Page 46 of Finding Her Heart
Now she understood.
Abandoned by the living hungries, she had a second match ready to go when Zerzer pounced on top of her, standing over her like an enraged mother.
Covered in blood and hungries fluids, Annabell tried to push Doku-ni away when he dragged her into his arms against his chest. Rumbling loudly, concern and anger covered his usual calm expression in a mask of frustrated outrage.
Throwing that torch, seeing the other woman and the other Orki, she broke the rules. They were not smart rules, and she didn't really understand them. But she'd do it again, even if she had failed.
She'd missed. Was the brunette dead?
Dragged half-naked across the floor of the forest by the hungries, she was covered in scrapes and bruises, her ankle twisted and hurting. Annabell asked after the woman, but her furious White Eyes Orki stayed silent. Anger vibrated through him, yet he handled her carefully, cradling her grubby body close to his.
That woman might be dead, but somehow, the woe had not come to take her white Orki away from her too.
Nestled against his chest, Annabell ignored the words flying around in her head. The world had gone smoky and gross. She survived, but she always survived woe. It became clear, however, that the reason the Orki didn't hit the hungries with the fire was because they didn't want to start a forest fire, they didn't have the resources to put it out.
"So many hungries," Annabell said against Doku-ni's chest.
"Redress in heat draw many. More than before. No memory of this many. One redress woman, two Orki war parties, pass through to the Place of Good Rock."
"With myself and three others, there were more queens to draw more hungries."
"Last queen dead. No queen long time."
This explained the maddened state of desperation. The hive needed a queen. Today's battle was likely the entire hive. "Why didn't you tell me those things were combustible?"
"Thought redress woman had sense."
Chapter 15
Not The Woe I Thought I Was
Holding her in his arms, on top of the fast moving Zerzer, Doku-ni checked Annabell for injuries. With no concept of modesty or dignity, his hands went everywhere, meeting all of her attempts to hide herself with impatience. They were outside, in the middle of the day, on top of a war beast, traveling with other males, but that didn't matter to him at all.
"Women like to be covered. Wear clothing. Not have their chest and backsides flopping about.”
"Why?"
"Because we need to protect our skin from the elements.”
"Why?"
"Because we are not Orki, and I do not have thick skin like you." She poked at him, exasperated. Was he making fun of her?
Lavender ointment in one hand, keeping Annabell pinned down with the other, he applied the stuff everywhere he thought she needed it. She escaped the hungries with minor injuries. Throbbing with her heartbeat, her ankle demanded attention. She thought it might be the worst of the damage. Turned back and forth until he finally flipped her to her belly, she watched the world go by in a rush as he checked on every little scratch and gouge on her backside.
He was not gentle.
Looking back at him, she said, "Do you have to push so hard?
"Cuts deep."
"Could you make that nice sound at least? It always makes me feel better."
"No," he said, working ointment into a place on her shoulder.
"It hurts.”
"Yes."
