Chapter 62: .•25.3•.

She was at a loss for words. Her cheeks burned so profusely now, not even sure how to react. Sure, it did bother her so very much, the fact that he'd just kind of staked his claim on her into a rather caveman-y way, but at the same time...it happened to excite her a little. This possessive side of him. That dark warning in his tone. She couldn't understand how or why, but it appealed to her. It made her want to lie on that grass and offer herself to him.

That thought scared her so much. So much that she quickly ripped herself free from his grip and turned around, right before stomping away from him once again.

She was tired. Her feet hurt so much. Her body too. And she was so damn hungry. So, so hungry. Her stomach ached from being empty all day. And her head spun. She just wanted to lie down and stay like that for a while. Rest.

"I'm hungry," she quietly complained. Letting her head rest against Nicholas' shoulder. He'd picked her up in his arms just a little while ago, after hours of pointless walking through that endless meadow. He was still moving though. So determined apparently to go on.

He blew out a sigh, as if the matter brought him so much displeasure.

"I can only give you my blood,"

Her nose immediately scrunched up at the sound of that, lightly shivering with revulsion.

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass,"

"Suit yourself," she felt his mild shrug, momentarily disrupting her peaceful rest. She shifted a little and ajusted her position once again, making herself more comfortable in his arms.

"How much more is this going to take?" She casually asked after a little while, her gaze raising to look up at him from her resting spot against his smooth pectoral.

"No idea," he simply answered, making her brows furrow. What?

"What do you mean 'no idea'?" She quickly asked, her hand resting against the middle of his chest as she sat up a little straighter.

"It means that we'll have to wait for the land to receive us," he cryptically replied, making the girl simply stare up at the side of his paint-smeared face for a moment. Obviously, she had absolutely no idea what that was supposed to mean. She didn't try to pretend that she'd understood either.

But she didn't try to pester him any further and laid her head again on his firm pectoral, casually staring up at him as he walked.

"I like your tattoos. They look nice," she said after a while, her gaze trailing over the beautifully drawn flower on his skin. It looked so incredibly realistic. The petals were such a vibrant red, contrasting with that natural-looking green that coloured the leaves.

"They're not tattoos," she felt his chest mildly vibrating against her palm as he uttered those words with such a flat and rather bored tone.

Her brows immediately rose at the sound of that.

"What? What are they then?"

"Markings. They're markings that represent the bond to my..." he trailed off, his gaze suddenly finding her own as he let it lower to her face. An odd and incredibly perplexed expression took over his features, staring down at her as if this was the first time that he was actually laying gaze upon her.

"What? To your what?" She curiously pressed him, noticing him blink as if snapping out of a trance before he resumed to looking where he was going.

"Doesn't matter," he tonelessly answered, a subtle hint of annoyance lacing his voice. The girl's brows knitted together with evident confusion but again, she didn't try to pester him any further. Whatever that was, it was pretty obvious that he didn't want to talk about it.

So she resumed to lying there in his arms, taking a moment to just rest and recharge. She was still feeling so incredibly hungry. And there were no fruit-bearing plants or trees around, at least from what she could see.

Her stomach was starting to cramp up so badly now, making small protesting sounds from time to time. It made her feel a little bit embarrassed.

She tried to move and adopt a slightly different position in hopes that it would quiet down, but unfortunately it didn't. She'd spent so many hours without food. And now her body was retaliating. She kept trying to sit a little differently. She even placed a hand over it to stop it from making such horrible sounds. It didn't work. It only kept on growling, angrily demanding sustenance. So she tried to move again and again, until Nicholas' rather annoyed growl suddenly made her freeze.

"Would you just stop being so fucking stubborn and let me give you my blood already?"

She blinked. Staring up at the side of his scowling face. And with a timid nod, she finally agreed.