Beasts and Savages (The Beastly Series Book 1) (31 page)

“What's going on?” I asked hoarsely.

“Shh. Come on. We're heading back to get the girls. Be quiet!” He held his hand out to help me down. I followed him through the bunker and up the stairs in almost blackness. When we reached the nursery, I noted that it was still dark outside.

“What time is it?” I asked aloud once were completely outside.

“Early. We’re going back to the house today. That’ll give us some time to get the girls started this way. It’ll take them longer for them to travel.” Tanner plucked a long branch from the side of the path and used it as a walking stick.

“Can I see the girls today? At least check on Beth?” The sky was just beginning to gray on the east horizon. Though all of the leaves had been stripped off the trees by the fall wind, the woods were still black with darkness. Tanner trotted into the trees, using his stick as a guide. I hesitated before scurrying to catch up. I wasn't afraid of the dark, but I didn't want to lose him. In my hurry, I tripped on a root and landed hard on my hands.

“Are you alright?” Tanner rushed to me and pulled my up by my shoulders before I could get my bearings.

“Fine.” I mumbled.

He brushed my hands. “You're not bleeding, but they're scuffed up a little.”

“Going to kiss them and make them better?” I joked.

He held my hands, palms up, while he considered my remark. Slowly, he brought them to his face and kissed them one at a time. “All better.”

“I was kidding.” I tugged at my hands. Tanner let one go, but held firmly to the other. He laced my fingers with his and dropped his arm.

“I think I should keep ahold of you.” He squeezed my fingers gently. “At least until it's light.” His hands were dry and warm, rough with callouses. My fingers were slightly stretched around his bigger hand, yet holding it felt completely natural.

“And about seeing Beth?” I didn’t want him to change the subject.

“Well, it’ll take most of the day to get back to the house. Then there’s presenting the bunker to the council. After that, if they allow you, you can see the other girls.”

“So tomorrow then?” I asked warily.

“Or the day after that. You never know with the council.” Tanner continued, “But that’s not why we left so early or alone. I want to talk to you about our other plans.”

“You mean the running away thing, don’t you?”

“It sounds so wonderful when you say it,” he cajoled. “Leaving my father, my brothers, my home just to be with a girl I’ve only know for a few weeks, one that came here to kill me.”

“I thought you said that
they’d
kill you if you helped me escape and stayed.” I tried to read his expression, but it was too dark.

His teeth flashed white in the darkness. “I said they might. Besides, there’s no way I am going to let you go off into the woods by yourself. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

“How would you know?” I challenged him. “If something happened to me, how would you know?”

“Because I’d be following you.” Tanner stopped and swung my arm until I faced him. “Admit it, Lea. We are bound by something. Something stronger than the two of us, stronger than the council, your instincts, or anything else. I think you know what I’m talking about.”

I did know what he meant. That four letter word was troublesome. I had been working so hard to control, keep contained, my feelings that I had forgotten stave off his. I knew that he loved me. Now I knew that he believed I loved him back. If I conceded now, I’d be admitting to something I wasn't fully sure about.

“Our situation?” I asked feebly.

“No.” The hurt spread from his eyes out. “I brought us the long way back.”

He pointed to a spot between two trees. “If we follow that path beyond the trees, we’ll reach the abandoned city in three days. It’ll take them a day or two to realize we’re gone. By the time they find our tracks, we’ll be there. They won’t cross its boundary. We’ll be safe there.”

“Unless there’s a danger in the city and that’s why it’s empty,” I pointed out.

“We will face that if it happens.’ He shrugged.

“What about the girls?” I cried, “Beth? Rally?” My voice caught in my throat.

“For God’s sake! What is it with you and wanting to save those girls? Why not save yourself? And who’s Rally?” Tanner’s yell echoed through the forest.

“Beth is my friend. Rally’s like a sister to me. And I couldn’t live with myself if I just took off and left them here to die!” I yelled back.

Tanner jerked his hand away from mine and strode to a tree, kicking it. He swore several times under his breath. Finally, after the tree took quite a beating and lost a small limb, he came over to me.

“This was it Lea. My escape plan. While we were at the bunker I hid enough food for a few days down that path. I planned where we could get water and our best route.” There was panic in his voice. He never expected me to say no. Maybe his plan had been to lead me out until I asked him where we were going.

“I can’t go now,” I pleaded. “You promised I could take care of the girls first. If Rally is here and something happens to her, I could never forgive myself.”

“You don’t even know if she is here?” His voice low, he'd moved closer. There was still anger just under the surface; I could feel it in the air around him.

“I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t find out,” I whispered, looking down.

“We’ll try again.” He pulled my head to his chest in an embrace. “When we bring the girls to the bunker, we’ll slip away. Take refuge in the abandoned city.”

CHAPTER 19

~ The Vote ~

Tanner didn’t speak to me the entire hike to the farmhouse. I knew that I had hurt him and considered apologizing, but I let him sulk in silence.  No sincere apology was going to change the fact that I picked the girls over him.

We walked into the kitchen to find Locke in a deep conversation with another man. He was short, round, balding and about ten years older than Locke. I recognized him as Dawning right away. His face was a male version of his mother’s, Ms. Dawning. I wondered if she thought of him as a living person, sitting in a kitchen, making decisions, raising adopted sons.

“Tanner, take Lea upstairs. There’s an Elder meeting here tonight and I need her to be ready.” Locke and Dawning exchanged glances.

“Ready for what?” Tanner furrowed his brow. I couldn’t tell if he was confused or upset.

“We decide tonight. Get her a bath, clean clothes. Do something with that mess on her head. She needs to look presentable.” Dawning’s words made my heart thud. I watched the three men, sure they could hear it. Self-conscious, I stroked my hair. It was still in the same pony tail Tanner had helped me with days ago.

“Dad, you said-”

“I know what I said. The council decides tonight. Do it.” Locke turned back to Dawning, and they continued their conversation. 

Tanner gave me a tentative look, grabbed my hand, and yanked me out of the room. He didn’t stop pulling until we were in Locke’s room, the door shut behind us. He took out his key, now on a chain around his neck, and locked it from the inside.

“Tanner, what’s going on?” I stood in the middle of the room and didn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. Whatever was happening was bad, real bad.

“This is why I wanted to leave! Why couldn’t you have just come with me?” He exploded. His face was red, his entire body shook.  I reached out for his shoulder and he jerked away.

I whispered, “Tanner, please. Tell me.”

“They're deciding who'll mate you.” His eyes shone with tears.

“What? No! They can't.” My entire being was hot with anger. I clenched my fists, aching to hit something.

“They can, and they will.” Tanner turned away to wipe his face. When he looked back, his expression was stony. “I'll get the tub and water. Put some more wood in the fireplace and take off your boots. I'll find you clean clothes while you're washing.”

“Absolutely not. If you want to drag me downstairs so those monsters can ogle me, I'm going like this.” I widened my stance and planted my feet, daring him to move me.

He sighed and crossed his arms. “Lea, I'm supposed to clean you up. Please don't make me fight you.”

“Then don't. Let me go down like this.”

“I can't.”

I glared at him. “Why not?”

His eyes glazed over, any emotion completely drained. “I'm an obedient son.” He unlocked the door, and was gone.

While he carried the tub and water, I sat in the chair, huffing, and refused to look at him. I couldn't believe he was going to go along with them after spending all day fuming at me for not going along with running away. When he was finished preparing my bath, he put logs in the fire himself.

“Lea. I'm going to get you clothes. There's a towel on the bed. Please take a bath while I'm gone. Please?” His voice was pleading, but I still refused to look at him.

Once he left, I gazed longingly at the steaming tub of water.   Next to the tub set a wash cloth with lavender soap nestled in it. I closed my eyes and imagined its warm scent. Since I'd been here, I'd only ever taken one other bath, and it wasn't pleasant. This one could be different.

I kicked off my boots and stripped down.  The water was warm enough to pink my skin, but not scalding. I leaned back and took in the wonderful scent of the soap. My muscles relaxed.  Now that I was in the bath, I could feel the grub all over my body. I washed every nook and cranny, and my hair twice. It felt amazing to be clean.

When I finished, Tanner knocked on the door.

“Just a minute.” I stood and wrapped the towel around me before I called out, “Okay.”

Tanner was all business. He didn't even glance at me as he threw a shirt and short leggings on the bed.

“I want to wear trousers, like yours.”

“No. Get dressed. I'll wait outside for five minutes.” He stormed out the door.

I dried off and dressed quickly. The shirt looked familiar, so I held it up before slipping it on. It was gray; the color of a shirt Tanner wore often. I inspected the collar. There was a small tear along the seam. He had fiddled with a tear in his shirt a while ago. I held it up to my nose and took in the scent of lye soap and fire, the smell of Tanner.