Highland Games (9 page)

Colm narrowed his eyes.

“
Besides, you know I’ll
just follow along after you leave.”

“
No’ if I have you tied to
the bed,” he gritted.

“
You wouldn’t.”

At his narrowed look, Piper gasped.
“Fine, if you do that I’m out of here.” She started to climb off
the bed.

Colm had her flat on her back in a
heartbeat, his face right in front of hers. “If you think I’ll let
you go now, you’d be mistaken. I’m keeping you, love.” He pressed a
hard, fast kiss to her parted lips. “You’re mine, love, and you’ll
no’ be leavin’ me.”

“
Then you’ll have to tie
me to the bed, because the second you’re out the door, I’m
following after you.” Piper glared at him until another knock came
at the door.

“
Colm, we leave now. If
you can’t be arsed to come, then I’ll grab Red Rob to ride out.
He’s always itchin’ for a good fight.”

“
Caelen, you’d bloody well
better no’ grab Red Rob. He canna swing a sword to save his life,
and you ken that.”

“
If you leave now, I’ll
follow you, I swear I will.” Piper glared at Colm, daring him to
tell her no.

Colm deftly wrapped his plaid around
himself and if she hadn’t been so mad, maybe Piper would have
admired his skill.

Colm ignored her fury and stepped to
the door. After a few heated words in Gaelic, he strode back in and
tossed her gown to her.

“
I can come?”

“
Doona make me regret
this.”

Chapter Eight

Being a poorer clan, they had none of
the expensive war horses that some of the more prosperous clans
had. Both Caelen and Colm rode well-trained work horses. The
heavier body and thicker more muscular build made the draft horse a
more practical choice for men of their size. He stepped into his
stirrup and climbed on more gracefully than a man his size should
be able to do. Kicking one foot out of the stirrup, he held a hand
to Piper and said, “Place your foot in the stirrup, and grip my
wrist.”

Colm was pleased Piper was following
directions. He was not pleased, however, that she had manipulated
him into bringing her. But she needed to meet this man too, if he
truly was who he said he was. The way things seemed to be falling
into place, the way the witch had manipulated them, Colm had a
feeling that this man was indeed her brother.

He hauled her into the saddle, with
both her legs on his left side of the horse, and while it wasn’t a
side saddle, she fit just right between his thighs. There was
plenty of room as long as they sat close together. Really close
together. Placing one hand around her waist and holding the reins
with the other, he kicked Son of Fearnaught and clicked his tongue.
Piper was trembling slightly beneath his palm.

“
What is it,
Piper?”

“
I’ve never sat side
saddle and I keep thinking I’m going to slip off. Besides, your
ginormous horse is not exactly a smooth ride.” She squirmed until
she felt comfortable, but all that shifting about, was making
him
un
comfortable

Pondering the word ginormous, he
reassured her that he’d never let her fall. “Love, you ken I’d nae
let you fall off Sonny.”

“
You named your horse
‘Sunny?’” This didn’t fit with the large draft horse by any means,
or his rider.

Colm laughed at that. “Nay, lass, his
name is Son of Fearnaught. I call him ‘Sonny’ for
short.”

“
Why did you name him Son
of Fearnaught? It seems just as ridiculous as Sunny.”

“
Because he
is
the son of
Fearnaught, and as that stallion has only sired mares, mine is
called Son of Fearnaught. As far as I ken, he is still the only son
of Fearnaught.”

“
Oh.”

Caelen, along with his men, was
mounted and waiting, his horse as impatient as its rider. Clicking
his tongue and kicking his heels into Sonny, Colm and Piper joined
the group. With no more than a nod, they rode west.

When they came close to the designated
meeting place, Caelen wordlessly sent some of his men to double
back around the area, just in case it was a trap. When they met up,
it would just be two men and a woman, not a party of nearly a dozen
warriors.

* * * *

The meeting place was a small home, a
hut really, and the moon gave off a silvery glow that transformed
the landscape from beautiful to mystical. Piper was nervous, more
than just the nerves of being in a strange place, a strange time,
and with the chance of a fight breaking out. Whether it was the
atmosphere or something else, unease prickled at her, causing a
shiver to tremble down her spine. Colm felt it, and squeezed her
thigh before placing his hand on his belt once more. Glancing down,
she realized it wasn’t his belt he held, but a dagger. The
otherworldly feeling in the air, along with the men being prepared
for violence, caused her to rethink her bright idea of tagging
along.

With her nerves stretched and her skin
tingling, she almost gasped aloud when she saw the shape of a man
on horseback riding toward them. He slowed his horse to a walk and
placed one hand at his waist, Piper assumed he was gripping his own
dagger. Behind her, Colm’s body stiffened, his every muscle taut
and ready.

“
MacRobert.” The rider’s
voice cut through the night. It was deep and, while not
threatening, not friendly either. He sounded guarded.

“
Aye, and who might you
be?”

“
You ken the answer to
that already.”

“
We’ve need of
proof.”

“
Look to the
lass.”

Colm’s grip on the reins loosened and
he held her waist, the reins digging into her side as his hand
tightened to bruising strength.

“
Explain,” he
growled.

The rider sighed, and climbed off his
horse. “Come on, then.”

Colm passed the reins off to her, and
slid his hand from her waist up to her neck, turning her face to
meet his hard, possessive kiss. “Doona move. Stay here where I can
see you and doona come close until I say.”

Nodding, Piper slid her leg over so
she was riding astride, using her calves to grip the large horse.
She noticed Colm frown as he saw her legs exposed, but he didn’t
say anything, and instead walked toward the man. Caelen was already
there. Having been on a horse only once, and that had been years
ago, she had to work really hard to keep the large animal still.
Piper couldn’t hear what the men were saying, but she was
concentrating on not falling off the horse, so she had to keep her
attention on Sonny. She did notice that throughout the conversation
all three men kept one hand on a weapon. Did they distrust so
easily?

When they turned in unison to look at
her, she thought they might call her over, but they began talking
amongst themselves once more. What felt like ages passed before
Colm called her name, gesturing for her to join them.
Unfortunately, in all her skirts, she couldn’t kick her leg off and
balance her weight in just one stirrup. Before she could untangle
her foot from her skirt, she felt warm hands span her waist to help
her down.

“
Thanks,” she said
breathlessly looking up into his eyes. He didn’t respond. Instead
he took her hand and pulled her along toward the other two
men.

“
Piper, you’ve family
here.”

“
My parents? They’re
here?” Piper craned her neck to peer inside.

“
Nay, love, as I said,
your parents are dead.”

The man stepped closer, and Colm
continued, “But you’ve a brother.”

“
I have a brother?” Piper
parroted, her eyes never leaving the man.

“
Your hair is fair.” The
man reached out and fingered a strand of her sun-bleached
hair.

“
I spend a lot of time in
the sun.” Piper was dumbfounded. Not just at her new brother, but
at the inane conversation they were having. Maybe he was just as
shocked as she? It was the man from that day by the waterfall,
Donald Grant’s captain.

“
You look like
Mother.”

“
How is this possible?”
her voice broke, as she raised watery eyes to Colm. He had been her
one steady thing throughout all of this, so it seemed only natural
she’d ask him.

The other man answered her, “Our
parents were killed by Donald Grant, but I had been sent to foster
with the clan MacRae. I didna even ken I had a sister until it was
too late. I received a letter from our mother, with the news of
your birth, but shortly after that letter arrived, the very same
afternoon, a man from our keep appeared, his horse near death, and
the messenger barely staying in the saddle. He brought another
missive, a bloodstained letter in which our mother wrote that I was
to tell no one of your existence. She had made a bargain with
Grissall to ensure your safety, but she wanted no mention of you
a’tall.”

“
Why?”

“
I think it was to protect
you. If no one kens of another child, no one looks for another
child. Donald’s men searched for me for years before the MacRae
chief came up with an idea to fool them. Grant thinks me dead, and
never imagined I’d come back a full-grown man, invading his keep
from the inside out. I’ve been making allies amongst the Grants.
They fear him, as he’s a cruel laird, and I’ve a goodly amount of
men who will support a new laird.” He paused, before stating, “They
would support me.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, the
rivulets gathering at her chin and dripping off, she asked him,
“What’s your name?”

“
Ian Alexander Grant,
named for our father. You are called Piper?”

“
Yes, I was named by my
adoptive parents, but it’s really odd that they had the same last
name as,” she choked, “our parents.”

“
Our mother had named you
Aileas.”

“
Alice?” Piper asked
softly. “This is so strange. I don’t know if I truly believed I was
from this time before now, but there really isn’t another
explanation, is there?” She took a deep breath, and wiped her
cheeks on her sleeve. “I don’t know if I can go by Alice, but I
don’t have a middle name.”

“
You’re sayin’ it wrong.
‘Tis Aileas, with
aye,
” her brother was telling her.

“
Yeah, yeah, I pronounce
everything wrong, I get it. Tell me more of what happened. Why
didn’t our parents just send me to live with you?” Piper wondered.
An owl hooted in the distance, causing Caelen and Colm to look
around.

“
I’ve never understood
that.” Ian sounded as perplexed as Piper felt.

“
I wish they were around
to ask. Did you send Colm to bring me back here?”

Colm answered her, “Grissall, the
witch, sent you away when you were very young, ‘tis she who brought
you back.”

“
No, Colm,” Piper cupped
his jaw, the stubble rough against her palm, “you brought me back.”
He lowered his head to hers, their breath mingled, when a noise
from behind the hut stopped their kiss.

Several men stepped from the trees
near the hut, and instead of snarling and growling, like her man
was wont to do, Colm silently positioned himself in front of her,
angling his body so that he could pass her his dagger with no one
seeing.

“
A trap,” Caelen said to
Ian. “I should ne’er have trusted you.”

The man who led the group stepped
toward Ian and struck him across the face. Piper gasped, but Colm’s
large hands held her in place. Ian recovered from the blow, and
stood his ground.

“
It ends now, Donald
Grant. The clan is yours no longer.” Ian punctuated his claim by
gripping the hilt of his claymore. The slow hiss of steel against
leather seemed loud in the still night, but Ian wasn’t the only man
who drew his sword.

“
You think to take it from
me?” Donald sounded mildly amused.

Caelen and Colm had their swords out
as well, both held two-handed claymores, yet Donald still hadn’t
drawn his own.

He did, however look at Piper. “Lass,
come with me.”

Wide-eyed, she shook her head and
said, “No.”

“
I’ll forget you were ever
in the company of these men.” Did he think he was doing her a
favor? “Come with me, and we’ll rule.”

“
You’re crazy. Rule what?
You’re not a king.”

“
Ah, but I am, lassie, I
am chief, and no one questions the rule of a chief.” This last was
directed at Ian, who stood ready. “Come, now. You try my
patience.”

Piper told him no once more, which
seemed to anger Donald. It was the first real emotion she’d seen
from him. “You’ll come with me. Whether it’s willingly or not, is
up to you. Your last chance, lass. Come, now.”

“
You have my answer.”
Piper was really proud her voice didn’t wobble.

“
Then you’ll watch these
men die before you. Do you really want to be the cause of their
deaths?” Piper paled. Pressing his advantage, Donald continued, “It
will be on your head.”