40 BULLETS

We woke up in nearly the same position, but I didn't feel any stiffness. Sharing a twin bed back on Earth with even my dog would have given me some kind of aches. I sat up and smiled down at Thann, fully forgetting that I wanted to be angry still.

He sat up after and stretched. "El."

"Hi," I said simply.

"Hi," he chuckled back.

My head tilted. "Is that the first time you've said that?"

He ignored my question and cupped my face for a full kiss that spoke of eternities of happiness.

It was full minutes of unbroken adoration sparking through my veins. His lips were magic.

He pulled back leaving me breathless and my eyes still softly closed. His fingertips tenderly wandered over my face leaving streams of tingles until I finally looked at him.

He grinned and then kissed my cheek once. "El stay." He then stood and walked to the cave entrance.

"Hey?" I complained. "You're going to kiss me like that and then run away?"

"Stay."

I pouted and folded my arms. "Fine. Go take your morning disappear."

He flashed a toothy grin and ran off leaving me to take my own human minute.

Finishing my business, I wandered around the camp for a few minutes and then took a cutting from the meat still skewered to the spit. I mean, what the hey, I already had food poisoning once, maybe let's try for another. Nibbling the meat, I wandered around the area until found a plot of land that had to be a garden. It looked like things were deliberately planted in rows and the dirt tilled around them.

Good to know I could grow food here.

I was looking over the plants and trying to decide if I already knew what any of them were when out of nowhere, I was caged with thick arms and spun around.

I screamed in fear that another werewolf goon had got me, until Thann guffawed and set me down, ruffling over the top of my head.

"Thann!" I screamed at him.

He grinned and pulled me against his chest in an embrace that I didn't want to reciprocate, but he was too strong to get away from, so I just scowled at him.

His thumb smoothed over my brow.

I grumbled. "I thought you didn't want me scared? Hmm? Thann scared El!"

He paused as if he hadn't thought about that and then shrugged. He grabbed my hand and started walking us back to the cave entrance. "El weelbearo go."

I stopped and looked up at him with a smile. "We can go get my wheelbarrow now?"

He nodded.

"Let's go!" I bounded into his side energetically.

"Sidinga izimpahla esizozithatha. Isinkwa. Amanzi. Inyama eyomile." He tugged me into the cave and sat me down on the bed.

"But I want to leave. Can't we go? Wheelbarrow."

He rubbed rough fingers as a caress along my cheek. "Linda."

"Linda?" I asked startled, my eyes darting around. "Is there another woman here?"

He grinned. "Yebo, linda."

While I was wallowing in confusion, he trotted to the back of the cave. Was there another woman tied up back there the whole night?

Nah. Thann wouldn't be like that.

Would he?

He came back a few moments later with a backpack made from vines and grasses, much like a large basket, and in his hands a bone needle and sinew.

He sat next to me on the bed and pointed to my hip where my pants had been cut.

"Oh. We can sew it up? Good find."

I placed a fur over my lap and then shimmied out of my pants. Reaching over for the needle, he held it away and pointed at my pants.

"What? Are you going to sew them for me?" I smiled and handed the pants over. He swiftly got to work and I was mesmerized watching his steady hand.

When he handed the freshly repaired pants over, I marveled. "Thanks. That's amazing."

Then I skuttled into my pants as he brought the basket backpack off his back.

"What's that?"

"Ukuthwala. Angithi ufuna isinkwa?"

"Isinkwa?" I lit recognizing his word for bread. "Eat isinkwa?"

He chuckled and opened the lid. After a moment of rifling through the contents he handed me an oval.

"Oh yes baby," I grinned and started nomming down the great breakfast.

"Walk? Go weelbearo?" He asked, watching me devour the poor grain.

Slamming the rest of the bread into my mouth, I jumped up. "Yaas," I garbled around the mouthful.

His brow came down and I giggled, putting a hand up to my mouth until I chewed well. "Sorry. Real ladylike, I know."

His grin returned and he hugged me against him. "Umamatheka kahle." When a few moments past, he pulled away and nodded. "Go."

"Yes. Let's go."

I walked along side of him, my hand in his. I was reveling in the feeling. He was so warm. And I knew how deadly strong he was, but his fingers against me felt butterfly soft. It was beautiful that he could be aware of how delicate to hold when I knew full well he could hold up an entire bear with that same hand.

I kept stepping closer and closer, so that only a mile out, I was already holding onto his arm with my other hand and pressing myself against his side.

His lips turned to a grin and he pushed me to arm's length again. "No hurt."

He was a party pooper. I barely tripped twice, holding onto him like that.

But it didn't last.

Eventually I ended back at his side, and my other hand tickling up and down his arm.

Thann pulled away and playfully chastised me. "No. Akukho ukuthintwa."

"Yes, akukho." I mimicked with a giggle, stepping forward and running my fingers over his chest.

"El," he warned with a grin.

"What?" I gave him puppy eyes. "I'm an angel."

He chuckled and lifted me clear into his arms. I squealed with delight and he started running us through the woods.

When he got into his stride, I watched with fascination. He was perfectly capable to have a probable heavy backpack and definitely heavy girl in his arms, but he was still running like he was an Olympic jogger.

I waited for him to get tired and put me down, but as the minutes rolled on he kept going without even being out of breath. It was pretty sexy actually.

"Can you really just run like this? You should have just ran off for my supplies!" I laughed. Or goodness, he should have just ran me to Molly's. Why were we taking my sloth paced walk?

As the minutes became hours, I started pawing over his chest.

My fingers traced the muscles and he'd swat me away with whatever hand was closest to move around me.

A few minutes later my fingers would find their way back and he'd swat me again.

The game continued until it was now me twisted in his arms, so I could trail my lips over his pecks and up his shoulder.

"El!" He finally yelled in a chuckle when I tried to leave a hickey.

"What Handsome? Can't concentrate on the road?" I stroked his face.

He caught my hand and finally slowed his run, letting me slide down to the ground.

I pouted. "Aww, but I liked you carrying me. It was fast."

He then darted forward, a hand at my cheek and pulled me to a kiss. I giggled and kissed him back.

I loved kissing him while we were standing. He was so tall, he towered over me. He pressed again and again, tumbling me into freedom, until my knees were weak.

Just before I probably would have completely fallen over, he lifted me back and started running again.

But he had definitely started something.

I pulled myself up against his chest and left soft kisses up and down his neck.

His shoulders tensed under my grip and I smiled. "Do you like this?" I kept up my peppering, though he didn't say anything. His neck widened for me though, so I took that as a hell yes.

Snickering I left loving nips between his shoulder and neck when suddenly he dashed to the left instead. My grip tightened around his shoulders. "Whoa!"

He chuckled and held me strong against his chest. His own lips then started guiding over my temple leaving a hot breath over me.

I gulped.

My game was going to come back to haunt me.

He slowed his run and quickly he twisted me, so I was no longer bridal in his arms, but wrapped around his front. He then pressed me against a tree and kissed down my neck.

I let out a moan and felt his teeth turn to a smile against my collar bone.

He let me down and held my hands as I braced against the tree at my back. "Don't stop now Thor."

Starting to tug me to the left he spoke. "Go. Water."

I tried to catch my faltering breath. "Water?"

"Yes."

"There's water close?" I tried to follow his movements.

"Water," he agreed.



A few shaky minutes later we came upon a gorgeous ten-foot waterfall flowing into a beautiful navy blue pond with a silvery sheen. Flowers in deep pinks and full elephant ear leaves glistened with the mist on the beach.

"It's beautiful," I spoke in awe, finally standing straight.

The waterfall's sound carried softly over the pond, nothing like the loud water drop I would expect from Earth. It was relaxing like music you'd listen to for meditation.

Thann walked forward abandoning the backpack and turned around to me. He smirked and dropped his pants to the gravely brown sand. My eyes followed, noticing his briefs were like the tarzan strips the werewolves that kidnapped me wore. Did those jerks really just walk around in their underpants?

He caught me staring and winked.

My face instantly heated. That, and something else heated too.

He grinned and kept backing up. When he was knee deep into the water he spoke. "Uyeza?" He held his arms out, fingers begging me to follow.

I moistened my lips, trying to press the blush away. "Alright," I agreed and took the rifle from my back and laid it on the ground. "A bath might be nice."

He sat back in the water and then watched as my shirt came over my head. I kicked my boots and socks off, then took a deep breath and shimmied my pants down.

Giving a quick look to Thann, he was staring wide eyed, and chest failing to bring breaths in.

I giggled and he snapped out of his trance.

"Come," he stated, fingers again mapping my path.

"I'm coming. Hold on. Got to get my hair out." I started pulling pins from my bun and when he was watching, I moved my body with some belly dance wiggle.

He was definitely staring at my curves.

I giggled and pulled the rest of my bun out, putting the tie at my wrist and letting my long hair cascade down. I flipped my head a bit, and finger combed through the locks. They were quite pretty with a bit of a curl from staying in the bun so long. I missed having my hair down. But I still couldn't imagine leaving it down in the jungle.

"Unkosikazi!" Thann yelled in surprise and I whipped to him, expecting to see an alligator.

He instead stepped slowly and purposefully to me; face rounded in wonder. "Muhle," he spoke with soft admiration.

"What?" I smiled.

He then inched forward hands sliding through my hair, pinching it between his fingers. "Stars. Moons. Sun..." He was breathless with awe.

I bit my lip and moved my hair through his fingers. "Thann. Are you trying to say my hair is pretty? You're so sweet."

"Muhle," he whispered again and captured my lips.

His hands palmed down my head and back, raking through my locks. It was divine how his soft touch felt through me. And men playing with my hair always melted me right down to pudding.

My arms reached and my hands stroked over his shoulders, our lips connecting in joy.

I even moved a leg against him, hooking my ankle at his calf.

He broke our kiss in an instant maneuver of panic. "Owesifazane Wokuduma!" He then shoved me away with so much force, I flew back ten feet and toppled over some rocks summersaulting backwards.

I coughed with the wind knocked out of me and a jagged rock sliced down my shoulder blade. I cried out in pain and surprise. One moment I was having the kiss of a lifetime and next I was attached to a rock.

"El!" He yelled and was by my side pulling me from the pile, a monstrous pain shooting through me.

"Freak Dothraki," I moaned sitting up and trying to look over my shoulder. I could only see the top of the wound, but it was surely something I would be glad I couldn't see completely. The tip of my shoulder was raw with a deep gash, skin folded up and I was certain that it was worse down lower with the pain running wild through my chest. The pain overwhelming.

"Hurt!" He cried and raced to his backpack.

"I'm okay," I said through clenched teeth and watering eyes. Blood already saturated my back.

I was most certainly not okay. I'm guessing my back would require surgery or at best stitches.

This was a wound I would die from.

I tried to stand and nearly blacked out. My vision spun and Thann was at my side holding me up by my arms.

"Ow," I complained lamely and tried to step into his comfort.

He stepped back. "Cha! No. No, Owesifanze Wokuduma."

I looked up pathetically and met his horrified glance. Right. I should be worried about how not to bleed to death, not a hug. "Help me walk to the water? I at least need to clean it."

I trekked over to the water and all but fell in, letting the coolness wash at my back. I hissed with pain; a fresh batch of tears stinging my eyes. When I looked toward the beach, Thann was down on one knee and bent over, head down. "Thann?" I asked from a croaky voice.

His head popped up, but he stared instead to the waterfall. "Wokuduma."

"Walkuduma? Why do you keep saying that?"

When he stayed stoic and never glanced at me, I spoke again. "Hey. It was an accident, okay? It's not that bad."

Yes.

It really was that bad.

He kept still.

"Come in the water with me."

His eyes finally met mine. "No water Thann El."

Then his chin dropped to his chest and a second later he was transformed into his massive wolf beast and sprinting away.

At first I was delighted to finally see his wolf close up, but the moment flipped like a switch when he was gone.

"You left me?!" I cried to the empty beach. "You frickin' left me when I am DYING?!"

I hung in the water, stunned for a whole minute and then whispered to myself, "he left me."

Fresh tears puddled in my eyes, half from pain and half from torment.

I was again alone on this stinking planet and this time I would die.

"I hate this planet!" I yelled so loud, neon birds took flight from the treetops.

Shimmying a bit down in the water, the cold bite at my back had me screaming in pain. This was worse than the lava of the berries. Worse than when my horse kicked and broke my arm. Did I break ribs?

How do you even know if you broke a rib?

I guess it didn't really matter. I couldn't even twist to clean the wound or put on bandaging. This was it.

Even in the cool water my forehead began to sweat with the exertion of holding in my pain. I leaned back and floated on the water. Maybe with the blood pooling around me, some alligator would come and end my suffering.

In another minute of hope, no alligator showed up, but when I opened my eyes to the cerulean blue sky I figured my blood loss was catching up.

The edges of my vision blurred with black sparkles. I knew I was inches away from passing out. I had already lost a lot of blood.

I whipped my head back and forth a moment to clear the darkness and then watched the leaves in the treetops swaying with the breeze.

Licking over my lip, I could taste the salty sweat there and smiled as the sound of the waterfall tried to lull me into my final resting place.

When the dark sparkles circled my vision again, I didn't shake them away.

Would I just pass out with blood loss? Would I go underwater and realize I was drowning and wake again? Would all be lost?

I was ready to be gone and closed my eyes.

Bye Mom.

And I waited for the tunnel of light to open up.

But it wasn't her loving voice that answered back. It was a shadow over my sun and a high-pitched screech.

The call of a dragon.

My eyes shot open in panic and there was a dragon landing a perch at the treetops above the pond.

It was staring blazing yellow eyes right at me.

Like I was a display of his favorite food. I probably was. Bloody meat stew.

I screamed in tune with his second call. I wanted to go peacefully into the darkness, not torn limb from limb! I was kidding when I said I wanted an alligator to finish me!

My eyes darted to my rifle at the beach, next to my fallen clothes.

Could I make it?

With the scorching in my back, I doubted it.

But I'd have to try.

I sat up and immediately went woozy with a ripping sensation down my back as the water released.

The blackness flooded my eyes again, but I shook it back.

This time the image didn't stop completely, leaving me with twinkling stars in my peripheral.

The animal hollered its delight again; massive wings flapping in the air causing wind spiraling clear down to me.

I coughed as I crawled to shore, my gun in sight, fingers swiping my grip through mud and gravel.

My back was fire.

I tried to shake the encroaching darkness again.

Hand.

Knee.

Hand.

Knee.

My back was melting away with pain, like my spine was still attached to the water and I was fighting against it.

The creature howled its joyful song again and took flight.

My eyes went completely dark and my arms gave out.

A soft smile lifted one side of my face. Maybe I would die in peace after all.

I let myself go as the creature's heavy frame slammed into the ground near me. The vibrations echoing through my body like an earthquake.

It was okay.

He'd have a meal.

But I wouldn't have to feel the pain.

As darkness consumed over me like a flame, I said goodbye.

I let myself succumb.