SEALs of Honor: Markus by Dale Mayer Read Free Book Online Page A

for every day I have.”
    Markus nodded slowly, then reached around to his pack. “I don’t have much but I do have a protein bar, if that appeals.”
    “The packaging appeals I’m so hungry,” she whispered in delight. “I can’t get full and when I do, I’m hungry within an hour again.” She accepted the small bar and ripped it open, taking a bite immediately. It didn’t taste the best, but it was food and she needed that.
    “You’ve placed a lot of demands on your body. Healing is hard, and if you lost muscle then the body is working to do twice the work with only half the strength.” He lifted the collar on his jacket and pulled it around her neck tighter. “Let’s get you back. With any luck, you might still sleep in a real bed for the rest of the night and have a big breakfast in the morning – or noon depending on when you wake up.” He motioned at her to step forward but she shook her head. “I need to finish the bar first.”
    The bar was done in just a few bites and with her mouth lamenting the loss of food and her stomach resigned to accepting the little bit it received, she stepped out expecting him to follow.
    Her arm was grabbed gently. She turned to stare at him, one eyebrow raised.
    “This way,” he said and motioned to the opposite direction.
    She sighed. “Figures.”
    *
    Her skin was so pale. He’d seen dead people with more color. And her hands were icy. He worried about hypothermia, but she was moving along at a decent clip. Although he felt it was bravado without substance. That her energy would fail quickly, and she’d be unable to keep on her own two feet. He studied the sky. The rain held at a light drizzle, but the moon hid behind clouds and the air was heavy. A storm was brewing. And would likely dump on them before too long.
    He could hole up and let the ugly weather pass. He figured they were eight miles out. She wasn’t going to make it.
    He could carry her. She didn’t weigh more than a hundred and ten pounds, maybe one-fifteen max. But it would be hard on her. Likely painful as she had no padding to cushion the jostling.
    She came to a sudden stop. Alerted, he stepped up beside her, put his hand on the small of her back. Bushes moved in front of her. He tucked her behind him and blended the two of them into the trees. The woods were alive. To the four-legged animals of the world, this was their time. He respected that. As long as they left them alone, he’d leave them alone.
    He watched a wolverine slowly trundle forward and disappear into the rough grasses heading toward the water. He smiled. Now that was one predator he’d like to avoid. They were in a class all alone.
    “So beautiful,” Bree whispered behind him.
    “And one of the most dangerous animals out there,” he responded in a low voice. “But he’s entitled to live his life too.”
    “Thank you,” she said, reaching out to squeeze his hand then released it.
    He started and turned to look down at her. “For what?”
    “For being kind to all creatures.”
    He smiled. “I’m always kind to everyone and everything.”
    She tilted her face to look up at him. He felt her gaze as it touched on his face and locked there as if assessing the truth of his statement. Assessing his character. A glance that danced across his cheekbones, his chin, then up to his eyes. He waited, trust was a big issue here. He needed her to follow his orders as he gave them. Then she did something that charmed him. She reached up and stroked the worry lines at the corner of his eyes.
    “It’s hard to lose someone you love, isn’t it.”
    He raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet, not making any attempt to hide it. Then he gave a clipped nod of his head. “It’s too damn hard sometimes.” He shook his head. Surely he hadn’t said that. “Come on, we have to move.”
    She smiled and clasped his hand. A hand he hadn’t realized he’d held out to her. And holding hands they walked slowly in the direction of the cabin.
    “I