He nodded, though her words were not a question. "I have. My journey nears its end."
"Why?"
He knew what she asked, but pretended not to. "Why what?"
"Why have you been traveling?"
"I've been on a quest of sorts."
"What sort of quest?"
He wasn't about to tell her he was named an outlaw by his own clan. "Just an adventure. Which will soon be over."
"When you go to Tingwalla."
He nodded, taking her sack and attaching it to his saddle. "I hope to settle somewhere near one of the northern fishing villages after The Thing is over."
Another lie, but one he had no choice but to tell. If he told her of his family, his clan, she would soon figure out he was not who he appeared to be.
"Are you in some kind of trouble?"
Did she notice his brief hesitation when securing her belongings? He hoped not, but she was smart and perceptive. When she said nothing, he released the breath he hadn't even realized he'd held.
"No." More lies. He longed for the day when he could finally tell her the entire truth. How would she react? His stomach knotted at the possibilities.
CHAPTER NINE
Thora said nothing as Ari readied their possessions. He kept secrets and she grew ever more determined to uncover them. She'd told him about the reasons for her own journey, but why wouldn't he tell her his? Was he some sort of outlaw?
A moment's panic stole her breath. He had been noble in saving her, but his wicked sexual games and insistence on possessing her as if she were little more than a slave hinted at a darker side. She'd best remember to keep her wits sharp about him.
She stifled a bitter laugh. The moment he kissed her again, no doubt her wits would scatter on the wind. His slightest touch roused a passion she'd often doubted was real. Now, she knew it was. Just thinking about his kiss, or the way he'd claimed her body, or even the way he'd spanked her sent her thoughts skittering in all directions. Barely suppressing a shiver of excitement, she forced herself to calm, clenching her fingers to stop the trembling of her hands.
Finally, all was packed into the pouches attached to Ari's saddle. With an almost indifferent manner, he withdrew a dagger and used the blade to scrape dirt from his tunic. Then his intense gaze settled on her. Time seemed to slow, his stare pinning her in place. Several times, she thought he meant to say something, but his silence hung heavily, muting even the sounds of the forest creatures. Even Kata and Kati seemed to be silent, though Thora knew it was just an odd power he possessed, to drown out their surroundings when he looked at her. Had the gods given him this gift? If so, she had no means to resist.
"Your wolf cannot travel long distances."
His words snapped her focus back to the hindrance to their need to relocate. She nodded. How did he manage to create then break such an enticing lure? In one moment, she thought for sure she'd be reduced to ash; in the next, frozen for all eternity. This strange hither and fro war of her feelings ended now. She forced herself to focus on those who truly mattered in her life. Her wolves.
She studied the beasts, disheartened to see Kata had once again resumed her prone position. The she-wolf remained too weak to walk more than a few steps at a time. "You are right. She must be carried somehow."
Ari seemed to consider her words, then gave a curt nod. "We will fashion apulka."
That he offered to create a sled for his horse to pull her pet splintered her resolve, and roused other strange emotions, ones she didn't want to acknowledge. Doing so meant she gave up her freedom; end up forced into a life she didn't want. Still, she really had no choice but to express her gratitude.
"Thank you."
"Thora, understand this – while you have a duty to obey me as payment for your debt, I have a duty to protect you. That includes your wolves. This is the best way for them." He paused, a leering smile tugging at his lips. "And for me."
She tilted her head. "Why you?"
"Because you will be riding before me."
A heartbeat later, Thora realized his intentions. A healthy portion of apprehension accompanied the flash of heat billowing along her spine. She should be angry at the way he intimated he would so casually use her, and yet, she found herself wanting his touch, no matter how it came.
While her anger easily roused, it remained tempered by the desire that hummed through her veins. Knowing he possessed many secrets made it impossible to trust him completely, yet she knew without a doubt he would protect her. Damn him, or no, perhaps damn her, for wanting that. Near as much as she wanted the pleasure he gave.
Hel should drag him to her realm for causing such turmoil in Thora's mind and body. A sacrifice might help, but how would she find the time and means to offer one?
