Free Assassin's Kiss by Sharon Kay

trees didn’t lose their foliage and the air in this region was moderate enough for short sleeves. Scorpio inhaled, catching a familiar scent.
    “There’s water nearby?”
    Orser nodded. “The Bronwy River curves around this way. It’s the border of our land.”
    Our land. Scorpio didn’t need to ask the guard to clarify which side he meant. His tense stance communicated his ire.
    “Bridge?” Scorpio asked.
    “No need. At the bend, the current slows and there’s a path of wide flat stones we can use.”
    Scorpio nodded and signaled for the group to keep moving. He ignored their noisy footfalls and focused on what lay ahead, reaching out with every sense, and encountered nothing unusual. He stopped them again behind a line of trees that edged the river’s bank.
    Like Orser said, a line of flat gray stones marched across the river. Curls of rushing water licked over their edges in quick caresses. But the tops remained mostly dry and looked rough enough to prevent them from sliding into the river.
    A swirl of honeysuckle in the air had him instinctively moving closer to Tessa as she drew up beside him. So close…she’d kept her distance throughout the journey, except for when he’d asked to speak to her. He stopped himself short of brushing her elbow.
    “Over there.” She pointed across the river to a rowan tree. Clusters of bright orange-red berries decorated its feather-like leaves. Surrounding trees towered higher, yet none of them grew closer than fifteen feet, as if giving this tree its own space. Typical rowans were only about twenty feet tall, but it stood proud and rooted in importance. “The crystals are down among the rowan roots.”
    He snuck a glance at her and was momentarily blindsided by the unguarded appreciation on her face. No scowl or sarcastic comment. Just a gaze of wonder and longing.
    Longing for what was supposed to be hers. Was that why she was marrying Damien? To get back to the land she loved?
    But then she’d be leaving her people behind, whom she obviously adored. And who probably depended on her metal skills.
    No, it had to be something else. And whatever it was, he’d find out, then he’d do whatever he could to restore Bronwy’s rightful land. He wasn’t sure how, yet, but he’d figure that out.
    Win her.
    Stop her wedding.
    Return her people’s lands.
    His impromptu mission kept adding layers. At this point, he might be years away from returning to Watcher duties. Arawn would have a shit fit.
    But nothing could make Scorpio leave.

C HAPTER 7
     
     
    T HE PULL OF HER HOMELAND made Tessa creep closer to the tree line. So near she could smell it, the way the earth, and berries, and leaves mixed into a cocktail of permanent emotional roots that formed a connection straight to her heart.
    Yep, it was that, and not the broad-shouldered demon who’d led them here. The one who prowled in silent lethal grace, and who radiated the ability to kill, even while wearing her restraints.
    He broadcast protection along with that sense of duty, again. And she somehow knew it extended to their entire group and not just her. That fact relieved her immensely.
    But it didn’t alleviate the impression that she’d unleashed a beast when she’d revealed her upcoming marriage.
    Well, too bad. It was too late to change anything. But she was still a Bronwy witch and always would be, no matter whose bed she slept in.
    She felt Scorpio’s eyes on her like twin beacons, but she refused to look at him. There was an intensity in the looks he gave her, that he gave to no one else. She didn’t understand it, or want to dwell on it, or even acknowledge it. That carnal, watchful stare flustered her as much as the liquid caress of his voice.
    Just focus on right now. The crystals. He would help them, of that she had no question. Still refusing to look at him, she asked, “Is it all clear, demon?”
    “Yes.” His deep timbre rumbled over her skin, too close.
    A shiver zipped down her bare arm and she