Into the Woods

Grant

"What are you doing, gnat?" Grant yelled. His lips twitched as he fought the amused smile threatening to ruin his admonishment.

The small woman squeaked and almost fell from the tree she hung out of. "Nothing!" Natalia caught herself and pulled back onto the branch, scampering higher, and looking guilty as hell. It was cute on her.

"Really? Because it looks to me like you were trying to carve a piece out of that boar," he responded, nodding to the animal carcass hanging from the branch she'd just vacated.

Natalia's face went bright red, and she turned away from him.

"And what do you think you're going to do with that knife? Tickle the meat off the bones?" he asked.

"Cut it up," she whispered.

Grant raised an eyebrow. "Sweetheart, you aren't going to cut shit with that knife." He dropped the second boar he carried over his shoulders onto the ground behind him and stretched, cracking his neck. Each animal weighed over three-hundred pounds.

Taking the free end of the rope tied around the boar's legs, he threw it over a sturdier branch in his clearing and hoisted it off the ground.

Natalia watched him intently, her head cocked to the side. She had the slightest frown on her face.

"What?"

"Nothing, really," she replied. "It's just, you've never called me anything but gnat before."

Grant grunted. He decided not answering would be the best answer. Instead, he went to build a fire. It would need time to burn down to coals before he could roast the meat he was about to butcher.

"Why are you being so nice to me now?"

Slowly he created a tower of larger logs, stacking them for air holes and kindling, and contemplated an answer. He couldn't tell her it was because he woke up thinking about her; the sound of her voice when she teased him, of her laughter, and the sing-song way she talked to herself and the animals around her.

He refused to let her know how attractive he found her. How he loved to watch her move through the trees with such effortless grace. When her fingers played with her hair, swiping the tendrils that fell from the band she used to keep it off her face and the back of her neck; how he dreamed about those fingers running through his hair. The wolf inside of him wanted her to stroke its fur.

Grant knew without a doubt he didn't want to tell her about how he longed for the days during the week she spent with him, chatting about this animal she spotted, or that flower she had to gather from the tops of the trees for her boss.

No, sarcasm was always the best bet. "Gnat, not trying to kill you three out of the seven days a week you annoy me isn't being nice." Grant stood and brushed his hands together, dusting the soot off.

Finally, he looked her in the eye and gave her the truth. "Because I'm starting to care about you." Did those words really just leave his mouth? His jaw snapped shut.

Natalia stared at him, wide eyed, for several seconds. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She dropped to the lowest branch and leaned out. "Say that one more time? I think I blacked out there for a second. Had a stroke, maybe."

"I'm sorry I scared you," he replied, trying to cover his slip.

"Right." Natalia's eyes narrowed.

Grant went back to what he was doing. With the fire going, he went to a storage shed and pulled a large cooler out of it, along with a stack of butcher paper. He set them next to his preparation table, then started carving sections from the first boar.

He glanced back at Natalia to find her staring at him again. He smirked. "What?"

She pointed at his shirt. "You should take that off. It's going to get really dirty."

Grant snorted. "I think my clothes have already gotten pretty dirty. This is a work shirt, not some fancy suit."

"It was worth a shot," Natalia muttered.

"What was that? I didn't hear you," he teased, taking a large slab from the boar so he could break it down further on the table.

"I said, it looks really hot. That fire over there. What's it for?"

"Nice cover," Grant winked at Natalia. "The fire is for lunch."

"Wait, the very worst cut of that boar, left in the bottom of a freezer for three years, will resell for over one hundred credits a pound, and you're going to just throw it on a fire and eat it for lunch?"

Grant knew damn well how much the boar meat sold for. They were impossible to kill for anyone but the tribes. Settler weapons didn't pierce the skin, much like his own hide. Warg claws, however, cut through with laughable ease. These boars were one of his biggest sources of income. The top restaurants in Egovae City paid hand over fist for his cuts of fresh boar. If prepared correctly, every bite was a pillow-soft piece of heaven to savor. But there was nothing like eating it fresh from the animal.

"Of course. And if you want some, you better find a way to contribute." Grant glanced at her, taking the meat he'd just sectioned off and wrapping the pieces in the butcher paper. Nothing went to waste. Even the bones would sell for stocks and consommés.

Natalia was quiet for a moment as she watched him. "You know, I hear apples go really well with boar."

"Apples?" he scoffed. "They won't even fall for a few more weeks. Not until the first frost hits. And, even then, they are so rotten and mealy it's impossible to find a decent one. Not worth the effort."

Natalia drew her breath in. He put his knife down and regarded her curiously when she started giggling. He raised his eyebrows and leaned on the table.

"Oh, you dear sweet man-thing," she said, shaking her head. "Bless your heart. I'll be back in a bit." Natalia disappeared into the forest, whistling a tune as she went.

Grant chuckled and shook his head. "You're in trouble, Grant. You need to cut her out. Let her go before it's too late."

But he knew he couldn't do that either. Even though he was only part human, part wolf, he still felt the pull. It was impossible to deny the connection between them. He didn't want to lose her. The wolf wanted to protect her. And the warg? Verdict was still out on that guy, but Grant had a feeling murder wouldn't be at the top of his mind anymore if he caught Natalia.