17 Bullets: becoming the Werewolf Queen

Chapter 14: Protector

45 BULLETS

When I woke and realized we were still in the tree, my hand raced back to clutch the branch in fright. Thann's hand wrapped around mine and pulled it softly from the branch. "Safe," he whispered softly in my ear.

It caused a delicious chill to speed up my neck.

"Right. Thank you." I twisted just my head to look back at him. "Uh? Can we go No Tree now? Grass?"

He nodded and adjusted me so I was cradled up in his arms and then dropped from the tree. He pointed to the ground and set my feet upon it. "No go." He added a stern look.

"Sit. Stay. Got it." I grinned and then laid back over my sleeping bag still across the ground.

His eyes widened slightly, "Isisca!" And then in an instant I was back in his arms, hovering above the ground. I hadn't even seen the movement.

"Whoa! Hi to you too," and then I laughed, clutching around his shoulders.

He started kicking my bag around, but I guess his spider search was unsuccessful because he laid me back down on it. "No go."

"No go." I saluted. "Go find your batfrog eggs."

He ruffled my hair playfully and then jogged into the wilderness.

"Jerk," I protested, as I pulled my hair down from the bun and tried to finger comb all the loose bits back. Then I tied the bun back in tight and took some time with a human minute, changing my clothes and replacing the pink intimate item back to its case. I flicked at the little bar in my arm. "At least you're doing your job at shortening the tide."

I finally found the headlamp and wrapped it around one of the wheelbarrow handles when Thann came strolling back into camp. He was holding his arms behind his back and wearing a monster grin.

I smiled back and sat down on the sleeping bag, pretending I'd been there the whole time. "What?"

He sat down beside me and then held out a black and white fur.

I took it and examined it. It was a pouch connected to a belt, just like the one he wore, but made with skunk fur. Beaming I looked up to Thann. "Is this my skunk pelt? Did you cure it?"

"El isikhwama." He patted his pouch. "Thann isikhwama."

Bounding at his neck, I wrapped him in a tight hug. "Thank you. I love it!"

He stroked down my back and whispered huskily, "Ngiyajabula ukuthi uyayithanda."

I sat back and looked over the craftmanship. It was superb. And when did he even make it? We've walked all day? During his morning runaways? Maybe I shouldn't be so upset with being abandoned when he uses it to make me presents. Meeting his handsome eyes, I smiled bashfully. "It's very nice. Thank you."

His face was in a soft smile and he rubbed a thumb over my cheek tenderly.  "Okowesifazane omuhle."

I thought about leaning forward, my eyes darting south to his lips, but chickened out. Instead I stood and shimmied the belt around my jeans. Then I moved my hips back and forth to watch it. "What do you think?"

He sat forward, arms wrapping his knees with a grin gazing at me strutting around. He nodded appreciatively.

Thann watched me for another minute and then stood and grabbed the food bin. He walked into the trees calling for me to follow. "El, yes go."

I stopped flaunting my new pouch and twisted back to the other bin grabbing up the wheelbarrow. "Wait! Don't we need the other bin? Thann! That has all my..."