Page 25 of Blood and Fate

They’d been riding for hours and had already stopped once, but Kais remained far away from Satori, still trying to sort out his thoughts. Thunder sounded in the distance, and the feel of impending rain hung heavy in the air. He would have liked to have made it farther, but he also had no desire to ride in a storm. And the terrain farther on was more hilly and difficult than what they had just come through, which would slow them down. He knew where the next place large enough to camp was, they wouldn’t make it there before the rain. He pulled his horse to a stop, surveying the area around him. A small stream ran off to his left, and there was a large enough clearing to stop for the night.

Even if he hadn’t heard the horses approaching, he would have known she was nearby.

Blood mates. He turned his horse, waiting. Teague crested the small hill first, followed closely by Satori. She hadn’t been lying when she’d said she knew how to ride. She sat on the horse perfectly as it slowed to a canter. Her blonde hair had escaped from its braid and hung all around her head, giving her a slightly disheveled look. His next breath barely reached his lungs. She was beautiful.

The words pushed in again. Blood mates. Did he even believe in blood mates? He’d never met anyone in his life who’d been mated like that. Plenty of people who’d fallen in love and married, but none of them were divinely destined.

“Water?” Teague shouted.

Kais lifted his chin in the affirmative as he indicated behind him with a point of his thumb.

Teague slowed his horse further, Satori doing the same. He leaned over and said something to Satori, who nodded.

Kais’ entire body grew warmer, though not uncomfortably, as she drew closer. Could a feeling be both unsettling and comforting? If the way he currently felt was any indication, the answer was yes. She didn’t look at him, not at first. She really did ignore it so well.

Another thought struck him. Maybe she wasn’t ignoring it; maybe she really didn’t feel anything. Maybe he was the only one drowning in unexplainable sensations when she was around. But the thought was fleeting as a memory entered his mind.

Taking her hand on that dance floor in her home, she’d jumped, recoiled from the shock of his touch. And then there was the nightmare. She had visibly calmed when he’d touched her. She’d also told him she’d slept fine. Had she been lying, or did she have no memory of the dream? He hoped it was the latter. He didn’t know what she’d been dreaming of, but she’d been in such distress he hoped she had forgotten, that she didn’t have to relive it when she thought of it.

She looked up, meeting his eyes for a moment, before darting her gaze away as though she was afraid to be caught staring. Kais didn’t suffer the same sort of modesty. He watched, fascinated by the woman who provoked such an intense and odd reaction in him.

A throat cleared beside him, and he turned toward Teague. The look on the other man’s face told Kais that he may have called his name once or twice already.

“What?”

An amused expression played across Teague’s features, but he didn’t address it. He gestured to the ground beneath them. “Camp here?”

Kais surveyed the large clearing again, allowing his roving eyes to rest a beat or two on Satori. “It’s big enough.” Another rumble of thunder vibrated in the distance. “Better get it set up fast.” He focused his attention fully on Satori. “Princess, if you have business, I suggest you take care of it quickly. A storm is stirring, and it doesn’t look like it will be a light one.”

Satori’s gaze ran over the sky above them, her eyes widening at the dark clouds churning low in the air. Without a word, she turned her horse and walked it just inside the tree line before dismounting.

Kais swung off his horse as another man collected the reins from his grasp. “Pitch her tent first, next to mine.”

If he was going to have to attend to nightmares again, he had no intention of running across the camp in the rain to do so.

He shoved at his sleeves as he began to pull packs from horses, opening them and laying out poles and canvas for tents.

The men worked double time, and the rain still arrived before the final tents were erected.

CHAPTER TWELVE

SATORI

Satori huddled close to the horse, trying to stay under the thickest leaf cover and remain as dry as possible. The men, including Kais, worked erecting tents. She could admit she was a little impressed that he chose to be in the storm, helping his men, and not in his own tent which had been built first. Henrik would have been hiding to escape the rain and allowing everyone else to do the work for him.

“Princess.”

She turned to find Teague, head bowed, eyes squinted against the rain and the collar of his coat turned up, standing in front of her.

“Your tent is ready. You can follow me.”

She took half a step and then froze. “What about Luna?”

“The horse will be fine, I assure you.” Teague lifted his head, surveying the men nearly finished building the camp. “Clarke!” One of the men looked up at the sound of his name, and Teague gestured for him to come over. “Take care of this horse, please.”

Clarke nodded once. “Of course.” He took the reins and led the horse away.

Teague glanced at her, his expression asking if she was satisfied. She gave him a nod.