Page 30

Chapter

Seventeen

ARLON

Tessa stares at me, her eyes wide. In the crisp morning light, I notice they’re not a plain brown, like I first thought, but hazel, lichen-green with a starburst of brown in the center.

The more time I spend with her, the more beautiful I find her, as if the Fates are binding us more tightly with every breath we share.

If only I could be certain she feels the same.

But her scent sharpens with nervousness at my confession, and I realize once again that I may have gone too far, too fast. She’s on the run, scared for her life, and I’m here spilling romantic nonsense.

So I pull back and rub my palms on my pants as if I hadn’t just bared my heart to her. “My turn, then. Where are you from?”

She jerks in her saddle, her hands twitching on the reins. Her mare tosses her head in mild protest, and Tessa leans forward to pat her neck in apology.

“I’m from Redport,” she says, not meeting my gaze. “The city proper, not just the duchy. My father was a merchant. He owned several ships.”

I blink, surprised. That’s not the answer I expected.

From how at ease she was on Ultrup’s rooftops, I’d assumed she was native to that city, but Redport is hundreds of miles away, on the southern edge of the continent.

I want to ask about her family, but I’ve already used my one question.

So I watch her in silence, hoping she’ll offer more.

Tessa catches me watching and rolls her eyes. “You’re wondering how I became a thief if my father was a rich man, aren’t you?”

I was wondering that, but more than anything, I want to know how she came to be so utterly alone. I nod anyway. It seems the best way to keep her talking.

“There’s no tragedy in my past,” she says, eyes fixed on the forest ahead. “As far as I know, my parents are still alive and well, living in luxury. I made a choice they didn’t agree with, so they no longer count me as one of their children.”

Damn it. Now I have a dozen new questions. From what she said, I can guess she has siblings. But are they still in Redport? Is she in contact with any of them? Probably not—she’s said she hasn’t received a letter in years.

“Don’t,” she snaps suddenly.

I frown. “Don’t what?”

“I don’t need your pity.” Tessa nudges her mare into a faster gait. “I’m not some stray kitten for you to rescue.”

I swallow the words that rise in my throat. I don’t pity her, but I do want to protect her. No matter what decision she made, her family shouldn’t have turned their backs on her.

“It’s your turn now.” My voice comes out rougher than I intended, despite my efforts to stay calm. “Ask your questions, Tessa.”

She studies me for a long moment, as if trying to understand why I’m not pressing for more. But I know better than to push. Life has taught her to trust no one but herself. It’ll take time for her to lower those walls. I can wait.

She lets out a breath and loosens her grip on the reins. “Fine. You said you’ve been searching for your mate. Why stay in Ultrup, then? Did you want a human mate, specifically?”

Ah, she’s sneaking in two questions for the price of one. Clever. But I don’t mind. As long as she’s asking questions, she’s engaging, and that’s enough for now.

“I didn’t know what kind of mate the Fates would give me,” I say honestly.

“All I knew was that no one from the Bellhaven Clan was right for me, and I wasn’t right for any of them, either.

It’s hard to explain. But I knew she wasn’t there.

When I traveled to Ultrup, I saw a chance for work and figured I might as well search while I was there.

It’s a big city—better odds of finding her. ”

“You could have gone to another orc clan, though.”

She watches me with genuine curiosity, her eyebrows raised. I have to admire her craftiness. She’s prompting me to tell her more without asking another question.

“It’s complicated.” I glance behind us to make sure Cricket is still following and to buy myself a moment to gather my thoughts. “Do you know anything about our history?”

Tessa shakes her head but doesn’t call me out for asking a question of my own.

“The Bellhaven Clan, where I’m from, settled in the mountains north of the Duchy of Ultrup,” I explain. “But we’ve only existed as a separate clan for about fifteen years, ever since our king, Gorvor, left the Stonefrost Clan’s territory in search of a better future.”

“I didn’t know that,” she says. “When I arrived in Ultrup, I saw orcs from time to time, but I never tried to steal from them. They looked like trained warriors.”

“We are, for the most part,” I agree. “At least, that’s how it was in the old clan.

King Trak, Gorvor’s father, spent his long reign conquering other orc clans and folding them into his own.

He demanded loyalty from the warriors he defeated, took in those who swore to him, and killed the rest. Women were treated like a resource.

They were offered first to his advisors, in case any were their true mates, then put to work in the great Stonefrost Fortress. ”

I don’t remember much about life in the old clan, apart from the constant combat training.

That had consumed my every waking hour until we left.

But I do remember my parents’ worry that Irrin, still unmated at the time, would catch the eye of some older noble and be carted off to be a concubine, or worse.

“So returning to the old clan wasn’t an option,” Tessa says softly. “But we’re traveling toward the Stonefrost kingdom now.”

I offer her a small smile. “I know. I’m hoping that whatever business you have in these parts, we won’t have to cross the border. My former clanspeople won’t take kindly to one of the Bellhaven orcs trespassing on their land.”

She’s silent for a long while, and I take the opportunity to study her, the woman the Fates have chosen for me.

I memorize her profile: the slightly upturned nose, the freckles dusting her skin, and the way her auburn hair escapes its tie in the wind.

My gaze drops to her hands, and I curse inwardly.

The salve I gave her helped, but the burn marks remain, a mottled pattern on the newly formed, still-pink skin.

I grip the reins tighter, overwhelmed by the sudden desire to return to Ultrup, find Damen, and punch him in the face for designing a safe that dangerous. It doesn’t escape me that Tessa is the one who broke into his mansion, yet I’m angry at the man instead.

“Has no one tried to return since you left?” she asks finally, breaking the silence. “From your clan to theirs, I mean.”

Grimacing, I recall the disaster from a few years ago. “No, but Prince Charan, heir to King Trak, came to visit our clan with a few of his warriors. They kidnapped the queen, and several people were killed by the end.”

Tessa stares at me, her eyes wide. “Wait, so this prince kidnapped…his brother’s wife?”

“Well, it was his men who hatched a plot to destabilize our kingdom, so he wasn’t directly responsible, but the event still soured relations between our clans.

” I glance east, into the forest, as if I could see past the hills and marshes to the mountains that shelter our old home.

“Not that things were good to start with. We haven’t heard anything from them since Prince Charan left Bellhaven.

It’s been a few years, so it’s possible he’s king now. ”

Or there’s been a coup, and one of the old king’s generals has seized power and is forming plans to attack again. It’s impossible to know. King Gorvor had considered sending scouts east to find out what’s been happening, but he didn’t want to risk anyone’s life needlessly.

“Maybe I’ll be able to report back,” I finish. “If we come close enough to the border, that is.”

It’s a prompt for Tessa to tell me what this trip is really about, besides escaping from Ultrup. But she remains guarded and offers nothing more.

“I think it’s my turn to ask a question,” I tell her.

Her gaze sharpens. “No, I still—” She pauses, thinking through our conversation, then sighs. “You’re probably right. I used mine up, didn’t I?”

“You did.” I grin at her, enjoying the way she holds my gaze. “What do I smell like to you?”

“What?”

A slow flush creeps across her cheeks, and she turns her face away, ducking her chin.

I guide Pip a little closer to her mare, just enough to catch the sweet whiff of her scent. It’s enough to harden my cock and send blood rushing through my veins, but I retreat again, giving her space.

“What do I smell like to you?” I repeat, insistent.

“I don’t know,” she murmurs, still refusing to meet my gaze.

“The truth, Tessa.” My voice drops low, an admonishment, though anticipation thrums beneath it.

She finally lifts her chin and meets my eyes with a defiant glare. “Cedar. I think. And something lemony and sharp.”

“Hmm.” I lean back, trying to imagine the scent. “Not bad.”

The fact that she knew exactly how to answer is all the confirmation I need—we really are mates.

Her eyes narrow. “That’s it? That was your question?”

“Aye.” I grin, already knowing she’ll hate me a little for what I’m about to say next. “And that was one of yours, so be careful, little thief.”

Tessa opens her mouth to protest, then swallows her angry words. I brace myself for silence, or worse, a question too uncomfortable to answer, but the sound of rushing water cuts through the trees ahead.

“We’re coming up on a stream,” I tell her, nudging Pip into a trot. “Thank the gods.”

She catches up quickly. “It’s my turn to ask?—”

“I know.” I throw her a smile over my shoulder. “But I need to wash first. Then we’ll talk.”