Page 86 of Tusks & Saddles
Lifting his head, Welborn could only stare at shock at the sight before him. The Sand Slithers had sensed his movement, had angled themselves to shoot straight for him. The distance had meant nothing to them, with the three infant Sand Slithers flying toward them with the mother close behind.
And all of them lined up perfectly when the bullet tore through them all.
Miss Eaves shot had struck true, and Welborn could only watch in shock as a burst of ice exploded before his eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Beatrix
One thing was clear to Beatrix.
When she made it back to Irongarde, she would owe Kay a drink for the frost magic. The second, was that despite the now frozen Giant Sand Slithers, Beatrix’s keen eye could tell that her bullet had hit vital areas. Even if the creatures melted under the hot desert sun, they would still be dead. The threat of this particular monster was over for now.
And finally—
“Welborn!” Beatrix cried, tossingGambler’s Luckto the ground as she sprinted to him.
She collapsed to his side, hands working to turn him over. All the while, Beatrix scanned him for any injury. When his tired face stared back up at her, Beatrix could have wept from relief. His glasses were broken and there were minor cuts along his cheeks, but there were no major wounds. No large swaths of blood to contend with.
He was safe.
“You’re a pretty good shot, Miss Eaves,” he said with a sheepish smile.
“I could have blown you to bits, you foolish holy man!” Beatrix snapped.
Though her words were harsh, there was no hiding the tears at the corner of her eyes. She had fought like hell to stay alive, all the while her heart had raced with terrible fear. Not for herself, but forhim.For this silly, impulsive man who had stolen her heart in a week’s time. Not an easy feat, considering her affection for men didn’t extend farther than her own familial ties.
“You did have that thing aimed at me, huh?” Welborn said with a grimace. “It wasn’t my intention to get in the way. Honestly, I was just asking for a miracle. If any other had been there, I’m sure I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“I have good eyes,” Beatrix huffed as she helped him sit up.
“I can tell,” Welborn grinned, reaching up to pull his ruined glasses from his nose. “I might need you to be my eyes for the journey home.”
“Happy to help,” Beatrix said before leaning in and kissing him.
Welborn let out a startled noise, freezing partially before melting against her. His lips were dry, but Beatrix didn’t mind it at all. Kissing Welborn was a different kind of relief, one that tugged at Beatrix’s heart. Beneath her hands, he was real and whole. They had escaped the deadliest of monsters in the searing wastelands. Nothing else mattered to Beatrix, not even—
Abruptly, Beatrix pulled back with an almost sheepish expression on her face. Welborn appeared dazed, but she couldn’t keep the confession inside any longer.
“I’m a wanted woman, Welborn.”
The young man blinked, confusion making his browns knit. A question was on the tip of his tongue, but Beatrice’s tongue was faster.
“I come from a noble family, Welborn. A family that has responsibilities—politically speaking. And part of those responsibilities require unions between families. Families that also have certain political leanings,” Beatrix let out an exasperated sigh. “What I’m trying to say is…well, I suppose—”
Welbron’s hands rested on her hips, a soothing weight that brought Beatrix’s mind back to center. Kind, yellow eyes gave her the strength to confess the thing she hadn’t dared share with anyone.
“I left home because of an arranged marriage and my family has put out bounty hunters to bring me back.”
“I—” Welborn let out an astonished sigh. “That’s…well that’s something.”
“That’s all you have to say?” Beatrix frowned down at him. “If I’m caught, they’ll send me back home and have me married off before I have a chance to breathe!”
Noble life wasn’t for everyone, but Beatrix had long said her goodbyes to it. Wanting freedom meant giving up her old life, giving up comforts that had always suffocated her. Beatrix never wanted anyone’s sympathy; poor little rich girl wasn’t what she wanted to be known for. It was why she had worked so damn hard to make a name for herself. Why she had dedicated so much of her life learning how to master firearms—a skill not many people had that was easy enough to turn into a lucrative trade. She didn’t need her family’s gold when shecould earn her own.
The idea of playing good little noble wife to a man who had little respect or care for her—the thought made her ill just thinking of it. But that was the reality. Not all women in Beatrix’s position could be as lucky as her mother had. Balthazar wasn’t the expectation, he was the exception. There was no kind, noble man waiting for Beatrix back home.
But there was one in front of her. A kind man whom Beatrix was ready to spill her entire love story to if he so much as asked.
