Fiery Passion

She clutches her wrist and I cover my mouth.

"I'm sorry, I forgot." I remove myself from under her and walk to the front of Tula's house. My cheeks are flaring but I hope it is not noticeable.

I open the door and wait for Mila to walk in behind me before closing it.

"Just a second, I am just finishing up with Elias." Tula barely looks at us and she hands him some herbs in a small wooden box. "This should take care of those headaches for now. Once I get some more, I will bring them to you."

Elias bows and thanks her. He comes up to me and bows as well, I follow his lead.

"Are you alright?" I ask him, concerned that he is not feeling well.

He smiles and nods. He then looks concerned and makes a move to touch my bruised lip. Before he gets too close, he looks behind me and his hand drops.

Mila stands close enough that I can feel her body heat radiate onto me.

"Mila." He greets her without a smile and walks out. I watch the door close behind him.

"What happened to you two?" Tula finally gets a good look at us and guides us to the table. I decide to sit across from Mila, trying to put some distance between us. I like being close to her, which is not good. "Mila, I told you not to be overbearing. If Corine does not want to be courted, you have to be sweet and change her mind the traditional way." Tula smiles in jest.

My eyes widen and I see Mila shift uncomfortably. I have rarely seen her show any other emotions besides anger before. My heart does a flip at the thought of Mila trying to pursue me. Would I be able to turn her away like I have done with the others?

"She got hurt at my training session this morning, Aunt Tula." Mila clarifies.

"And you?" Tula points to Mila's limp wrist.

"Somi is getting better at hand to hand combat."

Tula's face looks like she wants to question Mila but shrugs instead. She attempts to help Mila first but Mila asks her to tend to my face first.

As Tula moves my face up and touches my lip, I shrink back against the pain. Mila shifts in her seat and my eyes look at her. She is staring intensely at me. I shift my gaze away.

She clicks her tongue and shakes her head. "Who would hurt you like that on your first day?"

"Ziki." I wince again as she cleans the dry blood from my lips.

Tula shifts and raises her eyebrow at Mila. "Since when does Ziki go to your training sessions?"

Mila shrugs.

"Well, you are going to heal just fine, Corine." She rubs some cream on it and goes to Mila. "It will only slightly bruise."

I get up. "I guess I am good to go back to the training session then?"

Mila tries to stand but Tula holds her back. "You are not going back, I told you." Mila grunts against the pain on her wrist.

"The only way I am going to get better is if I keep training." I control my anger. I feel it building in my chest. Does my presence there really bother her to the point that she asks me never to go back? Is it really unbearable for her to be nice to me for once in her life?

"She is right. She must go back." Tula looks proud of me.

"I will train you myself. One on one." Mila looks away from me and allows Tula to wrap her wrist.

"But-"

"That is final." Mila doesn't look at me.

I leave the house in anger.

~~~

The next morning, I am deep in thought as I wash my hair in the bath house. I am tossing around ideas in my head to get out of training with Mila. Training in a group with others is what I want to do. I do not want any more alone time with her than she does.

The door to the bathhouse opens and I freeze in place. The sun is not even up yet, no one is ever up at this hour. I turn to look at who it is, I at least know it is a woman.

Mila walks in. Her wrist is wrapped and she has it clutched to her stomach. She is wearing the light toned fur again. For once she does not look upset to see me. She actually looks hesitant.

I want to run and hide. Cover myself up from her hungry gaze but I force myself to finish washing my hair as if she is not in here. My eyes never leave her. I watch as she runs her gaze from my wet hair down my neck, lingering on my breasts and slowly looking in between my legs. My cheeks flush and the air leave my lungs. The delicious heat that only she can make me feel settles deep in my gut. I turn away, catching my breath. No matter how brave I pretend to be, the feelings she evokes will always scare me to death.

I put the bowl that I used to wash my hair down and turn back to look at her. She is walking towards me. She stops a little before reaching me and frowns.

Very slowly she takes one final step so that she is inches away from me. With her free hand she runs her fingers along my bruised jaw and clicks her tongue. "Does it hurt?" Her voice is low.

I shake my head. Nothing can hurt me at the moment. My heart beats at a quick rate. It is hard to ignore the hunger in her eyes. She leans in. I expect her to kiss me but she doesn't. When I give her a questioning look, she sighs.

"May I kiss you? Please?" She waits for my answer.

My eyes widen. "Do I have a choice?" She has never asked before. Not that I have minded in the least.

She looks concerned. But then the corner of her mouth quirks up and I am left breathless again. Gone is the angry cloud that is always hovering over her. Her dark eyes are smoldering. Nothing like the first time she looked at me. I suck in a deep breath, afraid I will swoon is she was to actually smile.

"If you want to kiss me, I will not stop you." She turns the tables on me.

I do not hesitate. Getting on the balls of my feet I kiss her as quickly as I can. Her fingers dig into my wet hair and she groans. The heat radiating in between my legs leaves me weak at the knees and I pull back, breathing even harder.

She steps back but leaves her hand in my hair. She runs a thumb across my lips.

Why is she being nice? I want to ask her but I do not want to ruin the moment. I do not want her to stop staring at me the way she is right now.

"I was just coming to tell you that our training session will have to wait until next week. My wrist should be better by then." She drops her hand and puts even more space between us.

I turn to where my fur is located and put it on, trying to ignore her eyes on me.

"Is there anything I can do?" I walk closer to her, relieved she does not move away when I brush my hand against her wrapped wrist.

She shakes her head. "As long as I do not use it, time will heal it."

I nod and gather my soap and the comb that Kat let me borrow.

"I will be going hunting tomorrow." She says after a while.

"I thought you were not going to do anything until your hand gets better."

Her lip moves up slightly. My heart flips again. "I help them track, that does not really require me to use both hands."

I nod, unsure of what to say.

"I will be gone for a couple of days." Her eyes turn serious. "I need you to promise you will stay out of trouble."

I frown. Is that why she is being sweet? To persuade me into being obedient and not trying to escape and go back home?

Home. I have not really thought about it as much as I did before. I feel the guilt clawing its way into my conscience. My parents, what do they think of me now?

"Corine," Hearing her say my name turns my insides into mush.

"I will stay out of trouble." I am still frowning but I cannot deny her anything when she says my name like that. "Does that mean I can call you Mila now?" I try it out against my lips.

Her frown deepens but she rewards me with another passionate kiss.

She leaves before I can say anything else.

~~~

That afternoon I am in the woods picking berries from a bush, Kat and Beatrice have finished long ago. If I was not so distracted from my morning encounter with Mila I would have been done earlier too.

"I am only going to tell you this once," Ziki's voice comes from behind me.

I turn in an instant, almost dropping my hard-earned berries.

"Mila, is engaged to me." She points at her chest. "I do not know what stupid ideas you might have floating around that thick head of yours but I will not warn you again. Stay away from Mila."

The news hits me like a ton of bricks. Why has this never been mentioned before?

"If Mila is expected to be with you then you should not worry about her trying to do anything with me." The blood rushes to my ears. The sincerity of her tone is gut wrenching. If this is true, then what has Mila been doing? Ziki's feelings toward me make more sense now. But I did not think anyone would have guessed there was anything going on between Mila and me. Even if I really wanted there to be, nothing was set in stone.

Ziki glares at me. "She hates your people. She will never look at you as anything other than an animal."

My eyes burn but I hold my gaze.

"Ziki." Mila's voice interrupts our discussion.

My stupid heart yearns at the sound of her voice.

Ziki spits in front of me and storms off.

Mila comes to stand in front of me and waits to make sure Ziki is gone before trying to reach out for me. I step back and control my breathing.

"Are you engaged to Ziki?" My voice is thick.

Mila folds her arms. "I was."

The knife in my heart twists even further. I gasp for air, holding my tears at bay. I cannot believe I allowed myself to imagine a future with Mila. To actually entertaining thoughts of leaving my past life behind and staying in this village, my new home. I did. I really let myself think of the silver chance that William will have forgotten about me and that my parents will mourn my loss and I will get to stay and be a member of the Morzan tribe for the rest of my life. All for Mila. And then I am reminded that I will never be one of them. I am still an outsider. They will never be able to look at me as one of their own. Mila will never acknowledge me as her own.

"And you hate me? Or you hate my people." I state the obvious.

She does not say anything.

"But that makes sense." I clear my throat. "I will eventually go back to my real life and never look back." I cover my gasp with a chuckle. The thought of leaving her almost brings me to my knees. But I do not know why I expected to build a life here. Why I ever thought I had finally found my peace. I hold on to the basket so hard I feel it digging into my palm. "I just do not understand why you have even touched me at all. What is the matter with you?"

I practically run away.

~~~

The following evening, we are having dinner at Tula's house. I thought the hunters would be back tonight, but that did not happen. My heart flutters at the thought of Mila being back from her hunting trip but then it plummets when I realize having her here is not going to change anything. Regardless of her hurtful words, or lack thereof, I would rather she was here. I am more at ease knowing she is here and not out there where there are dangerous animals. Not that I should worry, she has been doing this long enough to know how to stay safe. She has probably been doing it since she started trying to pursue Ziki. I sigh, hoping to exhale some of the pain.

She left without saying a word. All day yesterday and all day today I have been moping around, mourning. I have never had my eyes set on anyone. None of the boys in town caught my eye. And now I am glad. Having my heart in someone else's hand is too much to bear. It all happened so quickly, had I known this is where I would end up, I probably would have tried my hardest to leave here. She bewitched me.

Kat and Beatrice have tried to get me to open up to them but I do not want any pitiful glances thrown my way. No one told me to fall for Mila. I did this to myself. There is no one else to blame. I let myself think of a brighter and better future with her only to have it snatched and burned by Ziki.

Which is why my mind is made up.

Long after the sun has been set and the frogs start to croak, I gather the little belongings I have and give Beatrice's sleeping figure one last look. She has made her life here. She has found someone who will love her the way she is meant to be loved. She will never have to worry about tending to someone else other than her partner for the rest of her life. I place a note on my bed and quietly walk outside of the room. I hope she does not mind that I took her coins. I need some way to get home. With the little resolve I have left I move throughout the house soundlessly and shut the door behind me. I wish I could give Tula one last hug. She has come to be like a second mother to me. I will repay her for that somehow.

Wearing my old dress feels restrictive. So much has changed since I last wore it. It is not the same shade of white it once was. I also carry a small piece of fur with me to remind myself of this part of my life. I know I will never forget. By next week, everyone will have forgotten about me, I do not doubt that. The shoes on my feet feel uncomfortable but I remind myself this is just the beginning of my journey. I no longer feel afraid of what might be out there in the woods. The only person I fear is nowhere near our village. Where is she at this moment? My heart is so wretched I cannot imagine any physical pain that can compare to this. As I reach the outskirts of the village, I see someone come out from the woods. I hold my breath.

"I knew you were a coward." Ziki sounds pleased with herself.

I blow out a breath to control my anger. It would do no good to yell at her now. That is probably exactly what she wants.

"Here." She holds her hand out.

I stare at the coins in her palm.

"I never want to see your face around here again." Her dark eyes glint against the moonlight.

I move past her without a word. I know it is stupid to even think it but I hope she treats Mila well. I hope they make each other happy. I hope Mila does not hurt her the way she did with me.

~~~

The carriage moves much too slowly for me.

I stare at the gentleman across from me. He is staring out the window, deep in thought. He is an older gentleman who I met at the first inn I could stumbled into. I was practically crawling by the time I made it into the small building. Even after walking through those doors I thought for sure someone from the tribe would yank me back down to my reality. I must have looked dreadful by the time I sat down in the main room. The owner of the inn rushed to my side and ordered someone nearby to get me some water. Then this gentleman walked up to me and asked me questions about myself and how I ended up there. I was very discreet, leaving out anything that had to do with the Morzan tribe. I told those who were listening that we were robbed by highway bandits and I needed to get back home.

The older gentleman asked me where home was and he seemed to recognize exactly where I lived. He knew my father from when they were younger and had even visited a couple of times in the past, before I was born. He paid for me to stay in a separate room and offered to drive me home the next morning.

"Thank you, again." I whisper.

He looks away from the window and gives me a small smile. "Your father would do the same if the roles were reversed. By now they should have gotten word that you are on your way. I sent a letter last night."

I attempt to smile but I fail. Leaning my head back, I close my eyes. I was unable to sleep at all the night before. Thoughts of Mila running around in my head. Is she back from the hunting trip? Is she looking for me as we speak? Or will Ziki be there to comfort her? Will she need comforting? Probably not.

I finally allow myself to be lulled to sleep.

~~~

"Miss." I feel someone shake my arm.

I sit up, disoriented. After blinking a couple of times, I remember where I am and notice the carriage has stopped.

"We are here." The man steps out and holds his hand out for me.

I am nervous to leave the small carriage. It is much too bright outside. Flashbacks of that dreadful afternoon come back to my mind. The last time I was in a carriage my world was flipped upside down. That day was the small pebble that caused major ripples in my life. Life changing. What will my parents think? Will they accept me back with open arms? My hand is shaking as I reach out for his and finally step out.

Both of my parents are waiting out by the front steps, leaning against each other. My mother wails when she finally sees me and I rush to them. We hug each other for a very long time. I can finally breathe. I am here with them. In the back of my mind I know this does not feel like home. Being in their arms is familiar but there are new feelings within me that do now allow me to go back to the person I used to be. Only time will change that.

My mother finally pulls back, prompting my father to do the same.

"Come in and get something to eat, my dear. I will have Clarissa get your room ready." Her voice is quivering.

They exchange a look but I cannot read too much into it before my father turns to greet his friend.

~~~

I meet with my father and mother in the parlor that evening. I would rather stay in my room but they begged me to come down. I want to wallow. Begin my healing process. Anything to stop myself from feeling so empty. To fill my heart even though it feels vastly deserted.

Once we are all seated, both of them on the same couch and me on a chair across from them, we do not break the silence. It is taking all my strength not to cry in front of them. They look uneasy. A headache begins form in the middle of my forehead.

My father clears his throat. "How did you escape?"

I wring my fingers before speaking. "They trusted me enough to leave me alone." And I betrayed their trust again. I wish I could have at least told Tula why I was leaving. But Tula would not have let me go, she has grown to love me as much as she loves Kat and Beatrice. The letter I left on my bed explains my urge to leave. I know Beatrice will not share it with another soul. I bared myself. Pulled back every layer of my desperation to feel loved and my decision to leave the one I wanted until there was nothing left but my empty heart. I am weak. I cannot be in the same room, let alone the same village, as Mila knowing she loves someone else and hates me. My stupid heart wants to believe otherwise but she had her chance to speak to me and she did not.

"What did they do to you?" My mother seems to be holding her tears. She dabs the corner of her eyes with a thin cloth, catching her tears before they spill. She points to my hands, with her handkerchief, which are covered in small scrapes. She's wearing her evening dress that practically covers her from head to toe. It is odd seeing so much clothing on one person. Layers and layers of cloth that could be used for so much more.

I glance down at them. "Nothing. This is from when I was escaping through the woods." I lick my dry lips. I do not know how they will react to my next statement but they need to hear it. "They actually treated me like one of their own."

My father stands and walks to the fireplace. He turns towards his desk and reaches out to pull out a wooden box that holds his cigars. I watch as he lights one up and takes a couple of puffs.

My mother looks torn between wanting to be grateful that I am okay and hurt that I was taken from them.

"They are savages." His words are filled with disdain.

"They never hurt me." I jump at their defense. Even if Mila trampled my heart, none of them ever hurt me.

My father snaps his head in my direction. "They sent us a letter saying they would kill you if we did not do as they said."

I sit up straighter. "What?" That does not make sense. Why would they treat me like one of their own just to kill me? Would Tula really let them hurt me? No, that does not sound like something they would do. There had to be a misunderstanding.

"They used you to get to me." He takes a pull from his cigar. "They are savages." He repeats with more conviction.