Chapter Seventeen

We set up camp deep in the woods. Ryan lights a fire.

"Are you hungry?" he asks.

I nod.

"I'll go get you something" he says, and he disappears into the darkness.

I try to follow him with my eyes, but I can't. I'm too tired. Each breath I take is harder than the last, and there's a sharp pain in my shoulder, like a knife, or a pin, or a needle-- anything except a wolf's teeth.

I am distracted by the sound of Ryan crashing through the brush. He comes back with a small animal, with a large tail and sharp horns. I watch as he cleans it.

I watch the way the sweat glistens on his skin--the way his muscles bulge as he works.

He catches my gaze.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

I nod.

There are so many things I want to ask him, but I don't know where to start. Finally, I settle on why.

"Why did you do it-- save me like that?" I ask. "I thought you were going to give me to Lance."

"I don't know," he says. "But I couldn't do it. Not once I saw the way he looked at you."

He looks down a