The Choosing by Annabelle Jacobs Read Free Book Online Page B

offers it to Serim and she does the same. There’s no telling when they might find more drinking water, so they need to conserve what little they have.
    Jerath’s stomach grumbles loudly and, for the first time since they left the lake, Serim laughs at him.
    “Why don’t you start a small fire and we can cook a couple of those fish?” She waves at the bag by his feet and Jerath nods. His stomach growls even louder with the promise of actual food.
    It doesn’t take him long to strip some branches and get a fire going. They have limited supplies with them, but as Jerath sits and stares into the surrounding dark of the forest, he’s beyond grateful that he brought his knife. Serim has claws and teeth to protect herself, but Jerath only has his hands otherwise.
    Jerath keeps the fire small. He’d love nothing more than to pile it high with the dried branches they’ve collected and bask beside the glowing warmth, but they can’t afford to attract attention. Especially not in the dark, when they can’t see. The fire is big enough to cook the fish, though, and provide a little bit of heat.
    They both sit huddled around the flames, watching the fish roast with agonizing slowness. Jerath has his arm around Serim, her body a comforting warmth at his side.
    “What do you think they want with them?” she asks.
    “The rest of the villagers or those they took?”
    “Both.”
    Jerath sucks in a breath. He’s been trying really hard not to think about this, but there’s really only one reason to take young men from a village and march them away to who knows where. “The men will probably be used as slave labor, I guess.” From what Jerath had seen, there were no women among the prisoners. “But I have no idea why they’re still in the village.”
    Serim shudders and sighs. “You know how slaves get treated, Jerath.”
    “Yeah.” The odd escaped slave has come to their village over the years. None of them had been shifters, but Jerath remembers them all as being thin and badly beaten. He has no idea where they came from because none of them ever wanted to say. Jerath just assumes they were still terrified of their captors, and no one ever pushed for information. The elders try to heal them as best they can, but sometimes even that’s not enough. “I know.”
    Serim falls silent after that and Jerath is grateful; he really doesn’t want to dwell on what might be happening to the people of his village. It will be hard enough for him and Serim to make the trip south as it is—they only have the clothes on their backs and barely any supplies. They can’t afford to worry about everyone else too.
    The fish is surprisingly good, despite its lack of seasoning or accompaniments. That’s probably due to the fact they were both starving, but Jerath isn’t complaining either way. His full belly has made him sleepy, and he yawns and stretches before inspecting the ground for somewhere to bed down. The options are limited. Jerath looks longingly at the fire. It’s going to get cold tonight, and the meager flames aren’t nearly enough to keep them both warm.
    He can feel Serim watching him, and she abruptly stands and starts to peel off her clothes.
    “Um… Serim?” She ignores him and carries on undressing. “What are you doing?” Jerath moves nervously, his mind full of naked bodies snuggling together for warmth. He’s cold but he’s not sure he’s ready for that. Especially with the way he’s been waking up in the night recently. Serim doesn’t need to see him after one of his dreams, let alone be lying naked next to him. Jerath flushes at the thought.
    Serim’s soft laughter brings him out of his internal panic. “Relax, Jerath. I know what you’re thinking.” She folds her clothes and places them carefully on the rocks behind them. Jerath quickly lowers his eyes. “I just think it’ll be safer if I shift. I’ll be much more aware of our surroundings while we sleep and I can keep us both warm with all my