Page 43 of By the Horns (Royal Artifactual Guild #2)
Thirty-Two
Raptor
It takes every bit of my strength not to wrap my arms around Gwenna as she cries.
The untamed bull inside me is furious at her distress, and part of me wants to pull her against me and comfort her.
Unfortunately, a bigger part of me wants to push her up against the wall and rut her, so I don’t dare touch her.
I focus instead on the potion Naiah’s going to have for me later.
I still feel like a monster, though, as I watch her cry and do nothing to help her.
Hawk shoots me an alarmed look—he doesn’t like women crying any more than I do. Before he can say anything, Sparrow rushes out, her arms wide. “Oh, Gwenna! I didn’t realize you were here! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I swear it.” Gwenna sniffles hard and manages a cheery smile that doesn’t match the tears in her eyes. “I just desperately needed to visit a friend.”
Sparrow gives me an indignant look as she pulls Gwenna into her embrace. “You’re safe here.”
I’m offended that she’d dare to suggest that Gwenna isn’t safe with me. My hackles prick and I resist the urge to growl at Sparrow—or push her away from Gwenna and comfort her myself. Hawk clears his throat as I glare. “I was just about to run my students up and down the streets. Want to join us?”
I hesitate, but surely Gwenna will be safe at Hawk’s nest. “No one else is here but the students, right?” When Hawk nods, I point at Sparrow. “Both of you stay here. Don’t leave her alone. Not even for a moment.”
Both women glare at me.
“Come on,” Hawk says to me, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll just go up and down the street. The house will stay in sight at all times.”
I grunt acknowledgment and accompany him after his students, even though I don’t want to leave Gwenna behind. I remind myself that whoever is trying to frame her won’t try anything in front of Hawk. I also remind myself that Gwenna might be the framer.
I don’t like her tears regardless.
“You all right?” Hawk asks as we walk. His students are already several paces ahead, jogging in a perfect line as they make their way up the steep street.
“I’m managing.” Hawk doesn’t know that I’ve been taking potions lately. He thinks I’m addicted to women. He doesn’t know the real reason behind it. He knows my mood can be changeable, though.
“Any…luck?”
I know what he’s referring to without him having to clarify. “Nothing more. Arrod and Hemmen and Kipp are staking out the library to watch for any suspicious characters while I keep an eye on Gwenna.”
“I don’t think whoever it is will go back to the library again,” Hawk muses, turning to watch his students.
I keep my eye on the door to his nest. “I don’t, either, but it gives them something to do.
Whoever it is who’s involved, they’re a good mucking liar.
I can’t make out who it might be. Arrod’s an excitable idiot, but he’s not a bad sort.
Hemmen is a complainer, but I doubt he’d scrawl anything in a book. He seemed offended at the thought.”
“And Kipp?”
I huff with amusement at that. “Not Kipp. He’d stab my eyes out before he’d let anyone accuse her of anything.”
“Kipp is a good sort,” Hawk agrees. “Arrogant little shit, though. You’re still certain that our thief is in your Five?”
“To be honest, I’m not certain of anything anymore. Any strangeness with your Five?”
He shakes his head. “Model students. They’re all very determined not to repeat again, and work twice as hard as they need to on anything I assign them.
I haven’t found a single thing to be suspicious of.
” He pauses, and then adds with a grin, “Except for their inability to tell their right from their left.”
“Mmm.” I glance back at the door to his nest again.
It bothers me to leave Gwenna alone with Sparrow, but surely she’ll be all right in there.
I can’t imagine anyone would target her while she’s visiting a friend.
Unless it’s all to distract me from Gwenna being the person I’m hunting for.
I still haven’t ruled that out yet. It feels unlikely, but is it only because I’m lusting after her?
It’s hard to trust myself. “I was suspicious of Gwenna, but I don’t know that she’s a good enough actress, especially when she’s targeting herself. ”
“It’s not her. She’s too loyal. Good heart.”
“But she is a thief,” I remind him. We all know the story of how Gwenna had stolen something from the Everbelow and Sparrow tried to cover for her.
“She did it to save my wife. That’s different. She’s had many other opportunities and never stolen a thing.” Hawk turns and gives me a curious look. “Why are you so focused on her?”
Because I’m worried I’ll get blindsided.
I keep that to myself and only shrug. “I’m not.”
I am, though. Focused and obsessed and annoyed with myself because of it.
“It might not be the thieves targeting her anyhow,” Hawk comments. “More likely that it’s an old lover of hers who doesn’t want her in the guild.”
The thought scorches my brain and blisters with the force of my hot, searing jealousy. Another lover? Not that I expect her to be chaste, but she’s mine now.
Mine.
Gods, I need that potion right away. I’m acting like a jealous lover myself. I scrub a hand down my muzzle. “I don’t know of any lovers.”
Other than me.
Hawk shrugs, his attention veering back to his students. “It’s entirely possible that whoever is targeting Gwenna isn’t the thief we’re searching for after all. It could just be someone with an axe to grind against a woman trying to join the guild.”
Great. More to consider.