The Chosen Ones

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter 16

"I'm not sure how much longer I can walk." Susan, the woman we had saved, stumbled down the hill, her face pale with exhaustion.

Susan. A simple name for a woman who was anything but simple. She was beautiful. Much prettier than any human I'd ever seen. Elegant, flirtatious, needy...I hated her.

As she stumbled for the second time Thane was there, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her close. I paused as they paused, trailing behind as I had been for the hours we'd been hiking.

Three days of hiking with Susan had me desperately wishing we hadn't saved her. She whined. A lot. She hung on Thane. A lot. He, though, didn't seem to find her annoying. He merely helped her along, being much more patient and kinder to her than he'd ever been with me. If this was how he'd been around his girlfriend, it wasn't surprising that she had fallen for him.

I didn't know this charming, blatantly caring Thane. In fact, he made me downright uncomfortable. And I wasn't jealous...at least that's what I told myself. But the burning pit of hatred I felt in my chest every time she batted her lashes up at him wasn't indigestion.

"Can we stop, please?" She gazed up at him in adoration, flickering her lashes like she had something caught in her eye. No, I wasn't jealous. I merely found the way she acted odd. I'd seen women do it before when they were attracted to a man. Did she liked Thane? But how? Why? She barely knew him.

I watched them as he led her toward a large rock along the creek we were following. "Sit, rest."

He'd never been that gentle with me. I frowned. Annoyed, and yes, maybe jealous...I wasn't sure. Dropping my pack to the ground, I plopped down next to a tree. If Thane wanted to baby her, fine. It would only get her killed later on. Whatever happened to the tough love Will had shown me? Apparently Thane didn't believe in that. I pulled my dagger from its sheath and picked up a stick, carving at the end until I made a little spear. And then I started on another one merely to keep busy.

"Let me see the hem of your dress." Without her permission, Thane picked up the skirt of Susan's gown and pulled out his dagger. Carefully, he cut around the edge, shortening the material. "Should be easier to walk."

How sweet of him. I glared at them from under my lashes. Utterly ridiculous. What was wrong with him? Why was he acting this way? And if she looked at him with that stupid grin one more time I just might be forced to use one of the spears I'd carved.

A sharp pain sliced through the tip of my finger. Gasping, I jerked the knife away. Sure enough, I'd cut my finger. "Damn," I hissed.

Thane looked my way. So, I had to injure myself to get his attention. I didn't bother to mention the cut, he'd probably smell the blood anyway. Instead, I tore my gaze from him and searched the satchel for a strip of cloth. I, unlike Susan, could take care of myself. Well, most of the time.

"Oh my." She actually blushed. "I've never shown my ankles before."

I rolled my eyes as I wrapped the material around my finger. Oh my, I've never shown my ankles before.

Nausea had me gagging. No one was that needy, were they? I paused. Good god, had I been that bad? The thought had me jerking my gaze toward them.

"You'll get used to it." Thane smiled. A kind, warm smile that he'd certainly never used on me. Who was this man? "I'll get you something to drink."

He took the tin cup from his bag and headed toward the creek. All the while she watched him go, her gaze not daring to leave his back. "He's beautiful. I wasn't expecting him to be so stunning."