Page 93 of Spar of Hearts

She trotted around the bend and found him kneeling beside a small fire. He looked up, flashing a smile that made her tail whip into a frenzy.

I hope you’re hungry, she said, letting the hare tumble from her jaws.

“Wow!” Roderick’s eyes lit up, just as she’d hoped. “I thought we’d be eating berries and moss for dinner.”

Not on my watch, Anya said. Although I’m not sure what to do from here. I don’t think you want to see me eat this raw. And I don’t know how to skin it.

The scene playing in her mind made her shudder. She imagined Roderick reeling back in horror as she dove into the hare like a true beast, blood staining her muzzle and teeth. And when she shifted back, it would still be there, and she’d be a sight to behold in all the wrong ways.

“As much as I would love to see the satisfaction in your eyes when you eat your kill warm, I am feeling a little greedy. And hungry. Make yourself bipedal and decent and I’ll teach you how to skin it. We’ll put those claws to work.”

Anya quickly rubbed her head under his chin, then darted back into the woods, thanking the Moon she couldn’t blush in this form. The chin rub felt second nature. His words made her so happy, she felt like she would explode if she didn’t show him. And there wasn’t a hint of sarcasm in those words. Did the idea of watching her munch on hare guts honestly please him? But of course, he was not unacquainted with gore.

She made her way to the tree where her tattered dress hung over a branch, then shifted, losing herself in the sensation of the night air on her bare skin. If she weren’t so tired, tonight would have been perfect for a romp under the stars.

Another time. At least once, before they had to return to Valeria. Who knows how long it would be before she could do it again after that.

She loosened the bodice on her dress, then slipped it over her head.

Roderick could get the ties for her.

On two legs, she finally noticed the respectable shelter Roderick had built. The four pieces of log and several large branches were positioned as a lean-to, and covered in thick fir tree boughs dotted with pink buds.

Roderick sat on a log in front of the structure, his legs wide and relaxed as he admired the hare, running his hands over its snowy fur. The flickering firelight reflected Roderick’s disheveled red hair. He perked up as she approached.

“Sit here.” He leaned over and patted a bed of fir boughs spread in front of him. Against all ladylike intuition, Anya settled between his knees and crossed her legs. The fire instantly warmed her, just slightly too much, but in an invigorating, bracing way that made her feel alive. Roderick tied the threads of her bodice without her even asking.

She’d never sat by a fire like this before. Even on the last night of their voyage on the Centarian mission, she’d hung around the baluster, away from the center of the festivities and any potential wild behavior that might have come with it.

Roderick brought his face next to hers, then placed the hare in her claws.

His hands slid over hers. “Start with the knees and thighs,” he said softly, guiding her claws to the spots. “Make a circular incision on each side.”

Wolfish delight bloomed in her chest as her claws easily cut through fur and skin. She felt Roderick’s jaw tick up into a smile against her ears.

“That’s perfect. Now connect those two cuts from one hind foot to the other. Stay on the inside of the legs.” He took her hand and guided her finger along the path.

“What now?”

“Slip your fingers under the cuts and gently pull around. I’m confident your instincts know the rest.”

Anya did just that. In a minute, the rabbit was skinned up to the shoulders, revealing glistening meat striated with muscle and white sinew.

Roderick was right. The more she leaned into her instinct, the easier it got. She went straight to work separating the front and hindquarters, taking care not to puncture the gut.

“I did it!” Anya smiled ear to ear and held up the pieces.

“You astound me, Anya. Star charting, sword fighting, and now top-notch butchering. You’re a jack of all trades.”

Warmth rushed to her face as he pressed a kiss to her cheek, then stood with a grunt.

“I’ve got the perfect sticks for this.” He paused and barked a laugh. “Ha! You’d think me a bird trying to impress its mate.”

If you are…

It’s working.

Chapter 32