Chance Encounter - Wolverine/X-Men Fanfic

Chapter 5: Who the hell are you people? A dance company?

Max grinned and chuffed happily as she tore a chunk out of the hind she'd run down earlier. Logan sat across from her, cutting large pieces of meat from the carcass and quickly choking them down.

The meat tasted good. Clean. It was reassuring in a way that few things in life were.

Boosting the car had been a bit of a rush. They had chosen to snatch an innocuous white economy car from a poorly lit parking lot after dumping her car several blocks away. Logan had easily broken into it and hotwired it, as well as switching the plates with a similar car that they'd found farther down the highway.

They'd driven for several more hours before finally deciding to stop and hunt down some food.

Blood dripped down Logan's chin as he chewed, his eyes closed. He looked almost meditative. Every once in a while, his body would shake slightly.

Max quickly ate her fill, leaving the rest of the meat for him. He looked like he needed it a great deal more than she did.

She moved a few feet away from the kill and sat down on her haunches, keeping a watchful eye on him.

***

The raw meat slid down his throat and Logan's stomach worked quickly to process it and get the protein out to his fatigued muscles. Sure, he'd been hurt worse, but it always sucked coming back from it when the danger had passed. Logan could feel his core temperature rising as his body worked to utilize the food as efficiently as possible. His body was capable of repairing damage at a staggering rate, but it always ended up having a rather high protein cost. Several times after previous encounters over the last year, he'd come to his senses nose deep in raw meat from something he'd chased down and torn apart.

The first time it happened was disconcerting, but over time he'd found that raw, bloody meat just tasted better. It was also more efficient and was easier for his body to process.

He hoped that the military goons wouldn't run them to ground again so soon. The gnawing hunger in his gut finally abating, he cracked one of the femurs, sucking at it to get the marrow out. He then tossed the bone onto the rest of the carcass and stood up, ready to head to their makeshift campsite and pass out. The impromptu surgery had taken a lot more out of him than he had initially thought.

Logan quietly snaked through the woods, back the way they'd come, hoping that Max wasn't in the mood to ask too many questions. He was simply too tired to answer.

***

Max started after him, hoping that he was all right. He had been awfully quiet since they pulled in. She could smell the exhaustion on him and worried that he was pushing himself too hard. Unfortunately, given their situation, he probably didn't have much of a choice. She watched him slide into the sleeping bag and let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding when he held it open so she could join him. She quickly shifted and slid into the sleeping bag, settling back against him. He'd been too tired to get out of his clothes, and it felt weird having a layer of fabric between them – especially since heat was rolling off of him in an almost overpowering wave.

He was burning up.

Max let out a soft sigh as she felt his arm wrap around her waist, pulling her close; his face buried in her hair. Within moments, he was fast asleep and Max soon followed.

***

Logan was awakened in the middle of the night by a loud snapping sound. Immediately alert, he began tasting the scents in the air, but couldn't pick out anything distinctive. Another snap. Didn't sound like an animal making that noise, either. He felt Max rouse beside him and he quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.