Page 28 of Savage Giant

I regretted arguing with him before he’d left. I’d truly believed there had been a lost, injured male from another tribe nearby who’d simply needed help, and I’d judged Gorran for planning to kill the trespasser.

The strange male said something to Gorran, though I couldn’t understand his words. Montikaan. He was speaking in Montikaan. I watched as Gorran snarled a reply.

Then the trespasser growled and started running for us. Gorran released a vicious snarl and pushed me behind him, and I was quick to move further out of the way, not wanting to get trampled by two powerful Montikaan males locked in battle.

I retreated until I backed into a tree, then leaned against it as I watched the fight unfold. Though Gorran was larger than the trespasser, their fur was the same dark brown, and as they rolled around on the snow-covered ground, I had difficulty telling them apart. Fists flew, and I even saw one of them bite the other.

Maybe I should run. Try to escape. Just in case something happened to Gorran. I wanted to help, but unless I had a weapon, there wasn’t much I could do to assist Gorran in thefight. I took a few steps away from the tree but stopped. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t just leave.

I had to stay and watch. I only prayed Gorran would be the victor. Not just because I feared what would happen to me if he lost, but I despaired over the prospect of him dying.

True, we’d only known one another for a few days. But during that short time, I’d pretty much decided I would offer myself to him for mating. Once we reached his people’s cavern, that was. There was a warmth between us I couldn’t deny, a warmth that brimmed with magic and longing and… trust. Thecalling, as he often referred to it.

The realization hit me. I did trust Gorran. Perhaps that was why I’d been so devastated when I’d thought he meant to murder an innocent male. I studied the mass of furry arms and legs, trying to figure out who was winning, but I still couldn’t determine which Montikaan was Gorran.

A frigid gust of wind blew snow across the tiny clearing where they wrestled. And then I heard an audible snap, followed by deathly silence, that drenched me in fear. One of them had snapped the other’s neck.

I sank to my knees, my vision swirling. The brightness of the day and the white snow were making it difficult to see. Dark spots kept clouding my vision, and I listened above the wind for a familiar voice. Please let me hear a familiar voice.

“Cari. Pretty human.”

I shuddered with relief and forced myself to my feet, though my legs were so weak that I stumbled and fell straight into Gorran’s open arms. He turned me away from the dead male, shielding me from the gruesome sight, and held me close as the wind continued howling around us, the snow swirling off the branches coating our entwined bodies.

He pulled back slightly and nuzzled his nose to mine, then swept me up in his arms and carried me into the cabin.

“It’s over,” he murmured, his warm breath tickling my ear. “You are safe, my sweet mate.”

Chapter 19

GORRAN

I carriedCari into the living room and sank to the floor, arranging her to sit on my lap. I buried my face in her hair and held her tight. She laced her arms around me and shuddered. Relief and gratitude flowed from her, as well as… regret and shame.

I stroked her hair and nuzzled her neck and her nose, needing to feel and smell her repeatedly to assure myself of her well-being. She was alive. So was I.

I withdrew from the embrace slightly to check her over for any injuries. To my relief, I didn’t see any cuts or bruises.

My sides ached where the Fashoran beast had pummeled me, and there was a gash on my shoulder where he’d sunk his teeth into my flesh. But I paid my injuries no mind. I would heal quickly.

All that mattered was Cari’s safety, and that we were together.

I would slaughter every male in the Fashoran tribe to keep her safe, though I sincerely hoped no additional trespassers were headed this way. I would remain vigilant until we departed the cabin. Under no circumstances would I allow another Montikaan male to frighten my sweet mate.

“You’re hurt,” Cari whispered in a trembling voice as she peered at my shoulder. She tried to get up, but I grasped her hips, not allowing her to stand. “Please. I-I can go get some bandages.”

“I’ll heal fine on my own, I promise. Montikaans heal rapidly. The marks will be gone before nightfall.” Already the bleeding had stopped, and a thick scab covered my shoulder. If we were closer to my settlement, a touch healer could help me mend faster, but I would manage fine without one.

I sent up a silent prayer of thanks to the Great Spirit for Cari’s welfare. Sorrow resounded in my soul over the prospect of losing her. I didn’t like that her cabin rested on the edge of Fashoran lands, but it couldn’t be helped. I hoped we would be able to leave soon.

I pressed a human kiss to her forehead before pulling back to meet her pretty blue eyes. “I must go take care of the body,” I said. “Otherwise, it might draw predators too close to the cabin.” I also didn’t want her to see a frozen corpse when she glanced out the back windows.

Her eyes filled with understanding, and she nodded. “Of course. Um, Gorran? I-I feel awful about our argument before you… before you put me in the bathroom. I’m sorry I doubted you. I suppose I still have a lot to learn about your people. It never occurred to me that the pained howl was part of a trap.” Her voice rang with sincerity.

“To be fair,” I said gently, “I didn’t know it was a trap when I went outside. I’d caught the scent of a second male just beforeI put you in the bathroom, but I didn’t realize there were four of them until I was a good distance from the cabin.”

I cupped her face in my hands, drinking in the sight of her beauty as I debated whether or not to say more.

“I wouldn’t have relished killing a male who’d accidentally trespassed in the Starblessed lands,” I eventually said, “but even if I had come upon a wounded male from another tribe who’d gotten lost, I still would’ve killed him.”

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