Lily (The Highland Clan Book 3) (22 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

After the entire clan celebrated together in the great hall, Logan and Gwyneth ushered the guests out. It had been a long day for everyone, and the family wished to finish their celebration alone. Torrian had moved the Deerhounds into his room to allow Lily’s new pets in for the night. She’d promised Torrian to get the pets acquainted over the course of the next few days, though she knew it was possible her wolves would choose to go back into the forest.

Quade motioned for the adults and near adults to move over to the hearth while the youngest went off to their chambers. Once everyone was settled, Logan said, “There are still unanswered questions, and I’d like to have them answered.”

“What kind of questions could you have, Uncle Logan?” Lily gave him her most innocent look.

“Kyle has told us what happened with Cormag, but we haven’t heard the story from you, Lily. We’d all like to hear about what happened. But first I must ask you both if you learned aught about the Buchans? Did Cormag give you information about his sire?”

“Just that his sire was planning revenge against everyone, not just the Ramsays,” Kyle said. “He claimed to have left because he did not wish to take part in what the Buchans were planning.” He paused. “And according to him, his sister has gone daft. Whether he was telling the truth, we’ll never know.”

“I heard something similar about the Buchans from the stable lads at their keep,” Molly added. “But they were not planning to come here. They’ve already lost against our family once. I believe they plan to go deeper into the Highlands.”

“Where?” Quade asked.

Logan looked at him and said, “MacNiven used to whisper in their ear, and I know he was interested in defeating the Grants. My guess is that if they go anywhere, ‘twill be after the Grants. I intend to travel there soon to advise them of my suspicions. But enough about them. I’d like to hear how my dear niece got away. What cunning did you use, wee Lily?”

“Of what do you speak? I know not what to tell you.” She sat on her husband’s lap, cuddling against him.

“How about explaining how you got away from Cormag,” Torrian suggested.

His wife Heather added, “Aye, I want to know that, as well.”

“I have not much to tell you. You see, when I was in the woods, I discovered something about myself. I have no skills, and I must make amends somehow. Even if I had a bow and arrow, I could not use it against someone, and I’m not as fearless as you, Heather. I could not stab him with a dagger. I was so paralyzed by my fear of being abandoned that I could do naught. If it hadn’t been for Kyle, I would not be here.”

“Your fear of being abandoned?” Heather asked.

“Lily was kidnapped as a bairn and left up in the trees to die,” Logan replied. “‘Twas my wife who saved her. Gwynie found her up in the trees and carried her down.” Gwyneth sat next to him, so he leaned over to give her a kiss on her cheek.

“I remember it well. I was so frightened to see where she was, and she was so weak.” Gwyneth leaned her head on Logan’s shoulder.

Lily nodded and then leaned her head on her husband’s shoulder. “And I have had terrible nightmares about being abandoned again. It scared me so that I could do naught to help myself.”

“But Lily,” Brenna said, “you got yourself away from Cormag, did you not?”

“Aye, I did, but ‘twas not by fighting or stabbing, I just pretended that I loved him and asked him to go to sleep with me to keep me warm.” She turned to Kyle and said, “Forgive me, husband, but ‘twas the only way I could get him to leave the door unbarred. You see, he had crafted the lock so that it fastened from the outside. So I had to convince him to come in there with me. I was able to sneak away once he had settled.”

Her sire smiled. “Cunning, daughter. That is the skill you used. I’m verra proud of you. Well done.”

Gwyneth agreed. “Aye, I would have fought him and I probably would be dead by now.”

Logan held his hands up. “So you’ve explained how you escaped, and niece, I commend you on a brilliant plan, but I wish to hear about the wolf. How did you manage to befriend a wolf in the wild?”

Lily was still puzzled at being called brilliant and cunning. She couldn’t quite understand how her thinking had been cunning. The solution had seemed so obvious to her.

“Daughter?” Quade spoke a little louder than the others. Her papa knew her well—sometimes her mind was far away, and she needed a loud noise to jar her from her thoughts.

“Moonbeam? ‘Twas naught brilliant or cunning about it. I found him in the woods pinned under a felled tree. So I used a branch to set him free.” She patted his head as if Moonbeam knew they were discussing him.

“Used a branch. Lily, can you not tell us the whole story?” Logan held his hands up, beseeching her to continue.

“I found a long branch, held it under the spot near where Moonbeam was pinned and then pushed on it. It lifted the tree enough to free him.”

“And he didn’t attack you? He must have been hungry. You have no idea how long he’d been pinned there. Are you daft, niece?”

“Uncle Logan, of course I thought of that. ‘Tis why I gave him the huge piece of meat that I’d taken from Cormag’s table. I had it in my sack, and I did not need it, so I gave it to Moonbeam before I lifted the tree.”

A chorus of groans greeted her pronouncement.

“What?” she asked.

Her sire smiled again, this time with all his teeth. “Cunning again. I’m so proud of you.” He glanced at Brenna. “We did not know we’d taught her so well, did we?”

“I had faith in you, Lily.” Gwyneth said. “I knew you’d find your way back, or that Kyle would find you.”

Kyle added, “And when Starlight came along, Moonbeam snarled at her at first. I wanted to climb the pile of rocks, but Lily was calm as could be. She told me the new wolf was his wife. How she knew that, I’ll never know.”

They all stared at her as if she had a wolf on her head. What was wrong with her family? Could they not see that Moonbeam and Starlight were natural mates?

“And how did Kyle find you?”

“I refused to give up,” Kyle said, running a hand over her hair. “Eventually I heard the howl of a wolf—Moonbeam, here—and then Lily was calling my name.”

Torrian chuckled. “Amazing talents, sister. I’m so proud of you, Lily, well done.”

Brenna stood and said, “Are you ready for bed, husband? Mayhap ‘tis time for us all to get some rest.” After saying their good nights to all, Quade joined his wife and headed up the stairs, followed by Logan and Gwyneth.

“Good, now that they are gone, we have a gift for you, Lily. We did not wish for our parents to see it.” Molly jumped up to get something, then ran back to hand a package to Lily. “Heather and Sorcha and I worked on this all day while everyone else worked outside.”

Lily sat up on her husband’s lap so fast that Kyle groaned when he almost dropped her to the floor. She took the gift and played with the ribbon tied around the gift. “You made a gift for me? Just for me? I’m so excited. Kyle are you not excited for me? Should I open it now?”

“Oh, most definitely,” Heather replied, failing to hide the smirk on her face.

Lily opened it carefully, and her face lit up as soon as she saw all the bright colors inside. “More ribbons! I love them. My thanks.”

Molly’s hand hid her smile. “Pull it out of the package so everyone can see it.”

Lily pulled it out and held it up for all to see. “How lovely. ‘Tis a circlet to wear on my head.”

“That circlet is far too big for your head,” Kyle said, starting to chuckle.

Heather shook her head. “Nay, this gift is truly more for your husband.”

Lily had no idea what she meant by that.

“It is meant to settle over your shoulders.”

Lily stood up and settled it over her shoulders. The ribbons cascaded over different areas of her body, but much of her dress was still visible underneath. Molly, Heather, and Gwyneth all burst out laughing.

“Why are you laughing? ‘Tis pretty.”

“Aye, but ‘twas not our intent. You are meant to wear it in your chamber with your husband.”

Lily glanced at Kyle. Then she gasped, followed by a giggle.

Kyle still stared at her. Lily leaned over to Kyle and whispered, “With naught on underneath.”

Kyle turned the darkest shade of red, so Lily twirled and ran upstairs to her chamber. “I’m going to try it on.”

Kyle was directly behind her, the entire family laughing behind them.

***

He closed the door behind him, bolting it as soon as they entered the chamber they’d been given for the night, leaving Moonbeam and Starlight to lay in front of their door.

“Kyle, help me out of this dress. But first I’ll remove the ribbons.”

“Naught would please me more than to help you out of that dress. I cannot wait until we have our own cottage.”

After Lily removed her gift, she gave her back to Kyle. He untied the ribbons on the back of her dress, then helped her slip out of it so she could remove her shift and stockings.

“Lily, you’ll make me a daft man for sure.” He reached for her body, but she shoved his hands away.

“Not yet. I want to try my ribbons on.”

He groaned but let her have her way. He stood to one side and watched as his carefree wife dropped the circlet over her neck. His mouth went completely dry as he watched her twirl about in the new creation. Who would have thought a bunch of hanging ribbons would be this enticing?

Kyle watched as she lifted her arms over her head and twirled, slowing then speeding up as the ribbons fell between her curves and her valleys, hugging her everywhere. She hummed to herself as she danced across the room, wiggling her bottom until he thought he’d spend himself on the floor in front of her. “Kyle, do you not see how I can make them almost shimmer and wave like the sun?”

“Aye.” He closed his eyes. He was so hard under his plaid that he decided to strip himself down as he watched his wife dance for him.

Lily twisted and turned, undulating and swaying to the rhythm of her own music, completely oblivious to the torture she was putting Kyle through. Hellfire, but she was so beautiful, so loving, so genuine. He called her name twice, but she never heard him.

Finally, exasperated, he yelled, “Lily!”

She stopped and stared at him. “What is it, Kyle?”

Frustrated and desperate, he whispered, “I need a hug.”

She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him.

Lily’s skin hit his, and her curves melded to him in a sensual onslaught of everything that was his wife. He kissed her, teasing her tongue until it mated with his. He could feel her nipples peak against him, and he cupped her breast, massaging the soft mound until she moaned. She pulled away, tossed the circlet from her shoulders, and threw herself at him.

They fell onto the bed rolling, each of them panting with desire. Kyle tasted Lily everywhere he could, and the heat and sizzle of her body was almost more than he could handle. Her hands were all over him, on his biceps, on his rigid cock, stroking him, kneading him until he wanted to stop and bury himself in her with one thrust. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him, undulating against his hardness, teasing him with her entrance. Leaning toward him, she offered him her breast and he took it into his mouth, suckling her until she cried out.

Unable to control himself any longer, he grabbed her hips and thrust into her, and she rode him until he thought he would explode. But he wanted them to experience the fullness of their pleasure together, so he held back for her. He teased her sex with his thumb until she went over the edge, screaming his name. He buried himself deep inside her with two more powerful thrusts and let himself go with an orgasm he would not soon forget.

When they were both spent, she fell on top of him, panting, sweating, and smiling. “Husband, ‘twas wonderful.”

“Wife? Many years ago, you taught me something, and you were so right.” He gasped, trying to catch his breath as he caressed her sweet bottom.

“About what?”

“A hug does indeed make everything better.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Grant land, Highlands

Jake Alexander Grant held up the rear of the line of horses traveling across the glen back to Grant land. His mood was melancholy, though he wasn’t sure why. As the firstborn heir to the famous Highland chieftain, Alexander Grant, he had a great future ahead of him, though it would be a long time before his sire was no longer able to lead.

His twin brother Jamie traveled with him along with his cousins, Loki and Kenzie. His sire had sent them out to search the lands for signs of brigands. Reports had told them there were new thieves in the area, but their journey had turned up naught.

They had almost made it home when something called to him. The signal was not loud or clear, but his instincts told him it was not be ignored. He held up the end of the long line of horses coming up through the glen, though he waved the two guards closest to him on ahead.

He stopped his horse.

Not moving, he listened, but there was no sound attached to this nagging feeling. The only thing he heard was his twin brother shouting back to him that the group was riding onward so they could get back to Grant land before the impending rains drenched them. He waved his brother onward, not allowing anything to distract him.

A sound finally called to him off to his left, the faintest rustling from somewhere in the woods, the kind of subtle noise his sire, Alex Grant, had oft warned him to listen for. He climbed off his horse, pulling his sword out of its sheath and moving toward the forest.

The faintest of raindrops could be heard as they hit the leaves still left on the trees. The downpour would start soon, but that same instinct told him he could not leave. Then he caught sight of something hidden on the ground near a bush. It lay completely still, so he doubted whoever or whatever it was still lived. Hell, but he hoped it wasn’t a dead body. He did not handle death well.

Jake held his breath as he leaned in to pull more branches back, but the sight before him made him gasp aloud. He bent down on one knee to get a closer look. He let out a low whistle when he saw a trim ankle, dusky colored, jutting out from the lump of material.

He’d seen women beaten before but this, this…was way beyond anything he’d ever seen. He was so undone by the sight of her, his hands moved automatically without needing any specific directions. Moving the dirt and leaves off the lass, he scooped her into his arms to pick her up.

Dark red locks, dirty and matted, fell away from her face as he lifted her into the air. He had no idea what color her eyes were beneath her long lashes, but her porcelain skin had a dusting of freckles across her nose and delicate cheekbones, though the swelling indicated one of them might be broken. Long pale legs hung over his arm, so covered in blood that her clothing stuck to her in various places.

He lifted her skirt just to see the extent of her injuries, and his reaction was immediate. Dropping the fabric, he gagged, turning his head to the side because he thought he might heave all over the ground. Who could treat a lass so?

Once he recovered, he moved toward his horse, whistling for his brother to return to assist him. While he waited, he held her close as an overwhelming need to protect her descended on him. He vowed to find the whoreson who did this and make him pay. His honor as a Highlander demanded it of him. It was such an all-consuming need that he did not care if his clan would help him right this wrong. He’d take this on by himself, if need be.

He held his ear down to her mouth and heard her shallow breathing. She was still alive, but for how long?

He settled his forehead against hers and closed his eyes before he whispered, “I’ll protect you, lass. You have my word.”