Grounded By Love (The Giant Wars #2)(80)

Once free of the bindings her arms came up to wrap around his neck. Her arms were like rigid bands of steel. She never wanted to let go of him ever again, and she never wanted to be in this kind of situation again.

If she remained with Kaeldar she would be forced into situations like this all over again. In the end, she might just have to leave him to stay safe, if he would let her go.

Hot thick tears poured out of her eyes, as she took comfort in his arms being around her. All she wanted to do right at that moment was to cuddle up and let him defend her from everything around them, from any danger.

She wasn’t normally so reliant on another, but she felt like she deserved to be fragile. It was good to let one’s emotions out instead of keeping them bottled up. She had done her best, but she needed to shed a few tears to keep herself steady.

"Shhh, Claira. You will be alright, now that I’m here." His deep voice tried to coax her out of her tears.

He sat there on the ground holding her close, as tears leaked from her eyes onto his large shoulder. She’d thought she was going to die all alone. She thought no one would ever find her body, and she would’ve been left to waste away out here.

"I regret this happened to you." He apologized to her.

"I thought I wouldn't survive." She choked out, as she leaned away from his chest and lifted her hands up to rub the wetness from her eyes and her cheeks. "But," she added, "it isn't your fault, and you shouldn't be sorry for anything. This was bound to happen at some point. Neither of us could’ve predicted when or how it would happen. At least, you found me." Claira smiled, as one of her hands came up to brush against his cheek. She loved the feel of her soft skin brushing up against the stubble on his face.

"It doesn't mean I won't kill whoever did this to you."

Claira was shocked by his declaration, and she completely believed him, when he said he would, for she could see the fire burning in his obsidian eyes.

"Do you know who it was?"

"I know the master mind behind the plan. Who actually carried it out? Well, I can promise I will find out who they were, and they will pay with their lives." Kaeldar swore.

“Please don’t. I don’t want there to be blood shed over me.”

“They took you to leave you to die, and you want me to spare their lives?”

“I would rather leave, then stay and have blood on my hands.”

“It won’t be on your hands.”

“The blood will be on my hands, if you do it to show others I belong here. It can’t be the way they accept me.”

Kaeldar glared down at her, but he relented. “Fine. They will not be killed, but they will be punished for what they did.”

She nodded. She agreed they needed to be punished, but death was something she would never be able to live with.




Kaeldar couldn't believe he’d found her. She was alright, but she was a bit traumatized from her experience, which was completely understandable.

He was thinking it would be time to take the reins from his father. It was time to take his place as king of the rock giants. Claira had done nothing to them except help their ill and wounded.

Until now he’d never wanted or needed to take power away from his father. His father had taken away things throughout Kaeldar’s life, but none of those things meant as much to him as Claira.

But over throwing his father would take time. He needed to see how many of his people would back him or he would just throw everything into chaos. They were fighting a war, and his people needed a strong head to the royal family.

Who would have been able to guess a human female would be the one thing in his life to spur him on to take kingship from his father. Never before had he wanted the responsibilities that came with being king. He had always planned to shirk those duties, until the last possible moment by being a soldier.

Now he felt confident he could do it, when he had Claira by his side. He had finally found the right female to spur him into doing his duties.

Yet the only way to take the kingship from his father would be either waiting until his father died or challenge his father to a battle. It would be a challenge with sharp swords, and Kaeldar wasn’t about to lie to himself, his father was still in his prime.

There was no love lost between them. If Kaeldar challenged his father, his father might just end his life and be rid of his troublesome heir.

For Claira’s safety, he couldn’t take her back to the castle. When he challenged his father, it would send him into a rage, and Kaeldar didn't want his father's eyes to land on Claira and think about harming her. If she was gone, his father wouldn't be able to get to Kaeldar.

He would have to act like he was breaking the ties with her, because he didn't want her to wait her whole life for him. He wanted her to be able to live, possibly start a family if she chose, because he couldn't promise he would come out of the challenge alive.

There was a high possibility his father would beat him in a challenge. He was older, but he was still in his prime and had plenty of experience with a sword. His father wasn't a man to be underestimated on the battlefield.




Once she was better and stopped sniveling she got up from the ground and brushed off her gown.

"Thank you, I’m better now." She said, as his anxious eyes followed her every movement. She had relieved her pent up emotions, and she was feeling a deal better.