Chapter 18:

Once we were back in the tent, he started a small wood-burning stove that instantly started warming the small space as we unpacked our things and went about setting everything up that we needed. There was already an extremely comfortable looking bedroll stacked high with different fluffy pelts and furs with a thick quilted blanket on top, but I started pulling out my bedroll anyway. I wasn't about to take his bed, not when he would be the one actually fighting out here.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he stopped what he was doing to watch me as I started making space to lay out my bedroll.

"I'm not going to steal your bed, not when you're the one that's actually going to be fighting out there." He sighed at me, looking up at the ceiling as if praying for patience before bowing his head and pinching the bridge of his nose like he was annoyed, causing me to stop entirely as I just stared at him for a long moment.

"Ari, over half of this camp's soldiers are Vampirian and Fae, and none of them are going to actually respect that huge claim I just made over you if my scent isn't on you." My eyebrows shot to my hairline as I gawked at him. Was he trying to tell me that we had to... "Not like that." He ran a hand through his hair, pushing the dark strands back off his forehead. "Just sharing a bed should be enough in that regard." I let out the breath that I had been holding as I relaxed a little. That's not too bad. I mean, it's not like it was unpleasant by any means the last time I was cuddled up against him, and if that was all they needed, then I could get over that.

"Sorry, I'm just still not used to all the rules of the other kingdoms yet. I forgot they worked off of scent."

"No need to apologize, just get ready for bed, please. I have an extremely long day tomorrow." I just nodded to him as I moved back over to my bag. The little stove had warmed the space to the point that I took my jacket, gloves, and boots off. Looking over my shoulder, I quickly made sure he wasn't looking before quickly changing into the lighter, more comfortable pants and climbing under the warm blanket.

It was surprisingly comfortable. The plush furs made a soft, slightly springy buffer between me and the cold, hard ground, and the quilt was thick and warm. It felt like an absolute dream compared to my bedroll, but I still missed my actual bed at the academy. I took the spot closest to the back of the tent. I wasn't going to lie, with how these people were acting, Xavier or not, I didn't want to be within eyesight of the door of the tent. Turning over, I moved to the edge of the bed to make sure he had enough space as I faced the back wall of the tent, as he took the chance to change.

I felt the blanket shift as he lay behind me, but this time, I welcomed his warmth. Just like last time, his arm came around my waist, dragging me back even further into him as his large frame curled in around me. I couldn't help the slight smile that tipped my lips as I happily curled into him this time, gladly taking the warm safety that he was so freely offering as I quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when we got up, he walked me over to the stables, helping me quickly feed the horses before we went to get breakfast, but he seemed even more tense today, if that was even possible. I mean, I couldn't exactly blame him, considering he was going out on the front lines today. He couldn't tell me what his direct orders were, but he seemed worried, and that alone scared me. He took me back to the tent after we ate, before he left with Bane. Leaving me and Nova alone for the first time here.

After all the soldiers left, I cleaned out all the horse stalls and filled them with more food for when they came back, just like he had instructed me to do this morning, but it only took me about half the day, so I went back to the tent. Gathering a bit more wood from the holder beside the tent, I refilled the little wood stove so he wouldn't have to when he got back before I found a large pot. Scooping it full of snow from outside, I used the little stove to melt it into warm water that I could use to wash up a bit. After taking a quick sponge bath, I dipped my hair into the pot and made quick work of lathering it through with the soap I brought. I felt a ton better by the time I was redressed and sitting on the bed, brushing through my long hair.

Snow crunching right outside the tent caught my attention, and I watched the front of it very closely. I hadn't heard the soldiers come back to camp yet, so it shouldn’t have been Xavier. I reached for my swords as Nova stood up from where she had been lying in front of the little stove. A low growl filled the tense silence, and I looked to Nova, but she looked just as scared as I was, so it wasn't her.

I quickly unsheathed my blades just as something burst into the tent. It was huge, matted black fur covered every inch of the huge beast as it tackled me to the ground. I sank one of my blades to the hilt into it, and it dropped on its side as Nova ran at me. She quickly leaped up onto my shoulders as I ran from the tent, only to be surrounded by more of them along with several people. Some of them had fangs and claws while others looked like normal soldiers, but there was no denying what they were, not when they snarled at us just like the beasts that were with them did. 'Nova, there's no way I'm getting out of this. You have to go find Xavier.'

'I'm not leaving you.'

'Nova, please, it's our only chance to actually make it out of this.' Another one of the huge dog-like beasts charged me, tackling me before I could do much about it, and I cracked my head off a rock on the ground before I slashed at the thing, but it was too fast.

'Ari, your head...' I ignored her as more of them came at me. I felt their jagged teeth puncture my skin, but I was too stunned by the blow to my head to actually do anything about it. 

'Nova, please go.' She gave a soft cry as she nuzzled my cheek before leaping from my shoulders. The last thing I could remember before everything went black was the sharp crack of a bone and the warm spray of blood as it splattered across my face.