“I promise I’ll guard her with my life.”
“And please,” Wisteria pleaded, “don’t break her heart. She knows you’ll be leaving Helixis soon. Don’t give her false hope.”
“I would never hurt Ivy.” Not in this lifetime. He shook his head and grinned. “I’m not leaving, Wisteria. I’ve decided to stay behind with Vulcan.”
Her face brightened with a smile. “You have?”
“Yes. I belong here. Besides, there are so many complicated things happening, I can’t leave knowing the dangers to the people.” Aliens. Mutants. Dinosaurs. What the fuck?
He watched as another deer emerged from the trees into the clearing. Very slowly it began to approach. Bronto scooted Wisteria behind his back and squeezed the knife in his fist. “Don’t move, Wisteria,” he warned in a low voice.
“It’s a deer,” she whispered.
“Vulcan and I just encountered one that had the audacity to shift into an alien right before us.”
Wisteria lowered the hand holding the knife to his side. “No. Look at its eyes. It’s real.”
Bronto turned his head sideways but kept his gaze locked on the animal. “How would you know that?”
“It’s sad.”
“That’s a great observation but not necessarily the truth, I’m afraid.” Maybe he should believe her. He’d already suspected she had some sort of mystical powers. What if she also had the ability to detect the shifters from the full-blooded animals? If it were true, he’d rather not hinder said ability by his ignorance, but neither was her theory feasible without proof. “Relying on sadness as a differential isn’t being realistic.”
“Could you repeat that in my terms?” Wisteria asked.
Bronto smiled. “My apologies. I don’t believe sadness is proof that the deer is really a deer, not an alien shifter.”
“Deer look sad when they’re scared. Would a shifter act afraid?”
Good point but he didn’t know. “I’m not sure.”
“I’ve seen many deer at the golden lake and fed them berries from my hand,” she explained, stepping to Bronto’s side.
I bet you have. He couldn’t dispute animals were attracted to her for one reason or another. The baby dinosaur or whatever it was, which she’d named Birmon, followed her around like a pet. To further prove the special-ability theory, she swam around the lake on the back of a two-headed snake. Even the Mountain Slayers and Flesh Eaters avoided the area for fear of the serpent. Ivy, her own sister, had no idea how or why she’d captivated the animals.
Would she also mesmerize the aliens? It could be beneficial but he sure hoped not.
“They had approached me cautiously, just as this one is doing to us,” Wisteria continued as if to say, “See, I told you.”
Bronto turned his head and focused on the animal. It hesitantly inched forward, its ears stiff and tail poised upward in alert.
“It’s a young male,” she said. She took a small step forward. “Those little nubs on his head will grow like tree branches.”
“Those are his antlers,” Bronto offered in case she didn’t know their proper term. He’d like to believe the animal was harmless based on her theory. It’d make his tribe’s job a lot easier. He’d also like to test it by letting the deer close the distance but he couldn’t jeopardize Wisteria’s safety. If something happened to her he’d never forgive himself. Hell, he wouldn’t have to. Vulcan would kick his ass from one side of the planet to the other. “Please, just stay back,” Bronto said, raising his arm in front of her.
“He’s not a threat, Bronto.”
“I’m not taking any chances.”
“Wisteria, back up,” Vulcan shouted behind them.
The buck turned and darted into the trees. Bronto spun halfway around, acknowledging Vulcan. Wisteria jumped.
Shit. Bronto inwardly cringed. “Sorry, Chieftain. I tried holding her back.”
Vulcan nodded as he handed Bronto a bow and a handful of arrows. “I know.” He pulled Wisteria into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. “You can’t trust the wildlife right now, sweetheart,” he conveyed. “You know that. You heard the commander’s explanation earlier tonight.”
“I swear, it was harmless,” she insisted.
“Possibly,” Vulcan replied. “But for now, we must assume all animals are corrupt.”
“That is not fair,” she said, stomping her foot.
“I know, but I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do.”
“Fine.” She wiggled from his arms. “Good night.” Without a second glance she fled into the hut, disappearing behind the flap.
Bronto spun around, whistling and rocking heel to toe. “I suspect someone will be sleeping on the floor tonight.”
Vulcan playfully punched his shoulder. “I sleep on the floor every night.”
“Alone on the floor,” Bronto clarified. “She looks good. It appears she survived your wrath.”
“What did you think, I’d beat her?”
“You were mad enough.”