What I was met with was more strategy and logistics talk between the men outside as Kane ordered a search of our perimeter. “Lochlin, take two men and make sure the area is secure.”
“Right away.” The guard’s horse’s hoof steps started fading away, followed by two other sets.
I peeked out the small window above my pillow and saw Dorian move next to Kane. He spoke low, “My king, was it wise to bring her along?”
“Have you ever tried to tell her no?” Kane’s eyes were on the horizon.
Dorian scoffed, not amused at all. “Can you not control this human? If you cannot control her, is she not a…”
Kane’s attentions whipped to Dorian quickly. “I will advise you to watch your tongue. She is not a slave. She is not someone to control like a pet. If we bring her, she’s in danger. But is she not in danger back at the castle without my protection?”
“Could your raider not have stayed with her to keep her safe?” Dorian’s nose wrinkled as he glanced over at Wulfgar in the distance.
“The perimeter is secure.” Lochlin and his selected guys had returned. They immediately went back into formation around the carriage.
“She feels best protected when by my side. And if that is what she wants, then that is what she gets.” Kane turned his horse to face the other direction. “And frankly, I do not disagree with her.”
Dorian watched as Kane trotted his horse over to Wulfgar. The leader of the soldiers obviously did not approve. Yet, he knew that disagreeing with Kane too forcefully probably would not end in his favor. However, from where I watched? His stance on the matter was more than a minor disagreement. He was angry.
As he went to turn the opposite direction of Kane, he saw me peering through the window. We locked in a moment of exchange. But the energy that flowed between us wasn’t protective. I wouldn’t even say it was friendly. It was tense and sent a shiver down my spine. Then, it broke as he gripped his reigns and galloped away toward the front of the carriage.
I climbed out of the bed and poured myself a glass of water. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. Before I opened them, I felt a pair of muscular arms snack around my waist and full lips caress my neck.
“You do not seem relaxed,” he breathed against my flesh.
I turned to face him. “Dorian does not like me.”
“He does not like you being here,” he corrected me.
“That’s because he does not like me.” I gulped down the rest of the water and set the glass in the basket.
He put his strong hands on my shoulders and rubbed them. “Auri, it’s because we all want you to be safe. And he doesn’t want me to be distracted by you. It is his job to ensure that our defenses and offenses are strong. To him, you pose a chink in our armor.”
“How would I distract you?” I was genuinely curious considering that he seemed so pulled together and focused.
His eyes roamed down as his finger came up and played with the top button of my blouse. “Oh, I can think of a few things that run through my thoughts when I’m out there riding.”
I blushed, swatting his hand away. “Do not tempt me! I was just thinking how much I wanted you in here with me.”
He smirked. “Oh? Is that right? Maybe you should show me what those thoughts entailed.”
Gripping his wrist, I placed his hand on my waist and pressed up against him, reaching up on my tip toes and tilting my chin up to look up at him. “Do you have parts to fix this thing once we break it?”
He took a measured breath as if contemplating the possibilities of what we could do that would damage the carriage. His free hand tucked under my hair, wrapping around the back of my neck as he leaned down and kissed me fiercely.
“Kane.” Wulfgar appeared in the doorway. “We need to move. Some of the men are getting restless. The portal is only a couple more hours’ ride. I would hate to have to dispatch some of their heads before we got to our destination. After all, bartering them as food for Boutrol’s help.”
Kane laughed as the raider strolled back to his horse. “Wulfgar does not care for Dorian’s men.”
“I don’t blame him,” I muttered, thinking about how cold and distant they felt. But then again… soldiers on a mission.
He kissed my forehead and then moved to my lips, sending the best shiver through my body. “How is your pain?”
“I’m alright. It comes and goes, but it’s bearable,” I tried to reassure him.
Gently, he placed his hand on my stomach and huffed. “It is a good thing I cannot show you how much I love you right now. You need rest.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I wrinkled my nose. “Kane? How come you needed men to make sure we were safe? Why all the protection detail?”
“The men are to ensure that you are safe. The perimeter check is to be sure that there’s no Vulrumok in the area. They run in clusters around here,” he replied.
I blinked. “Vulrumok?”
“Yes.” He almost looked amused. “They are feral, gangly creatures with heads near the shape of a large feline, limbs like humans but much longer arms, bodies like a sickly human, grey skin, wiry hair in patches,
