6. Nevarn

Chapter 6

Nevarn

I released her wrists, and she smacked my arms. "Get off me." Her harsh bellow sent her pet scrambling into the woods.

When she tried to chop her hand up against my chin, I grabbed her hands and held them over her head again.

My mate had solid defensive skills. If she was bigger, I'd be the one pinned to the ground beneath her, a thought that made my cock shift beneath my pants.

I liked having her beneath me too much, but again, I reminded myself that I was recently injured, and a male should woo his mate before he tried to claim her.

From the way she continued to buck against me, wooing might take at least one day.

My cock had its own ideas and rose beneath my pants.

She stilled and anger churned in her eyes. "You . . . You . . . Alien!"

"Here, you are the alien."

She twisted her legs, trying to get them between mine before flopping back on the ground, her gorgeous eyes widening. "I can't believe you're turned on by something like this. This is not primal play. One, I didn't run, and two, you did not catch me, so you do not get to claim me as your prize."

I had no idea what she was talking about, but I loved how feisty she was. Wooing needed to commence immediately.

Since I'd proven my point, I levered myself up and off her and backed away, my wounds throbbing more than I liked.

"I'm sorry," I said, dipping forward in a careful bow. "I'll make this up to you."

"No more pinning me to the ground, or you won't survive long enough to make up for anything." She scrambled to her feet and grabbed her bow, notching an arrow and aiming it at my head. "Get it?"

"Kill me," I said, keeping my hands loose at my sides. "My old clan would agree I deserve it."

She lowered her bow, though she kept the arrow cocked. "I told you I don't think you killed her."

I couldn't believe how grateful I felt at her words. She barely knew me, yet she trusted my word when my grandfather and so many of my own people hadn't. "I was banished for her death. Only a few males believed me when I protested my innocence. When I left my clan, those who believed me left with me. I'm traedor of a new clan, but it's small." I stiffened my spine and met her eye. "But we are a good clan. This I swear."

A growling cry echoed in the woods on my left, and she jolted, swinging her bow around to aim at whatever might attack.

"You're strong, and I bet you shoot true," I said. "But that arrow won't penetrate the hides of the creatures coming our way."

"A pack of wolf-pony hybrids nearly got me within a day of my arrival," she whispered, her wild gaze flicking from one edge of the clearing to the other. "We need to build up the fire. Soak some arrows in sap I collected from a tree. Or climb one of the trees. We'll be safe up there."

"How long have you been here?"

"Seven days."

How had she survived this long? It horrified me to think she was scared, that she'd had to protect herself with no one to stand by her side. What were the gods thinking when they placed her here with almost no provisions and without a strong male to defend her?

"You're right," I said. "These beasts also won't run from fire."

She jerked her chin to the tree behind me. "I've climbed that one whenever anything comes near."

"I'll help you if you'll let me." I held out my hand.

She brushed it aside and approached the tree. After strapping her bow to her spine and adding the arrow to a sheath she'd crafted from thin strips of bark, she jumped up and grabbed onto the lowest branch.

Within an instant, she'd scrambled onto the limb and was climbing higher.

This woman did not need me.

She was relatively safe by herself.

But I was still going to insist that she come with me when I left.