Where The Numinous Awaits

Ch. 29: Legend's Sacrifice

September 11 | Day

The next morning, I emerged from the tent to find Nixie and Dex laughing and splashing in the stream. Suddenly, Dex snatched Nixie's clothes from the water's edge and took off with them. Her muscular legs pumped effortlessly as she leaped from stone to stone and made it to the other side of the shore.

"Hey! Get back here!" Nixie shouted.

Squealing with laughter, she clambered through the knee deep stream in pursuit of Dex. But before she could reach her, Dex threw her clothes into the tall grass and turned around with a triumphant shout. Nixie tackled her to the fluffy groundcover edging the water, and they tumbled over, kissing.

I felt like the luckiest man alive. With the cool morning sun just barely grazing the treetops, a thin mist covered the ground, and the women looked like water nymphs, enticing me to join them. I took off my shorts and strode naked through the stream toward them. Dex looked up with a grin.

"Look who finally decided to wake," she giggled.

"After last night, I'm starting to wonder if you're really a vampire instead of a werewolf. You drained me of all my energy," I teased as I flopped down beside them. Dex swatted me playfully. Last night had been round after round of glorious sex. Moaning, Nixie rose on her elbow to drag her tongue across my lips in a sensual good morning kiss. I couldn't believe she still hadn't had enough, but neither had I.

With a hum, I deepened the kiss, clasping the nape of her neck and drawing her into my lap. She wrapped her legs around me, her sex flush against my growing erection, and I bit her chin as she threw her head back with an airy whimper.

"Basta, basta! Enough of that," Dex snickered. "Man cannot live off sex alone. We've gotta find breakfast, unless the two of you want more trail mix and beef jerky."

"Ick," Nixie intoned.

"Let's get dressed. I want to take you foraging," Dex said with a grin.

I raised an eyebrow. I had never been foraging, but it was something I was interested in trying. We gave up playtime and bathed in the stream, and I got dressed in sturdy outdoorsy clothes. Dex put on her usual khakis. I was taken aback to see Nixie transform from her soft girl aesthetic to thick denim jeans and a flannel shirt, with a thin, strappy halter underneath.

"Undeniably sexy," Dex pronounced, giving her a slow once over.

Nixie licked her sultry lips and circled the agent. "I learned from the best."

"Are we testing your theory, professor?" I laughed. "I thought you said man can't live off sex. If we don't make moves, the only thing I'll be foraging is what's in those jeans and khakis. So, where to?"

"Grab your foraging baskets." Dex handed wicker baskets to us from the trunk of her car. She put a leather satchel over her shoulder and consulted a compass. "There's a hiking trail just over the ridge. Be on the lookout for wild berries, roots, and mushrooms to add to the pancakes I packed. Maybe later I'll teach you rudimentary hunting. Ever tried squirrel?"

Taking off after her, I scrunched my nose, not sure I was that adventurous. We followed her through the woods, Dex glancing over her shoulder every now and then. Despite our lightheartedness, none of us had forgotten that we were hiding from people who would kill us at the drop of a dime to get what they wanted.

A short distance from camp, Dex kneeled over a decaying tree and beckoned for us. "See here? These are edible," she murmured. Her nimble fingers searched through a thatch of delicate mushrooms until she found plump, ripe ones to add to her satchel. Speaking in a soft, professorial tone, she explained what they were. I studied her, captivated by her intelligence. In a self-deprecating way, I had never dreamed a woman like her could be interested in someone like me.