“Why did ye make him do it?” Gordon asked. “Why did ye make our laird shave his beard?”
Akira stole a glance at Calin through sleepy eyes and stroked his face. “I should think ’tis obvious. Look at the mon. Would any of ye have guessed he would wear such bonnie dimples?”
She enjoyed the tint of embarrassment coloring his bronze cheeks, but Gordon’s heavy grunts ruined the moment.
“So ye find our laird more…appealing? This is why ye asked him to deface himself?”
“Of course not, the dimples came as a pleasant surprise,” she defended and decided against expanding her reasons unless the man pushed.
Gordon pushed. “I’ve answered all your questions. I’d like to know why ye made the mon remove the signature o’ the Highlander.”
She couldn’t exactly blurt out that she wanted to speak with Kendrick alone. They would all frown upon her game. She would gain no allies with that admission. She contemplated a reason that would appease Gordon without making her sound ridiculous. She had told Calin she refused to kiss him unless he shaved. Somehow, she had to explain this reasoning to Gordon. She forced her weary body to its feet and slipped into the grove.
Behind her, she heard Calin threaten Gordon. “If she climbs a tree, ye’ll be the one fetching her this time.”
She didn’t have to look hard to find what she was searching for. Calin had just stood to come after her, she assumed, when she returned minutes later with her hands hidden behind her back. She stood directly in front of Gordon. “Please, close your eyes, sir.”
He didn’t.
“M’laird, make Gordon close his eyes so I may answer his question.”
Gordon closed his eyes without being ordered, after which she reached for his burly hand. “When ye kiss your wife, this is what ye feel.” She cupped his wrinkled hand around the satiny smooth skin of a mushroom. Once he examined the texture, she reached for his other hand. “And when your wife kisses ye, this is what she feels.” Akira closed Gordon’s callused hand around the needle-sharp pricks of a thistle.
“Ow!” Gordon bellowed, then threw the thistle into the fire. Ignoring the snickers from the other men, he crawled under his plaid and turned his back on all of them.
Feeling pleased with herself, Akira turned to find Calin laying out the two fur pelts they shared the previous night. Her amusement diminished when she realized he intended for her to join him. Nervously, she glanced at Kendrick who offered her a nod of approval before turning his back on her. She was sorely tempted to march over there and kick him, but her interest became diverted.
Calin slid between the wool and propped his cheek upon his hand. “Come and seek your sleep, lass. We’ve a big day on the morrow.”
She gripped her fingers to keep them from wringing while she searched for some reason to deny his request. Or did she even need to deny his request? She certainly didn’t want to. She’d lain with him the night before out of necessity for warmth. The fire provided heat aplenty this night, giving her no reason to accept his offer. It would be improper for her to bed down with him even to just sleep before they wed. Wouldn’t it?
Kendrick obviously gave her his opinion when he cast her that all-knowing smile and rolled over. Her brother had been shielding her virtue his entire life and now seemed grateful to be free of the duty. Torn between protecting her morals and wanting to curl up inside Calin’s arms, she remained unmoving like a lost child.
“Come, lass. I’ll warm ye.” He raised the fur.
“We’ve a fire this night. I dinnae need your warmth. Toss me a pelt and I will seek my sleep over here.”
A victorious smile crossed his lips. “I’ll have my kiss first.”
“Rogue,” Akira grumbled through her teeth.
“I shaved my beard for that kiss, and I mean to have it. Ye have nay reason to worry over your virtue. First and foremost, ye have guarded your favors better than some nuns and second, ye have saved yourself for me, remember? Come now. Retract your claws and uphold your promise.”
As much as she hated to admit it, his argument seemed acceptable. It was just a kiss. A harmless good-eve kiss that meant nothing. She only hoped she could get through it without attacking him again. She knelt beside him, preparing to fulfill his boon, when his arm curled around her and pulled her flat against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped the cover over her shoulders. Shocked by his swiftness, she stiffened.
“Relax, lass. Even dragons require sleep.”
The chortles of his men mocked her, but she resolved to let the matter rest. Her weariness won this battle. She awkwardly twisted and wiggled until her back rested against his chest and she closed her eyes. The light caresses he drew up and down her forearm eased her anxiety. She allowed herself to hope for a life far greater than she ever expected. A life filled with passion and devotion—one like Mam and Papa had shared.
Papa used to hold Mam this same way at night with her and her sisters tucked in every nook. They must have looked like lambs curled around each other in the small bed of their home, nuzzling each other’s warmth during the endless winter nights. There was nary a doubt that Papa had loved Mam. Part of her now greedily pined for a similar affection from Calin.
“Put your mind to rest, my sweet Akira.” His fingers laced with hers and the gate guarding her heart unlocked.
Chapter Nine
Akira awoke early and studied the man she would marry today. Today. The startling realization had her stomach fluttering with a peculiar thrill. Certainly, waking to such a handsome face every morn wouldn’t be horrible. Or allowing him to adorn her lips with his tantalizing kisses—per his request.
She recalled the many queries and worthless trinkets she’d sent Calin when she was a mere child. He must have thought her so foolish, much the same as her sisters. Regardless of the barbs her family had thrown at her, never once did her loyalty falter for her benefactor. Propped up on her elbow, she studied his lips—full, smooth, perfect for kissing. A flash of heat sizzled beneath her skin. The image she had conjured in her head of him over the years was far different from the man who could make her skin heat just at the sight of him. Never had she expected to have such strong feelings for him, but after two days with Calin, she couldn’t deny the attraction between them. He was respected by his men, protective, witty, and gentle to a fault. She couldn’t help but think of how their marriage might benefit her family. Isobel had always wanted to learn more about medicine. Now her sister could have that dream. This made Akira smile all the more about their arrangement. Mayhap she could convince him to provide a tutor for the twins as well. The many prayers she offered as a child were finally being answered. Or mayhap the spells she and Isobel had cast in childhood play from that damnable book were taking root. She giggled silently at the memory.
But why was she—a peasant cursed with misfortune—suddenly so blessed? The question niggled at her relentlessly. The chieftains of Scotland married to improve the quality of life for their people. They gained allies and lands through marriage to protect their kin. What did she possess that would benefit his clan? It certainly wasn’t wealth or land. Everything she owned belonged to the chieftain of Clan Kinnon. No noble titles graced her name, making her worthy of such a substantial marriage. She wasn’t even first born. So why had he chosen her?
She soaked up the heat radiating from his body. He was a giant of a man, yet so gentle with her. She traced the pad of her finger over his soft lips and purred, “M’laird?”
Calin’s lips lifted slightly from the tickle, but his eyelids remained closed. “Mmm,” he murmured inside his drowsy state.
“Why are ye marrying me today?”
“To form the alliance,” he mumbled.
An alliance? Her chest tightened. Her pulse raced.
Akira moved away, not wanting to touch him. She’d been naïve to think he wanted her for more. At least, believing her intelligence attracted him was far greater comfort than knowing he wanted her because she belonged to C
lan Kinnon. She’d been blinded by his kisses and sweet words.
Stupid, stupid fool. She cursed her ignorance. No one would marry ye for your intellect. As the full expanse of his comment set in, her mouth went bone-dry. The pieces of this puzzle seemed so clear now. Kendrick had gathered an army to rebel against King James. With her sister Maggie married to a Donald, and she to a MacLeod, the Isles would unite to regain possession of the Lordship of the Isles from the Scottish crown. Akira wanted no part of a political uprising. Those who tried to rebel against the king in ninety-three had been executed for treason. She didn’t know the extent of this plan nor did she care. She’d known clans destroyed by greed and a lust for power. She couldn’t live with herself knowing her union to Calin might bring such calamity to the livelihood of Clan Kinnon and to her family. How could Kendrick be in favor of this marriage?
Her brother had betrayed her. He’d sold her like an animal to breed with the enemy all in an effort to go against his sworn allegiance to his king.
Tears blurred her vision. She rose to her feet, raised her head, and then realized she had an audience. Four men staring at her with pity in their expressions told her the hurt was evident on her face. She tried to read Kendrick, to understand why he’d done this, but he looked away as if to hide his shame.
“I’m going to the brook.” She turned on her heel and walked away.
Calin’s heart gave a quick jerk. His eyes flew open. He bolted upright and pressed his hand against the fur pelt still warm from her body. He then saw the four pairs of shocked eyes. “Tell me I dinnae say that aloud,” he pleaded in a state of confusion.
“Ye dinnae say that aloud.” Jaime fulfilled his request with a sardonic lift in his voice. Gordon, Alec, and Kendrick snorted in unison at the blatant lie.
“Hell and damnation!” Calin jumped to his feet then raked his fingers through his already aching scalp. “Damn! Damn, damn, damn,” he muttered while kicking a smoldering chunk of wood. “To form the alliance. This is what I say to my bride on her wedding day? I am such a dunderheid.”
“Ye’ll not be gettin’ an argument from me,” Jaime clucked with a grin then crawled out of his blankets to stretch. Calin’s temper peaked. The last thing he wanted was to watch Jaime gloat over his folly. He wanted to brawl, but he only had himself to blame for the mishap. He hit Jaime anyway—one steel-fisted punch in the gut. The moment of gratification didn’t curb his mood.
While Jaime was doubled over, clutching his stomach and groaning, Calin started giving orders. “Gordon, take Alec and ride to Cànwyck Castle. Prepare the clan. I want twice as many flowers adorning the kirk as before. I want twice as much food prepared, and I want every villager to bathe, and display full Highland dress; men, women, and children. Alec, ye will retrieve Elsbeth. Tell her to add two ells of French silk to Akira’s gown. Have the maids prepare my solar again. More flowers. Lots of flowers. I want flowers everywhere. And berries. Akira likes berries. Right?”
He glanced at Kendrick for confirmation.
Kendrick nodded.
Calin paced with his hands locked behind his back. He had been molded for leadership his entire life, been taught loyalty and commitment by his father and uncle. Now, the fate of the Isles rested on his ability to subdue this hot-tempered woman. How in the name of all the saints, both living and dead, was he supposed to accomplish that feat exactly? Akira was bold, reckless, stubborn…beautiful, witty…
His heartless words probably ruined the most important day of his bride’s life. But what seemed more ludicrous, what he couldn’t begin to comprehend, was why he cared.
She had belonged to him since the day of her birth. She lived and breathed because of him. He paid five hundred groats for her to be his lady wife and share his bed. Though these reasons sounded logical in his head, Calin couldn’t deny he wanted to please her. He wanted her to enter their union willingly, wanted to see passion in her eyes when he took her for the first time. He wanted their union to be more than just a sense of obligation of duty.
Determined to do everything in his power to make sure nothing else went amiss, he stopped pacing and looked at Gordon.
“See to it Catriona does not attend the ceremony or the festivities and be sure Father Harrald is of sound mind before we return. Nay one drinks a drop until after the ceremony. And nay one utters a word of Tigh Diabhail. ”
Calin raked his fingers through his hair. “Kendrick, ye will return home to fetch your family. Jaime will wait for ye at the waterfall to escort ye back to the keep.”
“And what important task have ye for me while I wait?” Jaime asked, his damned haunting eyes sparkling with the desire to prove himself.
Jaime had always mimicked Calin’s every move, trying to best him at hunting, fighting, wooing. A devil’s grin crossed Calin’s lips when an idea struck him. He wouldn’t be the only one returning to Cànwyck Castle with a smooth jaw. “Kendrick, loan Jaime your straightedge. He’s going to shave.”
“What?” Jaime bellowed.
Calin would have laughed had he not been in such turmoil. “Ye heard me. This will please Akira. Ye have your orders. Now go!”
“What are ye going to do about Akira? Woo her?” Kendrick asked as the men untethered their mounts. His red-gold eyebrows raised and his head tilted, telling Calin he should prepare for war.
“Nay. Your sister is beyond wooing. I’m going to instruct m’lady on the necessity of accepting this union. If she does not comply, I suspect I’ll have to bind her to Sirius for the remainder of this trek.” He pivoted on his heel and reluctantly walked over the dew-covered knoll to the brook.
Calin tried to relate the upcoming confrontation to a strategically planned battle. He’d spent sennights at a time on battlefields. Led infantries into hand-to-hand combat. No amount of training could’ve prepared him for this war. Bloodied fists, swords, men of brute strength. These battles were no competition to the fire-breathing dragon he would make his wife. Akira was undoubtedly the most obstinate opponent he had ever encountered.
Though it was a blow to his ego, he knew he wouldn’t be able to force her into submission. Never had he met a woman as smart, or as proud. She would do anything to protect her family. The only way to gain her agreement now would be to convince her the alliance benefited her as well as Clan Kinnon. If he told her Laird Kinnon was her blood sire, she would hold the power to deny him. He would not afford her that option.
The time had come for her to know what The Beast did to her family.
Chapter Ten
Clear, cool water spilled over her feet along with a school of minnows. Akira hugged her knees and buried her bare toes into the pebbled rock. The sun’s early rays peeked over the top of the ridge while she slipped into a bout of self-pity. She would never let Calin know how badly his words hurt her. She refused to let him see the foolish girl inside her. The innocent who dreamed of love and commitment.
Calin’s interest resided in his desire to acquire an heir—one of both MacLeod and Kinnon blood. He’d provided for her all these years simply to breed with her and align with Clan Kinnon. Although she hadn’t quite wrapped her mind around how that was possible. She was a peasant living on Laird Kinnon’s land. She held no ties to any of the Kinnon ground. Neither Calin, nor Kendrick, appeared bothered by that detail. Truths were being hidden from her, and her brother’s involvement in that deception made her heart ache further. With Kendrick as her guardian, she couldn’t refute the life he’d chosen for her. If she didn’t comply with this arrangement, Calin could force her, as was his right.
Mayhap then she could hate him. A tear left a cool trail down her cheek and plopped into the trickling stream. Immersed in her thoughts, she flinched when Calin’s fingers webbed through her hair. She jerked away, bolted upright, and splashed through the brook in her haste. A flock of black birds took flight overhead, startled by her abrupt action. Humiliation kept her eyes downcast as she moved past him. “I am ready. I’m sure ye are anxious to get moving, m’laird.”
“Why?” She sidestepped just out of his grasp.
“Because I wanted to speak to ye alone…to apologize.”
She laughed to keep from sobbing. “Why would ye apologize? We will be married today. Our clans will unite, and the MacLeods will hold the utmost devotion for their new laird—a laird who selflessly took a homely bride to improve the livelihood of his people. I see nay need for explanations nor apologies for becoming their hero. Ye’ve made your reasons for wanting this union abundantly clear, m’laird.” Even as she said the words, she couldn’t believe she’d fallen victim to his seductions. Calin lunged for her. She spun away, but not swiftly enough. He caught her skirt causing her to slip on the slick grasses, then held her tight around the waist. He pressed her to his chest and looked down at her. “There are many reasons I wish to marry ye.”
“Then having me in your bed will be a reward. Or will that be your duty to the clan as weel?” Clenched fists pumped against his chest, sending the blood in her veins racing.
He released her. “Akira, please.”
She glared at him through narrowed eyes. Her fate might be to bear him an heir, but she would never submit to him willingly. Their union would be nothing more than a contract between them. Never would he take her pride or her heart.
“I’ll not marry ye,” she declared and guarded her expression, knowing it was futile to refuse him. His nostrils flared, and she saw a glimpse of the temper he’d been hiding. “Ye will marry me, and ye will wear a smile when ye speak your vows. Ye belong to me. I paid five hundred groats for ye, and ye will submit and become my wife.” Calin advanced toward her.
With both hands planted firmly against his chest, she pushed him away. He faltered back, and she gained some satisfaction knowing she possessed the strength to fight him physically. Carrying Isobel all these years had made her as strong as an ox. He closed the small gap between them, and again she pushed him back. His brow curled in confusion, and she cast him an all-knowing smile.
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