Hunted [Wild Hunt Series: 1]

8: Flat

 Chiro wasn't hurt by my blow, not by a long-shot. "What do you mean, competition?"

"I'm going to be Lady of the Hunt," I said stiffly.

Chiro leaned against the boulder. "So," he said after a minute, grey eyes narrowed. "It's not enough that you stunk up my Marl. I might have offered my protection to a frightened soul in an unknown land. Might. But aid a potential competitor?" He leaned forward, the muscles in his arm taut, and I was quickly becoming aware that maybe a bit of politeness was in order, because the only thing keeping me safe was his good (or more likely, neutral) will.

I crossed my arms, glancing back toward Akta's fire with a flicker of nervousness. It wasn't just the pelt I'd stunk up. Mom was right about my tact. I needed to have better control over myself, especially my tongue. "Well, that's not what I—"

"It's what you said." 

"You had me in the moment," I huffed.  Carefully, I rearranged the furs to keep myself as dignified as possible, which really wasn't much considering it was all I had. "Anyway, the Walrus is asking the King, so until he decrees me in the running or whatever, I'm not official competition."

Wolves howled to the darkened sky; some other animal let out a fierce screech. Chiro angled his head in their direction, and as the screeches intensified into snarls, glanced back at me. "You're a maiden."

"Lady." I pulled my hair to one side, combing the knots to hide my nervousness. Mom always said, dress for the job you want, not the job you have. I didn't have much in the way of dress, which meant words were my only asset at current. Besides the ones covered by the cloak, anyway. "Demon blood runs through my veins, same as yours."

"Are you an unmarried young woman?"

I sighed. Shit, he had me there. "Yes."

"So by definition you are a maiden," he said, smug as a, well, a cat. "Are you a mistress of the household?"

"That remains to be determined."

He rested his elbows on his knees, watching me through wisps of embers. "So it remains to be seen if you are a lady."

"I take back what I said earlier. You're smarter than I pegged you for," I decided, taking advantage of the fire's warmth before he made a decision about turning me away. I stuck my feet nearest the flames, hoping the blood from my cut heels might congeal quicker.

"You want to stay a prince of these men, you need a lot of brain or brawn or both." In the distance, whatever prey the wolves hunted died with a horrible, abrupt wail. I winced and rubbed my ankles, trying not to think about prey. In a languid stretch Chiro removed his tunic and tossed it to me with the friendliest tone I'd heard yet. "The occasional glimpse of haunch is making me hungry. Put it away, please."

Self-consciously I grabbed at my thighs; I wasn't a perfectly conditioned athlete or anything, but I wasn't deserving of a haunches label, was I? Nevertheless, I scooted around to put my back to him despite the fact that he'd already seen me naked, next dropped the cloak, then slid on the tunic; it was still warm from his body, a light cotton whose sleeves my arms got lost in. It didn't cover my legs much, but it was over my butt and crotch and I didn't have to keep holding it closed like a shower curtain as I'd done with the cloak.

"Won't it stink?" I asked, grateful for his kindness if not wary.

"You'll wash it."

"Well I won't wash you. Keep that in mind."

"Unless I catch you in the Hunt."

"Thought you were on the fence about joining us."

He sucked the last drop of blood from his finger. "If there was one chicken left in the entire world, wouldn't you want to be the one to eat it?"