Page 52 of The Orc's Thief
ARLON
I stare at Tessa, at her serious eyes, the grim set of her mouth.
She means it.
She thinks she’s not good enough for me. Something ugly twists in my gut, and for a moment, I remember that she is a thief. I’d thought the worst of her when I realized who she was to me. She’d robbed me, and she might’ve stabbed me on that rooftop if I hadn’t knocked the dagger from her hand.
But she didn’t stab me—not then, and not while I was lying unconscious on that dusty, grimy floor. She could have gutted me with my knife and ended it there. Instead, I’m here now, tying her boots because she’s too chilled to do it herself.
“I don’t think that’s true,” I rasp. I tie the bow on her right boot and rise to my full height. “Besides, I don’t want anyone else. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
Her eyes are luminous as she looks up at me, chin tilted with defiance. “Really? You want to take me back home and introduce me to your parents? Your sister?”
I think of what Irrin would make of Tessa. She’d probably be best friends with her by nightfall, and she’d absolutely spill everyembarrassing story from my childhood. Like the time I climbed a tree at four years old, searching for walnuts, and got stuck because I was too scared to come down. She’d had to climb up after me, guiding my feet from branch to branch until I was safe on the ground.
“They’d accept you,” I tell her slowly. “Unless you tried to rob them. Irrin is partial to her gold.”
Tessa’s expression betrays her doubts, but I don’t want to debate this with her. Not right now. I don’t know what will happen if she returns to her usual pursuits, climbing on rooftops and stealing from people’s homes. But it’s too soon to tell her she’ll never have to worry about money again. Then I’d have to explain where all my gold came from, and that’s a secret I need to protect with my life, especially here, dangerously close to the Stonefrost Clan lands.
I offer her my hand. “Come on. We need to move if we want to reach the other edge of this plateau by nightfall.”
She puts her cool hand in mine and lets me pull her to her feet. “You’re the one who insisted on washing. I would have gladly gone with smelling a bit ripe for the rest of the day.”
“Why did you bathe, then?” I arch an eyebrow at her.
At that, she ducks her chin and mutters something about oversensitive noses, but her flowery scent takes on a warm whiff of embarrassment that has me stifling a laugh.
She didn’t want to smell bad in front of me?
It’s almost as if she cares.
I walk up behind her, grip her by the waist, and lift her onto her horse. Her sharp intake of breath sends a jolt of lust through me, but I release her right away. She murmurs a quick thanks, her eyes lingering on me as I move past. I swing myself into Pip’s saddle, jaw tight. Riding with a hard cock jammed in my leather pants is going to be uncomfortable as fuck, but this is my realitynow. Aching balls and a full knot that won’t go away, because I can’t exactly sneak off into the bushes for relief.
Not that my own hand would help. Now that I’ve smelled Tessa and felt the touch of her skin against mine, nothing else will do. And she’s nowhere near ready for me.
She might be starting to trust me, and that was arousal I scented earlier, I’m sure of it. But until she makes the first step, until she comes to me, I’ll be patient and wait.
I lead Tessa back to the road in silence, her question from earlier replaying in my mind.CanI accept the fact that my mate is a thief? If that’s what she wants to do with her life, would I try to stop her?
“Why did you break into the Ravens’ mansion?”
The question escapes me, though I hadn’t planned on interrogating her. But now that the issue is out in the open, I add, “And why are you following the caravan?”
Tessa eyes me from the side. “That’s two questions.”
I press my lips together and remain silent, challenging her. She’ll either reply and tell the truth—or not. And I’ll know, perhaps once and for all, if we’ve been doomed by the Fates from the start. If this woman will be my downfall.
She blows out a long breath. “My friend disappeared. Lindie. She’s…one of them. A Raven.” She sends me a cautious look, then continues. “I’ve been trying to find her for more than a week, but Damen wouldn’t tell me anything. I tried some of his men, too. Didn’t get anywhere. I thought she might be working a job, but she always tells me if she’s set to leave Ultrup.”
I stare at her. That’s not what I was expecting. I thought she might be after another score, that she might know why all those people disappeared from Ultrup. But Tessa shakes her head and continues, oblivious to my surprise.
“And why wouldn’t Damen just confirm what she was working on? He said she was safe, but I wasn’t going to trust that without seeing her.”
I mull this over, staring at the road ahead. “You’re sure she didn’t just take off for a while? She might not be in danger. But you will be if you keep heading east.”
“I couldn’t let it go.”
Tessa’s voice trembles, and I snap my gaze to her in surprise.
