Henry gave him an apologetic look before following the others into the tavern. Garrett couldn’t even begrudge the man for leaving him behind. Not really. There was no use in both of them going hungry, and as yet another tavern turned him away, he realized that was turning into a likely possibility. When the fifth place stopped him at the door, he lost his patience.
“Is my coin not good enough for you?” he snapped.
The man at the door crossed his meaty arms over his chest. “Don’t need any trouble tonight. So I suggest you move on before I make you.”
Garrett bared his tusks as he snarled at the human. A flash of fear crossed the man’s face, but he held his ground, straightening even as his hand drifted towards the dagger on his belt. Garrett saw the move and spat at the man’s feet before storming off, knowing that if he stayed any longer, he’d do something he’d regret.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked a chunk of ice down the road. It did little to make him feel better, but the pain in his toe reminded him how foolish it was to lose his temper here. Every moment he was in Frostcliff, he was being watched. As if they were just waiting for him to lash out, to reinforce the idea they had already built in their minds of what a beast he was.
Yet that small part of him couldn’t even deny it. The bruises had faded from his knuckles but that didn’t erase the blood on them. His anger drained out of him, leaving him weary and hungry still. Even so, he changed his course, cutting through the lowtown district to head back towards the barracks.
On payday, all of the taverns and gambling dens were packed full. Garrett ignored them as best as he could, though the smell of savory stew made his stomach growl. He was about to cut up towards the mine when a shout of alarm caught his attention. It had come from the alley on his left, and he frowned as he moved cautiously closer. A woman’s nervous laugh rang out.
“C’mon Edmund, leave me be. I’m running late.”
Garrett peered around the corner, his eyes narrowing to a glare. A woman was pressed against the brick wall of the small alley by the burly arms of a miner. She was carrying a basket full of bottles that she used as something like a shield against the leering man. It didn’t stop him from pulling away the silver fox fur that covered her shoulders, exposing the low v of her dress and the pale swell of her cleavage.
“Why the hurry, Bridgette? Aching for something in that sweet cunt of yours? ‘Cause I can help you there.”
Even from here, Garrett could see how the woman’s jaw tightened, her hands clenching to fists around the handle of her basket. In spite of the anger that boiled just under the surface, she put on a sultry smile.
“I’m on a liquor run, and Monika will have my head if I’m not back soon.” Her smile turned coy as she teased a finger down the man’s chest. “But if you come with me, I bet I could certainly… fit you in tonight.”
Edmund chuckled as he pushed a lock of the woman’s silver hair over her shoulder. “Can’t this one be for free, beautiful?”
“Aww, sweet Edmund. You know that’s not how this works,” Bridgette tsked. She leaned up to brush her lips along his collar. “You know you can’t taste the goods unless you pay for them first.”
The man moved quick, his hand coming up to grab her neck as he pressed her against the stone wall. Her basket fell from her grip as her hands flew up to try and pry his fingers free. There was asnapas one of the bottles broke open to spill its dark contents over her boots.
“And why not?” Edmund growled. “Haven’t I paid for you enough, starshine?”
Bridgette’s choked sound of fear made Garrett’s barely cooled anger flash hot. He stepped into the mouth of the alley before he could stop himself. “Let her go.”
The two humans looked at him in unison. “This ain’t none of your business, boar,” Edmund growled. “Why don’t you fuck off to whatever hole you crawled out of?”
Garrett bared his tusks as he stormed forward to grab the man’s shoulder. “It wasn’t a request. Let. Her. Go.”
Edmund chuckled even as he loosened his grip on Bridgette’s neck. He took a step back, casually, carelessly, before he suddenly spun, fist raised. The man moved quickly, but Garrett was faster. He blocked the strike before answering it with one of his own. It cracked against the miner’s cheek, but for a second, all he could see was Rogan’s bloodied face, his own bloodied knuckles.
Garrett froze with a gasp, hesitating just a second too long. Edmund struck again, and this time, Garrett didn’t get an arm up to block it. The miner’s fist connected with the underside of his chin, making his teeth clack together with his tongue trapped between them. Blood erupted in his mouth, hot and coppery, but the pain helped clear the shock of the memory from his mind.
His teeth and tusks were stained red as he snarled, stepping in before striking low. This was no honor duel, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to treat it like one. His knee came up to connect with the man’s testicles, and Edmund’s breath left him in a whimper as he collapsed like a sack of rocks. Garrett resisted the urge to kick him once more for good measure, but duel or not, he wasn’t going to strike someone who had lost the will to fight back.
“I’ll fuckin’ kill you,” Edmund wheezed.
Garrett ignored him as he stepped over the man. “Are you alright?”
Bridgette’s startling blue eyes glared up at him, and only then did he get a good look at her. She was beautiful. Tall and slight, with silver hair that nearly reached her waist. Even though he knew that human’s hair silvered as they got older, he’d never seen it on someone so young. Age was still hard for him to tell, but he couldn’t imagine that she was much more than two decades. Her marble skin was pale and just as smooth.
“Are you out of your fucking mind?” she snapped. She stepped over the moaning man, snatching up her fox stole and basket as she did. With her free hand, she grabbed Garrett’s, and the warmth of her touch was a shock against his chilled skin. “C’mon.”
In a daze, Garrett let himself be dragged by the smaller woman. She pulled him out of the alley and round the corner. The lights of a brothel spilled out onto the street, but Bridgette took him down the alley next to it before knocking on the back door.
“It’s me,” she called.
There was the sound of a bar sliding before a severe-looking woman opened the door. “That was the longest liquor run I’ve ever seen,” she said before her eyes landed on Garrett. “And what the hell is this?”
Garrett flushed as Bridgette’s hand tightened around his own. “This is the person who stopped Edmund from assaulting me in the godsdamned alley,” she snapped even as she shoved the wine-stained basket into the woman’s hands. “And you’re going to let him in so I can tend to him and ban Edmund from stepping foot in this place ever again.”
