Oath of the Alpha - Eva Dresden Page 0,28

things.

“You said my name.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean—”

“I find I like it.” Er’it thought he might have smiled but wasn’t sure as darkness swallowed up his vision and plunged him into the cool shadows of unconsciousness.

Chapter 6

Aida

“No, no, please,” Aida whispered, giving Er’it’s cheek a tentative pat as she hovered over his still body. He breathed, the sound deep and even, but she did not have the slightest inkling of what to do for him.

Glancing up at the furious glow of the sun, she huddled closer over his head to shield him from the worst of the rays. There was no way she could drag him to the side of the road for the shade it offered. Even if she could, Aida worried the arrows would tear through his skin more than they already had.

“What do I do?” she asked in a plaintive whine, daring to smooth back the thick strands of his hair where they had pulled free of their braids.

Aida choked on a scream as she flung herself away when a shadow fell over her. Kal peered at her with quiet patience, waiting until the uneven rattle of her breath calmed before he sidled closer. Careful steps put him over Er’it, shading most of his body. Crawling back to Er’it’s side, Aida sniffled and took his hand, more to calm herself than to offer him comfort. Unconscious as he was, he wouldn’t know and, thus, couldn’t scold her for the brazen touch. Huddled in Kal’s shadow, her gaze shifted from the road behind them to Er’it, afraid to look away from either for too long.

By the Abyss, she was glad to see him. A strangled laugh shot from between her lips, snarled around a wracking sob. Relief at finding her future murderer must be a sign of insanity. It explained what happened in Rhyn’s camp, though. The light—no, the magic—and the way his men came after her. The twisting ache deep in her belly, the heat scorching her soul. Rhyn wasn’t so immune, but he fought his men off her long enough for Aida to react, long enough for her to do… what she’d done. Still unable to grasp what exactly it was, knowing only that it had sent the entire band of scarred, twisted males to the ground screaming in pain, she tried not to think too much on it. She had run from the sordid mess of it, Rhyn giving chase. She’d smelled his excitement as he got near, knew he liked that she was running, yet Aida was unable to stop.

Thinking Rhyn had found a horse kept her running when she heard Kal coming up behind her. As Er’it grabbed her, she thought herself done in. Yet the surge of cedar and musk that still teased her senses had calmed her more than the slap on her backside Er’it had given her for her struggling.

With shaking fingers hovering over the thick bolt piercing Er’it’s shoulder, Aida tried to think of what she should do. Pulling the arrow back out seemed dangerous, but pushing it the rest of the way through would drag the fletching through the torn flesh. Leaving it in seemed worse than anything. Directing her attention to the thick crimson oozing out around the shaft, Aida sucked her lips in between her teeth. She would need something to cover the wound once she got the arrow out. Trying not to cry as she looked around at what little possessions they had and coming up empty-handed for anything clean, Aida groaned and grabbed the torn edge of her sleeve. Tearing it free at the seam, she pulled the ragged cloth down her arm and bunched it around the arrow to help staunch the sluggish flow.

Aida shrieked when Er’it snarled and grabbed her arm. Relief flooded through her as the furious golden amber of his eyes caught and held her. Awake, he could tell her what to do. She could help him. Lips trembling, she realized Marilsa had the truth of it. Aida did not hesitate to help the wolf that bit her.

“What in the name of the Eight Sands are you doing?” Er’it rasped, wrenching her arm to pull Aida closer despite the way he bared his teeth.

“I thought it would help…” Aida sniffed hard, stomping down the urge to cry once again. Uncertain if it was relief or despair causing her eyes to sting so, she still turned her gaze to meet his with tentative hope. “Tell me what to do, and