and Hawk moves around the perimeter, his spear pointed at the forest as he listens for any threats. I’m surprised we haven’t run into more men, but she had run really far into the forest. Though it’s only a matter of time before we run into others. We still have six days out here before we can take her home.
Bo removes his sandals, untying the long straps from his legs, then steps into the water, his eyes searching it for signs of anything dangerous as I slowly lower her to her feet.
“Your name is Willow, yes?” I ask, just to be sure. She frowns at me, so I explain. “We heard your brother call you that, but I wanted to make sure.” Slowly, she nods her head, looking at me nervously. “And that was your brother, right?” I need to know the man who touched her is family, or else I’ll have to track him down and remove that hand.
She glances away for a second before answering. “Um, sort of?”
“What does that mean?” Bo asks, returning from his inspection of the water.
I remove my own sandals as I watch her fumble with her words nervously. “It’s… uh… hard to explain.”
“Well, you can tell us while we clean you up,” I tell her as I set my sandals aside and stand tall in front of her. Looking down at her ill-fitting blue dress, I realize it will have to be removed in order to get her clean. Tilting my head, I pinch the sleeve of her dress as I tell her, “We need to take this garment off so we can take care of you.”
Her eyes widen with fear, and she jumps back, making my heart clench with unease. I didn’t mean to frighten her.
“I—You… what?” she asks nervously.
“You’re injured and dirty,” Hawk tells her as he moves to my side. “We can’t take care of you unless you remove the dress.”
“You can keep your undergarments on, if you wish,” I tell her, hoping to calm her nerves, but that just makes her cheeks turn bright red.
“I, uh… I’m not wearing any.” Nobody says anything as our eyes trail over her breasts and down lower, as if we can see right through the fabric.
She wraps her arms around herself, and I realize we’vemade her uncomfortable. “Bo, do you have anything to cover her with?” I ask, lifting my gaze to meet his.
His brows pinch in thought as he opens the bag that’s slung over his head and peeks inside. He rummages through before pulling out a few small strips of material, which are used for bandaging up wounds.
“That will do,” I say with a nod, reaching for them. She watches me with interest as I tie a few of them together until I have two longer pieces. They won’t cover much, but hopefully enough to make her feel more comfortable.
I hold them up to show her. “We will bind these around you here,” I say, pointing to her chest, “and here.” I point between her legs.
“But,” she bites her lip nervously before continuing so quietly it’s almost a whisper, “you’ll be able to see me.”
Realizing her dilemma, I wish I could just explain right now that we are her mates, that even if she is not ready to give her body to us, it is inevitable, and she may as well show us so we can more easily care for her.
But mainlanders don’t understand fated mates the same way we do, so I know I have to take this slow. “I’ll close my eyes while I do it,” I tell her before glancing at the others. “Bo and Hawk will stand guard and keep their backs turned.”
“I can do it,” she says, holding out her hands for the strips of fabric. My lips press together in a thin line, not liking her having to do anything on her own, especially something like this. But I also don’t want to push her when we’ve only just met, and she still looks so fearful.
I place the fabric in her hand and nod at my clansmen as we all spin to face the forest. I hear the rustling of her dress being removed, and a couple of small grunts, and it takeseverything in me not to turn around. Instead, I focus my gaze on our surroundings, knowing I need to stay alert.
