Page 8 of The Goblin's Mine

My belly flutters at that.

I clear my throat and try to tamp down my attraction. “Did you and Flynn have a good childhood? Do you have siblings?”

His smile gets even bigger. “Yeah. Flynn and I got into a lot of trouble as kids, but that’s to be expected. It’s what goblin boys do. Running wild, stealing mead and getting drunk, getting in fights. The usual kid stuff. And yes, I have a sister named Maeve, but she married outside our settlement, so I don’t see her as often as I might like.”

“You know,” I muse, “humans and goblins don’t sound all that different. Similar family structures, fairly similar age spans. Rowdy kids who grow up into hardworking adults. Well, not in my case, but generally.”

He furrows his brow. “Not in your case?”

“Yeah, I’ve kind of struggled with settling on a career. My family wants me to do one kind of thing, but I’d prefer to do something else. I’ve been trying things on for size to see what suits me, but they interpret that as lack of commitment. That I flit around and don’t take things seriously. That’s why I came here, you know.”

“Your family doesn’t take you seriously, so you decided to escape and vacation with goblins?” The corners of his mouth are turned up, so I know he’s teasing me.

“Ha, no. Haven’s Hollow, the human settlement above?” I point to the ceiling. “The economy is mostly based on tourism, and in recent years we’ve sort of made monsters and cryptids our niche. I got it in my head that if I could prove cryptids are real, our tourism trade would really start booming. And my family would finally see my value. Hence, goblin hunting.”

He nods slowly. “I understand. But you know that isn’t possible, right? At least not with us. We won’t let you expose us.”

“I get that now. There’s nothing like a little threat of execution to change a girl’s mind.”

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think taking the time to find your calling is a waste. I think it’s smart.” He stands. “I need to go brief the others and prepare a few things. Can I trust you to stay here?”

I blink at him, still stuck on his last sentence. He thinks I’m smart? “Of course.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “I’ll be locking the door all the same, so there’s no sense trying to escape. Make yourself comfortable, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’ll bring food.”

He strides to the strange door in the rock and exits. As promised, I hear it click as the lock engages.

I glance around at his simple, spartan quarters. There’s almost nothing here to tell me who he is. No art, no personal touches that I can see. Aside from this brief conversation, I don’t know anything about him.

So why are my panties soaked from just talking to him?

CHAPTER FOUR

KILLIAN

As soon asI’m in the corridor, I take a deep inhale. I needed to get away from her, from her intoxicating scent. From the hormones in my body demanding that I claim her. Being in her presence is excruciating, but after only seconds away from her, I’m beginning to suspect that this is even worse.

I know this feeling won’t go away until I take her. Until we mate, I’ll be edgy and irritable, short tempered and struggling to focus. The longer it goes on, the worse it will be. I’m managing okay for now, but by tomorrow, who knows how wild I’ll feel. It’s terrible timing, but I’ll find a way to make it work. I will do my job and keep her safe, because there is no other option.

I go to Flynn’s quarters first, of course. There’s no way I would undertake this mission without him. He’s the strongest member of our clan, not to mention the best fighter. We don’t engage in battle often, of course. But it’s a skill he was born with, and one that will be useful if we encounter hobgoblins. It takes me another hour to notify the rest of the group—Conor, Sean, and Liam—and make sure we have all the supplies we’ll need. Istop by Sloane’s for some extra things, then I gather two meals and return to Natalie.

She’s pacing about when I open the door, and it’s clear she took the time to inspect my quarters. But that’s fine; there’s nothing here to hide. My clothes and few personal items are not secrets, even from a human. I doubt there’s much she could learn about me from a toothbrush or a pair of pants.

“You’re back,” she announces when I enter the room.

“I am. And I brought dinner. It’s a casserole.”

She nods. “Where should we eat?”

My quarters are more than adequate for me, but not especially spacious. I have the small living room, a sleeping chamber, and a bath chamber. The only real option is to eat here, in the chairs. I place the food on the table between them and gesture for her to sit.

I unroll the bundle I picked up from Sloane, one of the smallest females in the clan, and set the borrowed blankets aside.

“I borrowed some clothes for you, for tomorrow.” It’s traditional goblin gear: boots, fitted trousers, and a plated top that’s good for protection. Of course, Sloane being who she is, it’s decorated with arm chains and etchings. She’s not one for simple attire. I add a belt to the pile.

“A friend is loaning you this. She’s the closest goblin to your size.”

Natalie looks over the items and smiles. “That’s very kind of her. It will be nice to have a change of clothing.”

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