17 Bullets: becoming the Werewolf Queen

Chapter 21: To the Peak

35 BULLETS

Thann refused to sleep next to me even after I complained about being cold. He just added more logs to the fire and went back to the edge of the forest and stood like some low paid security guard. When I mentioned he needed sleep too, we played the El's mate is Maza game again.

Maza? What the freak kind of name is Maza? Why would I want to date some Matza Ball?

Stupid.

The cool morning brought with it Thann tapping my good shoulder. "Wokuduma?"

Groggy and stretching, I woke. "Hi."

He nodded a solemn greeting.

I collapsed in groans, remembering he wasn't being playful with me. "Are we really doing this? Are you mad at me?"

"Eat," he held open a hand of those stupid batfrog eggs along with some kind of cashew nuts.

"Sure," I said grabbing the handful and downing them one by one.

It looked like he had smoked some of the dragon as now the beast had walls of meat pulled free.

I pointed to the dragon as I munched on nuts. "Should we be getting out of here? I'm sure pandas and whatever would love to come eat a big slab of free meat."

"Meat," he echoed the word staring at the mass.

I couldn't remember his word for pandas, so that wasn't going to help. "Um. Werewolf nose? Can werewolves smell meat? No safe?"

Thann straightened as he considered my words. He nodded.

"Okay. I think I can go." I slurped down a gross egg and tossed the shell to the dying embers. Then painfully pushed myself to a stand.

"No!" He raced over and held on my bicep with one hand.

"Yes," I said steadying myself. "Meat. Werewolves smell. Kill El."

He immediately bared his teeth, canines sharpening. His eyes were fire, even to me. I never thought I'd be afraid of him, but in that instant he was a predator. "No werewolf kill Wokuduma. Wokuduma safe."

"Wokuduma. You keep saying that. What does it mean?"

"Owesifanze Wokuduma." He placed a hand around me and brought my hair down over my shoulder. His fingertips drug through the locks clear to the end.

When I started to smile at the captivating touch, he finally softened his expression, a hint of his lips turning to a smile and he thumbed down my jawline. "Wokuduma. El."

I took my bottom lip in my teeth and grinned. "Thanks."

But as quickly as it came on, he went back stoic and started wandering around the beach gathering our things back into his basket.

I gave him the sign for using the bathroom, shaking a T fist, as I walked into the trees.

Usually, the bathroom sign meant for him to stay the hell away, but he started following me. I turned back and did the sign again thinking he didn't see it, but he nodded and kept after.

I stopped and turned to him. "Uh, hello? Thann. Bathroom. Go away!"

He shook his head no. "No. Thann Wokuduma safe."

"Huh?" My face turned up. "Walkoduma again. I don't know what that means."

When he still didn't move, I pointed. "Go away!"