Page 21 of The Orc's Stolen Shepherdess

“Yes.” His voice was warm with mirth as he said, “You’ve gotthe stick to prove it.”

I grinned helplessly and leaned the stick against the boulder so I could brush the leaves away. “I do indeed. It’s the same crook that my family has used for over a hundred years. Three generations have held it, and I was brought up to think that the job would be mine too.”

With the leaves and moss gone, that only left a damp surface. I took up the sleeve of my wool gown and used it to clean up the mud. “I was raised in the woods, you know? My mother and father would go outtogether. They carried me until I could walk. I’ve used a sheep as a prop for my head at night more times than I’ve used apillow.”

Fades, this rock just wouldnotcome clean. No matter how hard I scrubbed, the grime would not relent. “I’ve always knownexactlywhere I was going, what I was meant to do. I’ve felt it in my soul since I took my first breath. I’ve known no other life and wanted nothing else.”

What if I couldn’t change my father’s mind?

What if he forced me to give up the flock anyway?

I scrubbed so hard it hurt.

Warmth covered my fist, and I glanced up to find Caivid looming over me, so tall and huge it hurt my neck to look up at him. One would have thought I’d scramble away.

Instead, I wanted to get closer.

His opposite hand held something. Dried autumn leaves. Fades, where had he found dry leaves in all this damp?

He swiftly covered the damp rock with the soft foliage, solving my problem so swiftly it made my eyes go wide.

Then he caught me about the waist and plopped me right down on top of it.

I gasped, tall enough now that I didn’t have to crane my neck to look at him. “I. . . I meant for you to sit here.”

His brows rose as he blinked in shock. And then his expression softened with such tenderness that my throat constricted again. “You’re scared, Susara. Tell me what you are so afraid of that you would risk your life walking here alone, in the dark.”

“I would hardly call walking the path from Oakwall to Rove Wood Clan arisk.” My voice sounded choked despite my best attempt to hide it.

He reached up slowly and brushed a thumb along my cheeks. The touch was so warm and gentle it made me want to melt into him. To collapse into his chest and let him wrap me up in his arms. To close my eyes and breathe him in and forget every trouble I ever had.

His hand moved away, and I saw that his thumb was wet from my tears.

The words tumbled out of me in a rush. “My father always promised he wouldnevertake the flock from me. But he’s gone back on his promise, Caivid. He’s giving the flock to Jophel. That stupid asshole of a man who’s been skulking around our sheep since his brother inherited the butcher shop from their father. He’s been pestering my father about the dangers of the woods and now he’s taking the sheep.Mysheep! The ones I’ve led all my life, that I’ve been leadingon my ownfor two seasons and now he just wants to—”

Warmth went tight around my body so quickly I was awash with shock. Caivid’s arms formed a tight hold as my head was tucked against his shoulder. The spicy, musky scent of him clouded my mind and soothed the prickling of my eyes. The last of my tears dripped onto his skin and dried on my cheeks as he held me.

I didn’t want him to let me go.

“What do you need, Susara?” He rumbled against the top of my head. “What can I do?”

What could he do? Such an easy question and yet the comfort I found in the soft tone made me want to weep all over again.

“I. . . I need a protector.” I swallowed thickly. “My father has made this deal with Jophel because he’sscared. Scared of the dangers I might face in the woods alone. Scared of. . . of. . .”

I puffed out a breath and leaned back so I could look into Caivid’s face. His eyes were still gentle, and his expression was open. I took one of his hands in mine and rubbed at his knuckles, counting as my thumb bumped over them. The rhythmic motion helped soothe the ache in my chest.

Strange. . . this action felt like something I’d done a million times before.

And like I’d do it a million times in the future.

“He’s scared of the warriors. Many of the villagers are. You’re the first big change that has come to our home in centuries. But changes aren’t new forever. Once he gets to know you, once we all do, it will be fine. I canfeelit.”

Caivid tipped his head and narrowed his eyes. “So, you want me to. . . protect you?”

“Yes.” I took a deep breath and looked into the warm shock of his bright green eyes.

My reservations fell away and determination took its place.

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