"I thought all you researchers always carried a GPS with you."
She called on her mad nonexistent acting skills to blush, her long lashes sweeping down deliberately. "We're supposed to. It's my first time with this group and my partners are both . . ." She trailed off, doing her best to look ashamed and guilty.
"Men," he finished for her. Zev took the boot from her hands and gently eased it over her ankle.
"I know I don't have anything to prove, and this isn't going to get me off to a good start, but I guess I wanted to look good. I got up early and set up the cameras. In my haste to be helpful, I completely forgot the GPS. It's probably still clipped to my hammock."
He stood up and reached down to lift her easily into his arms, ignoring her protest. "I'm sorry, young Skyler, but it's getting late. I need to be somewhere and I've got to get you back to your camp."
She had no choice but to be gracious. In any case, she hadn't been looking forward to walking on her swollen ankle. "Thanks, Zev, I appreciate it, although I feel a little silly."
"Walking around alone in these woods is silly," he said sternly.
Skyler was used to being around physically strong men. Gabriel, her adopted father, was extremely strong, being Carpathian. Dimitri certainly was. Even Josef, as young as he was, had the Carpathian strength, but Zev was amazing. He moved through the forest absolutely sure-footed. He was graceful even. He didn't breathe hard and he never once acted as if he needed a rest. He was born and bred for the forest, and he was every bit as strong as a Carpathian.
She closed her eyes and breathed evenly, opening her mind a little at a time to try to take in, to absorb the feel of a Lycan through every sense she had. She recognized the way he moved from what Mother Earth had revealed to her earlier. He barely made a sound, a soft whisper, no more, as his clothing occasionally brushed against leaves. He was so quiet they startled wildlife they came upon.
She felt the mechanics of him, the steel-like but flexible framework and the muscles moving beneath his civilized clothing. She even began to absorb the field around him that protected his energy from leaking out and giving him away in a hunt—or battle.
He was a good man. She got that much from him, but he was lethal and wouldn't hesitate to kill if necessary. She wouldn't want him coming after her. That thought was frightening and she couldn't help the little shiver that went down her spine. Of course he noticed instantly.
"We're nearly there. There's nothing to fear. I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he assured. His voice was kind, even compassionate.
"I'm sorry I'm so much trouble," Skyler said. That was the truth. She didn't like using a good person. He clearly wasn't the demon she'd conjured up in her mind. The Lycans had taken Dimitri prisoner when he'd been defending not only his prince, but also the Lycans. They tortured him and would have killed him if she hadn't intervened. She'd developed a dislike of them. Still, she would much rather have had Zev find her than some really awful Lycan who might kill her.
"You don't weigh much," Zev observed. "A good wind might blow you away."
A bubble of nervous laughter welled up. "My father says that."