Grounded By Love (The Giant Wars #2)(32)

Maybe Kaeldar had some standing among his own people after all. Hope blossomed in her chest. Perhaps she would live through this with Kaeldar as her protector.

After the conversation, Kaeldar spurred the horse onwards, and they kept going until they reached a tent within the camp.

Kaeldar dismounted, and without asking wrapped his large hands around her waist to swing her down to the ground. A gasp escaped her, as he let her gently slide down his torso until her feet touched the ground.

Was that a sizzle she felt? She was alarmed it may have indeed been a sizzle. Kaeldar made her body awake in ways no other man had, and it worried her. There was no room for attachment between a human and a giant.

Coughing she turned in his arms and took a step away from his overwhelming body.

“Stay here. I'll be back in a few moments.” With that he disappeared into the camp of rock giants.

Claira stood there with her jaw hanging open, as she stared after him, but he was gone from her sight within seconds. He was leaving her there, to stand by herself among these rock giants!

Automatically, she backed herself up into the tent. There was no way she was going to stand out there in full sight of every rock giant walking by. Claira just hoped her adventure didn't turn into a terrible nightmare.

“How could he do this to me?” She mumbled to herself. “But he wouldn't leave me here unless he knew he didn't have to worry about me.” Claira reasoned to herself. “But then again he might not care what happens to me.” He might not even need her skills anymore. The wound was probably going to be fine.

Taking a look around the tent she tried to keep her mind from thinking about what she would do if an unknown rock giant walked into the tent. She didn’t want to think about all the rock giants just outside the thin walls of the fur tent.

So she distracted herself with exploring the inside of the tent.

The tent was quite large, about three times the size of the tent they’d been sharing these past few days. She smiled, when her eyes landed on the bed of furs. Finally, she’d be sleeping on something better than one fur blanket. The last item in the tent was a trunk.

Had she expected there to be more inside? This was an army camp, after all. They probably only kept a few personal effects and nothing more. They’d need to be ready to pack and be on their way in a moment’s notice.

Deciding she had nothing better to do than pry into other people's belongings, Claira made her way over to the trunk.

Before she reached for the lid, though, she looked at the tent flap and listened to make sure Kaeldar wouldn't come striding in right as she opened it. She would hate to get caught red handed, while prying into someone else's belongings.

But she was intrigued. What if this larger tent was his? Then she might learn something about him by taking a look inside the trunk. Objects could give her some insight into his life and who he was as a man.

How could she miss this opportunity to get to know Kaeldar, especially when she was going to be with him for the foreseeable future?

She hesitated. It wasn't hers, and she really shouldn't.

Folding her hands in front of her she turned on her heel and went to sit on the bed of furs. She could mind her own business, and there was probably nothing inside anyways.

She sat there for a few minutes, her hands folded in her lap, but the trunk called to her. Inch by inch her head turned to look at it. She knew she shouldn't, but if she sat there for much longer she was going to bore to death or go crazy.

Claira shot to her feet and strode over to the trunk. Again she listened to make sure no one was about to enter the tent.

Ever so slowly, Claira slipped her fingers under the lip of the trunk and started to raise the lid. As she was about to glance inside, the tent flap moved, and Kaeldar strode in.

Startled Claira jumped and her fingers slipped, letting the trunk lid slam shut. She gasped and cringed, so much for stealth. She felt foolish, and then when he cocked an eyebrow at her as if asking what she was thinking, she felt even worse.

She was a snoop.

“Sorry. I was growing bored, while I waited for you to come back.” She twisted her hands in front of her, wondering what he must be thinking of her.

He waved his hand in the air brushing it off. “It isn’t even my trunk.” He stated, as he made his way over to the bed of furs.

She frowned. She felt disappointed she wouldn't have been able to learn anything about him from taking a look in the trunk. She’d been snooping for no reason.

With pursed lips, she turned to find Kaeldar stripping off his shirt. She rushed over to look at his wound. His eyebrows shot up at how fast she moved.

Gingerly, she pressed her fingertips against his wound. It was looking better every day, and she knew they had nothing to fear from it anymore, but she would keep it to herself for now. There was no need for her usefulness to disappear.

“After this is all over, I’m afraid you will be left with a horrible scar.” Claira informed him.

“Is that the bad news?”

She nodded and backed up. He was so tall that she had to crane her neck back to look at him.

“For now, that is the bad news.” Claira confirmed.

“I suppose I will have to learn to deal with it then.” Kaeldar sent her a playful wink.

Of course, a warrior like him wouldn’t be bothered by the knowledge he would be adding yet another scar to his collection. It only showed he couldn’t be killed, no matter how hard someone tried.