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Aw, that was sweet. I still had to stand on my toes to rub behind his ear, but his fur was softer than it appeared. Silky, like a rabbit’s.

Barg let out a slow, happy rumble. I hoped it was a happy rumble and not his way of indicating he was about to swallow me whole. He could be hungry, and this was his belly rumbling. I was the first course.

When he didn't bite with his lethal-appearing fangs, I exhaled, my tension melting a little. This wouldn’t be so bad.

Ruugar watched, something unreadable in his expression. Then he nodded. Grunted, too, a sound I’d learned meant some kind of acknowledgment. “Good. Now let’s saddle him.”

He went into the barn and came out with a saddle and a harness looped over his arm.

He lifted a blanket and then the saddle onto Barg’s broad back.

The leather creaked as he adjusted the placement, securing the strap around Barg’s belly.

He worked with ease, his big hands moving in a way that told me he’d done this more than a few times.

“I don’t use a saddle or harness.” He nodded at the leather as he buckled the strap. “But I learned humans do. Some are scared of falling, so we make sure they feel safe.”

“How do you control your sorhox, then?”

He waved toward the other creature, standing on Barg's opposite side. “I use foot commands with Ebar. All orcs do. No saddles or harnesses for us. The sorhoxes we'll use with tourists are well-trained, and for the humans on our rides, we chose the gentlest. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

I eyed Barg again, who stood patiently, his long tail flicking at flies.

Ruugar’s hands brushed against Barg’s hide as he adjusted the strap one final time. Absurdly, I envied the sorhox for a second. Ruugar was touching him. Stroking his side. Calling him a good boy.

I wanted him to call me a good boy—girl.

The thought was so ridiculous that I blinked hard to shake it away. What was wrong with me? He didn’t want me that way, and he never would.

“Time to mount.” He patted the saddle. “Put your foot in the stirrup. Use the horn to pull yourself up.”

Easier said than done. “I’ve never ridden a horse before, and this creature isn’t a horse. He’s much bigger.” Especially when compared to me, and I was five-seven, not exactly petite for a woman.

“Barg knows his job. Get up and settle. See how it feels.”

I took a deep breath, then another. Logic said this wasn’t impossible. It was just riding. People did it all the time, right? Even on subterranean dragon nightmare beasts like this one.

Placing a foot in the stirrup, I leaped up, grabbing the saddle horn. My foot slipped out of the stirrup, and I dangled in the air, my legs scrambling. I had to hand it to Barg. Other than peering back at me, he remained still. He didn’t even laugh as far as I could tell.

Ruugar's hands went around my waist, and he boosted me up, holding me more or less gracefully while I swung my leg over Barg’s side and planted my butt in the saddle. There actually was nothing graceful about it, but I was seated.

While I adjusted my weight, Barg stood like a statue.

I grinned down at Ruugar. “Thanks for the help.”

“Anytime.” His brow furrowed. “We might need to bring a stool or arrange for a stump of wood for you to climb on. I'm sure you could've gotten up yourself if you had something like that.”

“Oh, yes, sure.” Probably not, but I was willing to roll with it. I lifted the reins and gripped them tight. “What do I do now?”

“It might be best if you let Barg follow Ebar for now. He won't wander. I’m sure you’ll start feeling more comfortable soon.

” He adjusted my hands on the reins and eased the cluster to the right and then the left, guiding my hands.

“If you want him to turn right, nudge the side of the reins on the left side of his neck like this. To turn left, nudge on the right. And to bring him to a stop, pull them both back gently.”

“What if I’m not gentle enough? ”

“We don’t use bits. I don’t think you could pull back hard enough to do more than startle Barg.

Just remember he’s well-trained and that he’ll respond to your commands, and you two will get along fine.

” He demonstrated and it seemed fairly easy.

“Barg will do whatever you ask. Your most important task is to keep your feet in the stirrups and not fall off.”

“Seems reasonable enough.” The ground was a long way down.

Ruugar was tall, though. He didn't even need a stool—or a stump—to touch the reins to show me what to do.

“You're all set?” he asked.

I nodded, forcing a grin, because what else could I do? Right now, sitting on Barg’s wide back, I felt small and unsteady in a way that had nothing to do with the ride.

Ruugar was sweet without realizing it. Gentle without even trying. He didn’t know how carefully I was tucking every one of these moments away, how much I’d think about them later, when I had no right to.

A week. That was all I had here. And when it was over, Ruugar would probably be relieved to see me go. I was creating complications in his well-organized life.

He studied my face, and I was reminded again of how kind he was. Endearing. I could just eat him up.

Well…as a figure of speech. I didn't truly want to do anything else.

Did I?

I was beginning to suspect I did. He wasn't pushing or even trying to win me, yet he was. I wanted to chat with him all the time; get to know everything about him. Share my hopes for my future and find out what he'd always dreamed of doing.

But I'd only be with him for one week. I wasn't even sure where I'd go after that, and I hated that I might need to take him up on his offer of gold nuggets.

I'd escaped, but I was woefully unprepared to support myself.

If I wasn't careful, Bradley and my father would catch me. I'd never find a way free after that.

Ruugar walked a slow circle around Barg, looking at me and my position from all angles. “Loosen your grip,” he said, his gaze focused on my hands. “He'll respond better that way. If you squeeze your legs too tight, your body will stiffen. It also makes it harder to stay balanced.”

I made myself relax, even if it was only a little.

Ruugar nodded. “Good girl.”

Oh, my. My face flamed. Could I get him to say that again?

Oblivious to my floundering heart and racing libido, he turned toward the house. “Let me grab our things, and we’ll go.”

I remained where I was, partly because I had no idea how to get down, but mostly because I was beginning to think this wouldn't be too bad.

The saddle creaked beneath me as Barg shifted his claws, huffing out a slow breath.

Everything about the beast shouted patience.

Maybe I’d gotten lucky or maybe this was a sorhox in general.

Ebar didn't seem too concerned about anything either outside of the flies.

He glanced at Barg every now and then but mostly stared at the ground.

Ruugar returned quickly, our bags slung over his shoulder. He hooked them on a small spike between Ebar’s shoulder blades, shortening the straps. After, he leaped up onto the beast's back, settling easily.

After studying my posture and the way I held the reins, he nodded. “All set?”

I smiled bravely.

“Good girl,” he said, and okay, this time I swooned. I’d never thought I had a praise kink, but I was reevaluating that notion right now.

With a gentle nudge of Ruugar’s heel, Ebar turned around and started forward, his clawed hooves kicking up small clouds of dirt.

I pressed my boots into Barg’s sides— gently . He didn’t move.

Ruugar paused Ebar and glanced back.

I gave Barg’s sides a little more heel pressure.

The beast rumbled but finally started moving, turning and pacing toward Ebar.

As we left the house behind and stepped out onto the main road, meandering along a wide path on the right side of the pavement, I focused on not gripping the reins too tightly, on not doing anything with my boots that might spook Barg.

I let him move without interfering. His gait was smoother than I'd expected, rolling but not jarring.

After a few minutes, some of the tension drained from my shoulders .

Ruugar sent a quick look back at me. “Everything alright?”

“I think I’m getting good at this.” Ha ha, sure.

“You are,” he said with a tusky grin that made my insides flip over.

We rode on, the wind carrying the scent of wildflowers and grass. Barg felt solid beneath me, his strength something I didn’t have to question. The farther we rode, the more I felt something tightening in my chest. A different kind of trap, one I was building for myself.

I couldn't stay here long. If I let myself think about wanting to after the week was up, it would only hurt more when I had to leave.

With a roll of my shoulders, I tried to loosen my grip on the reins. Focusing on the moment became my top priority. Not worrying about what might happen in seven days. There was a lot of time and trail riding between now and then, and many things could happen to help me make up my mind.

For the first time in days, I didn’t feel trapped. I had no urge to run. I wasn’t even hiding.

I was riding .

In Lonesome Creek, I was free.