Much Needed Safety
Talia.
The growling of my empty stomach drowned out any other thoughts as the tantalizing scent of cooking food wafted from the cabin. Hunger clawed at my insides with palpable ferocity - funny how I'd barely registered it until this moment, despite however long it had been since my last meal.
"Rubes must have raided the stocked supplies," I muttered, lengthening my stride. If nothing else, my little sister's appetite remained intact and hearty.
I pushed through the creaky cabin door to find Ruby puttering around the ramshackle kitchenette area. Pots and pans steamed atop the ancient cast-iron stove, filling the small space with a heady aroma of spices and seared meat. For one surreal beat, the cozy domesticity of it all nearly broke me.
Ruby glanced over her shoulder and quirked an eyebrow at my dumbstruck expression. "Well? You just gonna lurk there and drool, or are you gonna grab a plate before I get territorial?"