Noir
Chapter 18

Hours later, the sweltering heat bore down on me, causing sweat to trickle down my forehead. Frustration weighed heavily on my chest, making my breaths labored. As I stared at Noir, I couldn't help but marvel at his audacity; the man must have balls the size of the state of Nebraska. The relentless desire for a bath consumed me, my body craving relief from the sticky, itchy sensation that clung to my skin. The overpowering scent of sweat mingled with dirt permeated through my clothes, assaulting my senses. Just a short distance away from our campsite, a shallow creek beckoned to me, its gentle babbling offering relief to my crawling skin.

With an exasperated stomp of my foot, I locked eyes with Noir. "Damn it, I reek, and I need a bath. I don't need you or anyone else babysitting me while I take one. It's embarrassingly humiliating. Besides, you assured me we had lost whoever was following us!"

Noir, who had turned his back to me and was scanning the trees, glanced over his shoulder, his eyes icy, before returning to his surveillance. Fueled by a sense of righteous indignation over what I perceived as unfair treatment, I rose from the fallen log where I had angrily plopped down. Eton and Thorin had not yet returned from their exploration deeper within the jungle, so I knew I was safe from their trying to stop me. With a clear path before me, devoid of any obstacles that could trip me, the only true obstacle to my plans stood in front of me.

Noir had seemed completely engrossed in his task, his furrowed brows and intense focus evident as I cautiously made my way towards my tent. The sound of my footsteps barely made a whisper against the forest floor. Reaching the tent's entrance, I gently slid the flap aside, the fabric brushing against my fingertips. As I crawled inside, a musty scent filled my nostrils, mingling with the scent of the outdoors.

Feeling a sense of relief, I began gathering the necessary supplies, my hand reaching out to grasp a bar of soap. However, my moment of tranquility was abruptly shattered as I felt a sudden weight encircle my ankles. Iron shackles tightened around my skin, sending a jolt of discomfort through my body. Without warning, I was forcefully pulled backwards, my stomach skimming the ground, until I found myself flat on my back, glaring up at Noir.

His dark, furrowed brows formed a menacing exclamation mark across his forehead, his gaze filled with a mixture of anger and determination. With a swift, fluid motion, I jerked myself into a sitting position, kicking away the hands that held me captive. Rising to my feet, I stood face to face with Noir, my heart racing with defiance.

Through gritted teeth, I spat out my words, the tension palpable in the air. "Never manhandle me again, and let's get something straight here and now... if you want me to refrain from doing something, try asking!"

Noir's response was immediate and fierce, his voice roaring in defiance. "I'm not asking, I'm telling you. You're not taking a bath without supervision."

His eyes continued to burn with anger as he glanced down at the scattered items on the ground, his voice dripping with disdain. "Stop acting like a sniveling brat, for Christ's sake!"

I stared back at him, my own anger boiling within me. Through clenched teeth, I snarled my defiance. "Make me!" With those words, I turned and crawled back towards the safety of my tent.

From behind me, I heard a low grunt. Before I could react, I was forcefully jerked back through the flaps, the rough fabric scraping against my skin. My heart pounded in my chest as I was lifted into the air, my body weightless, as Noir effortlessly threw me over his shoulder. An incensed hiss escaped my lips as I growled, "Put me down, now!" I demanded, my voice laced with frustration.

In response, Noir sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Try and make me!" he taunted, before turning and striding away, with me precariously perched on his shoulder. The thick foliage of the jungle surrounded us, the leaves brushing against my face as I struggled to maintain my balance. I clenched my jaws tightly, grinding my teeth in a futile attempt to suppress the torrent of words building within me.

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But resistance proved futile, as the words burst forth uncontrollably. Several yards into the dense growth of trees, Noir abruptly halted, causing me to sway dangerously. In one swift motion, he leaned forward, deliberately dropping me like a lifeless sack. The impact of my rear-end meeting the jungle floor sent a sharp jolt of pain through my body, causing me to gasp in agony.

"You...you slimy sleaze ball, gutter rat..." I began my rant, but my words faded into nothingness as the trees around us started to tremble. The rustling leaves and snapping branches created a cacophony of noise that made my heart race with alarm. I sucked in a startled breath, my senses on high alert, as Eton and Thorin burst through the foliage. Their presence exuded a threatening aura, his eyes scanning the surroundings, they searched for the source of the danger. Realizing that it was only Noir and me, Eton's gaze locked onto Noir's figure. He quickly assessed the situation, his features growing darker with anger. He glared at Noir, his voice filled with fury as he barked, "What the hell did you do to her, Noir?"

Noir visibly stiffened. Before eyes narrowing, he snapped, "Excuse me?"

Ignoring the low warning tone of Noir's voice, Eton continued shooting a look at him that, aimed at a lesser man, would have brought him to his knees in fear. Then, slowly returning his gaze to me, he reached out and helped me to my feet before hissing, "Hell, Noir, can't you just lay off her for one second?"

Glowering in Eton's and my direction, Noir snorted then turned and walked several feet away, peering out into the darkness of the jungle, then his voice carrying to us like a whiplash he snarled, "I'd advise you Eton to get the hell out of my sight!"

Glaring at Noir's back, a snarl curling up the edges of his lips and without removing his eyes from Noir's back, Eton hissed, "and why, pray tell, should I do that?"

Before I could comprehend what was about to occur, Noir was standing before Eton and reaching out, he grabbed him by the shirtfront, lifting him off the ground as he snarled, "Really? You really wanna go there?"

Eton's chest visibly puffed in a defensive manner. Then, face turning nearly molten red in his anger, he doubled his fist and made to swing in Noir's direction. However, contact between flesh and fist never came about, as suddenly Eton was flying backwards through the air. Landing some ten yards away, he skidded backwards on his haunches for several seconds before he came to a stop, then making to surge to his feet he stilled, motionless, as Noir snarled, "I wouldn't if I were you!"

For several seconds longer Eton glared up at Noir, the tension between them rapidly escalating with each second that passed into something that was going south in a hurry, then shaking his head, Eton gained his feet and without a word or a backward glance at either of us, turned and stalked off in the direction of the camp.

Feeling indignation on Eton's behalf, I hissed, "What is the matter with you?"

Noir, after gazing for several more seconds at Eton's departing figure, brows drawn tightly above his eyes, turned and shifting his gaze towards me, penned me beneath his regard as he snarled, "None of your fucking business!" Reaching out, I slapped him, then turning, I ran, ignoring him, as he shouted my name.