His eyes had returned to a golden brown and he seemed amused when he grinned. “Those soldiers are lying just a dozen feet inside. You can climb with me or wait until the sun lowers. They’ll come out here to get you, if their master doesn’t first.”

She turned, staring at the hole he’d made in the timber. It scared her knowing those things were lying on the floor, just waiting for the sun to go down so they could move around again. She looked over the edge. It was at least a two hundred foot drop to a bunch of rocks and vegetation below.

“Shit.”

He chuckled. “I promised I’d get you out of there. I did. Now you can remain here or go with me to safety. Your choice.”

She pushed up, standing. Her legs felt shaky. He could have just left her there. She appreciated that he even offered to help her climb down. “This is so going to suck ass if I fall to my death after all this.” She wiped her hands on her shirt. “What do I do?”

He stepped closer, looking her over. “You’re totally helpless.”

There was that disgusted look that she was starting to hate seeing on his smug face. “I got you free. Don’t forget that. Please don’t leave me here. Is that better? Just tell me what to do. I don’t have shoes and rock climbing was never on my bucket list.”

He sighed. “I’ll have to carry you, rather than you climbing beside me. You’ll fall otherwise.”

She gritted her teeth. The guy could be an asshole. She took a deep breath and blew it out. “You don’t have to sound so disgusted.”

He surprised her when he grabbed her hips. She gasped, afraid his claws were going to puncture her. No pain came, though. Veso lifted her off her feet.

“Hold on and wrap tight around me. Understand?”

She hugged his broad shoulders. He was really warm. His hands shifted, getting a better hold on her.

“I said wrap around. That means your legs too.”

She lifted her legs and muffled a curse when he grabbed her ass with both hands, hiking her up his body more. It made her very aware that her shirt had lifted and she only wore underwear. He had her high enough that her thighs were just above the waist of the borrowed skirt he wore. It meant her pussy pressed against his belly, only a thin layer of cotton separating skin from skin. She adjusted her arms, wrapping them around his neck.

He tipped his head back, staring into her eyes. “Close your eyes and hold on. Do not scream or whimper. I need to focus on climbing. No distractions.”

“Got it.”

He let go of her ass and she tightened her grip so she didn’t slide down his torso. He reached up and cupped the back of her head, none too gently shoving it against his shoulder.

“And don’t move your head. I need to see.”

“Okay,” she muttered against his skin.

She stared over his shoulder as he turned and began to climb the boulder to his left, her right. Her back brushed rock but he was careful not to crush her. She squeezed her eyes closed when they started to move higher and away from the ledge. One glance down assured her they’d plummet to their deaths if he fell.

She’d gone from one terrifying experience to another kind of hell.

Veso dug his claws into the crack in the rock. It was a little painful with the extra burden of the woman but it could have been worse. She wasn’t too heavy and he was grateful for her smaller size. He normally liked to keep his chest closer to the surface when he climbed but she was in the way.

He reached up, finding another hold, and pulled, rising another twelve inches.

Glenda kept quiet, something he was grateful for. Her breathing against his neck tickled though. He hated being aware of the feel of her against him when he paused, looking for each handhold. She had soft thighs that were pressed against his sides. Her heels were dug into his ass muscles. The heat from her sex was noticeable too. It reminded him that he needed to get laid if a human was making him a bit horny.

He flexed his hand and dug his claws into another crevice. He blindly felt with his feet, finding a solid place to anchor with his toe claws. He pulled, staring up at what he hoped was the top about sixty feet above.

He distracted himself by plotting what his next move would be. The nest had at least one vehicle. They’d driven him to the mine. He’d woken when they’d dragged him out of the back of a truck. He’d have to steal it and figure out how far they’d taken him from VampLycan territory. It could have been a short ride or hours. The drugs they’d given him had kept him unconscious for an unknown duration of time. The view he’d seen from the ledge wasn’t of any familiar landmarks.

The woman would have to be dealt with after that. He’d find the nearest human dwelling, wipe her mind, and send her to their front door. He still needed to think of a cover story to replace her real memories. He remembered seeing a report on the news about how a human man had kidnapped a woman and stolen her to be his bride. He could tell her something similar, and that the male had been killed by falling over a cliff.

He chuckled, glancing over his shoulder. She probably feared falling herself, not knowing how well he could climb.

The sun rose higher, warming the rocks around him. Sweat began to bead on his skin and when he pulled them up another foot, the woman slipped a little down his body. Her hold around his neck tightened and she sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t speak.

He stifled a growl, realizing he couldn’t let go to reach down and adjust her higher up his body. He pushed her against the rock though to take a moment to rest. It made him acutely aware of her new position. Her sex was right over his groin.

His dick responded, and she obviously felt it too, because she sucked in another breath. He tried like hell to ignore the hard-on he sported. At least the tightness of the woman’s skirt kept his shaft from pressing too much against her body. That was the only highlight of the hellish experience. He reached up, finding another handhold.

“We’re almost there,” he informed her.

Glenda didn’t answer, and he grinned. She was either too terrified by his current aroused state or she was following his instructions. He didn’t like where that second thought led, wondering if she’d do anything he demanded. A few ideas came to mind that made his dick even harder.

I don’t fuck humans, he reminded himself.

It didn’t help. He imagined Glenda on her hands and knees in front of him. She was an attractive woman, for a human. Too small…but big enough.