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Kurgan wasfocused.He licked the wound thoroughly and then went back for another round, while Lenny squirmed.

Kurgan made a low, vibrating, repetitive sound and dragged his nose higher along Lenny’s thigh.

“No, Kurgan,” Lenny said, her face flushing.

He dragged his nose higher still, while she pushed at his head.

“Kurgan,” I said urgently.“Stop.”

His eyes lifted, and they were glowing.“The scent up here…” He breathed deeply again and made more rumbling sounds.“It makes me...”He licked his lips.“Hungry.”

In other words, his pleasure receptors were all fired up.Shit.

Lenny shoved him hard.“No!I don’t like that.”

Brick strode back, carrying firewood, and looked like he was about to intervene, which would have been disastrous.

Lenny quickly started singing, and Kurgan lifted his head instantly to watch her, to listen.Her voice was soft and so incredibly beautiful.

“I think we’re good for now,” I said to Brick and hoped I was right.

“You should try to sleep,” he said to me when he was loading up the fire.

I wasn’t sure I could.I was sick, shaking with fever now, and scared.I felt weaker than I had in a long time—and we were literally in Hell.“I’ll try.”

Lenny stopped singing.“What about demons?”she said from the other side of the fire, now plastered to Kurgan’s side.“Will they try to ambush us?If we sleep, they could attack.”

Kurgan tilted his head back androared, the sound like a demented lion in bloodlust.We all jumped, then froze.“They won’t come now,” he said, his green eyes taking in the little female beside him, a look of utter rapture on his face.“And I won’t sleep.”

She blew out a slow breath, but I could see the pulse at her throat beating wildly.“Thank you,” she said.

He looked from her to Brick, a conflicted expression on his face.His jaw clenched, and he looked down at Lenny again, then back at Brick.“Pup,” he barked.

“Yeah?”Brick said.

“Find meat.The females need food.Go.”

That explained the conflict.He wanted to be the one to get Lenny food, but he didn’t want to let her go, or leave her unprotected either.

“I’m fine,” Lenny said.

“Me as well.”

“You need to eat,” he said.

“Not sure if Hell meat will agree with us,” I said.“We’re not from here, Kurgan.It might make us sick.”The birds alone were a breed I’d never seen before, I had no idea what other creatures were out there.

He growled.“Pup, sit down.”

Brick cursed under his breath but did as the older and stronger hound commanded.

Kurgan appeared distressed and kept looking down at Lenny.

“I’m not hungry,” she said, and I knew she had to be lying because I was starving.

“So where in Roxburgh do you live?”I asked her, trying to stop Kurgan from worrying and possibly losing his shit.

“I’m in Linville,” she said, studiously ignoring the huge hound who was again scenting her while a low rumble vibrated from his chest.“What about you?”