Page 70 of Trapped: Between Sky And Wind

“Picking raspberries.” I smile tensely and hold the overflowing bowl under his nose as if to prove it. “Would you like some? They’re tasty.”

Bren impatiently pushes my hand down. “Picking berries? With him? The entire time?” Something flashes through his pupils and I see him trying to suppress it with all his might.

“Amarok saw moose tracks on the bank where I was collecting and came to warn me,” I say light-heartedly, but I look at Bren pleadingly. Don’t freak out, okay! Nothing happened!

Still, a mocking HA laugh comes out of his mouth, but this time it doesn’t leave a hot-cold shiver on my skin. “He came to warn you? Like I believe that! And how convenient since he can approach you at the same time.”

I shake my head, lips pressed together, anger welling up inside me. As much as I love him, that’s not fair. “I hope he doesn’t understand what you’re saying since you owe him your life.”

Bren’s gaze goes from me to Amarok. “You’re defending him.”

Amarok’s shoulders are squared, but his expression is as inscrutable as a statue.

“I don’t have to defend him, he wanted to help me. He showed me a place where it is safe to pick berries. You know he lost his parents in a bull moose attack.”

“And that’s why you let him hold your hand?” Bren hisses angrily.

I wince. “You were spying on us?” I can’t believe it and it wounds me deeply.

“There’s already an us, huh?”

My grasp tightens around the bowl of raspberries. “Are you actually hearing what I’m saying and is it registering? Amarok merely wanted to protect me. Take a few deep breaths and calm down! He took my hand because otherwise, I wouldn’t have understood what he wanted from me. He wanted me to come with him.”

Bren snorts. “Maybe your last Mohican will kiss you soon, otherwise you won’t understand what he wants from you!”

“Jesus Christ!” Outraged, I almost call out Bren! While there may be some truth to his words, his jealousy is misplaced. We’re guests here and we have to act damn decent, otherwise, they might send us away.

I’d prefer to leave Bren standing here until he has calmed down, but he clenches his hands and glares at Amarok as if he’s about to pierce him with one of the arrows he carved.

“Stay away from her,” he says in a dark, ominous tone. “I don’t want you around her when she’s alone! Do you understand?”

For several heartbeats, I fear Amarok might lunge at him, but he remains standing there, dignified and impassive. Finally, he walks past Bren and marches back to camp, the feather in his blue-black hair bobbing with every step. Tell that to the wind.

I can imagine why he left. He’s as tall and strong as Bren, but Bren is ailing and Amarok is fit. He doesn’t want to mess with Bren because to him, that would be dishonorable.

I want to go after him, but Bren swears indignantly, which holds me back.

“Don’t-go-after-him-now!” His voice is so angry I almost drop the bowl of raspberries.

“Or else?” I ask and suddenly my heart beats twice as fast.

He does not answer.

“Say it. Or else? Would you restrain me again?”

Regret crosses his face as if he had actually thought about it and I notice he has raised his arm.

He has no malice, a voice inside me preaches. He is sick.

“Sky and wind,” I say softly but firmly like a code word. “Don’t boss me around!”

Without blinking, he looks at me and lowers his arm again. “Why? Do you actually want to go after him?”

“If only to apologize for your tone.”

“You like him a lot.”

I take a deep breath. “Of course I like him. He carried you for hours when I was desperate even though he thought I was trying to steal his soul.”

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