Read Online Bride of the Wild by Carré White - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carré White
Ads: Link
wouldn’t work.” I glanced at him. “You’re bleeding dreadfully. What happened to your forehead?”
“It slashed at me.” I reached out to touch him, wanting to examine the wound, but he stopped my hand. “I’m fine. You needn’t make a fuss.”
“But if it’s rabid, won’t you get ill?”
“Not from the claw. He never bit me.”
“It’s very quiet,” said Amelia. “How long do we wait before we go up? I don’t think it’s going to attack us. I think you killed it.”
“We wait for a while.” Micah wiped his forehead on his sleeve again.
“I really should look at that. It’s probably deep. It might require a needle and thread.”
“Head wounds bleed profusely. It’s a small gash.” With only one lantern, most of the room remained in shadow, the smell musty with a hint of mold. “I’ll live, but others won’t.”
I sensed his sorrow. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not a bad shot. I’ve hunted for years. I just never … I never saw anything like that. The strength it had took my breath away. The violence of its actions were uncharacteristic of the species. It truly was possessed.”
“It’s more than likely dead now,” I said softly. “You did kill it. You succeeded, Micah.”
“But not before two people died.”
Grasping the end of my dress, I patted his forehead, pressing into the skin there in hopes of stemming the flow of blood. “Many have died, but it’s over now. If that thump was the body falling to the floor, then we have nothing more to worry about. The town will declare you a hero, Micah. Two might’ve perished, and it’s dreadful, but we’re alive. You saved us.”
“You needn’t ruin your dress on me.”
“It’s nothing cold water can’t fix.” I smiled at him, feeling a measure of gratitude for his sacrifice. Our town would be safe now. The ordeal had come to an end. We would grieve the loss of those we loved, but we could all sleep again at night. “Thank goodness you and Deer Runner were here. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”
He said nothing, keeping his head down, while I wiped the blood away. Some time later, he glanced at me. “I think we might go up now.”
I nodded, feeling a twinge of apprehension. “Yes.”
“I’ll go. I’ll make sure it’s clear.” He reached for my weapon. “I better take this.”
“Yes, of course.”
“If I don’t come back. I’m dead.”
Chapter Eight
Micah left us, and we waited, listening to every sound, worrying he would not return, but he did, peering in from above. “It’s dead,” he said tonelessly. From the stark look on his face, he had sunk into despair, as had I, knowing Lucy and Deer Runner had not survived.
“All right.” I glanced at Amelia, who stared wide-eyed. “We can go up.”
“Do I even want to go? I don’t think I can look at them. I can’t do this.”
My arm went around her shoulders. “You can. You have the strength to face it. If I can do it, so can you.”
“This is worse than when we came here. It’s worse than the wagon attack.”
She never talked about what had happened, nor did I, wishing to forget the atrocities we had witnessed. “We survived it. We can face whatever’s in the house. It’s dead. We’re alive. That’s all that matters. Micah killed the bear. He’s saved the town from further attacks. We must think of all the good things that will come now.”
Her arm went around my neck. “I’m grateful for that, but how can I look upon Lucy? I can’t do it.”
“I’ll see to her. You needn’t worry about a thing. I want you to climb that ladder, Amelia. When you reach the kitchen, put the kettle on. Make us tea. Can you do that?”
She sniffled, as tears fell down her cheeks. “Yes. I’ll make tea.”
“Thank you.” I led her to the ladder, holding up the lantern. “Now, go.” Micah waited above us, staring down blankly. “She’s coming.”
He held out a hand. “It’s safe now. It won’t harm anyone
“It slashed at me.” I reached out to touch him, wanting to examine the wound, but he stopped my hand. “I’m fine. You needn’t make a fuss.”
“But if it’s rabid, won’t you get ill?”
“Not from the claw. He never bit me.”
“It’s very quiet,” said Amelia. “How long do we wait before we go up? I don’t think it’s going to attack us. I think you killed it.”
“We wait for a while.” Micah wiped his forehead on his sleeve again.
“I really should look at that. It’s probably deep. It might require a needle and thread.”
“Head wounds bleed profusely. It’s a small gash.” With only one lantern, most of the room remained in shadow, the smell musty with a hint of mold. “I’ll live, but others won’t.”
I sensed his sorrow. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not a bad shot. I’ve hunted for years. I just never … I never saw anything like that. The strength it had took my breath away. The violence of its actions were uncharacteristic of the species. It truly was possessed.”
“It’s more than likely dead now,” I said softly. “You did kill it. You succeeded, Micah.”
“But not before two people died.”
Grasping the end of my dress, I patted his forehead, pressing into the skin there in hopes of stemming the flow of blood. “Many have died, but it’s over now. If that thump was the body falling to the floor, then we have nothing more to worry about. The town will declare you a hero, Micah. Two might’ve perished, and it’s dreadful, but we’re alive. You saved us.”
“You needn’t ruin your dress on me.”
“It’s nothing cold water can’t fix.” I smiled at him, feeling a measure of gratitude for his sacrifice. Our town would be safe now. The ordeal had come to an end. We would grieve the loss of those we loved, but we could all sleep again at night. “Thank goodness you and Deer Runner were here. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”
He said nothing, keeping his head down, while I wiped the blood away. Some time later, he glanced at me. “I think we might go up now.”
I nodded, feeling a twinge of apprehension. “Yes.”
“I’ll go. I’ll make sure it’s clear.” He reached for my weapon. “I better take this.”
“Yes, of course.”
“If I don’t come back. I’m dead.”
Chapter Eight
Micah left us, and we waited, listening to every sound, worrying he would not return, but he did, peering in from above. “It’s dead,” he said tonelessly. From the stark look on his face, he had sunk into despair, as had I, knowing Lucy and Deer Runner had not survived.
“All right.” I glanced at Amelia, who stared wide-eyed. “We can go up.”
“Do I even want to go? I don’t think I can look at them. I can’t do this.”
My arm went around her shoulders. “You can. You have the strength to face it. If I can do it, so can you.”
“This is worse than when we came here. It’s worse than the wagon attack.”
She never talked about what had happened, nor did I, wishing to forget the atrocities we had witnessed. “We survived it. We can face whatever’s in the house. It’s dead. We’re alive. That’s all that matters. Micah killed the bear. He’s saved the town from further attacks. We must think of all the good things that will come now.”
Her arm went around my neck. “I’m grateful for that, but how can I look upon Lucy? I can’t do it.”
“I’ll see to her. You needn’t worry about a thing. I want you to climb that ladder, Amelia. When you reach the kitchen, put the kettle on. Make us tea. Can you do that?”
She sniffled, as tears fell down her cheeks. “Yes. I’ll make tea.”
“Thank you.” I led her to the ladder, holding up the lantern. “Now, go.” Micah waited above us, staring down blankly. “She’s coming.”
He held out a hand. “It’s safe now. It won’t harm anyone
Similar Books
