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My friend gives me a look of deep pity. “She hit you in the head. I think you’re going to have to work harder than that to win her over.”

Godsdamnit, that didn’t even occur to me. For an orc, scenting a mate is enough. I caught one whiff of Tessa and knew she was mine, and it didn’t matter that she attacked me and left me for the rats, as she said.

“You think she might reject me?” I push back to standing and march over to the door where I hung my weapons belt. The need to ride out after her is pounding stronger with every minute. “I never thought past finding her, to be honest.”

Sarrai scrubs a hand over her face. “You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

I give her an unimpressed look. “No, but I’ll take your advice.”

“Just ask yourself what you can do to make her comfortable. If she’s running from something, she’ll want to feel safe.” She grimaces. “Unless she’s running from you…?”

“It’s not me,” I tell her. “She didn’t smell afraid when she tied me up.”

Sarrai grins, and I know she’ll tease me about this for ages.

But she takes pity on me and adds, “If she’s running toward something, she’ll accept your help to get there faster.”

“Right.” I pull a pair of saddlebags from the bottom of the chest, then hand a purse of gold to my best friend. “Will you go downstairs to check on Pip? And make sure they’re not trying to sell me their worst animal just because I’m desperate.”

She nods and disappears from the room. Some of my tension melts away at the knowledge that Sarrai has my back. She might not be able to travel with me, but at least she understands why I’m leaving.

I wrap my clothes in oilcloth and pack them tightly into the saddlebags.

The rain has let up, but that doesn’t mean much at this time of year.

Soon, the first frost will arrive. My gut clenches at the thought of Tessa traveling alone in such poor conditions.

Sarrai is right. Surely my mate will accept my help if it means she’ll be safer.

I’ll protect her and take care of her, and once she sees how well we fit together, she’ll accept me as hers.

I pull my hunting bow from under the bed.

It’s useless in the city, but we might need dinner on the road.

I fold my still-damp jacket and store it in the bag I’ll strap to the other animal, then add my travel blanket, a water skin, a tin plate, and a pair of spoons.

I don’t know where we’ll be sleeping, and if everything goes to shit, we might have to rough it in the wild.

Alone, that wouldn’t be a problem, but humans are much more delicate than orcs.

I grab the apples from the breakfast tray and shove them in the pocket of my cloak for Pip and whatever horse Sarrai deems acceptable.

I swing the saddlebags over my shoulder and take one last look around the room before clattering downstairs.

The maid hands me a cloth sack filled to bursting with hard bread, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and cured meats, and another smaller bag of apples and pears.

“If you have a small kettle, I’ll take that as well,” I tell her, passing over a generous tip. “I’ll be in the stables getting ready.”

The head groom is tightening Pip’s saddle straps by the time I reach the courtyard, and Sarrai is standing to the side, stroking the nose of a small, human-sized horse—a gelding, by the looks of him. He’s carrying a pair of bags on either side of his back, already filled with sacks of feed.

“He’s the one,” she informs me. “He’s a little older, but he still has some good years in him. You should be sorted for at least a couple of days if you let them graze, too. More if you stretch out the oats.”

I introduce myself to the brown horse, whose name is Cricket, and offer him one of the apples.

He munches it happily while I check his teeth, noting that Sarrai judged him well.

Pip gets the other apple because he’s eyeing our new friend with jealousy, and I don’t want any animosity between the animals.

“You’re sure you don’t want to wait for me to accompany you?” Sarrai asks, one last attempt to get me to come to my senses, no doubt.

I pull her into a tight hug. “I can’t. But I promise to send news as soon as I can. And I’ll try to leave word of our passing at the villages, but only if I can find an innkeeper who won’t blab the information to the wrong people.”

She squeezes me, then thumps my back. “Stay safe. And I can’t wait to meet this Tessa. I need her to tell me all about how she knocked you out.”

“Ha.” I take Pip’s reins from the groom and swing myself into the saddle. “Once I win her over, she’ll be on my side, you know. She won’t want to disclose her mate’s secrets.”

Sarrai grins and lifts her hand in farewell. “You keep telling yourself that, friend.”

I shake my head at her, but the truth is, my heart is lighter as I ride out of the inn’s courtyard and onto the road leading toward the Eastern Gate. The weather is finally turning, the day is dawning bright, and I have enough provisions to last me for days, as well as my friend’s blessing.

My mate is somewhere out there, and I’ll find her. I know I will.