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I braced his shoulder, my heart filled with gratitude. “Thank you.”
“I’m done,” Rhoslyn finally said, still gazing longingly at the shelves. “Do you think I could come back again someday? Smelling the herbs and potions reminds me of home.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged.” I kept my voice growly as she’d expect, but inside I smiled.
There were many ways to please my mate, and I was quickly discovering that making her happy was the only thing that mattered.
Chapter23
Rhoslyn
We left the shop, and when Jaus paused, I did too.
Distant shouts drew my attention, but when I peered down both ends of the street, I didn’t see any reason for the uproar. Perhaps it was just vendors hawking their wares in the central marketplace, their voices somehow amplified by the narrow street.
The older orc proprietor hurried out to join us. “You forgot your purchases.” He handed me a big bag that Jaus promptly took from me to carry.
I shot a panicked look Jaus’s way. He’d said I could get a few items, but this was much more than that. He was going to think I was greedy. “I didn’t ask for so much.”
“In some ways, you did.” The indulgent smile Jaus sent me sunk into my bones and made me feel giddy. “I had the proprietor add a few extra items I thought you might enjoy.”
“You have an indulgent mate,” the older orc said, his cheeks spreading wide with his smile. “I took the liberty of preparing you a bit of lindenmint tea to sip as you stroll through town.” He handed me the mug. “I placed a cover over the top to help hold in the heat.” He demonstrated how the thick fabric lifted, revealing one side of the rim while continuing to cover the rest. “Drink, then cover it back up, and it’ll remain piping hot until your last sip.”
“Thank you so much.” I gave him a hug, taking care not to jostle the tea, and when I stepped back, his face darkened.
“You’re very welcome, my dear.” His gaze sought Jaus’s, who nodded. “If you’d like to stop by again sometime, we’ll share a cup of tea and talk herbs. It’s rare for me to find someone else who is as knowledgeable as you about their properties. I can learn from you and you from me. My name’s Liall, by the way.” He rubbed the side of his neck and shifted his shoulder-length, bluish-gray hair over his shoulder.
“Oh, I’m not sure—”
“Would a day next week work for you?” Jaus asked Liall.
Liall bowed to me. “I would make time for you any day of the week.”
Jaus grunted. “Why don’t we stop by in the afternoon on secondist? I’ll meet with the leader of the guard team who mans the outer wall, something I’ve needed to take care of, and you, my mate, can sit and enjoy tea and herblore with Liall. If this is something you’d like to do.”
“I would,” I essentially gushed.
However, I wasn’t sure what to think of this. For a male who made it clear he didn’t want a bride, Jaus was treating me much too kindly. I wanted to give him a kiss of thanks, but I wasn’t sure how he’d take it. This might just be a whim on his part.
“Secondist mid-afternoon, then,” Liall said, bowing to me again. “It was a delight meeting you.” He hurried back into his shop.
Because I couldn’t resist, I tucked back part of the mug’s cover and sipped the piping hot tea, sighing at how amazing it tasted. Liall had placed a tiny sachet with the herbs in the water and it would continue to steep.
“Good?” Jaus asked, gently stroking his knuckles down my cheek.
“Amazing.” I might not dare give him a kiss, but I was happy to lean into his side and grin up at him. “If you’re not careful, I’m going to start thinking you like me.”
“I can’t imagine not finding you appealing, tiny mate,” he said gruffly. He sucked in a breath and shot it out, waving to the walkway lining the cobbled street. “Are you ready to continue?”
“Lead away,” I said, my mood bubbling over. Our relationship might’ve started out with squabbling, but we’d turned a corner somewhere and were heading in an exciting direction.
He liked me!
Maybe soon, he might actually love me.
We strolled to the end of the street, where we turned onto a wider avenue. To the right, the street continued straight all the way to the southern edge of the city, meeting up with the outer wall. The briny smell in the air told me the sea must be in that direction.
Orcs rushed our way, but that was nothing new. I held onto my tea and backed against a shop wall with Jaus to wait for the bustling crowd to pass.
