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“Sorry, Emerie. I did not mean to throw you.”

She laughed, not because she found it funny, but in mild panic. That could have been bad, likereallybad. Either she would have split her face open, or she would have broken her nose or skull. Either way, she would have bled and then become his lunch.

With her back flush against his chest and her legs dangling half a metre in the air, she held onto his forearm tightly. “It’s fine.”

Ingram carefully placed her on her feet when he was forced to lower back onto his hands. She immediately bounced into action. Going back the way they came, shoving branches and shrubs, as she searched for the pink berries she’d seen.

The grin she produced was wide and toothy when she found them.

“Fuck yeah!” she cheered, curling her hand into a fist and pumping it into the air in joy. “This lilly pilly bush is huge.”

No wonder it’d caught her attention – it was nearly triple her height! It was also full of ripe pink berries. She waited for Ingram to come over so she could unthread her bag from him and start shoving as much as she could inside.

She didn’t even care that she was about to give up her saddle. She’d just use the thin sleeping bag that she removed and tied around one side of the strap. Food and water were a priority. She’d figure out his back spikes and how to not impale her pussy on them later.

“These are the berries you seek?”Emerie nodded, eating them as she picked. Following her lead, he easily reached up to take the ones higher up since she wouldn’t be able to reach.“I will search for more in the future then.”

When her bag and stomach were full to capacity, she pulled her strap over her shoulder and tucked her nearly bursting bag behind her. It was heavy, and that pleased her immensely.

“Thank you for helping me,” she said, tying her water sack where the bag and strap were connected, since it wouldn’t fit inside. “Also, if you happen to sniff out a stream or lake, let me know. I’ll need water soon.”

“You cannot hear the water nearby?”Ingram asked, pointing a claw in a random direction. When she followed his thick dark-grey finger with her lips tightening, she figured he understood that she couldn’t.“You humans are not very formidable creatures. No wonder Demons and Mavka easily hunt you.”

Her eyes narrowed into a slitted glare, unsure if she appreciated that. “Humans are smart, that’s what keeps us alive.”

“Not smart enough to not be eaten,”he argued, walking on all fours in the direction he’d pointed. She wasn’t the kind of woman to pout and cross her arms in annoyance, but she considered it.“Come. I will take you to water.”

Emerie cracked her neck to relieve some of her tension at his rudeness. She just put it up to him being a Duskwalker and not knowing better.

Especially since he’d already tried to eat her, and there was a high chance he’d probably try to do it again.

Ingram tilted his head to the right and almost made it go upside down in confusion. Perplexed, his sight turned yellow because of it. He didn’t understand why the little female was cranky with him.

Is it because I said she is dirty?

When they’d reached the shallow river, Ingram had demanded she wash. Her lips had parted wide before she promptly shut them.

Or is it because I will not leave?

She’d agreed to his demand but asked that he leave. When he wouldn’t, she pushed and shoved at him to no avail.

“I’m not going to wash in front of you, Ingram!”she shouted, grunting and groaning. She even spun around so she could shove at him with her back, the heel of her boots slipping against the dirt and grass.

“No. I want to make sure you do it properly.”

“I know how to wash myself,” she argued back. “Pretty sure humans came up with good hygiene, not Duskwalkers.”

He straightened his head and then sighed.“And yet, your face is always dirty.”When she directed it at him with her cute orange brows drawn in tight, he wished he could look upon her with clarity.“Even now there is much on you.”

Emerie stepped back and wiped at her face before checking her hands. He noted they were mostly clean, and yet the dots remained. “There’s nothing on me.”

His orbs shifted to a dark yellow in curiosity, wondering why she couldn’t remove what he could clearly see.“But it is all over you.”

Her icy-blue eyes shot open wide, as did her mouth. Then, the corners of her eyelids crinkled as she made this strange noise – one he’d only learned recently was a laugh.

His orbs threatened to turn bright yellow.I like this sound from her.It tickled his chest, like he wanted to return it.

“Are... are you talking about my freckles, Ingram?” She pulled back the tight sleeve of her uniform, revealing the back of her right arm. A multicoloured beaded bracelet tied around her wrist sparkled in the sun. “I have them everywhere. It’s not dirt.”