As the galley reached the waist-deep waters, two warriors leapt out, seized the bow and hauled it half onto the reddish-gold sands. Colin MacKenzie caught her elbow and steered her toward the bow as he tossed out orders, “Gordon, keep Mistress Matheson under close watch. She is to be my son’s wife, so guard her well.”
“Aye, Chief.” Gordon bounded onto the beach, turned back and swung her from the galley onto the sand next to him.
She shuddered at the desperately difficult turn of events. “Tavish, where are you?”
No answer, and the quiet rang like a death knell in her ears.
Chapter 11
The surgery to remove the arrow from Matthew had taken slightly longer than Tavish had expected, but it had all gone rather well considering the extent of the man’s injury. The dawn sun rose as he closed up and left Mathew in recovery under Megan and Connor’s expert care.
For the hundredth time, he searched for Julia along their link and came up with nothing. It’d been over an hour since Cherub had last returned with an update, although each and every one she’d given him had ended in the same answer. No sign of Julia.
At least they’d won the battle. Two hours past they’d finally sent the MacKenzies fleeing right back to where they’d come from. Kirk and Tor had even found the two cooks hiding in a cave soon after, although they still searched for the serving girl. Hell, he just needed Cherub to return so he could leave and join them all on their search for his mate.
Exhausted, he shuffled into his bathroom and turned the shower lever on. He shucked his theatre smock and clothes, pressed his palms flat against the tiled wall and ducked his head under the steamy, hot spray. Water sluiced down his body and flowed over tense muscles.
He picked up the metal chair Julia had sat in such a short time ago and tucked it back into the corner against the wall. His thoughts barreled back to that day, to that moment when he’d stood right here with her.
She’d grinned from ear to ear and her words once again resonated deeply through his mind. That is so fascinating. ‘Tis like a waterfall of water, a heated waterfall.
The water had flattened the thin cloth of her shift to her body, and her laughter and big blue eyes had captivated him. Never had he seen someone so excited by the simple act of watching running water or feeling it cascade over their skin.
He squeezed a glob of shampoo into his palm and scrubbed the bubbles through his hair. The sweet scent of apples wafted with the steam and brought with it another vivid memory. I feel like I’m in heaven. Thank you for taking such wonderful care of me. She’d tipped her head back in enjoyment and sighed with delight. His heart had near melted when she had.
He’d take the upmost care of her, for the rest of her life and his. He’d certainly never allow another parting such as this to occur.
With his body soaped clean, he tipped his head back into the spray, rinsed the shampoo out and turned the lever off. From the vanity cupboard, he nabbed a fluffy white towel, dried himself then shaved his jaw, and combed his hair. He had to keep his hands busy until Cherub returned, as well as be ready to leave the moment she did.
In his bedroom, he pulled on a pair of black jeans and a loose-sleeved tan shirt, strapped his sword belt on and sheathed his wrist daggers. From the pocket of his discarded pants, he grabbed his cell phone and turned it on. The last picture he’d taken of him and Julia blazed to life and he stroked one finger over her cheek. His heart scrunched in on itself, his pain intensifying. “Hurry up, Cherub,” he muttered as he pocketed his phone and shrugged on his steel-studded gray jacket. His desperate need for Julia beat at him, was carved so deep, right down to the depths of his heart and soul.
At his bedroom window, he gripped the sill and surveyed the inner courtyard below. A good twenty of his clansmen trained. He left his chamber and marched back into the recovery room.
Connor sat in his scrubs next to their patient still in recovery, while Megan, her wavy black bob contained under a white cap, wrote on a chart at the end of the bed then clipped it back in place.
“How’s Matthew?” he asked Connor. “Has he stirred at all?”
“Not yet, but his vitals look good.”
Carefully, Tavish removed the mask over Matthew’s nose and squeezed the elderly man’s shoulder. “I need you to wake up, Matthew.”
Groggily, he opened his eyes then looked about the white-walled room with its stainless steel countertops and white painted cupboards. “Och, I f-feel…” He blinked and tried to clear his vision, his gaze moving from Connor to Megan then back to him. “W-where am I, Tavish?”
“In my time.” He set Matthew’s mask aside. “You’re alive and all thanks to Cherub who brought us both back through a portal so I could operate on you. Meet Megan.” He motioned toward her. “Megan’s the chief’s wife and a highly skilled healer of this time, also known as a nurse. Connor too aided me in your surgery. He’s an anesthesiologist and ensured you stayed asleep during the operation.”
“Opera—hell, the arrow.” Blue eyes fully clearing, Matthew wriggled one hand out from under the coverings, pushed the white blanket back and stared at his bandaged side. Frowning, he squinted at the IV hooked into the back of his hand then to the IV pole beside him. “The arrow’s gone. Well now, you certainly have got some powerfully strong healing skills. How did you take the arrow out?”
“With great difficultly, but I managed it all the same. You’ll also feel more like your old self in no time at all. For now though, I want you to take things nice and slow. You’ll be given a chamber across the hallway and you’re to allow Megan to care for you. She’ll ensure you’re up on your feet before the end of the day, just for a few minutes, but tomorrow she’ll have you moving around a touch more. There will be some rules during your recovery. No strenuous lifting, and only once I give you the all-clear, can you return to normal duties. I’ll be checking up on you regularly, ensuring your wound heals just as it should.”
“Wait.” Matthew jerked upright then groaned and slumped back down. “The battle. The MacKenzie took Julia. The galley. Did you find her?”
“What?” His world tilted. “Cherub sent the MacKenzie galley whisking back out to sea.”
“Aye, but only after it made landfall. The MacKenzie took wee Julia.”
“Are you certain?”
“Aye.” A tear trailed down his cheek. “Julia wouldnae leave me, but the MacKenzie held a sword to my chest and threatened to take my life if she didnae, said my death would be at her hand. She’s such a gentle lass, but with a spark of fire in her soul. The last I saw of her was when the wind hit the sail and sent the galley back out to sea.”
Tavish gripped the metal bedrail, his thoughts barreling one over the other. He had to find his mate and get her back.
The air swirled and Cherub, Kirk, and Tor appeared in the midst of the churning breeze.
“Did you find her?” He clasped his brother’s arm. “Matthew said he saw the MacKenzie take her.”
“We scoured the entire forest and just found the serving girl hiding in a tree. She was the last one missing. She saw everything as the two cooks didn’t and recounted exactly what happened. Aye, the MacKenzie has her.” Tor blew out a long breath. “Cherub, Kirk and I have already been to the MacKenzie’s keep and we’ve searched it from top to bottom, as well as the entire length of Loch Alsh. There’s no sign of either Colin MacKenzie, the galley, or Julia. We can’t go any further without you. You need to open your link with her, find out where she is. Are you ready to go?”
“I’m ready.” He grasped Cherub’s arm and eyed Connor and Megan. “Keep an eye on Matthew.”
“Will do.” Connor nodded, his gaze filled with compassion. “Find your woman and bring her home. We can’t lose a newly mated pair.”
“We willnae lose her,” Cherub bit out with determination. She opened a portal and the four of them fell away into the dark abyss, all connected as one.
They traveled through time and space and a few minutes later arrived on
the top of a mountain in the middle of a long range of mountains sweeping a rugged coastline. A cold wind whipped around and through him. “Where exactly are we?” he yelled to Cherub over the rush of the wind.
“On the mountains near Gairloch, along Scotland’s western coastline.” Cherub motioned toward the sea only a few miles distant. “We need to search the waterways along this area of the land first. If MacKenzie’s still onboard his galley with Julia, then this is the best place to start.”
In the valley below, a river wound in and around the hills then snaked outward toward the sea. Across the choppy ocean waves, the northern tip of the Isle of Skye rose, a line of lush green land with a heavy gray cast of cloud swelling overhead. Slowly, he breathed out, closed his eyes and focused on his mate and their merged link.
* * * *
Julia slogged up the sandy length of Red Point beach. The ocean wind slammed into her from behind, plastered her violet riding skirts to her legs then whisked across the moors and over the forest rising high ahead. The cold air wrapped its icy tentacles around her and she shivered, her thin shirt on top not nearly enough protection against the elements.
“Are you all right, my lady?” Gordon offered her his arm and she near rolled her eyes. As if she’d accept any help from the enemy.
“I’m fine.” She trudged on, her feet numb within her boots.
“Take my tartan.” He held out his MacKenzie plaid.
“Nay, I’d rather freeze than wear your clan’s colors.”
“Take some water then.” Gordon swung a skin from over his shoulder and held it out to her. “Ye must drink.”
“Julia?”
“Tavish, I’m here.” She clutched onto their connection, her pace quickening as she waved off Gordon’s offer of a drink and crossed the sand. Following the trail across the moors toward the forest, she sank deeper into his mind and rolled around within his returned thoughts, even as worried as they were. “Are you all right, Tavish? Where have you been?”
“Caring for Matthew, in my time.”
“He’s alive?” Dear heaven, please let him be alive.
“Alive and well, and the arrow gone. Megan and Connor are looking after him, two of our clan’s other medical personnel. Tell me exactly where you are.”
“At Red Point, on the moors near the beach, along with a good thirty of MacKenzie’s men, although I dinnae intend to be here for long. I wish to leave, and with all haste.”
“As I intend for you too as well. We’re close. I’m with Cherub, Kirk, and Tor on the mountains. I can see Red Point from here.”
“I know where my parents are being kept, that’s if Colin MacKenzie is telling the truth. They’re at his holding at Loch Broom. He sent Jeremiah ahead of him and he should already be there. His desire is to ensure my grandmother’s strongly skilled fae line mingles with his own. I’m to wed Jeremiah once we reach his holding.” She strode past two warriors lighting a fire within the protection of the tree line. With her violet skirts in hand, she hurried deeper into the forest along the scrub-lined path. “I’m in the forest now, with a pesky guard.”
“Wait a moment while I relay everything to the others and we formulate a plan.”
Snuggling deeper into his mind, she stopped beside a wide trunk and gestured toward a thicket twenty feet to one side through the thick bracken. “Gordon, if you dinnae mind, I wish a few moments of privacy.”
He scrubbed his hand over his bristly jaw then nodded. “Go no farther than that thicket. You have two minutes and no more.”
“How gracious.” This time she did roll her eyes. Although she’d take those two minutes and make them work. She hurried through the brushwood, scrambled onto her knees behind it then skirts bunched up, crawled through the dense undergrowth deeper into the forest. Once she was assured she was out of his sight, she jumped to her feet and weaved through the trees. Up ahead, the sound of gushing water traveled to her. A stream. The thick copse gave way to a river that cut through the forest toward the sea. Rocks lined the bank on both sides and three of MacKenzie’s men knelt at the edge filling their skins. Grrr, how annoying. Colin MacKenzie’s warriors were everywhere.
She backed up a step, as quietly as she could. “Tavish, I cannae see a way out of here.”
“Cherub has us cloaked and soaring your way. Give me your location, and be as specific as you can. I’ll ensure there’s a way out.”
Hope soaring, she clutched her chest. “There’s a river running through the forest, one with three warriors filling their skins. I’m backing away from them now. My guard will be searching for me soon.”
“We’re over the woods and I can see them. Keep moving backward, slowly and carefully. Don’t draw any unwanted attention to yourself.”
The wind lifted, breezed all around and with it brought an intoxicatingly warm and fresh scent, one holding a sweet tease of apple. It swirled about and saturated her senses. “I miss you.”
“As I miss you.” An arm wrapped around her waist from behind and drew her back against a solid body. Warmth infused her, and her mate’s presence calmed and settled her deep inside.
She curled her fingers around his firm forearm and turned around in his tight embrace. Cherub had him cloaked, his form not visible and she dearly wished to see him.
“Cherub’s to your left. Grab ahold of her so her cloaking extends over you too. Kirk’s behind her and Tor’s on her other side.” Tavish nipped her ear. “Hurry, love.”
A bellow sounded. Gordon. She patted the space around her and found Cherub. As soon as she slipped her fingers around Cherub’s arm, Cherub covered her with her cloaking and they lifted up.
Gordon stormed along the path and shouted to the warriors at the river, “The Matheson lass has escaped.”
“That was close, too close,” she whispered in Tavish’s mind.
“You should never have been taken from me. I’m sorry I allowed such a thing to occur.” He nuzzled her neck. “Tell me you’re all right.”
“I am now.”
Cherub took them higher, over the treetops and onward as she breezed toward Gairloch. The forest gave way to the rockier terrain of the Highlands as they swept toward the high mountain peak with its sheer stony sides.
She clung to Tavish as he scraped his teeth back and forth over her sensitive skin. “Please, bite me.” She stretched her neck. Nothing else would settle her quite like his possessive touch did. “Now.”
“I shall never let go of you again.” Tavish sank his teeth into her flesh and she whimpered for more. “Where you are, is where I need to be, whether there is a battle raging or not.”
“I agree.”
“The moment I get you all to myself, expect a damn sight more than just a bite. I intend to ravish you, right after we rescue your parents.”
“Ravishing and a rescue sounds perfect.” She swept one hand around Tavish’s neck, reached up and sucked on his neck. She licked his pounding pulse point then bit him. His desire surged down their link and flooded her and she went to bite him a second time only they began their descent.
“We’re here, everyone.” Cherub set them gently down on the mountain peak, the wind churning all around and the gray clouds out at sea swelling toward shore. Rain lashed the ocean then hit Red Point beach.
She released Cherub and Tavish did the same.
He fluttered into her sight, his golden shifter gaze bright as he leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. “I need to kiss you, except the kiss I wish for is one for behind closed doors.”
“I love having you back in my mind.” His passionate words and returned touch sent her thoughts flying. She longed for that kiss, but he was right. This wasn’t the place or time. Taking a long breath, she wriggled around in his hold and faced the others. “Thank you all for coming for me.”
Cherub hugged her, her soulful aura sparkling, just as her creamy skin did. “I would say anytime, but I’d rather you never fall into the MacKenzie’s hands again.”
“I second that.
” Kirk pulled Cherub back to his side, rubbed his chin over the top of her blond head. “It’s good to have you back, Julia.”
Cherub leaned back against Kirk, her smile wide as she gazed at her mate over her shoulder. “And you, my tempting bear, must cease your mischievousness behavior when we are in flight. Distractions can cause me to drop people.”
“What mischievous behavior?” In tan rawhide pants and a white tunic under his loose fur vest, Kirk twirled Cherub around and grinning, kissed the tip of her nose. His claymore sheathed snugly at his side, gleamed as it swayed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You are the worst liar.” She giggled and kissed the tip of his nose in return.
Tor clapped Tavish on the back then hugged her, his black war coat flapping in the breeze. “Julia, I’m so glad to see you’ve suffered no serious injuries at the MacKenzie’s hand, although no more high-tailing it off with them. We’ve been searching for you all night.”
“What of the battle?” She stretched back against Tavish, soaking in even more of his delicious scent.
“We won the war.” Tor rubbed his hands together. “And sent those damn MacKenzies fleeing.”
“That’s wonderful news.”
“Aye, and now we need to find and rescue your parents.” Cherub swatted one of Kirk’s roving hands then offered her arms to them all. “We need to travel to Loch Broom, with all speed.”
“Hold on.” Frowning, Tavish touched the back of her head and blood spotted his fingers. He spun her around. “You hurt yourself again? When did this happen?”
“A small injury. I knocked my head on the mast when the galley flew out of the bay.”
“I’ll need to take a closer look at it.” He shrugged out of his steel-studded gray coat and slipped it over her shoulders. “Arms in. You look cold.”
She pushed her hands down the sleeves, his heat trapped within the cloth warming her through. “Thank you.”
“Chin down.” His tone brooked no argument.
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