Seizing the gift he’d just unknowingly given her, Oaklie made the trunk part and stepped back out into the open.She raced over to the statue and picked it up, then sprinted to the log fence.An opening appeared and she hurriedly put the statue in the yard.The fence closed up again, then she raced back to the battle that was still raging.
Hiding behind a wide tree, Oaklie saw two of the men were down.The blond man who was obviously a warrior knew how to use his magical sword.He moved with graceful, deadly precision as he avoided their gunfire.
Caught up in the fight, she only sensed someone creeping up on her when she heard a low chuckle.Pain speared through her lower back when a knife was jammed into her flesh.Shocked by the agony, Oaklie heard an enraged roar come from the warrior.She spun around, grabbed the grinning man by the face and slammed his head against the tree.Stunned by the blow, his scream became muffled when the trunk closed around his head.
A strong, muscular arm came around her from behind, then a shiny sword whooshed through the air as she was lifted out of the way.Blood gushed from the now headless neck of her assailant when she was put down.Oaklie’s head tilted back until she met the pale blue eyes of her stalker.A full foot taller than her, he seemed absolutely shocked when he saw her face.To her astonishment, he gently touched her cheek.“Mine,” he said with supreme confidence, then he reached around her to yank the knife out of her back.
Screaming in fresh agony, Oaklie didn’t get a chance to fall.He swept her into his arms and sprinted to the log fence.Putting her down gently, he propped her up against the fence.“Don’t die on me, female,” he ordered her.“I’ll be back as soon as I’ve finished off the rest of the humans.”
She didn’t get a chance to tell him she would be fine.He was gone before her wound started to heal quickly.
Chapter Fifteen
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ARKAS WAS STILL INa slight daze as he headed back to the fray.The stupid humans were still shooting into the trees, unaware that he’d left the battle.Sparing a glance at the man he’d beheaded, he grimaced at the sight of the bleeding neck sticking out of the trunk.He’d never seen a tree eat someone’s head before.It was nice to discover he hadn’t seen everything even after his billions of years of existence.
The inexplicable pain in his lower back began to ebb.Relief that the stunning female wasn’t going to bleed to death replaced his concern.Like him, she had rapid healing abilities.Rage like he’d never felt before had suffused him when he’d realized he wasn’t the one who’d been injured.He hadn’t even met the tiny woman he was somehow connected to, but he’d leaped to her defense anyway.
She’d already taken care of the threat by the time he’d reached her, but he’d made sure the human wouldn’t be able to harm her again.Seeing the stunning face he’d whittled out of oak belonged to an actual person had shocked him.She was even more beautiful in real life.Fate had heard his wish and had granted it.There could be no doubt that she was behind this.
“None of this makes any sense,” he said.He’d noticed the statue that was a replica of him was no longer in the clearing.The delicately beautiful female had moved it to a safer location.He’d been very wrong when he’d thought the artist was a man.The humans seemed to think Oakley Woods was a witch.
The knight had a lot of questions, but they would have to wait.Four of the men were dead, but six still remained.He didn’t want to draw this out, so he sprinted over to the closest human.His sword reappeared in his hand and he thrust it through the man’s back, killing him instantly.Screams of terror came from the others when they saw the warrior’s grimly vengeful expression.Two of them wisely fled, but he intercepted them before they could get far.It was tempting to torture them at least a little bit, but that was beneath a Knight of Order.Amaros would be disappointed in him if he knew he’d deliberately stepped over the line.
One by one, Arkas skewered the fiends who’d dared to attempt to kill his female.She still didn’t show up on his radar, but he’d felt a connection to her as soon as he’d locked eyes on her.She was the presence he could sense in the back of his mind.He’d figured out that much.
“Now it’s time to find out exactly who and what Oaklie Woods is,” the warrior said when the last man fell.It was doubtful more townsfolk would attempt to infiltrate her property today.The bodies strewn all around the place would act as a warning and a deterrent.
His sword disappeared back to the ether and he raced back to the log fence.The female was gone when he arrived.“Oaklie Woods!”he shouted, knowing she could hear him.“Let me in, or I’ll tear this fence apart with my bare hands!”
“There’s no need to shout,” she said as several logs magically swung open to allow him entry.“Who the hellareyou?”she asked.It was good to see she was on her feet again.Dressed in a baggy black jacket and matching pants, he couldn’t tell what her figure was like.Yet he knew every single detail at the same time.He knew exactly what she looked like when she was naked, just like she knew what he looked like when he was unclothed.
“That’s the same question I intended to ask you,” he said, entering the huge yard.A bare vegetable patch was to one side, with the lightly smoldering ashes of dead vegetation nearby.He glanced at the statue she’d put just inside the yard.“I’m Arkas, a Knight of Order,” he said in introduction.
“You already know my name,” she said, blushing when she cut a look at his wooden likeness.“I know you’re not human, so what are you?”
