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Either her concussion was worsening, or she was getting better at seeing Inari. Lucia still lost track of the wolf if she stopped watching for too long, but when she focused, she could see the subtle shifts in color that ruined the animal's near-perfect invisibility.
She broke off part of her ration bar and held it out as a peace offering. "C'mon, girl. Inari, right? Ren will be okay. If I can believe that, I know you can."
Any reservations the wolf had disappeared once food was involved, and Lucia watched her approach and get just close enough to touch. She turned her hand over, so the wolf would have to go under to get the treat.
Inari sniffed at her fingers. Lucia turned her hand back up, and the wolf ate the ration from her palm, nose warm and soft against her skin—a contrast to the decidedly sharp teeth that hid in the creature's mouth.
With her other hand she reached up to scrub her fingers into Inari's shoulder. The wolf leaned into the attention without leaving the food; a moment of bliss so complete that Lucia could feel it radiating from the animal and soaking into her bones. "No wonder the rangers are so attached to you all," she muttered. "Even that little taste of the connection is a rush."
Inari finished her portion of the ration bar, then moved so both of Lucia's hands could scratch her at once.
"Well, I guess this means we're friends now." Lucia laughed. "Lucky for you I'm not allergic to dogs."
The wolf froze, muzzle pointed up slightly and eyes closed. After a second, she ducked out of Lucia’s touch and stepped out of reach. Lucia was about to apologize for calling her a dog when she heard the clatter of rocks outside the cave. Someone else was present, and with Inari on high alert, it wasn't Ren.
Lucia scanned the area and collected a palm-sized rock with a sharp edge and tucked it behind her back. With the obvious makeshift splint and no way to stand up, she could lure someone in close if she played helpless enough.
Much to her chagrin, she had plenty of experience feigning helplessness.
A few moments later, a shadow filled the cave entrance—bulky and menacing, he was the exact opposite of Ren's comforting strength. "Well, hello there. Someone's going to be very happy that we've found you."
"I'm guessing that's not going to be me." Lucia didn’t recognize his uniform, but that wasn’t much of a surprise. The skirmishes between the government and the holdouts were mostly being fought by “independent contractors”, or as she preferred to call them, mercenaries.
She glanced toward the wall where she'd last seen Inari, but the wolf had disappeared completely. Hopefully that didn't mean she'd run off to check on Ren. Though if this guy had made it to the cave, there was a chance that he'd crossed Ren's path and...
No. She refused to think about that as a possibility. Besides, he’d said Inari would know if something happened to him. Ren had to be okay.
The shadow shrugged. "Beats dying in a cave on the edge of a war zone."
"I don't know. The scenery was nice. Until you blocked it, anyway."
"Then allow me to get out of your way." He stepped into the cave, eyes dropping to take in the low fire and the splint on her leg. "If you come quietly, there won't be any trouble."
Lucia tightened her hand on the rock, willing him to get closer. She'd only have the advantage of surprise once. "I suspect you and I have different definitions of that." She made a show of trying to push herself back from him while being unable to use her leg. At least her gasp of pain was real.
In the dim light of the cave she could see him grin. Asshole.
"Yeah, we might at that." He took another step and started to bend down when a blur charged across the small space and slammed into him. The mercenary yowled as Inari's teeth clamped down on his forearm. Lucia kicked out with her good leg, striking him in the knee. It didn’t break, but he stumbled backwards and scattered what was left of the fire.
His free hand grabbed the wolf by the scruff, squeezing down and trying to dislodge the animal’s teeth. When that didn’t work, he raised a fist to pummel her, then froze. He stiffened, clawing over his shoulder, face suddenly panicked, before he fell over.
Inari leapt before charging back in to grab the man’s throat. A voice called out, “Inari! He’s down.”
The wolf stopped immediately, then padded to where Ren leaned against the cave opening. A hunting knife projected from the mercenary’s back, a dark stain spreading through the cloth around it.
Lucia’s heart tried to hammer its way out of her chest, her hands shaking as the rock dropped from her nerveless fingers.
"Shit," Ren panted as he leaned against the rock. "Sorry I took so long."
The confluence of emotions that warred in Lucia's chest left her uncertain if she wanted to scream, laugh, or cry. To be safe she forced herself to stay quiet. Not that Inari had any such reservation—the wolf yipped excitedly and wove in and out of Ren’s legs. He shrugged a survival pack off his shoulders and set it next to the entrance, then gave his full attention to scratching the animal so clearly overjoyed to see him. The warmth and affection soaked into Lucia as she watched, but couldn't loosen the ice that gripped her blood.
He crossed the too-small space and knelt next to her, and the concern in his amber eyes was too much. She threw her arms around him and crushed herself to him, finally settling on sobbing as the adrenaline and fear worked its way out of her bloodstream. He stiffened, but only temporarily, before easing onto the ground and cuddling her close. Strong fingers combed through her hair, and his hand stroked her back in gentle comfort. Lucia buried her face into his neck, relishing the smell of his skin and the warmth of him. The beat of his pulse against her cheek. But she needed more, wanted more as she tilted her face up and pulled his mouth to hers.
His lips were everything she remembered them being; soft skin contrasted with the stubble of his cheeks. Desire curled in her blood as at last something produced enough heat to chase away her fear. She felt as much as heard his intake of breath and chased after it, fingers sliding into his short hair as she tugged him closer, urged him on.
He pulled back, careful to keep both his hands on her shoulders as though he didn't trust himself to not dive forward again. After swallowing a couple times, Ren shook his head. "Not like this. You've just had a rough experience, you're emotionally vulnerable, and for all I know you could be in shock."
"You should trust me to know what I want." She couldn't believe he was turning her down. Shame chased away her initial burst of anger and reawakened her awareness of the throbbing ache in her broken ankle. She ducked her head to hide the burn in her cheeks.
He lifted her face and pinned her with his tender, amber gaze. "I respect you enough to let you make that decision in less...stressful circumstances." His exhale was shaky, barely controlled. "When we get out of here, I'm hoping that you'll still feel that way. In which case, I'll be happy to take you up on the offer. Ideally without a..." His eyes drifted toward the dead mercenary.
Whatever heat she’d recovered fled as the realization of how close she’d been to danger struck home. The air huffed out of her as she collapsed against Ren’s chest. He held her while she listened to the comforting beat of his heart. When she had recovered enough, she whispered, “Thank you. For coming back for me.”
A soft, furry head forced its way under her arm, and Lucia felt the hum of comfort and concern from the wolf as she burrowed her way between her and Ren. She leaned over and pressed her face against the top of the wolf’s head, senses full of the pleasant smell of the wolf’s fur. "I am taking it easy. He’s the one who went running about, you know. Thank you for protecting me.”
When she lifted her head, Ren looked at her like she'd grown wings. His voice was quiet. "That's not supposed to happen."
"What doesn't happen?" Lucia eased herself back, keeping one hand on the wolf's withers. Her fingers dug into the fur, and the wolf’s satisfaction washed over her, pushing away the pain of her injury.
Ren sat back on his haunches, hands splayed across his thighs. "You should only feel her emotions if she's bonded to you."