Midnight's Master

by Donna Grant

  But first … a kiss.

  Logan’s lips were a breath away from touching hers, from slaking the desire that had ridden him tirelessly from the first moment he had seen her.

  The sound of footsteps running toward them had him jerking his head up. He cursed his luck when he saw a group of young lads playing. And when he turned back to Gwynn, she was gone.

  Logan clenched his hands in an effort to hold back the lust that filled him. He found her about twenty paces from him.

  “Here,” Gwynn called as she knelt next to something.

  Logan’s strides ate up the ground as he walked to her. “What is it?”

  “The double spirals.”

  He looked down to find a rock the size of a man’s head with the same double spirals that were on the book and the amulet.

  “It matches,” Gwynn said and rose to stand beside him. “Now what?”

  “Now we find the book.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Gwynn couldn’t calm her racing heart. Or the ache that wouldn’t go away. Ever since she’d seen the desire darken Logan’s hazel eyes, she’d known he was going to kiss her.

  And she’d desperately wanted him to.

  His heat had surrounded her, his nearness like a drug making her think of him. And only him. The world had simply ceased to exist as his head lowered to hers.

  Gwynn’s eyes had fallen shut and her lips had parted as she waited, breathlessly, for the kiss. When it hadn’t come, she’d opened her eyes to find Logan watching a group of boys.

  The sheer force of the need spiraling through Gwynn frightened her. Could she give in to the attraction she felt for Logan? Did she dare? Knowing he had traveled through time and was here to fight a force so evil it had brought the entire race of Druids to a grinding halt?

  Somehow, Gwynn had managed to take a step away from Logan. And then another, and another, until she’d found the stone.

  But not even the frigid air blowing off the water could cool the rampant desire that still burned within her.

  “We can’t just drive up to this guy’s door and ask to see the book,” Gwynn pointed out.

  Logan looked at her, his forehead creased. “Why no’?”

  “It’s just not how it’s done. Most likely he’ll have us thrown off his property.”

  “Do you have another suggestion then?”

  Gwynn lifted her arms and let them fall down to her side, slapping the sides of her legs. “I don’t know. All this is new to me, Logan.”

  “Aye. But it’s no’ to me.”

  Unfortunately, he did have a point. “What do you think the book is going to tell us?”

  “Who knows?”

  “What if I could find out more by asking the wind?”

  He stared at her, as if considering her words. “You might be able to learn quite a bit. Especially about where Deirdre is. The trees were always able to tell Sonya such things.”

  “Then I’ll try.” Anticipation and excitement rushed through Gwynn’s veins. It had frightened her the first time she’d heard the wind, but since then, she’d wanted to hear it again. Wanted to feel its unique touch upon her skin.

  “I want to return to where we were yesterday the first time it spoke with me.”

  The half smile on Logan’s lips made the butterflies in Gwynn’s stomach flutter again. “Then let us go.”

  They walked in silence though she was aware of every breath he took. She was even more aware of how often his gaze shifted around them, and even behind them.

  “Are you expecting trouble?”

  “You’re a Druid, Gwynn. I always expect trouble when I’m around Druids. Especially knowing Deirdre is here. And that your father is somehow connected to the Tablet of Orn.”

  “Wow. Wish I hadn’t asked.”

  He chuckled. “You need no’ be worried. I swore to protect you.”

  With his words still lingering in her ears, Gwynn reached the spot that had been calling her since she first saw Eigg. It was even stronger now that she had accepted she was a Druid and heard the wind.

  She smiled as she realized her mother would have fainted if she knew Gwynn had begun to use her magic again. But Gwynn would have liked to tell her mother about these new developments. Particularly the fact that she could communicate with the wind.

  “I’ll stand over here,” Logan said.

  She nodded and smiled when he winked at her. Logan’s charm was infectious. It helped to ease her worries and fears. And his being near … well, he awakened the woman inside her, the woman she had hidden from the world for fear of hurt.

  A woman who desperately wanted to give in to the temptation he offered her.

  Gwynn let out a deep breath and stood on the cliff. The waves were white-capping from the rough winds, and the storm clouds Logan had seen earlier had moved closer and hung lower than before.

  The wind howled around her, brushing against her gently and roughly at the same time. It pushed her, held her. Comforted her.

  Gwynn silently asked the wind where Deirdre was. When she didn’t get an answer, she said aloud, “Can you tell me where Deirdre is?”

  The wind was silent again.

  “Open up your magic,” Logan said in her ear.

  She hadn’t known he’d moved behind her, hadn’t heard him close the distance. But knowing he was there if she needed him helped to steady her, helped to bolster her courage to reach for the wind.

  Gwynn closed her eyes and felt for her magic. It swirled inside her in a white and gold mass, growing stronger every day. When she called to it, it rose up and coiled around her, within her. Through her.

  “I feel it.”

  “As do I.”

  Logan’s voice was oddly rough, as if it took great effort for him to speak. She leaned back against him, and his arms came around her waist.

  She could hear his breathing, harsh and erratic, in her ear. But it was the feel of his hard arousal against her back that made her heart drop to her stomach.

  And need, swift and stronger than before, stirred.

  “Gwynn,” Logan said.

  She forced herself to forget about the heart-stopping arousal and focus on her magic. Gwynn tried several more times to talk to the wind, but each time she heard nothing in return.

  “Something is wrong,” she said and gripped Logan’s hands as an unknown emotion spiked through her. It was urgent, pressing. “I feel…”

  “Danger,” he said and released her.

  Gwynn stumbled forward and waved her arms to keep her balance. When she turned around she found Logan facing two men with guns.

  Logan stood between her and them, protecting her just as he’d said.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered as she came up behind him.

  “You need to hide.”

  “They have guns.”

  There was a pause, and then Logan asked, “What are they?”

  “The black things they’re holding are handguns. The barrel has a hole in it. A small projectile will shoot from that hole and into whatever it’s pointed at. It kills without people having to get close.”

  “Cowards,” Logan spat. “Hide. Now.”

  Gwynn looked around, but there was nowhere for her to go. There were no trees, just the beautiful rolling landscape. And then she looked over the cliff. There, about six feet down was a small ledge.

  She didn’t hesitate, just sat down and hung her legs over the side. With one more glance at Logan, who still had his attention on the assailants, Gwynn jumped.

  With the scream lodged in her throat, she landed heavily and twisted her ankle. “Damn boots,” she muttered.

  They were gorgeous, but the high heels weren’t practical when jumping off a cliff.

  The pain of her ankle was nothing compared to her fear for Logan’s life. There was no way he would survive being shot by one of the gunmen. If he went down, what would happen to her?

  Gwynn glanced at the water below her. She’d have to jump clear of the rocks, which wouldn�
��t be easy—if she managed it at all. Then there were the currents to deal with.

  “What are you waiting for?” she heard Logan yell.

  “Give us everything ye got,” one of the men said.

  Logan chuckled. “You’ll have to come and get it.”

  “Give it to us now, or we’ll shoot you,” the second man said.

  Gwynn’s heart was in her throat. She climbed up and peered over the edge of the cliff so she could see what was going on. Logan still stood his ground, and the other two weren’t looking as confident as before.

  But then again, no one could be as assertive as Logan.

  “Give us what we want now,” the first man yelled.

  Logan shook his head.

  Then the gun exploded.

  Gwynn screamed and covered her mouth as the bullet slammed into Logan’s shoulder. Logan barely moved, and she could have sworn she heard a growl.

  A deep, resonating, angry growl.

  Gwynn’s foot slipped and she started to fall, but she managed to hang on with her fingers. While she was trying to gain another foothold, she heard the men screaming and more gunfire.

  When Gwynn once more had her foot secured, she looked over the ledge to see the two men lying on the ground with Logan standing over them.

  It was the long, silver claws that curved from his fingers that made her gasp.

  The sound had Logan spinning toward her, and her lungs refused to work. The Logan she knew was gone. In his place was a … beast with silver skin and claws. And fangs.

  “Gwynn,” Logan said and took a step toward her. “These men willna hurt you now.”

  “Did you kill them?”

  He paused, then shook his head. “I’d like to. They wouldna have thought twice about shooting you.”

  That’s when she saw the blood that dripped from his wounds. She didn’t know whether to be concerned or frightened.

  “I willna hurt you.”

  And oddly, she believed him. Even though her mind screamed for her to be wary.

  Gwynn began to climb over the ledge, and when Logan offered her his hand, she hesitantly took it. She noticed how he went out of his way to protect her hands from his long silver claws, which were a shade darker than his skin. She stood before him and looked him up and down.

  Logan removed his sweater so she could see the silver covering every inch of his skin. “This is what I am,” he said. “This is who I am.”

  She swallowed to wet her mouth as she looked into what used to be his hazel eyes. Now they were silver from corner to corner. Even the whites of his eyes were silver. “Your eyes.”

  “Part of being a Warrior.”

  “So … you are one.”

  He nodded. “You’ve nothing to fear from me, Gwynn. I swore to protect Druids, just as all the Warriors at MacLeod Castle have.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were a Warrior?”

  “I wanted to keep it from you. I was afraid you’d be frightened of me.”

  “I am a little,” she admitted. “I’ve never seen anything like this, except in movies.”

  She reached out and ran her fingers down one of his claws.

  “Careful,” he said and pulled his hand back. “They are sharp.”

  The wounds where the bullets had entered his body were seeping more blood. “I thought Warriors were immortal.”

  “We are,” he said with a slight wince. “My body is getting rid of the bullets.”

  A moment later, the first bullet exited his body and fell to the ground. It didn’t take much longer for the other three to do the same.

  And before her eyes his wounds began to knit together, leaving only the blood coating him as a reminder that he had been hit.

  “I doona like these guns.”

  Gwynn couldn’t help but smile. “It is a way of life now for most. There are huge guns called missiles that can be launched thousands of miles away to hit us.”

  “As I said before. Cowards.”

  Gwynn took a hasty step back as Logan’s claws disappeared into his fingers, and the silver faded from his skin. When she glanced into his eyes, they were once more the hazel she had come to know. And love.

  “I will always protect you, Gwynn. Even if you tell me to leave now.”

  She thought about all she’d learned of herself and the past she was linked to. She’d discovered it all because of Logan. If Deirdre was hunting her, she had a better chance of survival with Logan at her side.

  Besides, if he wanted to kill her, he’d had plenty of opportunities. One look into his eyes and she couldn’t help but believe him. Those hazel eyes flecked with gold were clear and honest as they watched her. Waiting. Hoping.

  “I wish you had told me before, but I know now.”

  Surprise flickered across his face. “You’re no’ going to ask me to leave?”

  “I need a protector, and you’ve done a good job so far.”

  Logan grinned and snorted.

  Gwynn looked at the two men. “What do we do with them?”

  “Nothing. They stay as they lay. They should be glad I didna kill them for threatening you.”

  If there had been any doubt as to whether Logan would protect her or not, there wasn’t any now. Gwynn took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

  “The wind wouldn’t speak with me. Maybe I’m doing something wrong.”

  “Or maybe you are no’.”

  She shrugged. “Regardless, I think it’s time we go find the book.”

  Logan’s smile was huge. “Just what I was thinking.”

  An eerie shriek split the air, sending chills of foreboding over Gwynn’s body.

  In a blink, Logan had released his god again. He glanced around. “We need to go. Now.”

  “What is that sound?”

  “Wyrran. It means Deirdre is most likely near. If she doesna know of you and your magic, she will as soon as the wyrran report back to her.”

  Gwynn looked over her shoulder at the cliff and the twenty-foot drop to the water. “We need to get out of here then.”

  Logan’s silver eyes turned to her. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes,” she answered without hesitation.

  As soon as the word was out of her mouth, Logan’s arms wrapped around her. The scream lodged in her throat as he pulled her over the side of the cliff.

  Gwynn squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the impact with the cold water and the rocks she knew waited below the surface. Then she realized she could no longer hear the wyrran. Or the crashing waves.

  “It’s all right,” Logan said in her ear. “Open your eyes.”

  Gwynn was pressed against him, his arms like bands of steel holding her close. His smooth, hot skin beneath her hands did nothing to calm her racing heart.

  Slowly, Gwynn opened her eyes. And gasped.

  “Logan.”

  He chuckled. “Every Warrior has a certain power. Mine is controlling liquids. We’re under the water. No one can see us.”

  She lifted her head from his chest to look above her. It was like they were in a huge bubble that glided smoothly under the water.

  Gwynn spotted fish and even a few dolphins as she continued to watch. “It’s amazing.”

  “It was the only thing I could think of to get you away from the wyrran. They will stop at nothing to get you to Deirdre.”

  Gwynn swallowed and shifted her gaze to Logan’s. Hazel eyes flecked with gold watched her. It was ridiculous for her to ignore the muscles beneath her hands and against her body. Hopeless for her to disregard the desire that returned with a vengeance from earlier, when he had nearly kissed her.

  Impossible for her to ignore the passion that heated her blood and darkened Logan’s eyes.

  One of his hands moved up her back, slowly, seductively, until he cupped the back of her head.

  In the water, away from the dangers on land and creatures that could kill her, Gwynn let it all fade away. Until it was only her and Logan.

  It was a dangerous gam
e she played by allowing herself to feel the attraction for Logan. But how could she not? What harm would one kiss do?

  She had seen her share of relationships. None had lasted long, but that was because she knew to leave before she could get hurt. Or attached.

  The same instinct would apply to Logan.

  She hoped.

  Logan pulled her even closer until his heat surrounded her, warming her against the coolness of the water around them.

  Gwynn was surprised when Logan tore off her beanie cap and stuffed it in one of her pockets. He smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair.

  The look on his face, as if he had been dying to touch her hair for days, as if he had never before experienced such joy made her breath catch in her throat.

  His gaze lowered until he looked into her face. She knew that this time their kiss wouldn’t be interrupted.

  Gwynn’s breathing ratcheted up a notch when his head began to lower to hers. She rose up on her tiptoes until their lips brushed.

  Once. Twice.

  A charge whipped through her, and when she would have pulled away, Logan groaned and kissed her again. His lips were soft, but insistent as he nipped at her mouth.

  A moan slipped from Gwynn when his tongue licked at her lips before delving into her mouth.

  Gwynn clung to him as their tongues mated and dueled. Each stroke of his tongue awoke something within her, something she had never felt before.

  It was more than desire, more than passion.

  It was … a need, deep and consuming.

  A yearning profound and uncontrollable.

  A longing intense and overwhelming.

  And all for Logan.

  Only Logan.

  Gwynn wound her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. It never entered her mind to pull away or break the contact. All she wanted was more. More of the amazing feelings coursing through her. More of the unique sensations rocking her body.

  More of the incredible taste of the Warrior in her arms.

  She threaded her fingers through his silky, honey-colored hair. His hands shifted until he cupped her bottom and brought her against his hot arousal.

  Gwynn groaned and shifted her hips to rub against him.

  Logan’s hands were everywhere, stroking, caressing, learning. She was inundated with passion that continued to rise and threatened to drown her.