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“Thank you.” I patted the horse down, nodding at the reverend.

“You were so kind to us, thank you.” Raven yanked on her coat, dipping her head in gratitude to him.

“Stay safe, you two.” He smiled warmly back.

About to turn away, I stopped myself, facing him again.

“We don’t believe in your god or what you stand for, but you went out of your way and helped us anyway… twice.”

The reverend pressed his lips together. “Kindness does not come from God. It’s up to us. It should not depend on what religion you believe, nor what species, race, sex, or status you are. Compassion should exist between all life. Unconditionally.”

A smile upped one side of my cheek, my head nodding in agreement. Giving the horse another pat, I put my hand on Raven’s lower back and directed us across the bridge.

Heading into the unknown.

Temperatures plunged the higher we hiked, snow building up to our shins, filching energy with each forced step, the trail almost disappearing under the white flakes.

Clouds hid any moonlight, the deep foliage permeating the ground in opaque darkness. While my senses could feel nature, the trees guided me through. Raven seemed to move among it without hesitation, as if she was part of the darkness herself, leading the way.

It was odd for her to be this regal beauty with elite manners and entitled privilege, yet have something prowling underneath her skin that felt terrifying and wild. Like two people danced within her bones.

Snow crunched underfoot, accompanied by the sounds of our breathing, the forest speaking softly in its language around us. But my mind was anything but quiet.

“What are you?” My voice severed under the dark canopy.

She slowed her steps. “What?”

“What are you?” The first time, I hadn’t really meant to let it slip out, but now that it had, I wanted to know.

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” I replied, my voice low and gruff.

She stopped, twisting her head back to me.

“You know it is rude to ask a very personal question like that.”

My legs strode to her until our frames were only an inch apart, my gaze finding her bright green eyes. “My tongue was in your pussy last night… think we went way past personal.”

Her gaze snapped up to mine, her lungs faltering at my brashness. She swallowed, her tongue sliding nervously over her bottom lip, drawing my attention to it.

Once again, I had an overwhelming need to kiss her, to feel her lips on mine, to know what her mouth tasted like as well.

My hands clasped her face, my voice so low it was almost on the ground. “What are you, Raven Scarlet?”

A puff came from her throat, her eyes searching mine with a strange fear, which almost hinted at pain. “I can’t te—”

“Don’t move,” a man spoke. The sound of a gun clicked, a barrel pushing into the back of my head. “Not unless you want your brains and hers painting the snow.”

I went still, watching Raven’s eyes widen on the person behind me.

“Put your hands where I can see them,” he ordered, patting me down, relieving me of the gun on my belt. “Slowly.”

Inching my hands up, I kept my gaze on Raven, though I saw her head twitch to the side as if she heard something, her nose flaring.

There were others out here.

“You are trespassing.” He finished patting me down.