The Human Hunter

Chapter 20

Waking up with a pair of strong arms around her and a warm chest at her back had Emma sighing as she let her eyes flutter open. The room was still dark, but after letting her vision adjust a bit, she could see someone sleeping in front of her.

Salem?

She was about to reach toward him to make sure that he was okay when she felt Widow nuzzle against the side of her neck, then whisper in her ear. "They had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. When I tried to return them to their own bed, they refused. Or really, Salem refused and Foster followed him," he said with a chuckle that had Emma's heartbeat picking up as his breath heated her neck. Sleep deepened his normally-raspy voice, making it hard for her not to turn around in his arms and kiss him repeatedly.

She felt his arm around her chest move a little as he adjusted, trying to scoot closer, though they were already practically glued together. Even one of his legs was resting entangled with her own.

"Do we have to get up?" she mumbled as she nuzzled into the pillow more. They couldn't have been asleep for more than a few hours.

Maybe they can push back the raid until tomorrow... or just leave Widow out of it completely.

Turning in his arms, Emma got herself situated facing him, their chests brushing together. Widow leaned in as soon as she was settled and pressed a brief kiss to her lips. The gesture made her smile, but also brought a question to her mind that she wanted to ask about.

"Why are you cuddling with me now, when you weren't comfortable doing it last night?"

He wasn't just cuddling, either. The guy was as close as possible to her in as many places as possible. He wasn't being innapropriate by any means, but he was definitely being clingy. Not that she minded, but the sudden shift in affection was a bit confusing.

"As much as I don't want to consider it, there is a chance that I may not come back from this mission... and even if I do, the Congregation might end me afterward," he said as he pressed his nose against her own.

"In my colony, females are dangerous and should be obeyed when they show interest in you," he said, making Emma frown.

"But you didn't obey those four women at the bathing pools," she whispered, not wanting to wake the boys until she had to.

His lips quirked up as he hugged her a little tighter.

"No, I didn't. Madam had shown interest in me and she was the strongest kin in the colony. It would have been foolish to let myself be captured by another," he replied.

Emma licked her lips but held herself back from leaning in the last few inches to kiss him.

"So you would have rather drowned?" she asked.

That got a quiet chuckle from him as he wove the fingers of his right hand through her hair. "I do believe that you were the one who had made that decision," he corrected, making Emma grin slightly.

"True. I am sorry for almost killing you, even if you were a bit of a pushy bastard," she said. "You were still much more accommodating than the rest of them would have been, I'm sure."

She paused for a moment, seemingly thinking before she added. "Although, Goliath wasn't too bad. Legs, too. Maybe—" her words were hushed by Widow's lips, and she had absolutely no complaints about it.

When they finally broke apart again, Widow reluctantly released her with both his arms and pushed himself up. Emma stared at him, watching his silhouette in the darkness as he turned slightly to look down at her.

"I don't remember if I've ever said this, but I am glad that I danced for you. I thought that my instincts just had me confused since I was around you more than most of my retrievals. They normally spent their time in the cages below, but they had been quite overstocked recently so Madam gave me one of the old ones to hold you for a short time. You were just a pathetic little human, but somehow I knew that you weren't."