Feeling slightly foolish, he shouted, “Tell me, Grandmama. You’re here. I can feel you. Where is my mother? Lead me to her.”
Fear gripped him for a moment—fear that he was wrong, that he should have stayed behind, that he was a mama’s lad like his cousins had always accused him of being. But then he felt something, a pull down a path he’d never traveled down before, and he followed it. For a time, he saw nothing, heard nothing, but just as he was beginning to doubt again, he heard a woman’s scream as he raced through an area of the forest not far from a ravine.
Could it be her?
He stopped his horse and headed in the direction of the voice, finally catching sight of a man. He’d dismounted and was headed toward a cliff.
“Stop where you are,” Alick shouted.
The man spun around, dragging the woman in front of him for protection.
“Mama?” he called out. Her deep blue eyes locked on his with a fury that told him to kill the bastard who held her. Her gown was rumpled, her hair messy, but she looked as strong as he’d ever seen her. “Do not worry. I’ll get you away from him.”
My thanks, Grandmama. He knew in his heart his grandmother had led him to her.
Arnald Denton smiled at him. “Nay, you’ll not. I will make my demands now.”
“Why are you here, Denton? She was to be in Lorn. Did Edward order you to move her away from the group?” Alick asked, surprised to see him acting alone.
“Nay, they don’t need her. I need her. You’ll do as I ask, or your mother dies.” He held a dagger to his mother’s throat.
A horse came up behind him, and he turned slightly to see Dyna. “I knew it.” He didn’t want his cousin to get hurt, but he could use her help. The man in front of him was daft, and he didn’t know how this would play out. Dyna stayed on her horse and readied her bow.
“Where’s my daughter?” Denton demanded, his gaze flicking to Dyna before dismissing her. “She’s the trade I want. My daughter and a big bag of coin.”
“You’ll never see her again.”
“I won’t do her any harm. Thane’s the one who did me wrong. He didn’t even want to kidnap your mother until he found out how much King Edward would pay for Alexander Grant’s head on a pike. Now, suddenly he’s changed his mind again. Says we’ll pay for taking her. He didn’t send as many men as he promised he would, and he’s threatening to throw me out. He cannot do that. He’ll see how powerful I am. But first I need my daughter. I want to make amends. Nothing more. The coin will allow me to bring her across the waters. A wealthy man wishes to marry her. One she’ll like.”
Alick said drily, “That won’t happen because you’re talking about my wife. She likes me just fine.”
“Nay, my daughter told me all about your ‘wedding.’ We both know it didn’t happen.”
Dyna snorted behind him. “Please. Allow me the pleasure, cousin.” She had her arrow aimed at the man’s groin.
“You’re wrong. I’m just trying to do what’s best for her. I’ll buy her whatever clothes she wishes to have. The man I’ve chosen this time is a fine man.”
“Don’t believe anything he says, Alick,” his mother said. “He’s a liar.”
Another voice rose up behind him.
“Aye, that he is.”
Alick whirled around, shocked to see his wife standing not far from him.
She stood off to the side in her tunic and leggings, her bow aimed and ready, looking gloriously beautiful.
And determined.
***
Branwen nocked her arrow in her bow, making sure her quiver was exactly where she wanted it in case she needed more.
The way Alick looked at her made her feel proud and strong and ready to fight, but he paled and said, “Stand down, Branwen. You don’t know what he’ll do.”
“Forgive me, Alick, but I must do what my conscience tells me to do.” She stepped one foot in front of the other, moving slowly toward her father. “Let her go, Denton.”
He laughed. “You think you have the courage to shoot me? You’re naught but a timid, frightened, fearful wee lassie. Keep walking toward me, and when you’re close enough, I’ll trade you for Kyla Grant. Once we leave here together, I’ll take you to your new husband. And it’s not Osbert Ware. There’s a man we’ll meet at the firth who promises to love you and take you far away…”
“Lies. Those are all lies.” Branwen moved forward until she had the arrow at the exact angle she wanted it. She knew exactly where she’d shoot him because she didn’t want him to die instantly. “Must I remind you that Alick and I married at the kirk on Thane land? We did it before you kidnapped me. The marriage you tried to force on me was null because I was already married.”
“That no longer matters,” he snapped, his mask falling. “You will do as I tell you. I need that coin to get your brothers away from here. This is all a mess thanks to you. I’ll kill the Grant and make you a widow.”
“Except I don’t think you’re in a position to do that right now, Papa dearest.” She dragged out the word papa to indicate she had no respect for him. “There are three of us and one of you.”
She hoped Dyna or Alick would distract the man to give her an opening. That was all she needed. One chance.
Then Alick asked, “Dyna, do you have a better shot lined up?”
She could have kissed her husband because the comment was enough to distract her father. He shifted his attention to Dyna, and Branwen didn’t think. She fired.
Her father screamed, dropping the dagger he held at Kyla’s throat, the arrow in his shoulder dripping blood as he reached for it with his other hand, cursing. Alick ran forward to carry his mother out of the way, and Branwen fired again, this time hitting Denton in his leg.
The man roared, his fury at her never clearer. He started to move toward her but stopped, yanking the arrow out of his leg and tossing it aside. Ignoring the blood that gushed from the wound. “I’ll kill you, you wee bitch. You think you’ll best me? Hellfire, nay.”
He ran at her, his movements slow and dull, and she fired again, this arrow impaling him in his belly. That stopped his forward movement, and this time he was close enough she could see the pain and the fear in his eyes after he collapsed on the ground.
“How does it feel to be powerless against your assailant, Arnald?”
He turned onto his back, panting. The arrow to his midsection must have done more damage than she thought. He muttered something, but she couldn’t hear, so she moved closer.
Jaw clenched, he said, “I should have killed you, sent you careening off a horse just like your mother. After I found her with that bastard and nearly killed him, I snapped her neck. Should have done the same to you. And to him. If I hadn’t been living with her suspicious brother, I would have killed all three of you. But he guessed why the stablemaster was beaten so badly and warned me off. He knew about Jep and never told me, the devil.”
His words registered slowly. Had he just admitted to killing her mother?
“You killed her? The only person who truly loved me? You? And my uncle knew about it?”
“Aye, I did. I couldn’t stand looking at the whore. Your uncle suspected but I had information to use against him. We came to an agreement…arghhh.”
She’d stepped on the arrow in his shoulder, pushing it in deeper. “You killed my mother.” That act deserved so much more in retaliation, but she had a limit to her cruelty. She wasn’t like her sire. Striding away from him, she made it almost all the way back to Alick when she heard Denton behind her. He’d pushed himself up and tried to go after her, but he didn’t get far.
Alick threw his dagger and caught the bastard in the neck, killing him instantly.
She flew into her husband’s arms and sobbed into his shoulder, his mother hugging her from behind.
Dyna said, “Nice shooting, Branwen. He deserved worse.”
She stepped back, swiped at her tears and looked at her husband, at Kyla, and then at Dyna. “Is it over?”
Alick tucked her against his side. “Finally. Aye, ’tis over.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Alick couldn’t be happier. His mother was safe and his wife was in his arms. “Mama, are you hale? You don’t look well. What did they do to you?”
Branwen stepped back to take a look at his mother.
“Alick, I’ll be fine. I’m exhausted from lack of sleep, but I’m hale and that’s the important thing. My thanks to the three of you for finding me. But I didn’t expect to see so few Grants. I’m surprised my father and Finlay didn’t bring an army.”
Dyna grinned at her. “We left the army fighting the English who thought to hold you until Grandsire agreed to side with them against King Robert. Everyone thought you’d be there, but Alick sensed you were not.”
“Ah, and it was this man, Denton, who had a man killed and stole me away for his own use. Originally, there were many involved with my abduction. At least ten. Some of the men at Thane Castle were aware of what was happening, but it also seemed to be a secret. Then Denton lost control and stole me away. I knew he had planned it because his constant mutterings to himself warned me he’d turned daft. But enough about him. Tell me about our clan. Your father and grandfather? Your sister and brothers?”
“They’re all fine.” A noise caught their ears, and they all turned to the source, a horse that had been sent into a gallop. Alick’s sire flew into the meadow and jumped off his horse, running to his mother. “Kyla? Are you hale? They did not hurt you?”
His hand flew to her shoulders, but he waited for her nod before he wrapped his arms around her.
“I’m fine, husband. In need of a bath and some food, but otherwise fine.”
Da glanced at Alick over her shoulder. “How did you know how to find her? I was shocked when you left, but I guessed you must have had your reasons. Why?”
He shrugged. “I just had a funny feeling.”
Grandmama.
A few more horses broke through the trees. Grandsire and Uncle Jamie led the way, followed by Alasdair, Chrissa, and Els.
Grandsire brought his horse as close as he could. “I’ll not be getting down, but you are hale, daughter?”
“Aye, Papa, but is that not my daughter behind you? Why is she here?”
Her father arched a brow and said, “She’s become a fine archer. I see the same is true of Branwen, or is that Dyna’s arrow in the bastard?”
“Not my arrow,” Dyna said, sounding almost proud.
“Well done. Welcome home, daughter.” Grandsire and Da looked so relieved, and Alick knew he wore the same expression. They’d been lost without her.
Uncle Jamie said, “Time to mount up. She looks good enough to get her out of here, Papa. We know not how many more English are around.”
Da led her to his horse and started to lift her, but Grandsire cleared his throat. “May I? I feel the same need I had behind a waterfall long ago.”
Finlay looked at his wife, kissed her forehead, and handed her up to her sire’s horse. “Of course, Alex. We’ll be able to spend the rest of the evening together.”
Filled with a sense of peace, Alick lifted Branwen up onto his horse, then mounted behind her, but Grandsire stopped his horse.
He glanced from Dyna to Alick, Branwen to Kyla. “Who exactly should I thank for returning my daughter to me safely?”
Alick, Kyla, and Dyna all pointed to Branwen, who blushed. “I needed Alick and Dyna’s help to distract him.”
“Many thanks to you, new granddaughter. You and your husband will tell me later how you knew to come this way.”
They headed out, and Alick knew by his mother’s next action that she was going to be just fine. She hollered back over her shoulder, “And Chrissa? You and I will have a talk later, lassie.”
“But Mama,” Chrissa said. “They kidnapped me and were not nice and told me…”
“Enough. We’ll discuss it later.”
It was probably a good thing their mother couldn’t see Chrissa’s face because she glanced at Alick with the biggest grin he’d ever seen, wrinkling her nose.
“Is she in trouble with your mother, Alick?” Branwen asked as they started riding.
“Mama will have some choice words for her. But if Grandsire said she did a good job and followed instructions, she’ll be kinder.”
“I am part of your clan now, am I not?” she asked softly.
He smirked. “Aye, you are, and a valued one already.”
She fell asleep moments later.
They made it back on MacLintock land in less than two hours, hundreds of Grant warriors behind them. He heard Alasdair call out, “Celebration in the courtyard to start in two hours. We caught a boar on the way back. We’ll get it roasting soon!”
“Do you think ’tis ended? The threat from the English?”
Alick sighed. “Nay, likely not, but ’tis over for now. This war won’t end until the English let us have our king. But for this eve, we celebrate getting Mama back. We’ll go to MacLintock Castle for another night or two. ’Tis closer.”
Cheering abounded, along with shouts of the Grant and MacLintock war whoops. Branwen had startled awake upon hearing the war whoops, and he helped her down from the mount and held out his hand. “Come.”
She wiped the sleep from her eyes and followed him without question, accepting the pats on her shoulder as she passed guards along the way. Alick nodded his thanks in response to all the congratulatory waves. He heard several people greeting his mother, then his mother’s voice called his name. “Alick?”
But his sire responded, “Leave them be, wife. They’re newly married and his wife has been in the dungeon twice. Allow them some time alone.”
He couldn’t help but grin at that.
Even John came into the courtyard to greet them. Joya handed him over to his father, the lad’s wooden sword busy. “Ales and meat pies for all in one hour!” Emmalin shouted.
Alick ushered Branwen inside the keep, the great hall empty except for serving lasses and maids cleaning. He headed up the stairs, into the chamber they’d been given, and proceeded to push a chest in front of the door.
Then he lifted her up against the wall and plundered her mouth as though he were starving for her, and the truth was he desperately needed her. He hoped she felt the same way. He stroked her mouth until he heard the soft whimper in the back of her throat he’d wanted to hear so badly. He stopped, holding her up with his hands under her bottom, squeezing her gently.
“Do you want this as much as I do? I need you, sweetling.”
“Aye, I do.”
He set her down, helped her out of her clothing, then lifted her again after tossing his own clothing off. Teasing her with his fingers until he knew she was ready, he thrust inside her with one movement, seating himself fully inside her warm sheath. He groaned with pleasure, leaning his forehead against hers. “I love you, Branwen. You’re the only one for me.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered, tears on her lashes.
He lifted her just so, then moved over to the bed. “I think I could do this better.” He slid out of her, settled her on the bed, then positioned himself inside her thighs. While he wanted to thrust into her the way he had before, he teased her instead. He slid in just a bit, his thumb finding her pleasure spot and caressing her. Each time her legs opened wider, and he’d slide in a little farther, then pull back, then in and out a little farther until she begged him.
“Alick, enough teasing. Now.”
Her nails dug into his shoulders so he did as she asked, plunging inside her and setting a rhythm that was brutal. “Am I hurting you, lass?”
“Nay. Harder. Faster. Alick!”
He did his best to hit her where she wanted him, driving into her relentlessly until he thought he would lose control, but he heard her gasps cutting in that raspy way that told him she was close.
When she climaxed, he kept his rhythm up until he could tolerate it no longer, giving in to his own need with a growl.
After they finished, he listened to their panting, savored in her smile, which looked as contented as he felt. “I pleased you, wife?” he whispered, nipping her ear lobe.
“Aye, you did. I never guessed it could be like this, Alick.” She let out a deep sigh and wrapped her hand around his neck, massaging him there.
He was in heaven. That was the only possible explanation.
***
Two hours later, after they each enjoyed a bath, they headed belowstairs, only to hear cheers erupt as soon as they hit the first step. Branwen’s eyes widened as she looked at all the people in the hall staring up at them, laughing and jesting.
She blushed all the way to her toes, but he leaned back to kiss her cheek. “’Tis most common to tease anyone who’s newly wed, so they will be ruthless. Just ignore them.”
“But Alick,” she whispered. “Could they hear us? Is that the reason they tease us?”
“Nay, listen to the noise they’re making. Do you truly think they could hear anything above this din?”
She smiled and said, “Nay, you’re right.”
“My cousins may tell you otherwise, but don’t believe them.”
She was pleased to see Lora looking much better, sitting with Dyna and Kyla at the end of one of the trestle tables. Alick’s mother had wee Ailith on her lap. Alasdair, Els, and the other men sat at a different trestle table.
Alick led her over to that table, and she sat down. “Lora, how are you?”
“I love it here,” she gushed. “’Tis so much better than at my house. Emmalin said I could stay and help her with the wee ones. I just keep thinking of Coira.”
“Mayhap we could return for her,” she said.
“Don’t you have several siblings?” Dyna asked.
“Aye,” Lora answered. “But they’re all mean except for Coira. She’s only three and so sweet. But the others are all cruel to her. Do you think we can go back for her? Father even said once that he wished he didn’t have her because she was too much work without Mama around.”
The Scot's Pursuit (Highland Swords Book 3) Page 20