40 BULLETS

When I woke the sun was setting and I could hear a raging fire outside. I leaned to the edge of the bed and could see Thann in front of a massive fire, some large skinned animal on a spit above it.

I sat watching for a moment as his delectable back muscles moved to rotate the handle and let a smile slip to my face.

Sensing my glance he suddenly turned around and grinned. He let the spit go and jogged to my side. Good sleep?

Yes. Good sleep.

I sat up and he offered his hand. "Meat fire."

I teased, "Cooked meat? You don't want me sick again?" And after the rest, my voice was sounding marginally better.

Obviously not better enough for Thann. No Speak.

"Oh yeah?" I started singing head shoulders knees and toes with him yelling until he was laughing and had a hand wrapped around my mouth, holding my voice in. I was laughing too until I coughed into his hand and he whipped it away disgusted. "Oops. Sorry!" I giggled.

He looked at his hand and then glared.

"Guess you better get some hand sanitizer? You might have to invent it though. I'm all out."

No speak. Hurt-Sick.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm okay Dothraki."

"Uzolalela nje, mfazi?" He chuckled to himself. He then grabbed my hand and ushered me out to the fire. Sitting in the sand, he pulled me down into his lap.

"I think there's plenty of room for us both around the fire." I jokingly complained, but I cuddled back into his warm chest.

No speak.

I sat content for a few minutes, just looking into the fire, until Thann sat me next to him and stood. He arranged the animal so the fire would claim another side of the meat. I guess meat on a stick over a fire is as good as we're going to get tonight. I already missed my thermal cooker but was incredibly glad there was some type of food.

"Thann?" I asked a little gruffly. He turned back in question. "Wheelbarrow?"

He mimed a pushcart.

"Yes."

He sighed and looked over the west. "No."

"Yes. I need to go get it. El go wheelbarrow tomorrow." I used his pushcart sign.

Thann go. Day Night Day. El hurt. El Stay. He turned back to me gravely. El No Safe Day Night Day no Thann.

"I wouldn't be safe without you? But you leave me alone sometimes." I paused, thinking it over. "Maybe you could carry me?" Werewolf Thann? Then I pointed at the bite cuts at my chest.

"Lutho neze!" He screeched in a horrified air. He stared shocked for a few moments then exhaled hard, trying to regain his heavy breathing. He then turned his back to me and played with the spit again. His signs were soft to his side. No werewolf. Werewolf hurt El.

"You could be careful? We have medicine?" I asked gently.

"No." He whispered finally.

When he didn't move for a few minutes, the change in air had me concerned. "Thann?"

He sighed and sat down, bringing me to his lap. No werewolf go. "Werewolf kill Mataoka." He then pawed over my cuts. He then pointed to his teeth and then a single spot on my thigh next to my hip. He then made a strange splashing motion outward with his hand. "Mataoka hurt. Igazi. Hurt kill." He looked wounded himself. Werewolf, he then pointed to where the corpses once were.

I tried to process the words.

"A werewolf bit her. Possibly even one of those werewolves?" I looked to the sand where I shot the three. "He bit into her artery. That's how she died?" I glanced back to Thann's tortured face. "And that's why you don't want to carry me. You think I'll bleed to death."

I twisted in his lap so I was fully facing him and hugged around his shoulders. He nuzzled down against me.

"Mataoka. Cry."

He nodded against me, and eventually I started running my hand over his back and through his hair. He hummed a pleased sound, and I gave a soft but slow kiss to his cheek.

He leaned back and tilted his head, a strong gaze on me.

I smiled and stroked over his face and then leaned in to kiss him gently and pure. His hands squeezed at my hips as he pressed back.

When I broke the kiss, he had a soft smile playing on his lips. "Waze wamuhle." His hand then came to my face and his thumb lightly brushed over my lips. "Ungangishada?" He asked quiet to himself.

"OongangShada?" I tried to mimic, and a chuckling grin slid over his face. He then leaned forward and kissed me again, this time a bit more heated and needy. I opened my mouth to allow him to deepen this kiss and I felt his lips pull into a smile for only a moment before he complied, and we were tangling again.

I fell against his upper body, adoring the feel of him with me. My hands started sliding across the muscles in his strong shoulders and chest, the pads on my fingers rushing through the singing of fireworks between our touch.

He then toppled us forward into the sand, and his giant build hovered above me, mouth still on mine. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my throat.

He leaned up just enough to gaze down at me, falling to his elbows around my head. I smiled up at him and he leaned back down to kiss me again, the tips of his rough fingers pressing into the strands of hair just behind my ears.

I'd never been the girl to initiate the intimate relationship, but the burning in the pit of my stomach had my knees pulling up against Thann's hips. And when his hand caressed my thigh, I had to pull away for a breath of cool air.

He started kissing over my cheek and jawline when we both heard the collapse. Both our heads snapped to the fire where the spit had fallen over into the flames.

"Isilima." He swore to himself then stood and rescued the stick of meat.

I giggled and sat up, dusting sand off my shirt and hair.

He gave an adoring side glance as he held the animal up with one hand and fixed the spit holder.

After he finished, he plopped down in the sand next to me.

I put my hand on his and threaded my fingers down between his. He smiled over to me.

After a few minutes deep in thought about how to get my things back, I wondered how hard it would be to ride a werewolf bareback. The thought of me riding between a wolf's shoulder blades had me picturing myself holding on to the scruff of his wolf neck for dear life while my feet flew back behind me like superman. The image made me laugh out loud.

Thann's eyes sparked on mine in question.

"Werewolf Thann. El on top." I tried to explain, and then when my dirty mind snuck away with me again, I laughed even harder. "El on top. Sounds like a nice ride."

"Werewolf Thann?"

I tried to shoo the giggles away and made myself presentable. "Yes. Actually." I realized I did want to see werewolf Thann and for real this time. Not through a scope. "Yes. Werewolf Thann. El see. Or I mean El watch."

He paled and shook his head no. "No. Werewolf Thann scare El."

"I won't be scared."

"No."

Please? I gave my best version of puppy dog eyes.

"No." He looked back at the fire.

I touched his face to look back at me. "Would werewolf Thann hurt El?"

"Cha! Ngeke!" He took a breath. "No. No hurt El."

"Then I want to see." I stood and grabbed on his arm, trying to tug him up. "Werewolf Thann! Please."

He pulled his arm back to himself, not even budging at the slightest. "No."

"Yes." When that wasn't working, I tried for a little provocativeness. My voice was light and suggesting. "Yeeess." I placed a finger on his chest and walked it over to his back and started a deep rub over his shoulders. "Show me werewolf Thann. El massage Thann."

"Mahsage?" He perked and then crumbled under my fingers in delight.

I stopped my movements and bent to his ear. "Yes. Werewolf Thann. Thann massage."

He tapped my hands and then signed More.

I pulled my hands off and stepped back. "More werewolf Thann."

Thann's eyes opened and he twisted to me. "Angikwazi. Uzongithusa. Scared. No."

"Please? Just for a moment?"

He scowled. "No!"

I growled and came and sat in the sand by the fire, but far enough he couldn't touch me. "Fine."

He pointed to the spit. "Meat fire."

"I said fine." I grumbled and started to play with the new necklace, letting the gems roll between my fingers.

Thann scooted toward me and I scooted my own few inches away.

A large sigh came from him and he sat back and watched the fire. "El scared."

"I'm not scared." I spoke like a petulant toddler.

A warm hand started to caress my back and I didn't pull away from it, but I didn't say anything else either.

It was late and dark when Thann finally decided the meat was ready and he handed a charred leg to me. I was still grouchy enough that I just took it and started eating.

"Good?" He asked, digging into his portion.

I nodded but hadn't yet made an effort to look at him.

He sighed and stood, going back into the cave.

My eyes barely followed his movements, and when he came back with a flatbread in hand, I had to wipe away the momentary light that came to my face.

He sat back beside me and held it out. "El. Isinkwa?"

Yes, I could have grabbed the darn thing out of his hand and chowed down right away, but I was too irritated for that. I reached for it delicately and said a formal, "Thank you." But inside I was salivating.

Oh my gosh.

Time for a hamburger.

I almost saw double, I was so excited.

Ripping a chunk of meat from the mass, I placed the bread wrapped around it and then soaked in the happiness.

An Indawo planet big mac!

A bite made me close my eyes in glee.

Dang it was stupid how happy that made me.

Every bite was magic on my tongue.

Hey.

Shush you, I know there should be secret sauce and tomatoes and lettuce galore, but I was living in the moment.

And when every last greasy bite was licked clean from my fingers, I finally gave a reluctant glance to Thann. "I guess I can forgive you. For now anyway."

He gave a lopsided smile that pressured one to follow on my face too.

"Night." He stood and kicked some sand over the last of the fire.

"Sure," I agreed with a yawn, even though I'd already napped a good part of the day.

He held his hand out and I let him help me to my feet.

Then I got super nervous. What would happen now? Would we go back into the cave for that far back bed? Maybe he'd know I wouldn't want to go back there. Would we stay in the same bed? Or because there were two beds with blankets, we didn't need to have each other's heat anymore?

I gulped and followed his footsteps.

I gave an audible breath of relief when he stopped at the first bed at the mouth of the cave though.

He climbed in the blankets and then put an arm out. I guess that meant it was my turn. I bit my lip and slid down beside him.

He pulled me against his chest and I scooted against his heat, a smile coming to my face in happiness. Even after all that had happened throughout the day, against him I felt safe and calm. It would be easy to fall asleep.