Dragged into the Stone Age

I woke up with dirt in my mouth and a pounding headache that felt like the worst hangover of my life.

Groaning, I pushed myself up onto my elbows spitting out leaves and blinking against the sunlight stabbing through the trees.

My sweater was torn at the sleeve my jeans were filthy, and my favorite boots were scuffed like I'd been dragged through the mud.

Worst of all, my purse was gone. Phone, wallet, keys, the emergency twenty-dollar bill I always kept tucked behind my ID...everything. Vanished.

"That goddamn witch," I snarled scrambling to my feet. "Madame Vesper, you thieving bitch! You drugged me and dumped me out here like trash!"

I spun in a circle my chest tight with rage.

"I gave you every cent I had! You promised me love, not a goddamn kidnapping! Give me back my stuff!"

My voice echoed off the massive trees but nobody answered. Just birds and wind and the rustle of something small moving in the underbrush. I was deep in some forest way deeper than any park I'd ever seen. No trails, no trash cans, and no distant hum of traffic. Nothing but green and brown and way too many trees.

Perfect. Robbed and abandoned in the middle of fucking nowhere.

I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled louder. "Come back here and face me, you old fraud! I swear to God I'll—"

A twig snapped behind me.

I whirled around fists clenched ready to rip into the witch or whoever the hell had helped her.

It wasn't the witch.

It was a man.

A very tall very muscular man standing less than twenty feet away. He wore what looked like a patchwork of animal skins rough leather stitched together with thick cords. A heavy fur cloak hung over one shoulder, and around his waist was a belt made of braided rope holding a stone knife and a few small pouches. His long dark hair was tied back with a strip of leather, and streaks of red and black paint marked his face and bare arms. In one hand he carried a wooden spear tipped with a wickedly sharp piece of flint.

What...

He stared at me like I was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen.

When he was the one wearing that!

I stared right back my anger momentarily short-circuiting.

"What the hell are you wearing?" I blurted out.

The words came out before I could stop them. He looked like he'd escaped from some low-budget caveman movie. The kind they film in someone's backyard with thrift-store costumes and too much body paint.

He tilted his head frowning. When he spoke the sounds that came out of his mouth were low and guttural nothing like English, nothing I recognized at all. It sounded ancient. Primal.

I took a cautious step back my heart hammering.

"Look, buddy, I don't know what kind of LARPing convention this is, but I'm not in the fucking mood. Some crazy old lady stole all my money and left me here. If you're with her, tell her I want my purse back right now. And my phone. Especially my phone."

He said something else slower this time and gestured with his free hand toward the trees then at me. His eyes kept flicking over my clothes at my ripped skinny jeans, my mud-stained sweater with the little pearl buttons, and my bright blue nail polish that was already chipping.

I crossed my arms trying to look tougher than I felt.

Rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I look weird to you too. Whatever. Just point me toward the nearest road or gas station or whatever. I need to call an Uber and get the hell out of here before I lose what's left of my mind."

The man took one careful step closer, eyes wide with something between curiosity and awe. He thumped his chest once with his fist and rumbled a single word.

"Thrain."

He pointed at me next eyebrows raised clearly waiting for something.

I let out a shaky laugh that sounded more like a sob.

"Great. Caveman cosplay guy wants my name now but can't speak English. This day just keeps getting better."

My stomach growled loudly reminding me I hadn't eaten since before I drank that stupid potion. I was lost, broke, exhausted, and now stuck talking to some half-naked forest weirdo who looked like he belonged on the cover of a historical romance novel titled Savage Desire or something equally ridiculous.

And yet... when he smiled at me small, cautious, but real something warm and dangerous twisted low in my belly.

The same stupid hopeful part of me that had walked into Madame Vesper's shop whispered.

Maybe this is it. Maybe he's the one the potion was supposed to bring.

I shoved that thought down hard.

No. Absolutely not.

First I needed to figure out where the hell I was and how to get home.

I glared at the guy Thrain and decided I wasn't sticking around for whatever weird forest role-play this was.

"Fine. You do you, Tarzan. I'm out."

I turned on my heel and started walking in the opposite direction pushing through the underbrush.

My boots sank into the soft earth and branches snagged at my sweater but I kept moving. There had to be a road eventually. A trail. A ranger station.

Anything.

Behind me, I heard him call out in that same guttural language. I ignored him and picked up my pace.

The forest seemed to stretch on forever. Trees older and taller than any I'd seen in my life towered overhead blocking out more and more of the light.

My stomach growled again louder this time and my legs were already aching from the uneven ground.

Still, I pushed forward. No way was I trusting some half-naked stranger with a spear.

I heard his footsteps behind me heavy, deliberate. He was following not even trying to hide it.

"Go away!" I shouted over my shoulder without stopping. "I don't need an escort, okay? Just leave me alone!"

He said something sharp almost urgent. Then his hand closed around my upper arm gentle but firm.

I yanked away hard. "Don't touch me!"

He let go immediately both hands raised in a clear "I'm not a threat" gesture. He stepped in front of me again blocking my path but he didn't grab me this time. His expression had shifted the curiosity was still there but now it was mixed with real concern.

He pointed up at the sky where the light was fading fast into deep orange and purple then gestured back the way we'd come. He shook his head slowly speaking in that low rumbling voice the words rolling out like he was trying to explain something important.

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, it's getting dark. I get it. But I'm not going anywhere with you, buddy. Just point me toward civilization and we're good."

He tried again slower this time. He pointed at me, then at the darkening trees then made a sweeping motion with his hand like he was describing danger.

His eyes never left mine. There was something almost... protective in the way he looked at me. Like he didn't want me to get hurt. Like he actually cared.

It made my stomach do a stupid little flip.

I shoved the feeling down. "Look, whatever LARPing cult you're part of, I'm not interested. I just want to go home."

I tried to dodge around him. He moved with me still not touching but staying right in my way. When I tried a third time he finally reached out carefully and caught my wrist. Not hard. Just enough to stop me.

That was all it took for the panic to surge again.

I fought like hell.

I twisted violently kicking at his shins and stomping on his bare foot with my boot heel. He winced but didn't let go. I swung my free arm nails raking across his painted chest leaving red welts. "Let go of me, you asshole!"

He grunted absorbing the hits without striking back.

He spoke again urgent and low repeating the same words over and over like he was pleading. His grip stayed firm but never cruel he was clearly trying not to hurt me even as I thrashed and screamed.

For a moment I thought I might actually break free. I headbutted his shoulder and felt him stagger slightly.

Then he made a decision.

With a low sigh that sounded almost apologetic his free hand pulled back and delivered a sharp, heavy strike to the side of my jaw hard enough that stars exploded across my vision and my head snapped sideways. Pain flared bright and hot. The world tilted violently, then went completely black before I could even finish my scream.

I didn't feel him lift me.

When I came to my head was throbbing with a deep nauseating ache that radiated from my jaw up into my skull and I was lying on something soft layered furs that smelled faintly of smoke and pine. The air was warm and carried the scent of roasted meat.

Dim firelight flickered across rough stone walls, casting dancing shadows.

I was inside a cave.

What the fuck?

Thrain was crouched a few feet away by a small fire turning something that looked like meat. When I stirred and sat up slowly every muscle aching he looked over immediately. His eyes met mine with that same careful mix of concern and something warmer.

He didn't smile this time. Insteadnhe tore off a piece of the cooked meat with his fingers and held it out toward me on a flat stone offering it like a peace gesture. His voice was quiet when he spoke again the same low tone from the forest but gentler now.

I glared at him my heart still racing even as my body betrayed me with a loud growl from my stomach. My jaw felt swollen and tender where he'd hit me; I could already taste a faint metallic hint of blood on my tongue.

"You hit me," I rasped my voice hoarse and shaking with fury. "You actually punched me hard enough to knock me out and dragged me here like some goddamn caveman. After I told you no. After I fought you."

He tilted his head watching me closely then gestured again with the meat clearly wanting me to eat. There was no anger in his face only patience... and that unmistakable spark of desire in his dark eyes as they traced over me in the firelight. He set the flat stone down within my reach then backed up a little giving me space as if to show he wasn't going to force anything else right now. A faint bruise was already forming on his own chest where my nails had raked him but he didn't seem bothered by it.

My stomach twisted hunger gnawing sharp and insistent exhaustion pulling at my limbs like lead weights and underneath it all, that stupid, unwelcome pull toward him. The way his muscles shifted in the firelight, the quiet steadiness in his gaze, the fact that even after I'd clawed and kicked him, and he still looked at me like I was something precious he didn't want to break.

I hated how much my body noticed all of it. I hated the way my pulse jumped under that look.

I snatched the piece anyway tearing into it with small careful bites that still made me hiss in discomfort. Every chew sent fresh sparks of pain through the bruise.

While I ate, my eyes darted past him toward the dark mouth of the cave. The entrance was only about twenty feet away a jagged opening framed by night black forest. If I could just get past him while he was crouched by the fire...

Thrain noticed immediately. His head snapped toward the entrance the moment my gaze lingered there too long. His dark eyes narrowed and he shook his head slowly a clear, deliberate "no." Without hesitation he rose to his full height and moved toward the cave mouth in two long strides positioning his powerful body to block the exit. He crossed his arms over his broad painted chest the firelight dancing across the red welts my nails had left. His stance wasn't aggressive, but it was unmistakably firm. The message was unmistakable: You're not leaving. Not tonight.

I swallowed the bite of meat my jaw aching fresh tears threatening again as frustration and helplessness surged. "You can't just keep me here," I whisperedmy voice cracking. I rubbed my swollen jaw again the cool night air from the entrance doing nothing to soothe it.

Thrain watched me for a long moment, then returned to the fire but not before glancing once more at the entrance making sure I understood. He tore off another small piece of meat and offered it on the stone his movements slower now almost apologetic. That same spark of desire still burned in his eyes as they traced over me, mixed with the protective concern that made my stomach flip traitorously.

The cave suddenly felt much smaller. The fire crackled warmly between us. My body ached, my jaw throbbed, and despite the anger and the tears still stinging my eyes, that strange magnetic pull toward him tangled everything up even more.

I wasn't ready to trust him. Not even close.

But with him deliberately blocking the only way out and the night sounds of the forest rising outside, running right now felt impossible.

For a long moment I just sat there breathing hard debating whether to lunge for the cave entrance anyway or scream at him again. But the meat smelled incredible savory, charred just right and my head was spinning too much from the hit to make a clean run for it right now. I'd probably just collapse halfway there.

"Fine," I muttered snatching the piece of meat off the stone like it personally offended me. "But this doesn't mean shit. I'm still pissed. And as soon as this headache lets up and I can stand straight, I'm out of here. You hear me?"

I tore into it with my teeth the hot juices flooding my mouth. It was gamey and rich, better than it had any right to be. I ate quickly, eyes never leaving him every bite a small angry surrender while my jaw slightly protested with every chew.

Thrain watched me eat with quiet satisfaction the corner of his mouth twitching like he was fighting a small regretful smile. When I finished the piece, he tore off another and offered it the same way slow non-threatening. His voice rumbled something soft again almost like a question and this time it didn't sound like a command.

It sounded like "more?"

The cave felt smaller suddenly. The fire crackled. Outside, the forest was completely dark now full of sounds I didn't recognize. My jaw throbbed in time with my heartbeat a constant reminder of how easily and how decisively he could overpower me if he chose.

The spot where his fist had connected throbbed like a heartbeat and hot radiating up into my temple and behind my eye. I winced setting the meat down for a moment on the flat stone just to press the heel of my hand gently against the tender bruise forming along my jawline. My fingers trembled slightly as I touched it definitely swelling already. It hurt to even open my mouth wide enough to speak.

Tears pooled unwanted in my eyes hot and stinging. I blinked hard refusing to let them fall but one traitor slipped down my cheek anyway. I swiped at it angrily with the back of my hand hating how vulnerable it made me look in front of him.

Thrain noticed immediately. His dark eyes softened with unmistakable regret the desire still there but tempered now by something gentler almost pained.

He shifted closer on his haunches slow and careful like he was approaching a wounded animal. One large hand reached out not to grab, but to hover near my face, palm up, as if asking permission. When I flinched back he stopped instantlymurmuring those low rolling words again. This time they sounded softer laced with apology.

He pointed to my jaw, then to his own fist, and shakes his head slowly. The gesture was clear: I didn't want to. I'm sorry.

"Don't," I whispered my voice cracking despite my best effort to sound fierce. Another tear escaped, tracing a warm path down my cheek. "You hit me. Hard. You knocked me out cold because I didn't want to go with you. That's not protection that's just... asshole behavior."

He didn't argue he couldn't, not in any language I understood. Instead, he rose fluidly to his feet and moved to a shadowed corner of the cave. I tracked him warily still rubbing my jaw in slow circles trying to ease the ache. He returned with a small, smooth stone bowl filled with clear water and a scrap of soft woven cloth that looked handmade. Kneeling again closer this time but still giving me room he dipped the cloth in the water, wrung it out, and held it out to me offering it for the swelling.

I hesitated glaring through the blur of tears. My stomach was finally starting to settle from the meat but exhaustion weighed on me like a blanket and the pain made it hard to think straight. That stupid pull toward him was still there too, tangled up with the fear and anger. The way he looked at me now concerned, patient, that quiet heat simmering underneath made something in my chest tighten in ways I didn't want to examine.

"Fine," I muttered snatching the cool damp cloth from his hand. I pressed it gently to my jaw hissing at the initial sting before the cold started to soothe the worst of the throbbing. The tears kept coming despite my efforts silent and frustrating. I turned my face slightly away embarrassed but he didn't mock me or look triumphant. If anything, his expression grew more protective.

He stayed crouched there watching me with those intense dark blue eyes occasionally murmuring soft sounds that might have been reassurance. The fire crackled between us warm and hypnotic. Outside the cave the forest night had come alive with distant calls and rustles sounds that made me glad, against my will, that I wasn't out there alone in the dark.

After a few minutes the cloth warmed against my skin. Thrain noticed and gestured for it back dipping it in the fresh water again to offer another cool compress. This time I let him hold it against my jaw himself his touch feather-light careful not to press too hard. His fingers were calloused and warm, the contact sending an unwelcome shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with pain.

I swallowed hard the tears finally slowing as the cold numbed the ache a little. "This doesn't change anything," I said quietly my voice steadier now but still rough. "I'm still angry. And as soon as this swelling goes down and I can walk straight... I'm finding my own way out of here."

Thrain met my gaze holding it for a long moment. Then he nodded once slowly as if he understood at least the tone if not the words. But he didn't move away. Instead he tore off another small piece of meat and offered it his expression saying what his language couldn't: Eat. Rest. You're safe here.

I swallowed the next piece of meat he offered the gamey richness doing little to settle the knot of emotions twisting in my chest. The cool cloth helped the worst of the jaw pain, but every small movement still sent dull throbs through my skull. I kept the damp fabric pressed to the swelling my fingers brushing against Thrain's as he held it steady for me.

That brief contact calloused warmth against my skin sent another unwelcome shiver racing down my spine. I pulled back slightly glaring at him through damp lashes, but the fight was draining out of me faster than I wanted to admit.

Exhaustion definitely...

Thrain's dark eyes held mine patient and steady that quiet spark of desire still simmering beneath the surface. He murmured something low and soothing the sound rolling like distant thunder and for a ridiculous moment it almost felt like comfort.

Then it happened.

Outside the cave a sharp guttural snarl ripped through the night air deep, vicious, and far too close.

It was followed by the heavy crunch of underbrush and a low rumbling growl that vibrated through the stone floor beneath the furs. Whatever it was it sounded big. Hungry. Not the cute forest creatures I'd heard earlier.

My head snapped toward the cave entrance my heart slamming against my ribs. Fresh adrenaline surged chasing away some of the exhaustion. "What the hell was that?"

Thrain reacted instantly. His entire body tensed his muscles coiling like a predator ready to strike. He dropped the cloth into the water bowl with a soft splash and rose to his feet in one fluid motion grabbing the spear that had been leaning against the cave wall. In the firelight his painted chest and broad shoulders looked even more imposing every inch the warrior.

He moved swiftly but silently to the entrance peering out into the darkness. Another snarl echoed closer this time accompanied by the snap of branches.

Thrain's grip tightened on the spear his stance shifting into something lethal and ready.

Then he turned back to me his expression hard and urgent. He held up one large hand palm out, in a clear "stay" gesture. His eyes locked onto mine intense and commanding as he shook his head once sharp and deliberate. The message was unmistakable: Do not move. Stay here. Safe.

He pointed at me then at the furs where I sat repeating the "stay" motion with his hand.

Another low growl rumbled from outside followed by what sounded like heavy paws padding across the forest floor. Thrain glanced back out his jaw clenched, then looked at me again, repeating the gesture more insistently. His voice dropped to a harsh whisper in that guttural tongue short clipped words that sounded like orders mixed with warning.

I froze on the furs the cool cloth forgotten in my lap. My jaw still throbbed tears long dried on my cheeks but new fear prickled along my skin. Whatever was out there sounded nothing like a bear or wolf from back home. It was bigger. Meaner. And Thrain was positioning himself between me and the entrance like a living shield spear raised and ready.

Part of me the stubborn angry part wanted to scramble to my feet and bolt anyway just to prove I wouldn't be controlled. But the rational part..the one currently terrified part kept me rooted in place. Running out there right now would be suicide. And despite everything, Thrain's protective stance sent that stupid little flip through my stomach again. He wasn't just keeping me prisoner... he was guarding me.

The creature outside let out another savage roar closer still and I instinctively pulled the furs tighter around my legs my eyes wide on the dark mouth of the cave.

Thrain didn't hesitate. With one last firm glance at me palm out, "stay" he slipped silently out into the night spear gripped tight his powerful form melting into the shadows almost instantly.

The fire crackled. The cave felt suddenly very empty... and very vulnerable.

I sat there my heart pounding, jaw aching, and rubbing the bruise absently as distant sounds of struggle filtered in grunts, a pained yelp from the beast, and the thud of something heavy hitting the ground. Minutes stretched like hours.

Then silence.

Thrain reappeared at the entrance a short while later breathing steady but with a fresh smear of dark blood not his, I hoped across one arm. He scanned the cave immediately his eyes finding me still exactly where he'd left me on the furs. A flicker of approval crossed his face quickly followed by that warm wanting look again.

The fire popped and hissed as a log shifted sending a shower of sparks dancing upward toward the cave ceiling. I stayed exactly where I was on the pile of furs my fingers still curled around the damp cloth that had slipped into my lap. The fabric was now lukewarm and slightly crumpled against my thigh the coolness long gone.

My heart was still hammering from the sounds outside that roar had been nothing like any animal I'd ever heard in a zoo or nature documentary. It had sounded... wrong. Ancient. Like something that shouldn't exist in the same world as Ubers and overpriced lattes.

Thrain wiped the last of the blood from his spear with a handful of dried moss then set the weapon back against the wall within easy reach. He moved with the calm confidence of someone who did this kind of thing regularly fighting off monsters in the dark like it was no bigger deal than taking out the trash.

When he turned back to me the firelight caught the fresh smear of dark blood on his forearm and the shallow scratch across his ribs that definitely hadn't been there before. He didn't seem to notice or care.

He crouched by the fire again tore off another chunk of the roasted meat and held it out on the flat stone. This time he didn't retreat quite as far. His dark eyes deep blue in the flickering light locked onto mine with that same unnerving mix of patience, protectiveness, and raw hunger that made my skin feel too tight.

I glared at him but my stomach betrayed me with another loud growl. The meat still smelled incredible and the adrenaline crash was leaving me shaky and hollow. "You really expect me to just sit here and have dinner with you after you knocked me out and now you're playing caveman bodyguard?" My voice came out hoarse the words slurred a little from the swelling. Talking hurt. Everything hurt.

Thrain tilted his head listening to the tone even if he couldn't understand the words. The corner of his mouth twitched again not quite a smile, more like reluctant amusement at my defiance.

He pointed at the meat then at me and made a slow eating gesture with his free hand. When I still didn't move he sighed a low, rumbling sound that vibrated through the small space and took a small bite himself first, chewing deliberately to show me what he wanted. Then he offered the stone again His eyebrows raised in clear challenge: See? Eat.

"Fine," I muttered snatching the piece like it had personally insulted my ancestors. I chewed carefully on the good side of my mouth wincing every time my jaw moved. The meat was still warm rich with fat and a smoky flavor that actually made my eyes want to roll back in reluctant pleasure. "This doesn't mean I forgive you for the punch. Or the kidnapping. Or the whole 'you're mine now' vibe you've got going on."

He watched me eat with quiet satisfaction occasionally tearing off more for himself but always offering me the best-looking pieces first. After a while he reached for the water bowl again. This time he picked up the damp cloth from where it had fallen in my lap dipped it in the fresh water wrung it out with strong sure hands, and held it out to me.

I hesitated only a second before taking it and pressing the newly cooled fabric gently to my swollen jaw. I hissed at the contact, but the relief was immediate the throbbing eased a little as the cold numbed the bruise.

Outside the forest had gone eerily quiet again as if whatever Thrain had killed had been enough to scare everything else into hiding. The silence pressed in making the cave feel smaller and more intimate. Just the crackle of the fire, my own uneven breathing, and the occasional shift of furs under me.

Thrain didn't crowd me but he didn't give me much space either. He stayed crouched nearby close enough that I could smell the faint scents of smoke, pine, sweat, and something earthy and masculine that made my traitor body notice way too much.

His painted chest rose and fell steadily the red welts from my nails standing out stark against his skin. He caught me looking and glanced down at the marks then back up at me. Instead of anger, his expression softened with something almost like pride.

He pointed at the scratches then at me and rumbled a short phrase that somehow managed to sound... appreciative? Like he respected that I'd fought him.

"Yeah, well, I don't usually claw people," I said dryly, voice muffled by the cloth. "But I also don't usually wake up in the woods after getting roofied by a con artist. So today's full of new experiences."

He didn't understand of course but he seemed content to listen to the sound of my voice anyway. After a minute he stood stretched muscles flexing in ways that were frankly unfair, and moved to another shadowed corner of the cave. He returned with a large animal skin soft and supple and laid it over my legs like a blanket tucking it around me with careful hands. The gesture was gentle, almost tender, and it made that dangerous warmth twist low in my belly again.

I pulled the skin higher suddenly aware of how torn and dirty my clothes were how exposed I felt under his gaze. "I'm not sleeping here," I told him even as my eyelids grew heavy. "As soon as it's light, I'm walking out. Finding a road. Calling someone. Getting the hell away from... whatever this is."

Thrain just watched me then pointed at the furs beneath me and made a clear sleeping motion with his head tilted to the side eyes closing briefly. He added a few more words in that low rolling language soft, insistent. The tone was unmistakable: Rest. You're safe. I'll watch.

I wanted to argue. I really did. But the exhaustion was winning, the meat sat heavy and satisfying in my stomach and the cool compress had dulled the worst of the jaw pain to a manageable throb.

The furs were warmer and softer than anything I had any right to expect in a damn cave. My eyelids felt like lead.

"Fine," I whispered lying back slowly against the furs still holding the damp cloth to my jaw. "But only because I'm too tired to fight you again right now. And if you try anything while I'm asleep, I swear I'll find a way to make you regret it."

He seemed to catch the warning in my tone. His expression turned solemn as he nodded once then settled himself against the cave wall near the entrance spear across his lap. He didn't stare openly, but every few minutes his gaze would drift back to me, checking, and protecting.

The fire burned low. My body ached in a dozen places my jaw pulsed with every heartbeat and my mind raced with questions I had no answers for: Where was I? What had Madame Vesper actually done? Was this some kind of hallucination from whatever she'd slipped me? Or... something worse?

But as sleep tugged at me, heavy and inevitable, the last thing I saw before my eyes drifted shut was Thrain's silhouette against the dying firelight tall, powerful, and unyielding.

And that stupid, hopeful whisper in the back of my mind returned softer this time.

Maybe the potion hadn't failed after all.

It had just delivered me straight into the arms of a savage who didn't know how to take "no" for an answer... and who seemed determined to keep me anyway.

The next morning pale gray light filtered into the cave mouth. I woke slowly every muscle protesting, my jaw stiff and tender to the touch. The fire had burned down to embers but the cave was still warm.

Thrain was already up crouched by the remains of last night's meal sharpening the flint tip of his spear with a small stone. When I stirred he looked over immediately his expression lighting with that same quiet satisfaction from the night before.

He rose and brought me a small hollowed gourd filled with fresh water cool and clean-tasting when I sipped it cautiously. I drank deeply the water soothing my dry throat. Then he offered more of the cold roasted meat which I accepted warily but ate because my hunger was loud. After I finished he held out a handful of dark plump berries in his broad palm. They looked juicy and sweet glistening slightly in the morning light.

I eyed them with immediate distrust my stomach twisting. "No way," I said shaking my head and pushing his hand back gently but firmly. "I'm not eating random forest berries from a guy who punched me unconscious last night. For all I know, these could be poisonous. Or hallucinogenic. Or some weird thing that makes you pass out again so you can drag me somewhere else."

Thrain frowned clearly not understanding the words but picking up on my refusal. He popped one berry into his own mouth chewed slowly and swallowed with an exaggerated "mmm" sound then held the handful out again closer this time. His dark eyes were patient almost coaxing as if trying to convince a stubborn child.

I crossed my arms wincing when the motion pulled at my bruised jaw. "Nope. Not happening. You could be immune or something. People die from eating the wrong berries all the time back home. I'm not risking it."

He tilted his head then deliberately ate another one chewing with obvious enjoyment before offering the rest once more. When I still shook my head he let out a low frustrated rumble and pointed at the berries then at me making an eating motion. His expression shifted to something firmer protective insistence.

I leaned back against the furs. "I said no. I'm already stuck here with a swollen face because of you. I'm not adding 'berry poisoning' to the list."

Thrain watched me for a long moment then set the berries down on the flat stone between us. He picked up one single berry held it up so I could see it clearly and slowly brought it to his lips again eating it in front of me like a demonstration. After swallowing he pointed at the remaining pile and then at my mouth his eyebrows raised in silent question mixed with mild exasperation.

My stomach chose that exact moment to growl loudly again. The berries did look good plump and dark, nothing like the suspicious mushrooms or weird leaves I'd seen in survival shows. But trust was in short supply after everything.

"Fine," I muttered reaching out slowly and taking just one berry between my fingers. I sniffed it first sweet, earthy then very cautiously placed it on my tongue, ready to spit it out at the first sign of bitterness. It burst with tart-sweet juice that actually made me blink in surprise. It was delicious. I chewed slowly waiting for any weird aftertaste or immediate nausea. Nothing happened.

Thrain's face broke into a small victorious grin. He pushed the rest of the handful toward me on the stone clearly pleased.

"Don't look so smug," I grumbled but I took another berry anyway then a third. "This still doesn't mean I trust you. One good berry doesn't erase the caveman knockout."

He rumbled something low and amused-sounding then gestured toward the cave entrance making the walking motion again with his fingers. He pointed at himself, the spear, and back at me. The meaning was clear: We leave together. I protect you.

I narrowed my eyes testing my swollen jaw as I spoke around the last berry. "You're not my keeper, Tarzan. But... if you know a way out of this forest, fine. Lead the way. Just don't think this means I'm staying."

Thrain's lips curved into the first real smile I'd seen small, fierce, and far too attractive for someone dressed in stitched animal skins. He thumped his chest once more.

"Thrain," he repeated then pointed at me, eyebrows raised expectantly.

I sighed rubbing my temple. "Juliet. My name is Juliet. And as soon as we find civilization, I'm gone."

He repeated the name slowly rolling the syllables in his deep voice like he was tasting them: "Joo... Lee... Et." The way he said it sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.

Then he stood offered me his hand to help me up and when I ignored it and pushed myself up on my own wobbling only a little from the lingering headache and stiffness, he simply nodded with respect and picked up his spear.

As we stepped out of the cave into the misty morning forest, Thrain stayed close close enough that I could feel the heat of his body, close enough to block any sudden attempt I might make to bolt. His eyes scanned the trees constantly, alert for whatever had been out there last night.

I had no idea where we were going, or what the hell was really happening.

The afternoon light filtered weakly through the dense canopy as Thrain led me practically herded me deeper into the forest. His massive frame stayed glued to my side the entire time, his arm brushing mine with every step, and his heat seeping through my torn sweater.

Every time I tried to create even an inch of distance or veer toward what looked like a possible opening in the trees he corrected me instantly. A firm hand on my elbow a low warning rumble in his throat or simply stepping in front of me until I fell back into the path he chose.

My legs ached. My jaw still throbbed. And the longer we walked without any sign of roads, trails, or civilization, the tighter the knot of panic grew in my chest. This wasn't a park. This wasn't even a national forest I recognized. The trees were too old, too massive, the air too thick with wildness. Madame Vesper's potion had done something far worse than drug me it had dropped me into a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

Thrain stopped by a narrow stream to refill the gourd. He crouched spear planted beside him and gestured for me to sit on a flat rock while he worked.

I pretended to obey lowering myself slowly. The moment his back turned fully.I bolted adrenaline surged through my exhausted limbs. I ran hard, crashing through the underbrush in the opposite direction, branches whipping at my face and arms.

"Fuck this," I gasped my heart slamming. "I'm not staying with some caveman who thinks he owns me!"

Behind me, Thrain roared my name— "Juliet!" the sound deep, guttural, and furious. Heavy footsteps crashed after me almost immediately.

I didn't look back. I pushed harder my lungs burning, dodging between massive tree trunks. For a few glorious seconds I thought I might actually lose him in the dense green. Then the ground ahead sloped sharply downward into a ravine thick with ferns and shadows. I skidded trying to slow as a low wet snarl ripped through the air right in front of me.

The creature burst from the undergrowth sleek, muscular, and far too big, with mottled gray-green hide, too many jagged teeth, and eyes that glowed with unnatural hunger. It wasn't a wolf, wasn't a bear it was something straight out of a history book raking the earth as it lunged straight for me.

I screamed stumbling backward. My boot caught on a root and I went down hard pain exploding through my already bruised body.

Thrain was there in an instant.

He slammed into the beast like a freight train his spear thrusting forward with lethal precision. The creature howled as flint bit deep, but Thrain didn't stop. He roared again his muscles bunching as he drove the thing back away from me his body a wall of raw power and fury. The fight was brutal and short snarls, the wet thud of impact, and a final pained screech as the spear found its mark.

The creature collapsed twitching into the ferns.

Panting bloodied on one arm again Thrain whirled toward me. His face was thunderous his eyes blazing with a mix of rage and raw fear for me. Before I could scramble up or even apologize he stormed over grabbed my upper arm in an unbreakable grip and hauled me to my feet.

I tried to yank away. "Let go! I was just—"

He didn't let me finish. With a low angry growl he dragged me a few steps to a wide flat tree stump nearby his hold firm but never bruising. In one smooth motion he sat down on the stump and yanked me face-down across his lap my stomach pressing against his powerful thighs and my ass raised helplessly in the air.

"Thrain—no!" I shouted kicking and twisting wildly. My hands pushed against his leg trying to lever myself up. "Don't you dare—"

His large calloused palm came down hard across my ass sharp stinging cracks that echoed through the quiet forest even through my jeans. Once. Twice. Three firm, deliberate spanks that made me yelp and buck against him. Heat bloomed instantly sharp and humiliating the impacts hard enough to jolt through me but measured and controlled. He was punishing not injuring just making his point crystal clear You ran. You almost died. Never again.

I gasped and squirmed harder my face burning with fury and embarrassment. "You asshole! You can't just spank me like some—ow!"

He delivered two more solid swats then paused his heavy hand resting warningly on my stinging backside while he rumbled low words in that guttural tongue scolding, protective, laced with leftover fear for me.

Tears of frustration stung my eyes. My ass throbbed warmly under his palm every shift of my body reminding me exactly how easily he could overpower me. "I hate you," I whispered shakily even as unwanted heat twisted low in my belly at the raw dominance.

Thrain's hand rubbed once almost soothingly over the spots he'd struck before he stood lifting me with him like I weighed nothing. In the next breath he flipped me over his broad shoulder my stomach slamming against hard muscle once more my stinging ass now prominently displayed as my head dangled down his back. His arm locked securely around my thighs pinning me in place.

"Thrain—put me down right now!" I yelled fists pounding uselessly against his back my legs trying to kick despite the hold. The spanks still burned with every jostle as he started walking long, purposeful strides carrying us back toward the stream. Every step bounced me against him my torn sweater riding up, hair swinging wildly. His free hand stayed ready on the spear, but the other occasionally rested possessively on my ass again not striking just a heavy reminder of the punishment and his claim.

He rumbled continuous low words the whole way,

the tone a mix of scolding and relief as if lecturing me even though I couldn't understand.

By the time we reached the stream again the sun was dipping lower. Thrain finally set me down on the flat rock but he didn't step back. He loomed over me breathing steady but eyes still dark with leftover anger and that unrelenting desire. His hands planted on either side of me caging me in completely. Blood from the fight streaked one forearm, but he didn't seem to care. He cupped my chin gently but firmly, tilting my face up so I had to meet his gaze.

The message was unmistakable No more running. You stay with me. I protect what is mine.

My ass still stung sharply from the spanking, a constant throbbing reminder with every shift. My heart raced. My body traitor that it was reacted to the raw dominance, the effortless way he'd dragged me over his lap and then thrown me over his shoulder like captured prey. Tears of frustration pricked my eyes but I blinked them back glaring up at him through damp lashes.

"You hit me again," I whispered hoarsely my voice shaking. "You spanked me. After I almost got eaten by whatever the hell that thing was."

Thrain's expression softened just a fraction regret flickering beneath the possessiveness. He brushed a thumb lightly over my still-swollen jaw then over my cheek murmuring something low and soothing. But he didn't apologize with words he knew I wouldn't understand. Instead he pulled me closer wrapping one arm around my waist and holding me against his chest for a long moment his heartbeat steady and strong under my ear while his hand rubbed slow circles over my stinging backside almost like he was soothing the very marks he'd left.

I wanted to shove him away. I wanted to scream.

But I was exhausted, sore, and terrifyingly aware that without him I would already be dead.