Page 7

Vera

“Come for a walk with me!” Erik’s booming voice makes me jump and look up from my phone screen. Probably a good thing. All the English characters are making my eyes cross after a whole day of study.

He clears his throat. “I mean come for a walk, please.”

There’s a yap and my gaze is drawn to a small dog clutched under his bulky arm. I stare.

“Oh! Meet Snickers,” Erik says, thrusting the dog toward me. “She’s mine. Well, ours now. Only I had her stay with friends while you were settling in. But I thought you’d like to meet her.”

The little black and brown dog licks my face and I can’t help smiling. She really is very cute. Badly behaved though. I see that straight away.

Erik sets her down and she immediately scrambles onto the bed, tail wagging frantically so it shakes her whole back half.

“Get down!” I tell her sternly .

The dog freezes, lets out a little whimper, and wags her tail again feebly.

“Down,” I repeat. I fix her with a look.

She jumps off the bed and scurries behind Erik’s feet. “How did you do that?” he asks in astonishment.

“Do what?”

“She never does a thing I tell her.”

Hmm. I see how it is. This dog treats him like a rag because he’s too kind.

“Just tell her as if you mean it. Be firm.”

“Huh.” Erik looks down at Snickers speculatively. “Snickers, sit.”

The dog stares up at him, rump wagging like mad. I can’t help laughing.

Standing, I hold my hand up as if I’ve got a treat. “Snickers.”

She shifts her attention to me instantly.

“ Sidet .”

Her little behind hits the carpet.

“OK, how was I supposed to know I have a Russian dog?” Erik is laughing but it’s clear this is another first. He looks astonished.

I reach down and give her a quick pet to reinforce the good behavior. “Good girl.”

“So that’s a yes to coming for a walk, then?”

I hesitate. That was a nice moment. I need to try harder to please him and keep him happy.

I guess I’ll be safe if my huge monstrous fiancé is with me, right?

I can’t hide forever .

I nod cautiously. “That is yes.”

Erik finds a leash and attaches it to Snickers’s collar while I put on jeans and slip on shoes. The second we’re out on the street, the little dog strains against Erik’s grasp, tugging this way and that and nearly tripping an old lady we pass at an intersection.

I reach across and take the leash. “Shhh.” The harsh sound makes Snickers jump and she stumbles. I tug the leash until she’s walking close to my ankles and keep my eye on her.

The next time she pulls, I repeat the motion until, after only a few blocks, she’s walking nicely by my side.

I catch Erik staring out of the corner of my eye. “You really are very good at that.”

I laugh. “I think not.”

Snickers’s little butt wobbles as she trots down the street, and I realize I wasn’t worrying about being seen.

I glance around now, but I don’t spot anyone suspicious. People are going about their business without taking us in. Which is pretty astonishing given Erik is so big and green.

I should try to make conversation. Now’s a good chance. “Have you always stay in Heartstone?”

He blinks. “You mean lived? No. Not always. I moved here when I finished school ’cause there are way more jobs in the city. Better jobs. More people. I thought it would be fun. I guess it took me a while to work out that the better jobs still leave the same amount in your savings when you also have to pay for better food and better housing. Still. I wouldn’t go back now.”

“No?”

Erik shrugs. “Can’t let Mom and Dad be right, can I? ”

That makes me think. I’m quiet the rest of the way to the dog park. Erik seems sweet on the surface, but he clearly has his own dreams. His own aspirations. Maybe there’s a stubborn streak there after all.

I need to be conscious of this. It might sound horrible, but at the end of the day, my safety hinges on me making him feel comfortable, and I’ve been doing a terrible job.

When we get to the gated park, Erik lets Snickers off the leash. I can see right away this is a bad idea. The little dog springs away, immediately seeking out the biggest dog in the park and snapping at its heels.

This little dog doesn’t seem to realize she’s the smallest thing here. She barks and snaps at every dog she can find until finally a large black Doberman turns and growls at her.

Any sane creature would back down at this point. The Doberman looks like it could eat her for breakfast.

Snickers does not back down.

I have to admire the way she darts around the larger dog, hounding it and biting at his hind quarters until it finally gets angry and lunges for her throat.

Erik moves fast for such a large monster.

He dives in and snatches up Snickers, who is still wriggling and struggling like mad.

When she turns her head to nip at Erik’s hand, I can’t help myself. “Hey!”

I snap my fingers in front of her face.

She turns to look at me.

“Stop that.”

She licks her lips and gives me the puppy dog eyes, which I ignore .

Erik laughs. “You are so good with her. I think you have a special talent.”

I dismiss his comment with a wave of my hand. “No talent. Just firm authority.”

He looks a little sheepish. “Well, it works. You could tell me what to do any time.”

There’s a brief moment where neither of us looks away. His cheeks turn a deeper shade of green and he shifts uncomfortably, but the look he’s shooting me is full of desire.

Am I reading this wrong? Does this big, strong monster like to be bossed around?

I don’t even know how I feel about that, so I snatch up the leash and attach it to Snickers’s collar. “Come. Let’s go. She is not trained well to be with other dogs.”

Erik follows after me and we wander through some quiet streets in silence. I guess we’re both lost in our own thoughts.

I’ve always been told I was too bossy. Too stubborn. Is it possible I’ve found the one guy on earth who might actually like those qualities? I’m just faking, right? But if that’s what he wants...

After a while, I shake it off. I’m letting myself be fanciful. This is just a business arrangement. I never intended it to be permanent. I can’t afford to let myself start thinking like that.

Erik clears his throat. “Do you want to get an ice cream? There’s a truck near here. They have the best raspberry sorbet I’ve ever tasted.”

I would normally say no. Too many sweets will go straight to my hips. But I guess that’s one of the benefits of being married to an orc. I’ve never once heard him comment about anything I eat since I arrived except to offer me more. So instead, I shrug. “Why not?”