Page 88 of Rough Riding Orc Cowboy

His shoulders slumped, but he glared at Beth. “Why wouldn't you just cooperate?”

I took a step forward, my growl dripping with warning. “Leave. Now. Do not return to Lonesome Creek. I'll sense you're there, and I'll hunt you down.”

“I'm a civilized being.” He might be stiffening his spine, but his hands shook. “I'll leave, and trust me, you won't see me in this paltry, backwater town again.” With a huff, he tried to climb onto the horse, but he couldn't quite do it. One of the men wielding a club came over and shoved his ass.

Seated, Bradley lifted the reins and glared at his men. “We ride. Now.”

They climbed onto horses, and they whirled their mounts and raced into the woods along the path I knew would eventually take them back to town.

Our friends cheered and after making sure Beth was alright, they trooped back toward the campsite, congratulating each other on a mission well done.

Beth tumbled into my arms. I wrapped them around her and nudged my forehead against hers. “Mate. My precious mate.”

She shot me a grin. “I knew you'd come for me.”

“Always.”

I pulled back enough to drink her in, to make sure she truly was unharmed. Her cheeks were flushed, and they'd soiled her shirt and pants, but she looked alright otherwise.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered. “I don't want to get you into trouble.”

I tipped her chin up, making her meet my gaze. “It's not your fault.”

She surged up, pressing her lips against mine.

The world flew away and all that remained was her warmth, her touch, everything this woman was. I kissed her back, pouring every ounce of love, protection, devotion into my touch.

When we finally pulled apart, her eyes gleamed with happiness. “It's over. Take me back to our tent.”

I didn't need to be asked twice. With one sweep, I scooped her into my arms, pressing her against my chest. “Hold on tight.”

She clung to my shoulders as I carried her away from the clearing, away from the horror of what had almost happened, and straight into the safety of our tent.

No one would ever take her from me again.

Chapter 32

Beth

The next morning, our friends buzzed with excitement, their laughter echoing through the crisp air. We sat inside the cooking gazebo, passing around sausages, eggs, and biscuits, our voices rising as we talked about what had happened the night before.

“Beth, you were incredibly brave.” Mary beamed, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of tea. “I knew from the start you were a woman. You had that fire in your eyes that men just can’t drag up themselves.” Leaning forward, she poked my wrist. “Not many guys wear gold bracelets.”

Heat rose into my face. Why hadn’t I thought about how that might look?

“Hey, men have fire.” Joel pouted, but his eyes sparkled.

“You do, love,” Mary said, leaning into his side.

Chuckling, I shook my head. “I'm pretty sure my braid stuffed under my hat didn’t help either.”

“Aw, poo,” Mary said. “Lots of men have long hair. It's kind of sexy, don't you think?”

Joel grimaced, running his fingers across his nearly bald head.

Mary nuzzled his shoulder. “I love you sweetheart no matter how much hair you have.”

“That's good, because it's not coming back.”

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