Ayla woke up, her heart still racing in her chest. The dream she had experienced had been so vivid she could still see each detail clearly in her head. Her hands trembled as she looked around the cave. Seeing Rhobart so brutally tortured and killed made her more determined to help him in the upcoming war. And to find Uzriel. Rhobart was near the waterfall, training, his back facing her. He was wearing only a pair of trousers. His muscles flexed, and she bit her bottom lip, her cheeks turning pink. Her heart kept hammering in her chest, but for a different reason. He was bad for her health. Trying to distract herself from the dream and Rhobart, she decided to make breakfast. A basket with fruits was next to the fire pit. Cheese, smoked meat, and bread were in the supplies satchels. The kettle already had water in it, and Ayla put it over the fire to make tea. When she had finished setting up the food on two plates and tea in the cups, she sat on a rock and started eating. She kept t

Never had a man been so close to her. He looked into her eyes and cupped her cheek. Blood roared in her ears. She was scared. Not of Rhobart but of her feelings for him. For days she had tried to fight them, but she could not anymore. She was falling in love with the man that not long ago she had hated with all her heart. Since they started traveling alone, she came to know so much more about him and came to know Rhobart was not the monster her father claimed he was. Rhobart stroked her cheek with his thumb. He looked at her as if he...cared for her. She desperately wanted it to be true. “You are so beautiful,” Rhobart murmured and dipped his head until their lips almost touched. He was going to kiss her. She knew she was supposed to wait until the day of her wedding, but she wanted her first kiss to be with Rhobart. Even if it only happened once, she would treasure the moment forever. Her heart beat so hard she was sure he could hear it. His breath danced on her skin. He kept st

Rhobart groaned in annoyance, and Ayla blushed. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately around him. It was snowing outside, and Ayla pulled the hood of her new cloak over her head before getting on top of Spirit, and Rhobart and her resumed their journey to the Hammer Clan. The morning passed without any incident, and around noon they were back on the main road. When they passed next to a forest, Rhobart suddenly said, “I just remembered a shortcut to the Hammer Clan. By late afternoon tomorrow, we will be reunited with the others.” “You do know shortcuts are often dangerous,” Ayla commented. “Not as dangerous as your tea.” Ayla glared at him, and he cleared his throat. “See those mountains?” he asked while pointing at the horizon. “There is a path between them. Normally it is not dangerous, but sometimes goblins will try to attack travelers who are foolish enough to get close to their cave.” Goblins were small humanoid creatures with green, leathery skin that offered some protec

“Get on top of me,” Rhobart said. “Excuse me?” “It will get even colder, and we will have to share body heat. I would gladly shelter you with my body, but my arm hurts like a motherfucker, and I don’t want to bleed all over you with what is left of my blood.” Ayla snorted. “I see you are better. And to think I was worried about you.” “It’s because of the tea you forced me to drink,” he said and put his left arm under her waist and dragged her to him until she was half on top of him. “I don’t think it is wise for me to sleep in this position. What if I accidentally hit you in my sleep?” When she had bad dreams, she often thrashed in her sleep. “I have seen you sleep many nights. You barely move.” “Not if I have nightmares.” Rhobart was silent for a moment. “You never told me what they were about.” “Things. Yours?” “Also things. Thank you for taking care of me.” “Always,” Ayla said, and she felt Rhobart’s arm tighten around her. Ayla put her left palm on his bare chest, put

Intimate? “What things?” Ayla asked. “Give me time. But I want you to know that this is real. I want you, T’xoria, like I never wanted anything else in my entire life.” Ayla bit her lip. “Not even your soulmate?” Rhobart inhaled deeply. “I don’t want to talk about that.” “If you are still mourning her death, I understand.” “She is not dead.” Ayla blinked. “When you said you lost because of the war, I assumed... If she is not dead, then where is she?” He closed his eyes. “Please, Ayla! Don’t ruin this.” His voice cracked. “I am sorry, Rhobart! I will stop asking about her.” Ayla bit her lower lip. “But I am curious about something else.” He opened his eyes. “Sometimes, your curiosity scares me.” He sighed. “What is it this time?” She bit her lip and blushed. “Earlier, while you were on top of me, I felt something hard in your trousers—” He laughed. Hard. “So Daya was right. You are curious about my—” Rhobart started saying, but Ayla put her hand against his mouth, silencing