Hammer

12

“Your shoulder needs to be treated. I know this place well. I can use some medicinal plants to make sure it doesn’t get septic.”

Hammer snorted and hefted his bag higher onto his shoulder.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” he said in his deep rumbling voice. “But there really is no time for s**t like that. Let’s just get going.”

There was no arguing with him, Charlie thought. So, she followed him complacently, even though he was clearly in pain.

It truly was beautiful in the vast open spaces of the country. They were surrounded by all kinds of flora, and whole ecosystems that were created and died every second.

But there was no time to enjoy any of it. Charlie could not fight the burgeoning anxiety that roiled in the pit of her stomach.

They had barely made it out of the hotel alive. And now they were in the middle of nowhere, with nowhere to go.

How did Hammer expect them to get out of this situation?

“How did you know they were coming?” The words slipped from her involuntarily. She didn’t think that Hammer wanted to be questioned right then. But damn it, the words were out.

And it was probably for the best. Charlie needed information to survive. She couldn’t function without knowing exactly the situation they were in.

“I woke up and heard them scoping out the hotel,” he said gruffly. He winced, stumbling slightly over some large rocks.

They were headed downhill.

“The hotel manager wasn’t giving them anything. But they knew we were there. I figured it was best to get out of Dodge, so to speak.”

“And how do you expect us to get out of this situation? We’re in the middle of nowhere right now,” Charlie pressed on. If there was something she could do to help, she would do it.

But she didn’t know if Hammer even had a plan.

“I haven’t been in these parts before.” He stopped walking and turned to her. He seemed truly sincere for the first time since they had met. “But I have a map with trails, caves, and other old knowledge we can use to get out of here.”

After a few moments, Charlie nodded.

“You’ll just have to trust me,” he said more softly. Then he started walking again. Charlie fell into step next to him easily.

They walked for several miles before Charlie realized she was hungry. As if he sensed this, Hammer slowed and rifled through his bag. He pulled out two granola bars and handed one to Charlie.

He also pulled out a bottle of water.

“We’ll have to share this. But, if need be, we can drink from the streams here.”

She nodded, exhaling with relief. Her hunger pangs disappeared quickly, but the small snack wasn’t sustainable.

“How do you know this country?” she asked after they had walked another few miles.

“I’m from here.” Hammer shrugged. He led her through some undergrowth. “I grew up here, for the most part.”

“Oh! Do you still have family here?” Charlie asked. She didn’t miss Hammer’s sharp inhale or the way his shoulders tightened.

“They’re all dead.” His voice didn’t encourage any further conversation.

And Charlie knew it would be dangerous to push him.

Dangerous for both of them.

HAMMER

He could have kicked himself.

They had been walking for several miles now. The wilderness was becoming denser the farther they walked. The silence was glaring.

He had brushed Charlie’s suggestion off brusquely, hastily. Her hurt feelings were palpable. He wasn’t sure if it was because they were mates. Maybe her feelings were simply that obvious.

Charlie was just being friendly and caring.

And he was pushing her further and further away. But what else could he do? He couldn’t afford to like her.

But even though he could never like her, he could admire her grit. Her tenacity. She was flexible and adaptive and seemed willing to jump into danger. She was fearless, and Hammer couldn’t help feeling a sense of absurd pride. Somehow, the fates had chosen the perfect mate for him. Even though they would never be together.

He walked ahead of her, a long, sharpened tree branch in hand. She carried an alcohol-soaked cloth that could be set alight at any minute.

They were in the southernmost part of Thiorheil. This part of the country was the most unexplored. Small towns and villages were spread throughout the southern parts of the country. But they were few and far between.

Hammer had a map that would lead him to a relatively safe town. But they’d probably have to walk for several days. He hoped they would make it. Thiorheil was well known for its natural resources. However, he didn’t think Charlie could survive on wild fruit alone.

And he did not want her to either. Right then, he wanted his mate to have the most comfortable experience. But he could not offer her that.

You have to stop thinking of her as your mate. All Charlie was to him was his ticket out of imprisonment.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

He could not allow himself to become attached. No matter how much he wanted to.

Hammer had shown Charlie how to set her flammable cloth alight. As they walked farther into the wilderness of Thiorheil, he thought they would need it soon.

Those were the only tools they had to ward off threats right then.

He still wasn’t healing, and he could not leave Charlie defenseless. She was his only ticket out of the Supermax. Getting her home safely was the only way he’d get his hands on Ajmal.

Hammer had identified where they were in Thiorheil … the southernmost part of the country. He had grown up in western Thiorheil and had lived and worked in the north.

Southern Thiorheil was an unknown territory, not only to Hammer but to most of its citizens.

It was like stepping into a different country. They had come across several new and different plants. They had passed several different trees, totally unknown to him.