Foretold Fate (Sisters of Danu Series Book 2)

by Mia Pride

  Collin could feel himself getting lost in the feel of her skin, the scent of her hair and the taste of the berries on her lips. How he longed to fulfill his lifelong passion for this woman! But now was not the time nor the place. Reality came crashing down on him as he remembered where they were. The main road was not far off and, for her sake, they must stop before they were seen.

  Collin slowly removed his hands from her hips and placed them on either side of her cheeks as he reluctantly detangled his lips from hers. She breathed heavily and pulled away, touching her fingers to her lips as if shocked at her own behavior. He hoped desperately that she was not regretful. He also hoped to have another chance to kiss her later that evening when they were alone.

  He stared at her to gauge her reaction, wondering what she was feeling, hoping he had not scared her away. To his surprise, she tilted her head back and let out a lilting laugh. “Och, Collin. I think we should eat now.” She tore off a piece of bread from the loaf in the basket and tossed it at his nose, laughing as it bounced off his face and onto the muddy ground.

  “As you wish,” he smirked as he ripped off another piece of bread and gently placed it in her mouth, enjoying the playful banter they shared.

  After they finished their meal and talked for what must have been hours, Collin and Una walked back through the village. The sun was already making its lazy trek across the sky. Soon it would be dusk and Una still needed to run to the market, wanting to make a fish and vegetable stew for their evening meal. Now that spring was here, the tuath could enjoy the use of fresh vegetables such as celery, carrots and tomatoes from their personal gardens.

  “I have some matters to tend to, but will be back home in time for our evening meal. I had a wonderful day with you today, Una.” Collin leaned in to give her a soft kiss on the cheek and flashed a brilliant smile as he walked away.

  Una couldn’t help but release a long, slow breath as she watched his form retreat toward the gathering hall. What had come over her earlier? She had kissed Collin. Nay. It had been more than a mere kiss. She had sunk herself into it entirely, even ran her fingers through his hair. She could still feel where his strong fingers had dug into the soft flesh of her hips. And she had actually felt disappointment when he released her!

  Her feelings for Collin were a paradox. Aye, she could not deny a physical attraction. The man was as well built as they came. He was tender, caring, and, unlike some men, Collin openly shared his emotions, never hiding away his true feelings. And aye, the man could kiss until her knees went weak and toes curled. Thank the gods she had already been sitting when he planted his lips on hers!

  But, even when it felt right, it always felt so wrong. What right did she have to kiss him like that after she had turned him away? Was this her response to the hurt of finding Brocc and Mealla together? Her stomach flopped and suddenly the raspberries that had gone down so sweetly, felt as if they were ready to come back up. What she had done was entirely unfair to them both. Or was it?

  There was no future for her and Brocc. Nothing could erase what had happened. She would rather live alone for the remainder of her life than live as the wife of a man who so easily turned his head to other women.

  Her conscience nagged at her. Had she not just sought comfort in another’s arms, just as Brocc had? Nay! Och, nay! It was not the same. Was it? Nay! She shook her head, unable to work through her tangled thoughts.

  Mayhap she should do right by Collin and give him a real chance. She would not rush into a marriage. Certainly not. But whatever she had had with Brocc was finished. And Collin was here and he loved her. He was honest about his intentions and he accepted her child.

  Aye, Collin was a good man and would treat her well. He deserved happiness. Perhaps she could grow to love him one day. She wondered if she was giving up on Brocc and the family they could have been too easily, but she shook it off. He had given up on her, had he not? He jumped into bed with Mealla the first chance he got. Mayhap he had always intended on keeping Mealla as a concubine once he married Una.

  Her heart ached at the thought and her conscience screamed at the injustice of accusing Brocc of such malice. But the thought helped to fuel her anger, and anger hurt less than heartache. Anger was sustainable and would help her cope with her feelings of betrayal. She was getting nowhere with these cyclical thoughts and the market was awaiting.

  With a sigh, Una looked up at the streaks of coral and violet in the sky. The villagers would be packing up their wares soon. Lifting the hem of her soft yellow dress to avoid puddles, she picked up her pace and briskly walked toward the main road. She could see people slowly packing up as they came into sight.

  Just as she started to run forward, she skidded to a halt in the loose gravel beneath her feet. Brocc was at the market with Isobel, who was wearing a soft blue dress and had her graying hair up in her normal tight bun. Their backs were to her as they spoke to one another, perusing the wares. How she missed Isobel and her warmth, but she had no idea how Isobel would react to seeing her after all that had transpired. Had Brocc told Isobel that she was with child? Would she be ashamed of Una’s behavior? The thought of rejection from her foster-mother was too painful to consider.

  Hoping to sneak away before they turned around, Una spun on her heels and started to tiptoe in the opposite direction. Fish soup would have to wait another day.

  “Una?” She paused as Brocc’s deep voice caressed her ears, but she refused to look over her shoulder and acknowledge him.

  She straightened her back and kept walking in the direction she had turned, determined to ignore his intimidating presence. “Una.” She heard Brocc whisper something to Isobel and saw her blue skirt swish past in retreat, but not before she caught a sympathetic smile on Isobel’s face as they made brief eye contact. Suddenly, Brocc’s strong hand caught Una by the elbow in mid-step like a band of iron and forced her to spin around and face him.

  “King Brocc.” She dropped her eyes and gave him the most formal and respectful curtsey she could muster, not a hint of irony in her demeanor. To any casual observer, she was the perfect example of a respectful member of the tuath. To Brocc, however, it was a blatant sting to his pride, a rebuff, and proof that she was pushing him away.

  “Do not do this, Una.” he said with a frown.

  “I am doing nothing but trying to pass. Please excuse me.” She tried to step around him, but he grabbed her again, this time catching her around the waist. Feeling his unborn child beneath the pressure of his hand, a deep frown set across his face. Tears welled up in her eyes and she swallowed hard, refusing to let her emotions show. “Do not touch me, Brocc,” she whispered through clenched teeth. He crossed his arms as he stared down at her with an intensity that made her skin break out in gooseflesh.

  Doing her best to look unaffected, she walked over to the fisherman’s cart and handed him two bars of her special lavender soap, something he often requested for his wife, in exchange for three fish, and placed them in her basket. She continued to another vendor, only half focusing on the selection while keenly aware that Brocc was following behind her.

  “You must listen to me,” Brocc forced through his clenched teeth. “I don’t think Mealla and I—”

  Spinning on her heels to face him, she held up a hand to silence him. “You do not think? Truly, Brocc? You stopped me to tell me you do not think you bedded Mealla?” An unladylike chortle slipped past her lips. “You owe me nothing, Brocc. You made it quite clear you nay longer wish to marry me. You are free to bed any lass of your choosing. I just wish it had been any other woman than…her! I have lost all trust in you. Everything you say is false,” her voice broke off with a choke. “I do not even know why I should care so much.” She instinctively clutched at her growing babe and an uncontrollable sob escaped from deep within her throat.

  “Una…” He reached out to touch her again and hesitated. She had never seen Brocc hesitate to do anything in his life. He usually charged forth with more conviction than a bull protect
ing his calf. He must truly doubt his actions.

  “Alright. Let us talk about it, Brocc. How was she?” Confusion flashed in his eyes at her question and he shook his head. “You do not know, do you? Because you do not remember. What is your purpose? To convince me you did not bed her? To convince yourself? Do you even know?” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

  He stiffened under her scrutiny and squared his shoulders. “I do not know. I cannot remember. But…Una, listen to me…”

  Poking him in the chest with one slim finger, making him step back in shock at the seething look in her eyes, she shouted, “Enough! Tis over. Done. I am suddenly thankful I made the choice to leave your home. I am thankful you nay longer wish to wed me. Because I knew your true nature all along, Brocc! I knew you would jump into bed with any willing lass sooner or later, and I will never be the wife of a fickle man! I cannot stand to hear another word or to even look at you. Leave me be. I need to go home.”

  A snort escaped as a sarcastic laugh bellowed out of Brocc’s throat. “Home, aye? And how is Collin? Nay doubt, he is reveling in my downfall. Have you accepted his offer to marry yet?” The bitterness oozed from his voice. Una had never seen his warm hazel eyes look so cold.

  “Mayhap he is enjoying himself, very much.” She lifted a suggestive brow at him before she turned away. He deserved to feel the sting of jealousy she had been burdened with for so long now.

  “By the gods, Una!” Brocc bellowed and made her jump in fright. “I remember nothing from last night! I drank until I could not see straight…because of you! Because you left me!” All eyes in the market stared at Brocc as he shouted at Una, but she refused to back down.

  Members of the tuath started to scatter like mice when Brocc looked around and shot daggers at them all with his angry eyes. It startled her to see how golden his eyes looked when he was angry, but she swallowed and averted her gaze. “Leave me be, Brocc,” she dropped her voice to a whisper so only he could hear her scathing words. “I never want to speak to you again.”

  Closing the distance between them, Brocc stepped up to her and leaned into her ear as he grabbed her by the shoulders. “That is a request I will never agree to, seeing as how I am the father of your child. In one way or another, Una, you are stuck with me…”

  Before she had a chance for rebuttal, he grabbed her by the back and dipped her low, smothering her mouth with his aggressive kiss, slashing his lips across hers as his tongue roughly found hers. His whiskers rubbed against her cheek, scratching into her skin with his powerful embrace. This was possession. He was publicly claiming her, marking her as his for all those in attendance to see. He pulled away and left her speechless, shaking on the gravel road where several villagers walked slowly passed with mouths agape in shock.

  Without a word, Brocc stormed off into the evening, his powerfully built legs sweeping him further away with every heavily booted step, leaving her alone to watch him disappear around the corner. The sun was nestling behind the mountains, taking all the warmth of the day with it as fires were being lit around the village. Feeling utterly mortified and used, Una swiftly ran back to Collin’s home where she could be alone with her thoughts and lay in bed to cry while the fish soup simmered away.

  The meeting hall was its usual smoky, dark, and loud atmosphere as Collin walked in and squinted, trying to see through the haze as he swerved skillfully through the rowdy crowd of drunken villagers. As he worked further through the crowd, he spotted his companion waiting in their usual meeting place and he casually looked over his shoulder to the left, then to the right. Deciding it was safe, he sat down at the small table in the shadowed corner, away from the stampede of drunken boots and the ears of eavesdroppers.

  “Took you long enough! I thought you forgot.”

  “Nay,” Collin assured. “I have not forgotten. Though I wish I could, this deceit is too much for me to bear…”

  “You are not going to back out on me now, are you, Collin?”

  “Calm down Mealla, I am here, am I not?” He looked at her suspiciously. He didn’t trust her most of the time, but in this situation, their goals were one and the same and he had to trust her to uphold her end of the bargain. Keeping his own end, however, was beginning to be more difficult than he had expected.

  “Right,” she said with a relieved breath. “How was your day with Una?” Her blonde perfectly shaped eyebrows rose at him in question as a smirk spread across her pouty pink lips.

  “Nay. First, let us talk about your night…” Collin leaned forward and stared deeply into her large blue eyes. “How did you manage it? I was actually shocked when Una came home shouting that you were in Brocc’s bed. I have to confess; I did not expect him to be so easily distracted.”

  “What?” her voice rose into an angry whisper as she leaned closer to Collin. “You think I am so easy to resist? Must I remind you of all the times I shared your bed?” She arched her back, slightly raising her full pert breasts closer to his line of view.

  “Aye, Mealla, I remember quite well,” he said grudgingly as he rolled his eyes. “I just meant that Brocc has been in love with Una for so long. I am shocked he moved on that quickly.”

  “Well, you underestimate me.”

  “I must.” He grabbed the mug in front of him and took a swig. “How did you do it? I know we had a decent plan. I waited until Brocc left the house yesterday. Then I went over to offer marriage to Una and asked her to stay with me, which I am rather shocked she agreed to. You and I knew he would come home that night to find her gone, confront me, and leave in a rage. Luckily, Una is as strong-willed as I estimated and would not back down. Had she gone home with him, our entire plan would have been ruined.”

  “Aye,” Mealla said distractedly as she tapped her nails on the wooden table. “As for me, I was waiting outside of my mother’s home, just as planned. I saw him storming past as I hid in the shadows. He was kicking dirt and cursing into the wind. I admit he is a daunting man. Very large, but so handsome…”

  “Aye, aye…do go on…” Collin drawled as he waved a hand at her to rush her story along.

  “Do not be so crude, Collin! As I was saying, he is very intimidating when angry. I was worried he might snap me in two if I approached him in his anger. I hesitated a few moments to compose myself. Once he was already in his house for a few moments, I thought it would be best to let him calm down before I knocked. But once I did, he would not answer. So, I entered and he was not in the living area. I went to his chamber and he was already in bed…” She hesitated to continue, turning pink-cheeked at the memory.

  “So you just walked right up to Brocc in his bed and wrapped your legs around him? That easy?” Collin’s eyes widened with shock.

  She hesitated. “Things did not work exactly as planned…he was quite inebriated and dead asleep. I was very afraid to try and wake him, but decided I could just as easily make it look like we had lain together. So, I took off my dress and I slipped into his bed, wrapped his limp arm around my waist and hoped beyond hope that you would succeed in convincing her to visit him at dawn and find me before he did.” She looked disappointed and he laughed at her sullen face.

  “So, you did not bed Brocc, after all? You look very disappointed,” he smirked. “But nonetheless, you pulled it off, Mealla! But, I am done with these deceptions. Hurting Una is not something I like to do.” He took another sip of ale and looked over his shoulders again. “We should be quick. I don’t want us being seen together. Una would question why I was meeting with you. She despises you, you know.”

  “And I, her!” Mealla shouted louder than she meant and cringed as Collin clasped his hand across her mouth to silence her. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Did you get Una in your bed yet?” Her face lit up, hoping for some details.

  “I do not wish to discuss this with you,” Collin said as he examined his fingernails casually. “I happened to actually love and respect her. This whole plot to split them up is wrong, especially now she has confessed to carrying hi
s child. I would never have gone through with this had I known that. But by the time I found out, I had already offered for her. I could not let my conscience take over by then. But I cannot help feeling like this is all too vile. I am not the sort to meddle…”

  “Aye, I know, Collin! You are so high and mighty with your ever-present morals. I understand this goes against your grain. But you still agree that the end result works in favor of us both, do you not?” Mealla looked at him nervously as she reached out to grab his hand.

  With a loud sigh, he shook his head. “Aye, I suppose so. The only thing that soothes my conscience is remembering the true pain in her eyes when I knocked on her door yesterday. She was miserable. And I want to marry her and give her a better life and raise her child. I can only hope that my deceit will be outweighed by my better intentions.” His eyes shifted away, as if knowing his words rang false. How could he ever be happy, knowing he had deceived Una into marrying him?

  “Good. Keep thinking just like that, and we will succeed. Una still believes Brocc bedded me and she will not ever know the truth because even he believes it to be true. He is furious, refusing to talk to me…I cannot get into his better graces until you succeed in marrying her. Once she is nay longer available to him, I am certain he will take me more seriously. It is up to you now, Collin. Do your best to get her into your bed. How many days do you think you will need until you succeed?” Her eyebrow waggled suggestively as she smiled seductively.

  “I am not certain she will ever share my bed, Mealla.”

  “She has to! I will give you half a sennight. On the third night, I will find a way to convince Brocc to reconcile with her. When he comes over, he needs to see her in bed with you. Do you understand? Do whatever you have to do to get Una in bed with you!”

  “I am not going to force her, Mealla! What do you take me for?”