Highlander's Rebellious Love (30 page)

She took hold of his hand after he draped his arm over her waist, and threaded her fingers with his then rested them between her breasts. “I made it home, Hunter. I made it home.” And with a contented sigh, she fell asleep.

He threw his leg over hers, tucked her a bit closer and whispered, “Aye, and never again will I let you leave me, for my heart would break.”

Chapter Twenty-seven

Patience woke, her body aching as she stretched herself awake. She was alone in bed, though she heard hushed voices outside the door. She sat up and stretched again, wincing as she did. The sooner she got herself moving the less her body would complain. She had learned that through experience. Besides, this cell-like room was much too confining, though last night with her husband it had been just the right size. However, it was morning and she did not intend to stay abed any longer.

She got out of bed with another wince and spotted her garments folded on the table. Her plaid had been shaken out and the dirt and debris brushed off and her shirt had been repaired, the stitches so neat they were barely visible. Patience smiled, grateful to Una and reminding herself to thank the thoughtful woman. Once she had donned her garments, she slipped on her boots, and then added the leather coverings. Her weapons where nowhere to be seen, but she was not worried, Hunter or her men would have seen to their care, though she would not feel fully dressed until she had them on. Of course, she no longer had her leather straps, but she would make do.

The door opened and Hunter entered with a surprised look upon his face. “You are up and dressed.”

“I will not lie abed. I want to be on our way,” she said, adjusting her plaid at her waist.

Hunter walked over to her and brushed her hands aside, tucking the strip of plaid that ran over her shoulder tightly at her waist. “First, we eat, and then we will see how you feel.”

“The decision is mine,” she said, stepping away from him.

His arm shot out to wrap around her waist and pull her toward him. “Unless you are too stubborn to make the right one.”

Her eyes narrowed and she looked ready to argue.

Hunter kissed her quickly and thoroughly, then rested his brow to hers, his arms remaining firm around her waist so she could not pull away. “I love you,
mo chridhe
, and I want you safe and well.”

Why did he have to melt her heart like that? Now she could not be angry with him. “Very well,” she said irritated that she could surrender so easily to him. “We eat first, and then decide.”

He released her to her disappointment since she was ready to jump back in bed with him, but she warned herself there was no time for that right now. And it gave her all the more reason to get home as quickly as possible. At least there they would not only have time to themselves, but a bedchamber as well.

He took her hand. “Come—”

“I wish,” she mumbled.

“Do not tempt me,” he said, hurrying her to the door. “Your men wait to see you and know that you have suffered no harm.”

She felt chastened, thinking only of herself, though it was more an unrelenting need for him that haunted her thoughts or was it her body it haunted? She would push her husband out of her thoughts for today and be done with it. She had much more important matters to worry about.

Her warriors cheered when she entered the communal room and she smiled, as pleased to see them as they were to see her. She was also pleased when Hunter released her hand and walked over to join his mum and others at a table, leaving her in the middle of the room to address her men.

She raised her hand to quiet them and they stilled instantly. “I am well, a few bruises no more, thanks to Beast,” she said with a nod toward the dog, busy gnawing on a large bone. “He saved me and I am indebted to him. After we finish enjoying the generous meal the monks have provided, I will speak about our plans for the day.”

The warriors wore smiles as they eagerly turned to the meal.

Hunter stood when Patience approached the table where his mum, Ewan, Edward and Ewan’s sons were seated. Before he could introduce the men, Ewan spoke up.

“It is good to see you looking so well and it is my pleasure to introduce you to two of my four fine sons who accompanied Una and me here.” He gave a nod to the one at the end of the table; “Noble, my oldest son and Ross my youngest.”

“It is an honor to meet you,” Ross said. “We have heard much about your fine warrior skills and even more an honor to see it is more truth than tale.”

“The fool wants to join your warriors,” Noble said with a laugh. “He is a McCuil and always will be.”

“Ross is a fine man, is he not?” Patience asked.

“Aye, he is for sure,” Noble said with a firm nod confirming it.

Patience shrugged and reached for the pitcher. “Then it is his decision, not yours.”

Hunter smiled as Noble stared at Patience with his mouths open, though not a word spilled from it.

Patience turned to Una. “Thank you for tending to my garments and repairing my shirt. I only wish I could sew as fine a stitch as you.”

“But you do sew a fine stitch, Edward and many of your warriors will attest to it.”

“I do better on wounds than I do on cloth,” Patience said.

“That is because you are a warrior and have no time for womanly things,” Ross said.

Patience smiled. “You will tell that to my father when we return home.”

“We leave today then?” Edward asked anxiously.

Patience felt her husband tense beside her and she realized she was about to answer without considering him. The decision was hers to make, though she had agreed to wait until after their meal to do so.

“Let us enjoy the meal and then we will discuss the day’s plan,” she said and felt Hunter’s hand rest on her thigh and give it a squeeze, as if letting her know her response pleased him. And that he acknowledged it, pleased her. Marriage took more effort than she expected, but then perhaps it was not marriage but love that had her making the effort to not only acknowledge her husband but please him, for he had certainly pleased her many times.

Damn.
There she was thinking about making love with him. Would she ever stop thinking about it or wanting him?

She turned her concentration on her meal and laughed along with the others as Noble regaled them with tales of the four McCuil brothers. She was glad, though, that when the meal was finished the two brothers excused themselves, leaving the rest of them to talk.

Patience placed her hand on top of her husband’s where it rested on the table. “I feel fit to travel and with Greer McLaud so determined to see Hunter and me not survive the journey home, I think it is wise if we return home as soon as possible.”

“I could not agree more,” Edward said, looking pleased. “Should I see to readying everything for departure?”

“Aye, we will leave shortly.”

Edward nodded and hurried off, gathering the men with him as he went.

Patience looked to Ewan. “Any word on the ghost warriors?”

“Until we leave here I cannot say for sure, though there has been no sign of them for a while,” Ewan said. “As soon as we leave here, I will see what I can discover.”

“Any thought on why they would simply vanish like that, especially after we had been informed that the Dark Dragon wanted no blood spilled on his land? Having his warriors follow us and offer their protection is evidence that he does not trust Greer to keep the peace, so why leave us vulnerable to him?”

Ewan shook his head. “It puzzles me.”

“There would be only one reason,” Una said as if it was obvious. “To have summoned all his warriors, something of extreme importance must have interfered with his plans.”

“Perhaps the King called on him for help,” Hunter said.

Ewan shook his head again. “He keeps a contingent of warriors ready at all times if the King should require help.”

“Then what could possibly have him summoning his men?” Hunter said.

“Oh my God,” Una cried and turned to Patience beside her, grabbing hold of her arm. “Your sister escaped and he sends his men to find her.”

A shiver so strong ran through Patience that she was certain it touched her soul. Could it be possible? Could Heather have escaped the Dark Dragon?

“Nonsense,” Ewan said, dismissing her claim. “How could one lone lass escape his highly-skilled warriors?”

“By watching them,” Patience said, growing more confident at the possibility. “I had always wondered how Heather knew so much about our clansmen and even more so how she understood them. I asked her one day and she said it was simple; she watched and listened.”

“So you are saying that she watched the ghost warriors and learned—”

“How to avoid them,” Patience finished for her husband. “And if she did, then she would be making her way home. We could very well come upon her along the way.” She hurried to stand, wanting now more than ever to get home.

Hunter tugged on her arm for her to sit, and she did so reluctantly.

“How do we know this for sure?” Hunter asked, not wanting his wife to be disappointed if it was proven false.

Patience looked to Ewan. “Would you be able to find out?”

Ewan shook his head. “He would never admit it, for if it was learned, it would leave your sister vulnerable to those who want revenge against him.”

Patience grew upset with herself for not having given that thought. “Then it is more important than ever that we leave and hopefully find her along the way.”

“And what if this is just a derision to distract you?” Hunter said. “Is it not better that we try to find out for sure if your sister has escaped?”

“But how?” Patience asked, not wanting to lose faith in the idea that Heather was free of the evil man.

“That should not be difficult,” Una said once again as if they should understand. “You demanded to see your sister or you would remain on his land until he did. If he no longer has your sister, then I imagine he will find a way to make you leave so that he can continue his search without worrying that you will linger and discover the truth.”

Patience turned a scowl on Ewan. “You will not let them know what we think or plan, my sister’s life could depend on it.”

“I want no harm to come to Heather,” Ewan said.

“And if this proves to be true, I certainly do not want Greer to learn about it,” Hunter said. “There is no telling what he would do if he came across her.”

“He would return her to the Dark Dragon, so that he would feel indebted to Greer,” Ewan said.

“You do not know my brother,” Hunter said. “He might return her to the Dark Dragon, her body that is, and then he will lay blame on her own clan, infuriating the Dark Dragon which would have him retaliating with a vengeance.”

“I need to find out for sure if Heather is still with the Dark Dragon or if she has escaped,” Patience said her worry for her sister mounting. She stood and she was pleased that her husband stood along with her. “Time to leave.”

~~~

Hunter rode alongside his mum, Ewan having gone off to see if he could find out anything about the ghost warriors while Patience was busy riding among her warriors.

“She is a wise warrior, talking with each of her men, listening to their opinions and complaints, knowing them well. They will stay true to her,” Una said. “Your father never realized that. To him, his warriors had a duty and they had better adhered to that duty or suffer the consequences. Unfortunately, Greer is even worse. He has little regard for his warriors and cares naught if they die. He thinks there will always be another to take one’s place, another one to die for him.”

“Da realized too late how little regard Greer had for anyone’s life but his own,” Hunter said.

Una glanced at her son, a tear in her eye. “You tried to warn him.”

“And got a beating for it.”

“Your father was blind when it came to Greer and no one could tell him otherwise. You cannot continue to blame yourself for what happened.”

“I try, in time perhaps...” Hunter said no more. He had to keep the truth from his mum. He did not want her to know that until he revenged his father’s death he would have no peace. To do that, Greer had to die and he did not want his mum to know that he planned to take his brother’s life.

“Your wife keeps glancing your way, I think she misses you.”

He had noticed her frequent glances and from the spark in her bright green eyes, he had an idea of what was on her mind, but then it was on his as well. “I miss her as well, though we are only a few feet apart.”

“When you are in love, a few feet can seem like a chasm. Go to her,” Una urged and gave her son’s shoulder a loving push.

“Stay close to the warriors, Mum,” he said.

“Worry not about me, the McCuil lads keep a good eye on me and I have Beast to protect me and Ewan when he returns. Now go,” she ordered with another gentle push.

As he moved away from his mum, he saw that his wife moved away from her warriors. They had the same thought in mind and soon they were riding alongside each other.

“Your mum does well?” Patience asked having grown fund of Una.

“Aye, and you should know that she is as observant as you are, for she could see how much you missed me, though you were not that far from me.”

His playful grin tickled at her heart and brought a smile to her face. “And did she see how much you missed me?”

“She did,” Hunter said proudly. “She knows her son well.”

Patience lowered her voice. “I think I know you better.”

“I think she would agree on that,” Hunter whispered.

Her smile faded. “I wish we were home and had time to spend alone as we did at the cottage. I would love uninterrupted days with you where we could...” She sighed and shook her head. “My desire for you is simply outrageous.”

He laughed. “And glad I am for that.”

“Talk to me of something else or I fear I will drag you into the woods and have my way with you.”

“Do not tempt me, wife,” he warned. “I would love to do the same to you, but it would be unwise of us both.”

“I know,” she sighed with resignation, “but the temptation remains.”