Page 37 of Grounded By Love
The jar made another round, and when Kaeldar offered it to her, she took it. Every eye was resting on her, and she didn’t want to appear weak. It might be a strong drink, but she had to start impressing them somehow.
A few scoffs could be heard from around the camp, as she accepted the jar. She knew they must have seen her first encounter with the liquid. She scowled. They had no faith in her. Taking a deep swig, she scrunched her face, as it burned down her throat.
“Might want to watch that, your pretty lips might get stuck that way.”
Her pretty lips? Claira's mouth dropped open, and she turned to him in shock, the burn forgotten. Before she could say anything, he handed her a rabbit leg.
Glad for the distraction, she took it from him. She needed something else in her stomach other than their liquid fire. She was already feeling the effects of the strong alcohol.
The juice dripped down her arm, as she held it aloft and dug in. Even if the rock giants intimidated her, at least they knew how to roast meat over a fire. She took a second piece, as night fell, and the large campfire became the only source of light.
Claira was actually starting to feel a little comfortable. She’d had several swigs of the jar. Every time a jar ran out, they always seemed to have another on hand.
The rock giants didn’t appear to care about her presence anymore either. They were having too much fun play fighting and joking around.
But eventually the attention turned back to her, as a rock giant warrior rose from the other side of the fire and headed her way. Claira thought he’d just pass by, since Kaeldar was sitting next to her.
As she glanced up from her position, the rock giant stopped beside her. His large hand landed on her shoulder, and he pulled her up. She was like a piece of soft clay in his hand. She feared moving because she could end up dislocating her shoulder with the strength he was applying. So she held still, while her heart stuttered in her chest.
His gravelly voice penetrated the night air, as he spoke to the still sitting Kaeldar.
She was amazed. Kaeldar looked unconcerned about the current situation she was in. Although their language consisted of growls and low sounds, she thought he sounded too calm when he eventually spoke to the rock giant who was holding her by the shoulder.
The rock giant slurred something back at Kaeldar. Clearly, he’d been taking some sips from the jar of liquid fire as well.
Her pulse spiked through her body, as adrenaline rushed through her. She felt his hand clamp tighter on her shoulder. At this rate, he was going to cut off blood flow to her arm.
Kaeldar growled back deeply and rose within the blink of an eye. He might be a well-built man, but he was faster than she would’ve ever guessed.
Either the giant who was holding her was dimwitted or too intoxicated to realize he was pissing Kaeldar off. She could read the displeasure within those dark depths of his eyes.
She almost felt like telling the rock giant he should back down before it was too late.
Kaeldar's hand reached for his sword, yet another warning to the rock giant to back away and sleep off his drink.
Looking between the two warriors she was able to see they were reading each other, silently. It was down to which one would make the first move or which would back down first.
Whatever the rock giant read in Kaeldar’s eyes made him abruptly let go of Claira. Rolling her shoulder, she darted over to stand beside Kaeldar, but he stepped towards the other giant and growled in his face.
Then Kaeldar shocked her by grabbing her arm and dragging her behind him as he led the way back through camp.
As they entered the tent she asked, “What did he want?” She had a few guesses, but was hoping she was wrong.
Instead of answering her, he started to strip off his clothing, one article at a time.
“Kaeldar, tell me what he wanted with me.” Claira folded her arms across her chest. “I have the right to know. It is, after all, my safety.”
“He wanted to take you to his bed.”
She sucked in a breath. “That wasn't what I thought it would be. I thought he just wanted to hurt or kill me.” She felt ill. Intercourse wasn’t something she wanted entering any of the rock giants' minds, but it had, and she felt terrified by that knowledge.
Kaeldar came over and wrapped his arms around her. One of his hands brought her head to lie against his bare chest.
“You may be a human, Claira, but you are a female among many males who have not had company for a long time. At this point, they could care less if you are human or giant.” He continued, when she stayed quiet. “I won't let anything happen to you, you can trust me on that one.”
She nodded against his chest. She was sure he would do his best to keep her safe, but would it actually be enough? There was still the little fact she didn’t know him all that well. He was a man who’d also been without a woman for a while.
Then again, she was the one eyeballing him every second she got.
