10. Maya

10

Maya

We shifted and moved quietly up the mountain. The group surrounded me, including a small gray wolf who continued to look at me sideways but didn't say anything. I didn't think Rhyson would have it in him to actually put a chain around my neck, but I also knew the danger that we were in. Staying with him, and obeying him, was my best bet for now.

And the safest bet, since it meant I would have more time to plan my escape before he tried to haul me to my father.

It was several hours after the dark had settled when we found a nice cave to rest in. It was a small space, barely big enough for all of us, but it connected to a small tunnel and another entrance. It looked, and smelled, abandoned, and we made camp. Several went out to hunt, and after dragging back two deer, we had dinner. Most of us shifted back to human, although one of the females and one of the males kept their wolves out to stand guard.

I was not invited to guard patrol, but that was fine. I was exhausted after the fight and looking forward to some sleep. It had been a long day.

No one spoke to me, although someone was always looking at me, so I receded to the back corner of the cave, but to my surprise, I wasn't alone long. The woman who shifted into a small gray wolf that everyone seemed to protect approached me. "I'm Tessa," she said softly. "The healer. I was hoping you'd let me ask some questions about your pregnancy. I'm not going to do an exam, obviously, but I'd like to help monitor you."

"Like or were ordered?" I asked lightly.

A small smile flashed on her face. "It is my job to look after everyone, but the king hasn't requested it. He's smart enough to know that I can't do a full exam with no equipment in the middle of the woods, but there are other ways I can help monitor you. I noticed you didn't eat much at dinner."

I stared at her for a moment before I tried to force myself to relax. She didn't seem like a threat. "Nice to meet you, Tessa. I'm not used to eating in wolf form, and I wasn't sure how the raw meat would settle on my stomach once I shifted."

"You don't eat in wolf form?" She sucked on her lower lip. "That might be a problem out here since we can't cook much. We'll have to rely on our wolves for sustenance, and you'll need to eat to keep your strength up."

"I will keep that in mind."

"Do you feel ill now?"

I shook my head. "No. I guess my fears were invalid."

"We teach our juveniles to adjust to it, but sometimes the first few experiences can make them sick. I'm surprised your pack doesn't do that."

Now she was fishing. I just shrugged. "What questions did you have?"

Blinking, she looked over her shoulder. No one was paying attention to us, so she settled on the ground in front of me and pulled her phone out of a waterproof bag. "I realize I can't make phone calls, but my whole life is on here. I'm just hoping I don't break it," she confessed. "All right, when was your last menstrual cycle?"

"Seven weeks ago."

"And when do you believe the child was conceived?"

"Six weeks ago."

She didn't judge or question it as she made a note. "You took a pregnancy test?"

"I did, when I realized that I was late. I'm pretty punctual."

At that, her head snapped up. "You are?"

Most wolves weren't because of their shift. It messed with the hormones. I nodded. "I don't spend much time as a wolf."

"I see." She typed a few more things on her phone. "Any physical symptoms? Tenderness or morning sickness? Fatigue?"

"Fatigue and some tenderness." I dropped my voice so the others couldn't hear.

"Any spotting?"

"No."

"All right. Everything sounds pretty normal. Without equipment, I can't do an exam, but I'm probably going to question you every day and keep a log of your answers. It's going to feel a little invasive, and I'm sorry about that."

"No need to apologize. I guess I'm just happy that someone else is looking out for…um…it…the baby…the cub…whatever."

A small smile curved on her face. "If you need to talk to me, I encourage you to do so. You're in a high-stress environment, and those stress levels can also affect the baby. I'm not a therapist, but sometimes talking can help. Before I signed on with the king, I was a midwife."

"Really? Lucky me."

"Hmm." She gave me a strange look. "All right, you should get your sleep."

I hadn't dressed since shifting back, and I wasn't about to sleep naked, so I fumbled around in my pack for a change of clothes. "Maya? You're not sleeping in human form, are you?"

Pausing, I turned my head. "I am. Is that a problem?"

"It's safe for the baby if you shift. You know that, right?"

"I've napped a couple of times as a wolf, but I've never spent the night as one. I'm just more comfortable as a human."

She frowned. "But we're sleeping on the bare rock. There's no pad."

Shrugging, I went back to pulling out some clothes. As much as shifters were comfortable being naked around each other, I didn't spend all that much time with other shifters, and I wasn't as comfortable with my nakedness. "I'll be all right. I sleep on the ground plenty."

Tessa didn't say anything right away, and I looked up to find her studying me. "Is that a problem?"

Blinking, she shook her head. "Of course not. I'm sorry. Please make yourself comfortable."

She moved away just as everyone started to shift. I hurriedly dressed and turned to find everyone had settled except Rhyson. His massive black wolf stared at me unblinking until I lay down and turned my back on him to face the wall.

He seemed no better than my father, but at least I could turn my back on him. Here, I thought, maybe nobody would attack me while I slept.

The night was cold and I woke up shivering. There was movement in the cave, and I turned to see that most everyone was outside except for the other female. "Juniper," she said shortly as she studied me. "Rhyson's third."

"Maya. Rhyson's despised one-night stand."

She smirked. "You have a sense of humor. That's a relief."

"Why? I'm not allowed to speak unless spoken to, so I won't be cracking any jokes along the path."

She just grunted. "There's a river nearby. I'm to escort you there so you can wash up and pee and puke or whatever you need to do. Nash is trying to cook your breakfast for you, although he's a bit of an idiot so it might just be charred meat by the time he's done with it."

My stomach turned at the thought of breakfast, but I was grateful that at least it would be cooked. Tessa had said that I needed to eat.

I followed her out of camp, studiously ignoring Rhyson's gaze. When we were out of earshot, I took my chance. "What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"Looking for someone," she said shortly.

Ah. Polite but not ready to be overly friendly and share. Could be worse. I shivered again at the chill in the air. The river water would be just as cold. I'd probably have to shift immediately or I'd get hypothermia. "I…uh…I didn't bring that many clothes, and I don't want to lose the ones I have. I didn't bring my pack," I said quietly.

"I've already washed. I can carry them back for you. Why is your shift so painful? It's cringey to watch."

"You don't filter much, do you?"

"Shit, sorry. Did I say something wrong? It seemed better to ask than to keep speculating about it behind your back. I've never seen anyone shift as slow as you do."

"Glad to give everyone something to talk about," I muttered as I undressed quickly and dipped my toes in the stream. It was, as I suspected, freezing. Holding my breath, I waded in as far as I dared and scrubbed my skin with my hands. After peeing in the water, I hurried out. "I don't know why," I told her before I started to shift. She eventually turned away and gave me some privacy to catch my breath.

I took my first step toward her before I stopped and swiveled my head. I did smell cooked flesh, but it wasn't coming from the camp behind us. Grunting to get Juniper's attention, I turned and moved down the river.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Juniper asked, gripping my clothes as she followed behind me. I ignored her, but I knew the moment she caught the same scent because she stopped complaining, and her eyes flashed silver as she let her wolf to the surface. We moved quietly for almost half a mile before we saw it.

Across the river was a small village, complete with wooden structures and thatched roofs. A large bonfire was in the middle, and there were several humans standing around.

My ears pricked, and I turned my head around just in time to see a man emerge from the woods, a fishing rod in his hand. He looked at us and grinned. "Didn't mean to surprise you, and we don't mean any harm. We got some extra food for you and your companions. Come join us for breakfast. Maybe we can help."