Grounded By Love (The Giant Wars #2)(24)

Without even a word, he swung her up onto the horse, and then swung himself up after her.

“I won’t forgive you for this.” Claira muttered.

If he heard, he didn’t care, for he turned the horses back in the direction of their camp and headed off at a fast clip.

Claira rode in silence. She was unable to shake the scenes from her head. The images of Robert’s death were bound to haunt her for the rest of her life.

She found herself divided on Kaeldar’s actions. She didn’t want him to get the wrong impression, she was grateful for his assistance, but with his strength, Kaeldar could have easily subdued Robert without the need for death.

When they arrived back at the camp, night had already fallen, and Kaeldar decided they would spend the night and leave in the early morning hours of the next day.

After tying up the horses, Claira followed Kaeldar into the tent.

Even though she felt some distaste towards him, she needed to check his wound. There was no need for another life to be lost this day. Claira stepped up to his side, put her hands on him, and tried to move his clothing out of the way to get a clear view.

Kaeldar caught her hands by the wrists. “No.” Setting her away from him he pointed to her feet and asked, “Is there anything I can do for your feet? An herb to help them heal quicker perhaps?”

There were slight growls on the ends of his words, which made her stomach flip in weird ways, even when she was frustrated with him.

He surprised her with his knowledge of the human language. It made her wonder if other rock giants knew how to speak their language. She would never have guessed, and she was sure she was one of the few humans to actually know the giants could speak their tongue.

“I would never have guessed giants could speak our language so well.”

“Most giants can speak at least some of your language. We find it better to know what our enemy is talking about. Your people have not been kind to ours, and we have learned not to trust anything the humans say.”

Claira nodded, understanding where he was coming from. Even she had been the victim of her people’s mistrust and hatred of the unknown.

“Sit.” He commanded of her.

“Why?”

“Please, sit.” He said more politely, as he motioned to her.

Claira sat down, if a bit hesitantly, while he bent down next to her and again asked her, “What can I get for your feet?”

“There is no need to be concerned. You have a worse injury than I do. Look, they are healing on their own already.” Claira lifted a small foot into the air to show him. She wasn’t used to someone wanting to care for her. It made her feel small, and it made her feel uncertain.

“I can still see the pain in your eyes, when you walk.” He eyed her, daring her to say otherwise.

“Fine. There are some little yellow flowers with large oval leaves you can pick for me.”

He was right that they weren’t healed completely, but they weren’t unbearable either. But if he was just going to pester her than she was going to give him a task to occupy his mind.




Kaeldar grumped, as he rummaged through the forest for those little yellow flowers. He was finding it hard to understand Claira’s mood. Shouldn’t she be appreciative towards him for saving her from the human male?

The death Kaeldar had given the male had been too kind, and yet she was treating him like some sort of monster. And now all he was doing was helping her again by finding a way to ease her pain.

He saw the irritation shining in her eyes, as she told him about the flowers. She wanted to get rid of him. Had his little human been alone so long that she had a hard time accepting help? It made him want to smash the villagers’ heads together.

Lashing out Kaeldar pounded a tree with his fist. Pain radiated through his arm, but he ignored it. He was a warrior with quite the temper on him.

Kaeldar sucked in a few calming breaths. He knew he’d reopened his wound, since something wet trickled down his side, but he didn’t want to show his weakness. He was a warrior, and he would stick through the discomfort.

Maybe they would both die together out here in the forest, with only their mutual stubbornness to blame.




It took a while for Kaeldar to get back, but when he did, he held up his find with a triumphant smile. Claira couldn’t help but grin back at him.

Although a ruthless warrior, he did have a kind streak running through him. He was capable of killing, but clearly he was also capable of being sympathetic and caring.

She didn’t know whether to hold Robert’s death against him. It was Robert who had sought them out. Robert could’ve left well enough alone and stayed in the village. It had been an adrenaline filled moment, and Kaeldar had saved her from a fate she didn’t even want to imagine.

She couldn’t keep thinking about it. If she did, she might just turn herself into a confused mass of emotional knots, to hate the rock giant or to forgive him?

So she turned her attention back to Kaeldar. She’d let time tell what to think about him.

He mashed the herbs, as she instructed, and then gently took one foot at a time to rub the pulp into the soles of her feet. It felt so good to have him working on her tender soles. The mash of herbs started to work its magic on the burns, after only a few minutes.

It amazed her how gentle her fierce rock giant could be, as he kept massaging her feet with his strong thumbs.