Nothing sexual. I’ll think of something.

Your answer doesn’t seem to surprise them, but they take it anyway. Mikko and her sister return to their banter once they realize you don’t have anything for them.

Arabella stretches and throws herself in the bed, burying herself in the sheets and covers to sleep, wishing you well as you grab the gear they just recently set. On your way out, you tell them not to worry about how long you could be gone, but if it stretches into November, they should probably take what they can and scatter, which gives you roughly two weeks to return before they’re allowed to be drastic.

When you meet up with Delilah, she’s dressed like she’s done this a hundred times before; hunting in cold weather. Tapered jeans, red/yellow Baja jacket, and a rucksack over her shoulders. Her leather boots are secured by a buckle rather than laces or zippers, giving her a very adventurous appearance.

Delilah gives you a smile and winks. Her hair is styled away from her face but gives her regular choppy appearance a much more tailored aesthetic. You approach her and spread your arms.

“Looking sharp, Schulz.” Delilah smiles at your comment and then darts her gaze at your rifles. Your regular Mauser rubs against another gun. Something more American-made and short-barreled…relatively at least. “You’re taking my spare. I haven’t used it yet, but she’s handsome.”

“You reference your guns as girls? And still call them handsome?” Delilah inquires.

You pause and squint. “I guess I always have. I’d rather be holding onto a girl every day than a guy. And…well…Look at it. She’s a real piece of work here.”

Delilah examined the rifle. A 1903 Springfield rifle, American-made. It has gone through a lot of work to keep it up to speck: a new barrel, blued metal, and new stock. “All my guns were boys, so it made sense when I called them handsome.”

You roll your eyes and hand her the smaller rucksack. Delilah takes it and follows you out. Cold air meets your face as you step out. It’s only a little afternoon, but you figure you should have started your adventure sooner rather than later since you’ll have to make it to the Sage Lodge again and settle in. It’s a free and safe place to stay, and it isn’t all that distant from the location of the bounty…Not to mention, you’ll be staying there with Delilah!

As you walk down the road leading to the lodge, Delilah talks about her past, especially when she had gone hunting with her brother or her dad, apparently enjoying every moment of it since it was the only time she could recall that was good with her family. However, the conversation trails off quickly when you ask about her background.

Delilah holds her stomach and lets out a little moan as soon as the lodge comes into view. “I’m a little hungry, by the way. Does this place have any, like, sandwiches or something?.”

Since you didn’t exactly eat either, you could relate to Delilah’s slight complaint. Truth be told, you didn’t eat a lot when you thought you’d be able to just eat at the Sage Lodge, where Sullivan and the rest of his staff could feed you. You remember him offering you complimentary stays and free breakfast, but you wondered if that would also extend to Delilah, who wasn’t even a contractor.

“I’ll get us something to eat, regardless if they don’t have sandwiches or not.”

Delilah hums behind you. As you walk down the road, you feel her gaze fixate on your back. “I know you’ll take care of me, no matter what.”

The amount of faith your girlfriend puts in you flatters you. She definitely looks more mature when she’s outside of her dress and in her “hunting” clothes. Especially when she’s hauling one of your rifles around, she catches your gaze and knits her eyebrows at you. “You’re fine. Keep going.”

Just like the first time you were here, the place is empty. Despite the weather being ironically warmer this time around, it’s a little colder inside. Delilah walks past you and looks around, slinging the rifle over her shoulder as she scans the lobby. “It’s pretty in here.”

“We try to keep it organized here,” someone said. Delilah spun to meet the voice, but you knew it was Sullivan. He was looking at Delilah at first, but when he saw you, he smiled. “And protected.”

Delilah shifts her weight and clears her throat. “I haven’t been here before. There’s nothing in this direction, but you keep it super maintained.” Her teal eyes dart to the furniture and pictures, taking in everything as she usually did.

Another person comes into view. It’s a little shorter girl than you with gray eyes and short, wavy ashen blonde hair. Your eyes meet briefly before she spots Delilah. She swallows and steps back, looking at Sullivan, and asks something that you’re too far to hear. He tells her something, and she looks at you.

“Well, fancy that,” the girl says. “I guess it’s good I decided to dust all the rooms with Lindsay today.”

“How much do we have to pay?” Delilah says, still scanning the room.

“Oh, it’s on the house,” Sullivan says. “We owe your friend there a few favors, so we’ll be happy to house and feed you for as long as you stay.”

Delilah looks back at you and nods approvingly, clearly unaware of how you obtained this pleasure. The new girl crosses her arms and leans against the doorpost, now looking at you. “Yeah, thanks for the help. I always assumed you bounty hunters were meatheads.”

Before you can open your mouth to say something, Delilah steps in. “He isn’t a bounty hunter. He’s a contractor. But that doesn’t make him any less lethal. Warren could rip your face off.”

“What’s the difference?” the girl knits her brows, now curious about your character. “I also assumed contractors and bounty hunters were the same things.”

Delilah tries to say something, but Sullivan cuts in. “Emmalyn, there will be plenty of time to learn about our guests once we have them settled in for the night. In the meantime, why don’t you and Lindsay prepare a meal?”

Emmalyn looks at Sullivan and pushes off the doorpost. “Oh, yeah, I can get her and whip something up. I’m sure she’s dying to do something with herself right now.”

“Thanks,” you say, finally presented with an opportunity to do something rather than just standing there. “It’s fine if we have the same room, right?”

Sullivan smiles and nods, saying that would be preferred. Delilah shoots you a quick glance after that immediate confirmation, but you couldn’t quite read her expression in time.

The next few days are spent tracking the hell-spawn animal and talking to the person who listed the contract, who does an excellent job describing the beast you’re searching for. Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, you become empty, even with Delilah's help. Honestly speaking, Delilah has been a great addition to your team, as she manages to carry her weight throughout your search.

Luckily, the staff doesn’t seem to be bothered by your presence. Lindsay, the young girl from before, grows into a little-sister relationship with Delilah, and you get to know Emmalyn a bit better. Two other older gentlemen act as the “muscle” here but seem enthralled by their circle most of the time with Sullivan, but they’re also pleasant to talk to.

Delilah is enthralled with the experience, but you’re pretty sure it’s because she’s spending so much time with you. She’s much more of a cute housewife than you expected. She doesn’t try to **** sex or suggest doing anything naughty while unwinding after each hunt; she just coils around you and falls asleep once you get into bed. Then, of course, there’s the routine of her taking all the blankets in the middle of the night and the occasional kick and roll that interrupts your sleep, but all things considered, she’s herself, and that couldn’t make you happier.

One morning, you manage to wake up before Delilah. You guess she’s returning to a “lived-in” sleep schedule after three days. You swing your legs from the bed and rub your face. You look at Delilah, who has settled into a nest of pillows and blankets. You shiver before you stand up. The mornings were cold, and you were in nothing besides a T-shirt and shorts– nothing to keep the cold away. You prepare for the day and then go to the lodge’s lobby and sit on one of the couches. The sky above you is dark with a slight discolor of blue—everything below is in vague dark shapes. The buildings where you found Arabella are just basic squares, the field and trees are the same color. The interior is quiet and filled with your morning thoughts.

While you zone out, a singular voice breaks the silence you were growing accustomed to. “How long have you been there?”

Your heart leaps, but your body doesn’t move an inch. Instead, you drag your eyes over to where the voice is. You spot Emmalyn, also on a couch, but a few feet away from you. She’s in dark jeans and a pullover. It’s hard to tell the colors, but you can easily spot her ashen hair and cool-colored eyes.

You weren’t sure how you missed her when you stepped into the lobby, but you’re happy that you didn’t scare her. You’re also glad you didn’t jump or make her think you were easily scared. She might’ve teased you or made several attempts to apologize.

”Not long,” you begin. “Just had time for myself. How long have you been there? Didn’t even see you when I came in.”

“Since last night,” Emmalyn says. “I fell asleep next to the fireplace.” She gestures to the now cold pit in the wall.

“At least you came prepared,” you point at the blanket she’s under. She gives a small smile and brushes her hair back with her fingers extended.

“I knew there was a chance,” Emmalyn looks outside and frowns, her eyes drifting to the floor before she lets out a long yawn.

You’re unsure how to follow up, so you keep to yourself until you catch her looking at you. She quickly looks away, but you still put a voice behind your question. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Emmalyn says. “I just figured you contractors would be, uh, rougher, I guess? You seem controlled, though. Human and grounded.”

“Well, I try to be.”

Your mind runs into a wall, only recalling how ungrounded you have been with Delilah since you had become intimate with her. A sigh leaves your mouth. “Sometimes not that reliable, though.”

“You fail contracts often?” Emmalyn asks.

“On other matters. Contracts, not so much.”

“Oh,” she leans into the couch and begins to slouch. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m pretty good at my job, but I have a super unbalanced life outside of it.”

It doesn’t, but her effort is appreciated. You humor Emmalyn by asking her a follow-up question. “How so?”

“It’s a mess of things,” she sighs. “I don’t want to trouble you needlessly with my personal matters.”

The sun begins to brighten the sky. A distant pink starts to bleed into the slate gray color that once ran superior above. Details come from the landscape, and unsettled shades of green start to form from the trees. Emmalyn’s nose whistles every so often as she breathes, breaking the silence that would have made this moment relaxing.

“Fuck it,” she says. “My family were Christians, right? When I moved out to ‘go somewhere,’ I held onto what they taught me, but I curse, swear, and admittedly lust every once in a while. I know it isn’t what I should be feeling, but I seldom fight or go against it. I just let it build and build and let it change the person I was when I left.”

Emmalyn breathed in, her nose whistling again before she continued. “They were never super religious or did anything to control me, but I felt like a weirdo when I broke away from my stomping grounds and met different people. Everything out here is so much different from where I grew up. Contractors have so much freedom in how they live life. I bet you’ve never had to change who you were to fit in or anything.”

She scoffs. “If it wasn’t for Sullivan and his lodge, I don’t even want to know what I’d be doing this far north to get by.”

You shift your weight awkwardly on the couch. You kind of wished she would have just stayed asleep.

“I’m not a therapist,” you manage. “But if you have conflicting thoughts about your decisions, perhaps you should just stick to what your parents taught you.”

“Easier said than done, Warren.”

“Yeah, I know…but even doing what you think is best when you're alone might help you maintain yourself, yeah?” You offer her.

“What if I don’t want to do that?”