Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
He either didn’t hear her or he paid her no heed. He kept walking.
She tapped hard on this back to get his attention. “Put me down.”
He ignored her.
Annoyed, she pounded at his back. “Put me down.”
He kept walking, but Thaw started barking.
She realized then that Thaw sensed her distress and was fighting for her to be heard. Fearful the man might hurt him, she ceased her demands and assured Thaw she was fine.
It wasn’t long after that she was dropped to her feet and Thaw was suddenly between her legs growling.
“Stay,” the man ordered.
Where did he think she’d go? And where was he going? He wouldn’t leave her, not after carrying her the way he had. Would he?
She heard a noise mingling with the wind, but couldn’t make out the sound. She didn’t jump this time when his hand gripped her arm and hurried her forward. She felt Thaw keeping pace between her legs.
The wind stopped suddenly.
“Shelter. Stay,” he snapped and she heard what she thought was a door close.
She looked around but saw no gray blur that she usually saw when a person was near and no growl came from Thaw. She heard him sniffing around. He was exploring and she should do the same.
She stretched her hands out in front of her and took short, careful steps, feeling her way around. She bumped into something and she explored it with her gloved hands. It was a small table and two chairs sat with it. More careful steps took her to a wall and as she made her way around the room, she felt a door. She came upon a cold, stone hearth next and after that her leg bumped into what she discovered was a bed, a narrow one from what she could feel.
From what she could tell, it was a small cottage the man had left her in. Was it his? But what would a barbarian be doing with a cottage on Scottish land? And whose land was this?
“Thaw,” she called out and the pup jumped up to press his paws against her leg. She scooped him up and hugged him tight. “The man has helped us so far. I don’t think he means us harm.”
Thaw didn’t agree, he growled.
“I suppose that animal head he’s wearing doesn’t help you trust him,” she said, rubbing behind his ear, his favorite spot.
He growled again.
“I’ll pay heed to your warning, but at the moment we’re stuck with him.” She held him up in front of her face, wishing she could see more than a gray blur. “And you will do nothing to bring harm to yourself.” She smiled when he licked her nose and she kissed his snout before placing him on the ground.
She returned to exploring the small space, hoping to find some type of kindling to start a fire in the hearth. She hadn’t gone far when she heard the door open and felt a rush of wind enter along with the man.
Thaw immediately was at her side, letting loose with a growl.
She scrunched her eyes in the direction of the shadowy blur as if somehow that would help her see more clearly. Of course, it didn’t. She still couldn’t see any better and she wondered if she ever would.
Self-pity will do you no good, she silently reminded herself. Especially now.
She managed to make out that he had dropped down by the hearth. Had he gotten wood for a fire? But it would be wet. It would not burn. So it surprised her that not long after she caught a whiff of smoke and felt a touch of warmth. He had got a fire burning.
The heat grew, flaring stronger and stronger throughout the small room.
The man stood and his shadow seemed to overpower the small space. Thaw even backed away to sit closer in front of her, his growl not as strong.
She watched and from his blurred movements she thought he reached up and removed the animal head to place on the table. How she wished she had her sight at that moment. But surprisingly she found it unnecessary.
“What in God’s name were you doing out in that snowstorm alone?”
Snow recognized that voice and her eyes scrunched in an angry scowl as she said, “Tarass!”
Chapter 3
“Aye, it’s me and how foolish are you to be out in a snowstorm like this on your own,” he reprimanded, still shocked from finding her wandering around on her own in the raging snow.
“What are you doing wearing the garments of a barbarian?” she demanded.
“You don’t want to know.”
He warned in such a menacing way that she held her tongue.
“Explain,” he ordered, “and silence your pup’s growls or I will.”
“Thaw wouldn’t growl if you weren’t so belligerent,” she said with a wag of her finger at him.
“Don’t wag that finger at me, woman,” he ordered.