Page 8 of Hitched to the Wendigo (Monster Matchmaking #1)

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sakira

I dipped my hands into the cool, herb-infused water, letting the earthy scent of crushed leaves and roots fill my senses. The flickering light of the fire cast dancing shadows on the cave walls, creating an almost mystical atmosphere. Eryx lay before me on a bed of soft furs, his massive form still and vulnerable in a way I rarely saw him.

"This might sting a little," I warned softly as I cleaned his wounds. The gashes across his chest were deep, angry red lines that made my heart clench with worry. But they were healing, slowly but surely, thanks to the ancient remedies passed down through generations of my people.

Eryx hissed as the herbal mixture contacted his raw flesh, his muscles tensing beneath my touch. "It's okay," I soothed, my free hand finding his and squeezing gently. "Just breathe through it."

As I worked, I hummed softly, an old healing song my grandmother had taught me. The melody seemed to fill the cave, mingling with the crackle of the fire and Eryx's steady breathing.

"That's beautiful," Eryx murmured, his red eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my cheeks warm. "What does it mean?"

I smiled, continuing my careful ministrations. "It's an old song of healing and protection," I explained. "The words ask the spirits of the earth and sky to lend their strength to the wounded."

Eryx was quiet for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "Do you think it works on wendigos too?"

The vulnerability in his voice made my heart ache. I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "Of course it does," I whispered. "The spirits don't discriminate between human and wendigo. They see only the heart, and yours is worthy of their blessing."

Something shifted in Eryx's eyes then, a softening that made him look almost human. He reached up, his large hand cupping my cheek with surprising gentleness. "Sakira," he breathed, my name a prayer on his lips.

Our lips met in a kiss that started softly but quickly deepened, fueled by the intensity of our emotions. I was acutely aware of every point of contact between us, my hands on his chest, his fingers tangled in my hair, the heat of his body radiating through the thin fabric of my dress.

"Eryx," I gasped as we broke apart, both breathing heavily. "Your wounds-"

He silenced me with another kiss, more insistent this time. "They'll heal," he growled, his voice thick with desire. "Right now, I need you more than any medicine."

I knew I should protest, should insist on finishing the healing ritual. But the look in Eryx's eyes, the raw need I saw there, matched the fire building in my body. With trembling hands, I unlaced my dress, letting it fall away as Eryx watched with hungry eyes .

We came together again, skin to skin. His massive, scarred body against my smaller, softer form. Yet we fit together perfectly.

Eryx's hands roamed my body, leaving trails of fire in their wake. I explored him tracing the lines of muscle and sinew, carefully avoiding his healing wounds. When he finally entered me, I clawed his back as the pleasure exploded in my pelvis.

We moved together in the flickering firelight, our bodies finding a rhythm. I lost myself in the sensations, in the feel of Eryx's body against mine, in the sound of his ragged breathing and low growls of pleasure. My own cries echoed off the cave walls, a song of passion and love.

As we neared our peak, Eryx's eyes locked onto mine, glowing with an intensity that took my breath away. "Mine," he growled, his voice deeper and more primal than I'd ever heard it. "My mate. My love."

"Yours," I gasped in response, feeling the truth of it in every fiber of my being. "Always yours."

We climaxed together, our cries of ecstasy mingling in the air and echoing off the walls. For a moment, the very earth beneath us trembled, as if our passion had awakened something ancient and powerful.

As we lay tangled together in the aftermath, our breathing slowly returning to normal, a sense of peace and rightness flowed over me. This was where I belonged, in the arms of my wendigo mate, bridging the gap between our two worlds.

But a sudden commotion outside the cave shattered our moment of bliss. Eryx tensed beneath me, his body instantly alert. "Something's wrong," he growled, sitting up despite the pain it must have caused him .

I scrambled to my feet, reaching for my discarded dress. "What is it?"

Before Eryx could answer, Lyra's voice rang out from the cave entrance. "Eryx! Sakira! We're under attack! The rival tribe is back!"

My blood ran cold as Eryx leapt into action, seemingly heedless of his injuries. He pulled on his clothes with lightning speed, his face a mask of determination and fury.

"Stay here," he ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument. "It's not safe out there."

But I was already moving, grabbing the bag of medicinal herbs I'd brought with me. "No," I said firmly. "You're still injured. You need me."

Eryx looked like he wanted to argue, but another shout from outside made him growl in frustration. "Fine," he snapped. "But stay close to me."

We emerged from the cave into chaos. The sounds of battle filled the night air with roars and screams, the clash of bodies, and the crunch of breaking bones. In the distance, I could see fires burning, casting an eerie glow over the scene.

Eryx immediately charged into the fray, his massive form cutting a path through the melee. I followed as closely as I could, my heart pounding in my chest. All around us, wendigos fought with a savagery that chilled me to the bone. This was the primal side of their nature, the part that Eryx had warned me about.

But even during battle, I saw flashes of the wendigos I knew and cared for. Lyra, fierce and protective, standing over a fallen tribe member. The young ones I had been teaching about herbs, now using their knowledge to tend to the wounded.

I did what I could, darting from one injured wendigo to another, applying quick field dressings and administering pain-dulling herbs. It was dangerous work, with the battle raging all around me, but I couldn't just stand by and watch.

As I knelt beside a badly injured female, trying to staunch the bleeding from a deep gash in her side, I heard a familiar voice cry out in pain. Eryx.

I whirled around to see him locked in combat with the new leader of the rival tribe, a wendigo nearly as large as he was. Eryx was holding his own, but I could see that his earlier wounds were slowing him down. Blood seeped through the bandages on his chest, staining his fur a dark crimson.

Without thinking, I grabbed my bag of herbs and ran towards them. I knew it was foolish, knew that I was no match for a wendigo in battle. But I couldn't just watch Eryx fall.

As I neared them, I reached into my bag, searching frantically for something, anything, that might help. My fingers closed around a small pouch of dried leaves of a potent stimulant that I had been saving for emergencies.

"Eryx!" I shouted, tossing the pouch towards him. "Catch!"

He turned at the sound of my voice, his eyes widening in surprise. But his reflexes were lightning-fast, and he snatched the pouch out of the air. In one fluid motion, he tore it open with his teeth and inhaled deeply.

The effect was almost instantaneous. Eryx's eyes blazed with renewed energy, and he let out a roar that seemed to shake the very ground. He turned back to his opponent with terrifying speed, his attacks now a blur of motion.

The rival leader, surprised by this sudden resurgence, stumbled backward. Eryx pressed his advantage, driving the other wendigo to the ground with a series of brutal blows .

"Yield," Eryx growled, his voice carrying across the battlefield. "Yield, or I'll tear your throat out."

For a moment, silence fell over the combatants. Then, slowly, the rival leader raised his hands in surrender. "I yield," he croaked, his voice thick with pain and defeat.

A cheer went up from our tribe, the sound of victory drowning out the last echoes of battle. But I had eyes only for Eryx as he strode towards me, his chest heaving with exertion.

"That was reckless," he growled as he reached me, but there was no real anger in his voice. Instead, his eyes shone with a mixture of pride and awe. "And brilliant. You never cease to amaze me."

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Eryx swayed on his feet. The adrenaline and the effects of the stimulant were wearing off, leaving him drained and in pain.

"Come on," I said softly, wrapping an arm around his waist to support him. "Let's get you back to the cave. You need rest and healing."

As we made our way through the aftermath of the battle, I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. We had faced this threat together, human and wendigo working as one. It felt like a turning point, a moment that proved what Eryx and I had been fighting for all along.

Back in the cave, I set about tending to Eryx's wounds once more. As I worked, applying fresh poultices and changing his bandages, I found my mind wandering to the future. What would this victory mean for our tribe? For the delicate balance between humans and wendigos?

"This victory will change things," he said. "The other tribes will see that our way, our union, brings strength, not weakness. "

"But there will still be those who resist," I said, voicing the fear that had been gnawing at me. "Both wendigo and human."

"Yes," Eryx agreed, his voice grave. "Which is why we need to be prepared."