Ella’s POV
“Did you hear that?” I asked as I turned to Kevin.
“I didn’t hear that.” He said and shook his head.
I smiled. I didn’t think he heard me. He was busy staring at my face and smiling that I was wondering if he would fall down flat on his face any moment from now. So far, all was well as he hadn’t fallen on his face but I didn’t need him to be distracted.
I knew that he loved that we were here but we were still in the jungle with dangers all around us and we needed our wits with us.
“You need to be focused, Kevin.” I sighed.
“I am focused.” He replied.
I shook my head and snorted. “You need to be focused on the journey and not on me.”
He grinned. “How can I focus on anything else when I have you by my side?”
I shook my head. “Focus, Kevin. You are not being funny.”
“I am not?” He chuckled. “I am not but you smiled.”
“Did I?” I chuckled, my tongue in the crook of my cheek. “I don’t think I did.”
He snorted. “You definitely know you did.”
I was about to reply when I heard the sound I heard the other time again. It sounded like someone running and I was worried that the cannibals had caught up to us. I was afraid though I tried to end it well.
I wasn’t going to be afraid and show that bastard that I was when they finally showed up.
“Are you okay?” Kevin asked. “Your countenance is different from what it was minutes ago.”
Finally, he took notice. I wanted to say but I didn’t. I was getting worked up to tease Kevin.
“Do you not hear that?” I asked him again.
Maybe I was letting the worry of wondering where the men were get to me and I was being paranoid. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe there was no sound and he would tell me that I was wrong. I would be so glad to know that I was getting worried instead of letting my imagination drive me crazy.
“Wait,” he said, his ears straining to pick up the sound from the direction I pointed at. “Did you hear footsteps?” He asked, turning his gaze at me.
I was glad I wasn’t hearing things. It felt glad to know that I wasn’t crazy but that made me more nervous. The cannibals had caught up to us.
Damn, I didn’t want that to be the last sex I would have with Kevin. I still wanted to make love to him for a very long time.
Damn, I scoffed, hissing that was the thought on my mind in this precarious time.
“Ella,” he called out.
“Uhn,” I gasped and then realized he had asked me a question I had yet to respond to. “Oh! Yes, I heard footsteps.”
“I think I hear them too.” He admitted.
My head slammed in my chest, fear thrumming through all of my veins but I ignored it. I had to be strong.
He raised his head in the air and sniffed it, his nostrils flaring up. I wondered what he was doing when we were supposed to run.
I watched as his face suddenly broke into a smile and scowled at him. What was funny? I was about to ask him that when he smiled.
“I know that scent though I don’t know why he is running.” He smiled. “It’s Damien.”
“Damien?” I gasped, hope brimming in my chest.
He nodded. “It’s Damien. I’ve been in battle with these men for long that I wouldn’t fail to recognize the scent of their sweats and fear.”
I was glad that they were still alive. I had been bothered when we didn’t hear from them after shouting their names.
I stood there, waiting for Damien to catch up to us even though every part of me wanted to bolt. I was scared to stand there, feeling like I was offering myself up to death but if Kevin said it was Damien, then I was going to wait for him.
The footsteps were getting louder and nearer but there was no sign of Damien. I was about to ask Kevin if he was sure that it was Damien when I caught his scent. It was him. My heart filled with relief and joy.
Two minutes later, he showed up and fell to the ground at the sight of the two of us.
“My lord! Luna!” He breathed, gasping for breath.
I smiled, happy to see him. He looked fine from what I could see of him. “Damien! You made it back to us.”
Kevin moved forward to him and patted him on the shoulder and then raised him up slowly. “You’ve done well, warrior.”
“I was afraid I wouldn’t see you again.” Damien said, trying to keep his emotions in check but his voice broke as Kevin held him tight in an embrace.
“We were all afraid we might not see one another again.” I smiled. “Here we are though.”
Damien broke free from Kevin’s embrace and looked around. “Are the others not here yet?”
I sighed and Kevin’s face fell as well. “Not yet.”
Damien nodded. “Let’s go. It’s possible we find them soon.”
We continued walking till we got to a bend. There was a narrow path at the side but we didn’t go close since it wasn’t on the map and we didn’t know where it led to. We had had enough adventure and didn’t need to stick our head in another web of danger by ourselves.
We paused as we heard a rustle from the path we were avoiding and stilled as we prepared for fighting off another set of creatures we didn’t know existed here. The three of us looked at one another and nodded, silently giving with our eyes the formation we needed to fight off the unknown intruders.
We didn’t need to talk much to know Damien would take the rear, Kevin the front and I would fight from the sides. We might be outnumbered but wouldn’t go down without kicking some ass.
I relaxed as the unknown intruders got closer and I got a sniff of their scents.
“Liam and Andre.” We all said at the same time and laughed as we got into a relaxing position.
The men burst out of the gathering and stilled as they saw us. “Oh my! I am so glad to see you again.” Liam said as he saw us.
“The feeling is mutual, man.” Kevin smiled.
Liam and Andre bowed to me and Kevin and smiled at Damien.
“Were you two having a party without us?” Kevin joked.