Grounded By Love (The Giant Wars #2)(25)

Kaeldar couldn’t believe how tiny her feet were in his hands. They just emphasized the size difference between humans and giants.

Never would he have guessed he would someday be in a forest with a human female massaging her feet. Never would he have thought he would be massaging any female’s feet. This wasn’t something a warrior did, but he found it strangely relaxing.

A sense of protectiveness came over him, as he kept thinking about the human male on top of Claira. Blood lust had rushed through him, when he found the two of them. He may have been too eager to kill the human male, but Kaeldar wasn’t about to budge from his position. The male deserved no mercy, for what he was attempting.

She was Kaeldar’s.

But she wasn't his. She was just some human he had need of for her healing. There was still the chance his wound could take a turn for the worse, and she clearly knew her herbs.

His sense of protectiveness must’ve come from his need to stay alive and get back to his people. Without her, he could end up in another fever. Kaeldar couldn’t afford to die, he still had a war to fight. They would drive the humans from their lands, once and for all.

When he took her back to his people he would do his utmost to make sure no harm came to her, but he wouldn’t be able to make any promises. His people firmly believed in the war.

He set her foot back down.

“Stay inside and off your feet, while I find us something to eat. I want us both to be well rested, before tomorrow.” He explained to her, as he got up to leave the tent.




Claira heard him take off with one of the horses, and again she berated herself for letting him go out to hunt. He had better not reopen his wound, or she was going to have some stern words with him about taking a rest.

He might be a warrior, but he wasn’t invincible. Though she was delighted by the rate of his recovery. She hadn’t seen him cringe in pain for a while, and she dearly hoped that meant he was on the road to recovery.

When she heard him return, she waited patiently for him to come to check in on her. When he had told her to stay seated, he had sounded completely serious. She might be the healer, but he was the warrior, and he didn’t take instructions, he gave them.

The tent flap lifted, and he poked his head inside.

“I will prop the tent flap open. I figured you would like to see out, while I prepared the catch.”

“Am I to remain seated?” Claira folded her arms in front of her.

“Of course. You took care of me, let me take care of you now.”

Claira unfolded her arms, as he turned. “And your wound is doing fine?”

“Everything is well.” He called back to her.

As he propped open the tent flap, she scooted on her butt, until she had a straight view out to the campfire.

He walked away, and she was able to appreciate the sharp angles of his face in the light of the flames. He was tall, and, yes, he was also handsome. He wasn’t a human man, but did it really matter? He was still a man.

Though he looked like a nightmare when he’d killed Robert, and the expression in his eyes sent shivers down her spine, she enjoyed his solid presence.

She watched on, as he prepped the bird he’d caught for their dinner.

A smile formed on her lips, as she watched him tend to the cooking bird. Never before had another taken care of her. For once, she was sitting back and getting provided for. It felt wonderful to hand over the reins, now that he wasn’t pestering her like a mother hen.

Once the bird finished cooking, he came over to the tent to present her with a leg. He came to sit down beside her, as they enjoyed the fresh cooked meal.

She had no problem with digging in. The leg of the bird looked so good, and her stomach wouldn't stop growling up at her. It also allowed her some time to stew in her thoughts. She was still figuring out how she felt about Kaeldar. Robert’s death had been unnecessary in her mind, but this rock giant seemed to be an uncontrollable force.

A force she’d hitched her wagon to.

After they finished their meal, they sat at the opening of the tent and watched the fire crackle happily.

“You must miss your people.” Claira broke the silence. It’d probably be wise to learn a little about him.

“I haven’t been gone long enough to miss anything. I’m sure they think me dead, since I didn’t return to an encampment after the battle.”

“Hopefully, it will be a welcome homecoming then.” Perhaps he was anxious to get back to his family. She might very well be the only human about to get an inside view of the life giants led.

If she were to guess what he was in his life, she might guess a commander of some sort. The way he carried himself struck her as more than just a soldier. He seemed to have a confidence like he knew his place in life.

As the night aged on, she and Kaeldar closed the tent flap and settled in for the night.

The night air chilled quickly, and Claira soon scooted over to place her back against the rock giant. His warmth soaked into her skin, and a little sigh escaped her.

She was sure he was fast asleep, and he would never notice her closeness. She didn’t want to give him the wrong impression, but she had been growing chilly on her side of the tent.

He was still in her bad book for what he’d done, and now she had to fight the images of Robert’s death that tried to float behind her closed eyelids.