Page 108 of Dark Fey Captive

“I’ll walk,” I said, trying to sit up.

Several female voices shouted denial.

I blinked, trying to focus as I looked up at the dozens of faces surrounding the boat.

Females. All females. Young and old.

And…

I blinked again at the pair of children peeking at me from over the edge of the boat, held in the arms of two females.

Not wanting to frighten any of them, I sat up slowly.

“Dammit, Nav,” Arena said, her hands on my sides. “You’re bleeding again. Gwen just got it to stop.”

“I apologize,” I said immediately.

She swore again when I started to get to my feet, and she hurried to duck under my arm to support me as the boat rocked. Several of the females reached out to steady it. My gaze swept over them. I counted fourteen and two children.

The ones closest to us shuffled back as we moved to the side of the boat. They watched me swing my leg over the edge and didn’t run. Or scream.

Landing in the knee-deep water jarred my wounds, igniting more pain.

“Hurry and get Tori,” Arena said behind me. “He’s bleeding too much again.”

A female ran off as I glanced back at Arena. She wasn’t jumping down into the knee-high water. Her face was pale as she looked at it. I held out my hand.

“No, I’m okay. I’ll wait for⁠—”

I grabbed her wrist and tugged her forward. Off balance, she tipped over the side and into my arms. I grunted, feeling the burn in my back, but didn’t put her down. I carried her to the rocky shore.

“Terrifying, but I think I might want one,” one of the females whispered.

My gaze swept over them. I couldn’t tell which one spoke, but they were all watching me with a mix of fear and awe.

“All right. Break it up,” Gwen said. “We need to get him to the village before he passes out again. Get out of the way and help with these supplies so we can move the boat.”

The females rushed around us, clearing the path. Arena nudged my lower back as Gwen ducked under my other arm.

“Gwen, Arena doesn’t like other females touching me,” I said, trying to remove her hold.

Gwen made a choked sound and looked at Arena.

“Shut up,” Arena mumbled before looking up at me. Her cheeks were flushed, no longer pale. “It’s okay this time since you’re hurt. I know that Gwen’s only helping you.”

I grunted and leaned closer to Arena as we made our way up the trail, into the trees.

The sound of the water faded, and I could smell smoke in the air. A murmur of conversation drifted from ahead. It didn’t take long before the path opened to a large clearing.

Huts edged the space. With rock bases, the walls were built from a collection of boards, metal or plastic panels, and tree branches that didn’t look sturdy. In the center, smoke curled up from the opening of a very large hut that had the same rock wall base, but had sturdier timber walls. The netting they’d suspended above the opening dissipated the smoke.

Arena and Gwen walked around that hut to one of the smaller ones.

The cloth covering the opening was pushed aside by another female, who jerked at the sight of me. My steps slowed.

“He’s been shot twice in his back and has lost a lot of blood,” Gwen said. “You need to get the bullets out.”

Her gaze flicked from Gwen to Arena to me again.