The Three Read online

  Elin nudged her playfully. “What do you say you and I wash off while Kael gets dinner ready?”

  Kael nodded. “No offense, but it looks like you’re both in desperate need of a good soak.”

  As he picked up his sword, Anna lowered her eyes to the prone bodies sprawled on the ground around them. “Are they all dead?”

  “Yeah.” There was a hint of sadness in Kael’s dark eyes.

  Anna gazed down at the curly-haired man at her feet, remembering the feeling of his hand groping her body. “Good.” She was surprised to catch Kael staring at her with quiet sorrow, and asked, wondering if she’d missed a comment, “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

  “I’m just glad you’re both okay.” Kael tipped his head, serious, and walked away. As he passed Elin, he said, “I set up camp in that clearing we passed through earlier. The one with the”—he dropped his voice—

  “pretty flowers.”

  Elin grinned, waving him away. “We’ll be there in no time.” Walking toward the lake, she called, “Hey, Anna! Come on, the water’s fantastic.”

  Anna watched Elin dive into the water, and her throat went unexpectedly dry at the glimpse of pale, naked skin. Still trembling with adrenaline from the fight, stomach in knots over her confrontation with Kael, she summoned her strength and limped to the shore.

  Elin’s head broke the surface of the water. “This feels wonderful.” She slicked back her hair with both hands. “You hurt your ankle?”

  “About a week ago, during a fight. I keep thinking it should feel better—”

  Elin stood and Anna watched breathlessly as water sluiced over her bare skin. “I’ll look at it after dinner.

  Maybe I can help. Now take off your clothes and get in here. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

  Anna licked her lips and stared at the dark pink nipples only yards from where she stood on shore. This was the closest she’d ever been to a real live naked woman. You’re right, I probably don’t. As much as she wanted to dive into the water and get closer to Elin, shyness held her back. She dropped her eyes to her own chest. Her green T-shirt was torn and dirty, her light brown skin smudged with blood and filth. She rubbed her hands over the seat of her pants, remembering all too well the scars that littered her body.

  “Not used to being naked in front of someone else?” Elin’s voice was full of quiet sympathy. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” At Anna’s quick backwards glance to where Kael had disappeared into the woods, she added, “And you have no reason to be afraid.”

  “He doesn’t like me, does he?” Anna pulled her T-shirt over her head after a brief hesitation. She folded her arms over her stomach, skin burning beneath Elin’s gaze.

  “Kael just doesn’t know you. It isn’t easy for him to trust. Give him some time.”

  Anna unsnapped her pants, stepped out of them quickly, and shot another look at the trees around them.

  “He’s one hell of a fighter.”

  “One hell of a person.” Elin held one hand playfully in front of her eyes. “I’m not peeking. Get the rest of those clothes off, and get your ass in here, girl!”

  With a nervous giggle, Anna shed her bra and panties, then, putting as much weight on her left ankle as she could bear, she moved into the water. She was submerged safely to her upper chest when Elin uncovered her eyes.

  “Feel good?”

  “Wonderful.”

  “Want to feel even better?”

  Anna tried hard not to stare at Elin’s creamy collarbones. She worked her jaw for a moment, unable to produce a sound. If she had any idea what I was thinking, she’d hate me. Playing it safe, she croaked,

  “That depends.”

  Elin brought a hand out of the water and displayed a small, capped bottle with a triumphant grin. It was half full of thick amber liquid. “Shall I wash your hair?”

  Anna couldn’t remember the last time she’d experienced the luxury of shampoo. She skimmed one hand over the surface of the water. “I don’t want you to waste—”

  Elin clicked her tongue in disapproval and put a soothing hand on Anna’s shoulder. “Don’t be silly. It’d make me really happy to give you this simple pleasure. Given that you saved my life and all.”

  “But—”

  Encouraging Anna to face away from her, Elin said, “Dunk.”

  Anna did, bending her knees until her head was underwater. She held the position for only a moment, until a powerful feeling of vulnerability propelled her to the surface. Sputtering, she pushed away the wet locks of dark hair that hung in her face.

  “I’m not sure I saved your life,” she said, keeping her back to Elin. She jerked in surprise when Elin touched her head, then released an involuntary moan when strong fingers rubbed fragrant shampoo into her hair.

  “My fighting skills aren’t exactly up to par these days.”

  “You saved my life.” Elin scratched at Anna’s scalp, and Anna had to fight hard not to whimper in pleasure.

  “So it’s just your ankle that’s hurt?”

  “Among other things.” My head. My heart. My will.

  “Well, you look exhausted.” Resting a hand on Anna’s shoulder, Elin encouraged her to bend her knees and crouch. She scooped up fresh water to pour over Anna’s soapy hair and asked, “Where are you headed?”

  “I’m not sure.” Anna closed her eyes to enjoy the slow rinsing of her hair.

  Elin was quiet for a minute, then asked, “Where are you from?”

  Anna flashed on a nightmare image of her last day at home, unable to suppress a shudder. “Near the Pennsylvania-Maryland border. I grew up in a tribe that settled in that area.”

  “Nomadic?”

  Anna managed a weak shrug. “Not nomadic enough, I guess.”

  For a moment Elin’s movement faltered, and then she began rubbing one hand over Anna’s upper back.

  Anna blinked and brought her hands to the surface of the water, scrubbing at the dried blood that still clung to them.

  “Your tribe was attacked?”

  “Last year.” To Anna’s surprise, it all came tumbling out. “Nearly everyone was killed. The rest were captured by raiders. My best friend Garrett and I managed to escape.” She hesitated, then murmured, “He was killed last month.”

  “I’m sorry.” Elin curled her fingers around Anna’s shoulder, giving her a tender squeeze. “So you’re alone now?”

  “Yeah,” Anna whispered. It was the first time she had spoken it aloud. “I’m alone.”

  Anna wasn’t even aware that she was crying until Elin tightened her grip on her shoulder and pulled her around into a warm embrace. Then she felt the wetness of her cheek pressed against Elin’s, and her shoulders shook within the circle of Elin’s slim arms. She barely registered the thrill of naked breasts pressed against her own, she was so overcome with her private agony.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart,” Elin cooed, and rocked her where they stood. “It’s okay. You’re not alone anymore.”

  The whispered words, and Elin’s fingers stroking the small of her back, shocked Anna out of their embrace.

  Wiping at her tears with both hands, she glanced around at the trees once more. Her whole body trembled at the thought of Kael coming back and finding them like that.

  Elin interlaced delicate fingers with Anna’s battle-roughened ones. “I never lived in a tribe,” she said, pulling Anna’s attention back to her face. This close, she could see the furious smattering of freckles across pale skin. “I grew up all alone with my father. He took us to the country just as the sickness reached its peak, then spent years teaching me how to hide from other people. It must have been amazing for you, growing up around so many others.”

  “Your biological father?” Anna had never met an adult raised by a biological parent before. Her own parents died early on, shortly after the President had declared a state of emergency for the entire country.

  Anna couldn’t remember a lot of the details, but Uncle Roberto had sometimes
talked about it on those nights when he got drunk enough to summon up that time without breaking down.

  It had taken only months for the country to dissolve into chaos. There were so many dead and dying, the hospitals had to close their doors. Anarchy erupted and the military struggled to maintain order amid rising violence from a citizenry driven to blind panic. The president was assassinated, and the federal government imposed martial law. But it was too late to stem the spread of rebellion. Throughout the nation, state and local government collapsed and small competing militias emerged, vying for power in shattered communities.

  Eventually, the army turned on the White House and deposed the administration, and a series of generals attempted to run the country and combat the militias. But the army and the National Guard were decimated by illness and had no hope of winning the guerilla wars that followed. Uncle Roberto often said he wasn’t sure who the lucky ones were: those who lived through the sickness and the factional warfare, or those who never had to adapt to this barren new world.

  “I was lucky,” Elin said. “My father survived the sickness and the troubles. I was only two years old at the time, so I barely remember my mother.”

  “I remember my family. Not as much as I’d like. One of my uncles survived. I always thought I was really lucky for that. He’s the one who took me with him to the tribe.”

  “We were both lucky.” Elin took Anna’s hand and walked them to shore. For a moment, her eyes looked haunted. “There are much worse ways to grow up.”

  Anna nodded. She trailed behind Elin, trying not to stare at her shapely bottom as they reached shallow water. “So how long have you been traveling with Kael?”

  Elin gave her a serene smile. “Well, I guess it would be just over two years now. My father died just before that—natural causes, I think—and I set out on my own. I wanted to explore the world, see new things. I found Kael, or we found each other, a couple of months later.”

  Anna grew bashful as they emerged from the water and stepped onto the shore. She covered her breasts with one arm, desperate to hide the ugly white scars on the left one, and dropped an awkward hand to conceal the curly triangle of hair between her thighs. “You must feel really safe with him.”

  Elin knelt to collect their clothing from the ground. “Kael makes me feel safe, yes. In every way.”

  Anna blushed at the obvious adoration in Elin’s voice and cast her eyes to the grassy shore. Feeling shy, and not knowing how to talk about love, she stayed quiet, looking up only when Elin thrust her soiled clothing at her.

  “I’m sorry you’ve got to put these things on again. Unless you have something clean with your stuff?”

  “No.” Anna accepted her dirty clothes, with red-tinged cheeks. She had nothing now.

  “I guess it’s time for some new clothes, huh?” Elin pulled on her tank top. “I’ve got a shirt you can borrow for now, back at camp.”

  Anna tried not to stare at erect nipples outlined against the cotton of Elin’s top. “Thanks.”

  When they were both dressed, Elin asked, “Where’d you leave your stuff?”

  Anna’s face grew hot with shame. “I don’t have anything.”

  “Nothing?”

  “Not since I was attacked last week. The men who jumped me…I left my bags behind when I escaped them. My weapon. Everything I had—” She stopped, not wanting to dwell on the thought of all that she had lost. After Garrett was killed, nothing had mattered anymore. Not even what little she had left in life.

  “Oh, sweetheart,” Elin breathed, and rubbed her thumb along the back of Anna’s hand. “I’m so glad you found us.”

  Anna allowed herself to be pulled into another spontaneous hug. This time she pressed her nose into Elin’s neck and inhaled, soaking up the comfort. Despite her reservations about Kael, she found herself agreeing with the soft words. “Me, too.”

  “Are you hungry?” Elin slid her hands casually down Anna’s sides, sending a rush of shivered pleasure through her body. “You feel like you could use a good meal.”

  “I’m starving.” A simple statement, and Elin would never know how true it was.

  “Come on, then,” Elin said. “I saw some fresh cuts on your back when we were bathing. I want to look at those when we get to camp, okay?”

  Anna followed the chattering redhead with a dazed smile on her face. For the first time since Garrett had drawn his last breath—perhaps for the first time since the attack last year—she felt a tingling of something deep in her belly. It was a feeling she thought she’d never know again. It was hope.

  Chapter Two

  Kael was lounging in front of a crackling fire when they got back to camp. He leaned against a log, long legs stretched out in front of him and lean, muscled arms folded across his chest. Tearing his intense gaze away from the flames, he gave them a friendly nod. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

  Now that she was out of danger and had seen the depth of Elin’s love for Kael in her bright hazel eyes, Anna studied him as if for the first time. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, he was an attractive guy.

  His face was smooth and defined, almost beautiful, even despite the darkness he exuded.

  “Two rabbits!” Elin’s exclamation pulled Anna’s attention to the fire, where two skinned rabbits cooked on spits. “You’ve been busy.”

  “It’s not every day we have a dinner guest.”

  Elin strode over to a pile of supplies and searched through a duffel bag. “Anna, here’s that shirt I promised.”

  Anna accepted the T-shirt with a shy nod. It looked like it would fit. She glanced over her shoulder into the woods.

  “Kael, turn your head.”

  Anna’s cheeks flushed in embarrassed horror at Elin’s command. “No, I…I can just—”

  “No, you can stay right there. Kael will look away.”

  “Sure,” he said, and faced away from Anna.

  Elin also averted her eyes, though Anna wasn’t nearly as self-conscious with her as she had been before their naked swim. She moved quickly, eager to release her hosts from their forced inattention.

  “We’ll have to figure something out,” Elin said once Anna had pulled on the T-shirt and given the okay. She gave Kael a meaningful look. “She doesn’t have any supplies. She lost everything after she was attacked about a week ago.”

  “Attacked?” His eyes were full of concern. “Are you hurt?”

  Anna was touched by the change in his demeanor and understood the underlying question. “Just some cuts and bruises, and I think my ankle’s sprained. I was lucky to get away.”

  Kael held her gaze for a few moments. “Elin’s a wonderful healer. She’ll see to your injuries.”

  “Yes, she told me she’ll be taking a look at them after dinner.” Anna glanced over at Elin and blushed when she saw her smoothing out two sleeping bags that had been zipped together to make a double bed.

  “We can unzip these and give you one,” the lovely redhead said. “Kael has an extra blanket we can use, and next time we have the chance, we’ll find something you can use to sleep. We’ll also get you new clothes.”

  Anna blinked rapidly at Elin’s words and the promise in them. She peeked over at Kael, who had a similarly stunned look on his face.

  Elin gave him a beatific smile. “Right, Kael?”

  Anna watched an entire conversation unfold in their shared gaze. She shifted where she stood, almost uncomfortable at the intimacy of the exchange. After a long moment, Kael and Elin both wore smiles that spoke of a mutual understanding.

  “Right,” Kael rumbled. Without a word to Anna, he looked back at the fire. “Rabbits are done.”

  Anna couldn’t sleep. Lying on her side in Elin’s thick sleeping bag, she stared out at the shadowy forest that surrounded their campsite. Despite her utter exhaustion, she couldn’t turn her brain off.

  Maybe I should sneak away while they’re sleeping. She wiped at the dampness under one eye with the fingers that lay curled near her face. I may have
nowhere else to go, but I’m not sure I should stay here.

  Kael didn’t want her. She saw it in his eyes, though he treated her with quiet respect. He didn’t trust her, and she couldn’t blame him a bit. She didn’t trust him, either. But Elin wanted her to stay. And suddenly that was what Anna wanted, deep down, so badly it hurt. Thinking about leaving Elin so soon after finding her made her chest ache. To have that light in her life when she’d been so certain that there was nothing but darkness in a future without Garrett…she sighed and eased onto her back. It would be amazing.

  If she stayed, she would just have to deal with Kael. And how bad could he be? If a woman like Elin loved him, was there any reason for Anna not to trust him? Her body tensed at the thought, and it took some deep breathing to relax again. Not all men are bad men.

  She couldn’t leave. She had nothing and no one. Twenty-four hours ago, she had been wondering why she was still alive. Since then, she’d been held by the most beautiful woman she’d ever met, and made to feel cared for. It was as good a reason to live as any. And she didn’t really want to die.

  So I’ll learn to live with Kael, for now. And who knows? Maybe he can teach me how to fight like him.

  Decision made, she relaxed. Just as she began to drift to sleep, she was pulled back to awareness by a whispered conversation across the campfire. Cracking one eyelid open, she spotted Elin propped up on her side, leaning over Kael and murmuring under her breath. A moment later, the low sound of Kael’s quiet voice floated through the air.

  She wondered if they were talking about her. I’m not causing tension between them, am I?

  Unable to rein in her curiosity, she peeked over with half-closed eyes. She couldn’t hear their words, but she could see Elin smiling down on Kael as she spoke. At first his demeanor was distant, reserved, but soon he began to run his fingers through her red hair as they spoke. Then they were chuckling quietly, Elin wearing a wide grin and Kael nodding his head with a peaceful smile.

  He doesn’t seem too upset. Anna didn’t dare move and kept her breathing deep and even. Seeing Kael unguarded like this, interacting with Elin, she felt her anxiety about him ease even further. She must be one hell of a communicator. He almost looks happy. Anna studied their tender looks and touches. I hope she’s convincing him that I’m not so bad, after all.