Her shameless determination stirs a chuckle from me.
The truth is, I am possessive of Callum. If there is any lass sneaking in to see him afterward, it is going to be me. Only, I don’t know how I shall feel when this is over.
Will I watch him gain victory over another man, or will I need to watch him being dragged from the pit if he loses?
Chapter Thirteen
Callum
It has been a month since I fought in a competition. Sitting on the bench in one of the back rooms where the competitors prepare for the upcoming bouts, I reflect on the many changes in my life.
I feel different inside; I have grown in ways the eyes do not see. That fateful night when my pa woke me up was the catalyst. I went with him to the slave markets of Bleakness. I killed a man—killed more than one—and then I carried Ada in my arms all the way back to the tavern.
Many weeks passed before I could mete out a beating on her father for his many acts of cruelty on an innocent lass. He will be at the mines by now, living out his last days under the watch of the vicious orc masters there.
He will never hurt Ada again.
Ada. I always thought it fanciful when people spoke of meeting their one. My pa still gets a distant look in his eyes whenever he mentions my mother. What they shared is a glowing example of what love should be. Lately, I have been thinking about how it might be to have that with Ada.
We have slipped out the back of the tavern many times since we shared our very first kiss. My obsession is growing. I’m addicted to her. I fucking love her and would spend the rest of my days worshipping her if I could. I’m thinking with increasing purpose about marrying her; about asking her if she would be my wife.
What gives me pause, though, is that she has found independence and a place for herself at the tavern, and I wonder if she needs time before I charge in with a marriage proposal. She has a sweet, giving nature, and, further, is fucking hot. I would be lying to myself if I said I had not thought about plowing her with my dick, putting a whelp in her belly, and watching the labors of our love grow.
The snatched moments we share never feel enough. I want her close, with me, and in my bed every night.
Except I am only an apprentice blacksmith and don’t even have a home of my own. I work hard every day, paying close attention to my father’s instructions while needing them less as I learn and develop my skills. If I asked my pa, I know he would welcome her to live with us, yet a part of me holds back. How can I be worthy of her when I have so few assets and so little wealth to give?
I have nothing save that I work hard to learn all I can so that one day, as my father has mentioned, I might take over the business.
He is still young and capable, and that will not happen for many years.
I know I need to man up and ask my father and then Ada. My heart tells me my feelings are not one-sided, and she likewise cares about me and might even be congenial to accepting a husband who is a work in progress.
You are not the only man with his sights on Ada, the little voice in the back of my head taunts.
Master Gray, the bastard wolf shifter who is staying at The Green Man, cannot take his fucking eyes off her. He is not like the other patrons who look upon Ada with the same appreciation as they do all the pretty serving lasses. They make my blood boil when they are too liberal with their hands and would doubtless take her out the back in a heartbeat if she were willing.
Gray harbors a darker interest that I recognize in myself.
Lust, love, and possessiveness all mixed up together. She is not mine to claim; she is a woman recently freed, and I must also remember that. Yet the emotions that take root inside me whenever we touch are primitive. I do my best to temper them lest I scare the lass. They scare me a little with how intense they are. I want to fuck up any man who so much as glances her way. I want to take her back to my home, lock her in my bedroom, and tongue the fuck out of her hot pussy until she is too exhausted to move.
I want to fuck her like an animal…. And keep her weak from my lustful attention…. None of which can be a natural inclination in a civilized man.
I also want to cherish her and give her freedom to grow and gain confidence for herself—I fucking love it when I hear her and Betsy giggling over some nonsense. There would not be a lot of that if I locked her in my room and fucked her night and day.
I growl under my breath. The sound shocks me. It is not the first time I have growled in the last few weeks. It seems to emerge from my chest when I least expect it.
“You are tense tonight, lad,” my father says, massaging my shoulders roughly. His brows draw together. “Have you grown?”
“Um…” I am not sure how to answer that. I have noticed my clothing has become a little tight of late. Then there is my cock… No, I am definitely not talking to my pa about that. More than likely the strange lump is caused by all the times I need to jack off while thinking about Ada, just to clear my damn head. “Happen it is just a bit of muscle with all the long hours at the forge.”
“Hmmm. Well, you are also tense. You need to loosen up, or you’ll throw the fight before you start. What’s bothering you?”
“Nothing,” I mutter.
My father raises both brows.
“Ada,” I admit, feeling fucking sheepish, and worse so when my father smiles.