Unnatural Instinct: Blood Run

6.

You'repanting. Your breasts are heaving. Your hands rest up by your head, limp anduseless. Even though he's done with you, your body continues to burn. Water splashes as he washes himself. The fire sputters. The smell of the rabbit flesh fills your nostrils, tightening your belly with hunger pangs.

What the hell just happened? What the hell have you done? You're no human, you're an animal, just like he is.

Soon, he's done washing and your thoughts slowly coalesce from a fuzzy haze into something that makes sense, and that's when you suddenly realise that you're still completely naked with your thighs wide open. He can see everything. You feel the rush of the warm morning air cooling his saliva. Quickly, you snap your legs shut and roll over as he returns to the fire, sitting on his heels as he stokes it back to life.

Pulling a pelt over yourself, you sit up. Though he's openly staring at you, you can't look him back in the eye. Clutching at the pelt, you lower your gaze to your lap. You don't know what to say. You don't know what to think. All you know is fear and disgust. It tightens a knot in your stomach. The smell of the rabbit's flesh starts to make you feel sick.

Clearly, he knows nothing of your conflict, holding out another chunk of meat with a grunt.

You shake your head. 'No.'

He grunts again.

'I said, no!'

Your voice echoes through the little shelter. He narrows his eyes and you swivel around so your back is facing him. You hang your head, thinking of Annie, your family and friends. Never before have you hated yourself so much. If they could see you now ...

You hear him moving behind you and you suck in a breath, jerking away, as he lays a hand on your shoulder. 'Go away!'

With another grunt, he lays his hand on you again.

'Leave me alone!' Twisting around, you shove him away and scramble to the back of the shelter.

He's frowning, crouched amid the pelts. He stares at you and you look back into your lap, your hair dangling in front of your face in long, twisting ropes. He growls. You lift your eyes, looking at him through your hair. He's baring his teeth in a snarl. He looks wild and deranged—like a hungry wolf. Your heart begins to pound.

He's always so quick. You stagger to your feet but he's already snatched at your wrist and yanking you back to the fire before you know what to do. You clutch at the pelt desperately as it slips from your body. Pushing down on your shoulders, he makes you sit. Next, he thrusts the board of meat towards you with a grunt. You look away. He gives a snort. You continue to look away, staring at the netting of knives hanging from the wall. He grabs your knee and you kick out your leg, connecting with his shin. With a growl, he gets to his feet, snatches up an empty dish and leaves the little shelter. Further up the stream, where the water rushes fast and fresh, he fills the bowl.

Returning, he pushes it into your hands. Head bowed over it, you stare at it. Giving another snarl, he tugs at your hair.

'Hey!' you cry, reeling back. He sits in front of you, so close your knees touch, waiting. 'You can't make me do what I don't want to do.'

You toss the dish at him, and he knocks it away before it can hit him in the face. Gritting his teeth, he clenches his fists in his lap. That's it for him. With a snarl, he grabs your arm and drags you to your feet as he stands. You fight him with all you have, kicking and scratching and biting while clutching fruitlessly at your pelt. He hardly notices as he pulls you to the stream.

'Don't!' you cry.

He shoves you into it and you shriek as you fall to your arse. The water is icy. He yanks away the now soaking pelt and you wrap your arms around your breasts. He pulls them away as he pushes you back into the water so that you're lying flat on your back.

'Don't!' you scream. It's so cold! You sit up. He shoves you back. You sit up. He shoves you back. 'Goddamn it, stop it!'

Sit. Shove. Sit. Shove. You shriek and cry as he continues with his stupid game. Soon, you've had enough and you stay down in the icy water, panting. Your body turns numb. Your teeth begin to chatter. Tears of frustration streak down your cheeks. And you realise that you're beginning to hate him. The fear is almost gone, replaced by a rage that bubbles furiously in the pit of your stomach. It isn't fair that simply by sheer strength he has the power to control you. What creator or god decided that was such a good idea?

He's crouched in front of you, no doubt prepared to push you back again if he has to. What's he going to do? What's his intention? To have you freeze to death? You turn your face away, hating the sight of him.

After several more moments, he finally straightens. 'Up,' he says.

'Why?' you say without looking at him. 'So you can just push me back down again?'

'Up.'

You purse you lips. Of course you want to get out of the water, but you hate the thought that it's only because he's letting you.

You sit up and you stare at each other. Icy water drips down your back from the ends of your hair. Something hard, probably a rock, juts into your backside. You look down at your naked body in humiliation. Your nipples are tight little knots from the cold. The hairs in your private region float in the water. Goose bumps ravage your now very cold, very pale skin. Before yesterday, nobody had ever seen your body, only your mother when you were a child. What does he think gives him the right?

You look back up at him. 'I hate you.' No wonder your female ancestors decided to split from their male counterparts centuries before. Why wouldn't they if they were treated like this?

He holds out his hand, offering to help you up, as though he doesn't notice your fury. 'Up.'

You glare up at him. Ignoring his hand, you roll over and push yourself to your feet, stumbling to catch your balance, your body numb. He reaches out to help.

'Don't touch me!' you snarl, slapping his hand away.

He takes a step back, his jaw clamped tightly shut. Narrowing his eyes, he twists his mouth. He nods at the shelter. 'Eat.'

'No.' You fold your arms.

His eyes flash. He nods at the shelter. 'Eat.' Then nods at the stream. 'Cold.'

You frown. 'What?'

He nods at the shelter again. 'Eat.' Then nods at the stream. 'Cold.'

He does this several times before you finally understand what he means. The fury surges from your belly and into your throat. You hiss at him between gritted teeth.

Eat or cold. Either eat or go back into the cold water. In other words: Do as I say or suffer the consequences.

You suddenly realise how wrong you are about him and how right the women from your village are.

He's got you cornered and there's nothing you can do about it.