Page 25 of To Keep A Wolf
The smell isn’t coming from any of that, though.
In fact…
I sniff again, following my nose—
The smell is coming from me.
“I think I’m going to—”
Levi shoves the pan underneath my face, and I vomit again.
Except, there are no contents.
I dry heave until my ribs ache.
“What is that smell?” I croak, and Levi sighs.
“It’s the herbs,” he says, but he removes the poultice from my shoulder and crawls over to toss it out the van door. Yanking the door shut, he stops short of returning to bed. A bed we have been apparently sharing until now.
Our eyes meet, and words fail me.
Dark hair hangs over his brow, framing magnetic brown eyes that hold me captive. His jawline is covered in stubble, a new look for him. Rougher, somehow. I have no idea how he can possibly be sexier than I remember, considering how mouthwatering he’s always looked. He is, though. Sexier. It’s in his eyes. This hunger—like a heartbeat that pulses only for me.
The dark shadows beneath his eyes only accentuate the need in his gaze.
He’s fucking beautiful.
It’s nearly unbearable, being here, looking at him. Close enough to touch. After everything. My stomach churns as heartbreak and joy threaten to choke me.
“I might throw up again,” I blurt.
His eyes widen, and he reaches for the pan but I shove it away, my cheeks burning because, wow. Not the way I want to break the tension.
“I’m okay,” I assure him. “False alarm, I guess.”
He lowers himself to the edge of the bed, careful to keep his distance. “You sure?”
I nod. “Where’s Tripp?”
“He went to make contact with Grey and Frankie. Let them know we made it out.”
We’re alone then.
And instantly, the knowledge of that makes it awkward. Or maybe it’s the fact that I never thought I’d see him again. Not like this. Alive. Alone. And without some threat of violence hanging over us. All of the things I laid awake and imagined saying seem to slip away from me now.
Instead, I glance out the window behind him and see that we’re parked in a wooded area. Secluded. Somewhere overhead, sunlight streams through thick branches, the light already waning toward afternoon. Through the front windshield, I spot a picnic table and a fire pit.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“A campground outside of Lynchburg,” he says.
“No phone service this far out?” I ask, thinking of Tripp’s absence. Is he gone out of necessity for the mission or because Levi told him to get lost?
“We aren’t carrying cell phones for tracking reasons. Tripp ran into town to buy a prepaid phone to make the call. We’re safe out here. No one will mess with us.”
He’s calm, clearly unconcerned with being followed. Then again, I was probably out long enough for them to drive in circles to be sure. Still, my nerves are a bit shot where Jadick’s concerned. And the roiling in my stomach is making it hard to chill out.
Or maybe that’s due to the fact that he keeps emphasizing how alone we really are. Levi and me. No distractions. For once.
