Page 57 of The Orc's Thief
My chest squeezes painfully at the thought of him not trusting me, but I deserve his suspicion.
“I won’t go anywhere,” I murmur, wishing the old groom wasn’t staring at us, listening to our conversation with avid interest. “I promise.”
Chapter
Twenty-One
ARLON
Leaving Tessa in the inn’s courtyard is a decision I wish I didn’t have to make.
Still, she gave me her promise, and I hope we’ve progressed enough that she won’t steal my horses and escape the moment I turn my back on her.
I let out a long breath, hand the reins over to her, and look her in the eyes one last time. “I’ll only be a minute.”
Then I walk away from my mate, even though every instinct is screaming that this is a mistake.
I duck under the low doorframe and enter the busy taproom. The groom’s words prove true. The place is packed, all but two tables occupied with boisterous travelers, broody locals nursing mugs of ale, and even a small band of musicians strumming their instruments in the corner.
I spot a short, thin woman by the bar, watching the crowd with a satisfied gleam in her blue eyes.
“Are you Mistress Maeve?” I sketch a small bow, even as my stomach growls at the delicious scents wafting from the kitchen. “The groom outside said I should talk to her about a room.”
“That’s me,” she says, her gaze sharp. “Is it just you for tonight, or…?”
I shake my head. “There are two of us. And three horses.”
She purses her thin lips. “Hmm. I have a room, but it might be a tight fit for you. When my father was still alive, we had rooms made up for your kin specifically. Larger beds. But it’s been a few years since I’ve seen one of you traveling through here.”
“Really?” It’s a strange bit of news, given how close we are to King Trak’s kingdom. “I’m not from the Stonefrost Clan, but I thought they still traded with the duchy?”
“Not recently.” Mistress Maeve folds her arms over her chest. “Well, do you want the room or not? I can’t keep it for you, we’ll be turning people away tonight.”
“We’ll take it,” I say quickly. “I’ll go see to the horses, but if you could show my mate to our room, that would be great. And send up some hot water for washing?”
I place a handful of silver coins on the bar, enough to cover our room, dinner, the stable fee, and a hefty tip besides, according to the prices listed on the board behind her.
She gives me a satisfied nod and pockets the money. “Dinner is only served in the taproom. Don’t want any food upstairs.”
I’d hoped for a quiet dinner with Tessa, but this will have to do. I turn for the door, and it hits me again that she might have left me here. For a brief moment, I hesitate, my hand on the door latch.
Then I push through, and Tessa is there, standing beside her mare, speaking quietly with the old groom.
Relief slams into me, so powerful I sway on my feet. I don’t know what this means yet, but she didn’t leave.
Her smile, tentative and almost shy, is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. My heart thuds, and I wish I could grab herand swing her into my arms, kiss her like I’ve been wanting to for days.
Instead, I let myself just stare at her for a moment. She ducks her head, as if embarrassed, then peeks back at me from behind her mare’s neck.
Fuck, I want her.
I release a breath and turn my face up to the sky, relishing the first drops of rain pelting down on me. If I could, I’d find another cold stream to dunk myself in. Maybe that would douse the fire raging in my blood.
“We got a room,” I announce as I close the distance between us. “If you can grab your saddlebags, you can go ahead, and I’ll take them to the stables.”
Tessa helps me unbuckle the bags, then pets her mare’s forehead and leaves with one last look over her shoulder at me.
I stare after her, then send a quick thanks to the gods for giving me a mate who likes to wear trousers instead of skirts.
