Grounded By Love (The Giant Wars #2)(8)

“No!” She protested vehemently. Claira covered the rock giant with the blanket again. Then she pushed Robert to the doorway of her cottage. He was still in too much shock to give her much of a fight.

He turned to face her. “The villagers will not treat you pleasantly, if they find out what you’re doing here.”

“They won’t find out, if you can manage to hold your tongue.” Claira stared him down. She didn’t have any practice at being intimidating, but she was doing her best.

Robert turned on his heel and went to mount up on his horse. Turning his horse to face her he warned her again. “You’re playing with fire, Claira. That rock giant will slit your throat, if you don’t do it first.” With that said, he galloped away.

Claira watched him, until he disappeared. She knew he wouldn’t do anything to endanger her life. Not when he was so intent on trying to convince her to marry him. Or would he? He could be rash at times, and she had seen the fire in his eyes.

He might let something slip or think he could save her if he told the others. There was nothing she could do about it now, except to help the rock giant out of her cottage as soon as possible.

She wouldn’t give him another dose of the tea. He needed to get up and out of the cottage, and he would need his mind to be clear. He might very well need to fight for his life.





Chapter 3


Within hours, Robert was back at her door, and she could tell he’d been drinking. His breath reeked of ale.

Robert heaved in a gulp of air, as though he had run all the way from the village. He pushed past her to take a seat on the chair in front of her fireplace. He cast a glare at her bed, before looking back at her. Holding his side with one hand he panted. “They found out, Claira.”

She froze in place, but clarified. “About what exactly?”

“The rock giant, what else?” He glared at the sleeping form, got up and looked into her eyes. “It was an honest mistake, I had a few too many glasses of ale with some friends.”

Claira was floored. He came almost every week to profess his love for her, yet he’d betrayed her. Her emerald eyes flashed with vexation.

“How could you do this to me?” Claira motioned towards the rock giant. “He is almost better. I have poured so many of my hours into this rock giant. And now because of your mistake you’re going to make it a waste of my time.” She accused him hotly.

“They’re coming for him, Claira. You must hand him over or else they’ll take you as well. I don’t want to see you hurt.” Robert pleaded to Claira.

“Then you shouldn’t have told them!”

“You allow a rock giant in your bed, but you will not take my hand in marriage?”

“I have explained we would not make a love match!” Claira waved her hands in the air. How many ways did she have to reject him?

“You would come to love me, in time, like all other women. I would see you well off, if you would just accept me.”




Kaeldar woke to the sound of an angry female voice. His eyes cracked open, and he saw the human female talking with a human male.

Tensing, he waited to see what they were discussing. Was she going to turn him over to the human male?

By the tone of her voice though, Kaeldar doubted she wanted the male to be there at all. She seemed irate with the human male, but the drug in his system was making it hard for him to understand what they were talking about. He knew the human language, but right now all he could make out were jumbled words.

When the human male reached out to touch her arm, Kaeldar felt rage spark through him. Then he took a mental step back. Just because she had cared for him, didn't mean she was his or that he wanted her.

He just wanted to help her get away from the male, who she clearly held distaste for. Her face scrunched up, as she continued to talk with him hotly.

Looking to the window Kaeldar saw it was night, and he wondered how many days he’d been here under this female's care.

As her voice got louder, he struggled to piece together their conversation. Kaeldar wanted to know what was going on around him and if he should fear for his safety.

Eventually, his mind cleared enough so he was able to glean a little into what was being discussed.

She’d saved him and brought him to this cottage by herself. Then she’d tried to keep him a secret, so the villagers wouldn’t know. Then this scum of a male had decided to get drunk and let her secret spill. After hearing their discussion, he knew the male had put them both in danger just to get rid of the rock giant threat.

Growling he rose up on an elbow. “Human female.” He managed to get out from between his stiff lips.

He could tell he had shocked them, when both of their spines stiffened. They turned in unison to stare at him in astonishment. The female’s eyes were wide with unease and surprise, while the male’s were filled with hatred.

There was no way this human male had spilled the secret on accident. Kaeldar could tell the human male despised him and wanted to see him lying lifeless on the ground.

With yet another growl, he let himself fall back onto the bed. He wasn't about to talk to the human female with the male standing right there to hear every word. He had to convince the human female to let him go, for her safety as well as his. He needed to get back to his people to rejoin the war efforts against the humans.