Glen sat down on the edge, her feet dangling, and grabbed the rope with both hands. “You ready? I’ll just slide off. Please don’t drop me. I promise to try not to annoy you ever again.” She glanced back to find Veso holding the rope with both hands, his legs braced apart, his gaze locked on her.

“We’re wasting time we don’t have. We have a lot of miles to cover.”

“Fuck me.” She closed her eyes and scooted, her butt leaving ground, and then she dropped a few feet. The rope dug painfully into her middle, the texture of it harsh against her palms, but she swung in the air instead of falling. He lowered her slowly, going about a foot at a time. She kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut for a few minutes until she felt braver. Then she looked down.

“I wish I hadn’t done that.”

“You’re fine,” Veso stated from above. “You’re not heavy at all.”

She hoped he wasn’t lying to make her feel better. He’d lowered her about a fourth of the way down when she heard his snarl. It was time to find somewhere to cling to so he could climb down to her. She reached out, snagging a clump of bushes, found some rock to brace her feet on, and pulled her body against the side. Loose dirt gave way under her but she got a good hold.

Her heart pounded. What if she fell? What if the bushes she clung to ripped out of the dirt wall? She didn’t like climbing. People were insane to do this kind of activity for fun.

“Okay,” she called out. “I’m good but hurry.”

“Don’t look up,” he warned from above.

She wondered why he’d said that until some dirt rained down on her. “Shit.”

* * * * *

Veso felt great pride. Glenda had been very brave for a human. She hadn’t screamed or lost her composure. He pulled her up the other side of the ravine, got her over the lip, and smiled. It had taken him longer than expected to climb down and then up but they’d made it. He helped her stand, brushing dirt off her.

“I need a bath in the worst way.”

She looked sexy with messy hair. “We both do but we’ll worry about that later. It’s possible we’ll reach the first river we must cross by this afternoon.” He untied the rope from her waist.

She surprised him by gripping his shirt with her fist and stepping forward, staring up at him. “Tell me that’s a joke. You’re trying to be funny but failing at it big time, right? I imagine humor is a new concept so you just suck at it.”

“What did I say?”

“Rivers to cross?”

“There should be at least three of them between us and VampLycan territory.”

“Are there going to be boats? Ferries? Bridges? Those would be good. Even if they’re those horrible swaying rope ones.”

“We have to swim across.”

She paled.

“What?”

“I don’t know how to swim.”

That stunned him. “You said you lived in California.”

“I did but we were poor. My mom couldn’t afford to pay for lessons. We didn’t have a pool or access to one. I went to the beach sometimes with friends but I was terrified of sharks. Those eat people and rip limbs off. I laid out on the beach but never went into the water higher than my knees.”

He had the worst luck, and the Vampire master couldn’t have chosen a more ill-suited mate for him. She was his though, at least for as long as his instincts told him so. He reached out and gripped her hips, leaning in to stare deeply into her eyes. “We don’t have time to argue. I’ll get you across even if you’re riding my back.”

She bit her lip.

“I can do that. I could swim with you holding on to me. Let’s go, Glenda. We have a lot of distance to travel before nightfall. I want to be beyond at least one river so we can get clean.”

“Fine.”

She impressed him by not arguing and he found himself smiling. “Good.” He released her and began packing the rope in the tarp he’d managed to get up the side of the ravine. His muscles were a little sore after all that climbing and lifting but he ignored the pain. Priorities demanded he keep them moving and make up lost time.

He kept the backpack on. Glenda’s gaze went to it when he hoisted up the wrapped tarp and jerked his head in the direction he wanted to go. He spoke before she could.

“We’re behind schedule. I need you to move faster today. That means making it easier on you.”

“That’s not fair though. I should take half the burden.”

“Just say thank you and follow me.”

“I have to pee first.”

He sighed. “Hurry.”

He turned his back, facing the ravine they’d just crossed as Glenda moved away. He scanned the other side, just for something to do. Movement caught his attention and he narrowed his eyes, focusing. There in the distance, between some trees, he spotted yellow.

The shape looked like a person and the color might be a shirt.

He turned, not caring about her modesty in that moment. It was more important to get out of the clearing. He was happy to see she’d disappeared into the trees. He followed fast, ducking behind one too.

“Glenda?”

“Shit! I’m right here. Don’t come any closer. I’m squatting.”

“I spotted a human. It has to be one working for the master. Hurry up.”

He turned his head, peeking around the trunk. He didn’t see movement again but he was sure that had been a human. It was possible that it was an innocent, but unlikely. The soldiers would have found and killed any humans who weren’t Glenda. The bodies of those animals had shown a savagery that spoke of fury. No Vamp enjoyed animal blood over human. They’d taken their rage and hunger out on those poor beasts, making them suffer.

Glenda straightened a few feet away and he turned, watching her. Her cheeks were a little red. “I guess you heard me pee.”

“I wasn’t listening, and I don’t even want to know why performing a normal body function embarrasses you. I’d piss in front of you if I had to go.” He jerked his head. “Stick to the thick clumps of trees until we’re farther away so that human doesn’t spot us.”

“What if it’s a good guy? Maybe the police are searching for me.”

He decided to be blunt. “It’s too remote for them to reach this area easily from the time the sun rose. It means they were already out here in the night, and if the soldiers didn’t tear them apart to take their blood, they are part of their tracking team.”