She stopped theorising the moment she heard movement outside. The rabbit Duskwalker let out a long and terrifying hiss when someone or something disturbed the bushes at the entrance.
Emerie’s chest tightened. It was either a Demon, or Ingram.
Please be orbs. Please be orbs.
Two purple glows slowly came into view, and Emerie let out the biggest sigh of relief. Only to wince when strong arms tightened around her. The Duskwalker kicked back, trying to escape as she pushed them further into the bottom of the burrow’s curved wall.
Loose rocks and dirt clattered under her struggling heels.
“Ingram, wait! She’s freaking out.”
He paused at the entry, and she only knew that because his orbs had stopped moving. She couldn’t see anything else. It was too dark, but they brought her so much comfort, even as they turned white.
The Duskwalker holding her eventually settled, but Emerie could feel her quick breaths and heartbeat against her back. She had tried to squish Emerie between her and the wall, almost… protectively.
Claws glinted for a moment, as though they were shiny and reflecting the two sets of glowing orbs within the burrow. Ingram had reached his hand out.
“Give,” he demanded, quietly but sternly.
The Duskwalker hissed in return.
“Give,” he snarled, his orbs flashing red for a moment.
She hissed louder and then barked chitters at him. Dirt shifted as Ingram came closer, and her hand came up to cup the side of Emerie’s head. She tried to shield her.
“I-I think she’s protecting me, Ingram,” Emerie explained, hoping her wild theory was correct. “She thinks you want to hurt me.”
“I would never want to hurt you, Emerie.” His orbs turned blue. “She does not have enough humanity to speak. I don’t know how to make her let you go.”
Emerie turned her gaze up to the Duskwalker, whose orbs were white with fear or worry. She braved reaching up and tentatively touched a warm jawbone.
She flinched, and darted her skull towards Emerie in surprise, yellow forming in her glow instead. Emerie pet her, and each one made the squeezing press of her arms lessen.
“Please let me go,” she whispered, unsure if the Duskwalker understood what Emerie was saying.
She incoherently chittered back.
“Please let me go with him.” Emerie then stopped petting her so she could reach her hand out to Ingram’s awaiting one.
Dirt shifted as Ingram closed the gap. Just when the points of hard but blunted claws scraped against her fingertips, she was yanked away. He let out the tiniest rumble.
“Just wait,” Emerie pleaded. “Stay calm. Let her see that you’re safe.”
Emerie soothed her hand against the Duskwalker’s sternum, like she often did for Ingram. When her arms loosened once more, she reached out to him.
“Don’t take me, yet. Don’t pull me,” Emerie told him, when she was able to slip her fingers against the pads of his far larger ones.
The Duskwalker’s orbs turned dark yellow at Emerie and Ingram reaching out to each other. She didn’t try to yank Emerie away this time, even when Ingram’s warm and calloused palm swallowed up her dainty hand.
A link had been created; one that made her heart soar.
For a few minutes, they just held hands as cold silence was shared between all three of them. She adored how safe his big, meaty paw felt, how it eased her fears with its roughness and conflicting strength and gentleness.
“L-let me come to you,” she stated, gingerly pushing at the Duskwalker’s arms while she leaned towards him. “Let her see I want to go to you.”
It happened slowly, but she did eventually release Emerie. Just before she could be collected into Ingram’s arms, the Duskwalker grabbed her wrist. Emerie stared back at the blue glow in her orbs.
She doesn’t want to let me go. Emerie’s eyes crinkled with pity for her.
Still, she gingerly pulled her arm until she was freed and let herself fall into Ingram. He scooped her into his strong arms, and his rapid heartbeat thumped against her when she slipped her arms around his neck.
The Duskwalker chittered and whined, her orbs darting between them as though she was moving her skull from his to Emerie’s face. Her cries were heartachingly sad, enough to make Emerie wince for her.
Ingram dragged Emerie across the ground as he backed up, cautiously bringing them out of the burrow. Sticks and leaves scraped against her pants as he exited the shrubs hiding the entryway before he stood. Facing the burrow the entire time, as though he worried the Duskwalker would follow, Ingram moved to create space between them and her.
The sounds of faint whimpers could be heard.
He paused when he bumped into a tree, then waited.
If Ingram was hesitant about any sudden movements, she knew there was truly cause for alarm.
When the female Duskwalker didn’t come out, even as moments passed, his arms securely tightened on her. Then, he bolted to the right, darting through the forest to get Emerie away from there as fast and as far as he could.
She squeezed his neck, so thankful she thought her heart was going to explode. She didn’t know how else to relieve it, how to thank him, other than wrapping her legs around his waist until all her limbs had ensnared him.
She let his decadent aroma of burnt sugar and hickory bark bleed into her entire being, taking in its richness, the way it tingled her senses. His neck was tight with corded, strong muscles, the scales covering them a soothing texture. Both sensations were so masculine and felt divine.
Even his warmth, heartbeat, and snorted breaths were so greatly appreciated that they were doing funny things to her insides. She knew her fight or flight instincts were on the fritz since her nipples tightened and deliciously scraped against his big chest.
Her own breaths warmed and grew panted, rolling between them as she buried her face against his throat.
He did it. He did it without harming me. She didn’t know if he’d be able to pull her out of that creepy hole in the ground, but he’d been so patient. He hadn’t used violence, hadn’t roared or snarled.
He’d been brave enough to follow her lead, even when she was sure it was against his nature when something had what he wanted.
Emerie tightened her legs around his narrow waist, wondering if his hand placement on her arse was done purposefully. She almost bit her lip and sat into it in welcome.
Right now, she wanted to be as close with him – her saviour – as possible. So much so, it ached her.
He saved me…
Once he put a great distance between them and the female Mavka and knew they weren’t being followed, Ingram placed the human on her feet. Crouching around her, he gave the way they came one last check before turning his skull to her.
Even though he enjoyed her clinging, he pried her from his neck so he could examine her. His hands were frantic as he checked her, especially since he could smell hints of drying blood – only light enough to stir hunger but not enough to make him crazed.
“Are you okay, Emerie?” Panicked, he examined her dainty hands and her thin arms, then cupped her pretty face with both his hands. He used the pad of his thumb to wipe and scratch off the tiny pricks of blood he saw, surprised to find no wound.
Her heart was beating just as wildly as his own, yet she was sweeter than usual. Was he going insane with worry that he was imagining her scent deepening and turning tangy?