Embrace the Highland Warrior

by Anita Clenney

  Reluctantly, Shay left her car on the side of the road and climbed on the back of Cody’s motorcycle. She hooked her fingers in his belt, the way she had when they were teenagers. They had ridden that way for hours, Shay holding on to him, laughing, as they climbed hills. Why the hell had he let her walk away?

  He followed the shoulder of the road, Shay’s hands burning at his waist, until he reached the cabin rentals.

  ***

  The white-haired man ran a gnarled finger down the computer screen. “We’re usually full this time of year, but a couple left today. Woman went into labor early. Good thing she left before the accident, or she might’ve given birth right here. Let’s see… yep, here it is, cabin four, and it’s off to itself, nice and quiet. Must be your lucky day, or night, that is.”

  Shay didn’t feel very lucky. She should have already arrived at the caverns. What would Renee’s kidnapper do?

  “I talked to Lach, told him we’d stay here, at least until traffic clears. He’ll call as soon as they get to the caverns. Renee might not be there, though. It could be a trap.”

  She heard in his voice what he didn’t say. Renee might be dead. Shay remembered the screams and the sickening thuds. Her throat tightened. “I know.”

  Using Cody’s flashlight, they found the trail that led to the cabin. It was growing dark, and the temperature was dropping quickly. It was colder on the mountain, reminding her of Scotland. She had blown their plans for leaving. Would the police in Scotland come looking for her?

  The cabin was small, but she was glad to see two beds, since she was still leery about the destined-mate stuff. If she was his mate, where was her mark? Did she have to take his word for it? He’d lied about a lot of things, or rather, withheld the truth. Could she trust him on something as important as this? What if he was wrong about the mark? What if he was saying it just because he wanted her to be his mate, like Jamie wanted too?

  Cody came out of the bathroom zipping his jeans as she opened the front door. “Where are you going?”

  “To sit on the porch. Is that allowed?” she snapped and blew out a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry, Cody.” Shay took two steps toward him, slid her arms around his waist, and tucked her thumbs under his belt. “I don’t know why you put up with me.” She laid her head on his chest.

  He put his arms around her shoulders and rested his chin on her head. “Because you’re family. You’re my friend.” He slid his hands down her back, making her skin melt. “And you’re my mate,” he whispered. He kissed her hair, trailing his lips down her cheek. “Not to mention you’re reckless and don’t take orders, and you bite. If I don’t keep you out of trouble, who will?”

  Shay pinched his waist. “I’m just stressed about Renee. I keep thinking, what if he sees the others coming and hurts her, because I didn’t follow instructions?”

  “They’re trained to protect and to fight. If she’s there, they’ll find her.”

  Cody was right; the others would get there first anyway, and they were warriors, more capable of rescuing Renee than Shay. “Where’s Bree?”

  “At home, with Faelan threatening to tie her up. In the meantime, Faelan’s coordinating with Sam, trying to track down the names you gave us. It has to be someone you both know. Problem is, it’ll be a disguise.”

  “I never met her creepy client. There’s Mr. Ellis, my client whose table was destroyed. I just started working with him. He’s American, a little eccentric, but most collectors are. I don’t think he knows Renee.”

  “Did he order the table?”

  “No. He never saw it.”

  “And this woman who canceled the order for the other table, did she seem… strange?”

  “You mean like a demon hiding in a woman’s body? No. She seemed normal.”

  “That’s the problem,” Cody said, his fingers trailing up and down her arm. “They all do. Sam’s also trying to trace the call Julie got from the man asking about the table. Maybe a lead will turn up. Try to get some sleep. Traffic should clear up before long.” He glanced at the beds, and she knew he was waiting for her to ask him to sleep with her. She wanted to, but she was afraid if she slept with him again, she would need to do it every night.

  He took her silence for refusal and dropped a kiss on her head. “I’m going to shower,” he said, sitting on the chair. He started removing his boots and socks. From this angle, his hair covered his mate mark. He tossed one sock at her. “Bathroom’s small. If I get stuck, you can soap me up and slide me out.”

  Shay threw the sock back. “I’ll call the lodge and let the old man take care of it.”

  Cody pulled off the other sock and wiggled his toes. He had incredibly sexy feet. He started unbuckling his pants as he walked to the bathroom.

  “Cody.”

  He turned back at the door.

  “I need you to know something. What I really want to do is get in the shower with you, rub that soap all over you, and make both of us forget that stalkers and demons even exist, but how can I do that, when Renee is in trouble?”

  “I understand.” He smiled. “Although I kind of wish you hadn’t mentioned the part about putting soap all over me. Choose a bed. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  While he showered, she checked her purse for sugarless gum in lieu of a toothbrush. She had just plopped down on the bed farthest from the bathroom, when Cody came out in his underwear. Shay jerked her gaze to her faded green quilt. She was buying him PJ’s for Christmas. He climbed in his bed, propping himself on one elbow.

  “You took your father’s talisman.”

  Shay held it, her gaze steady on his. “Yes, and I’m not giving it back.” She’d had nothing that belonged to her father until now.

  He watched her for a moment, then nodded. “Take care of it, then. It’s powerful.”

  “Can anyone use it?” She was intrigued by the new world of which she was suddenly a part, and conversation could distract them from their awkward confines. Although their confines had been awkward from the moment she arrived.

  “Only the warrior it’s given to. It’s designed to destroy demons, but just like a bullet, if you get in its way, you’re done.”

  “What happens to the demons when they’re destroyed?”

  “They just don’t exist anymore. We try to suspend them so they’re accountable for their evil, but sometimes we don’t have a choice.”

  “What would happen if a warrior used his talisman against a powerful demon who wasn’t assigned?”

  “He would die. The strength of the talisman depends on the warrior’s strength, and it’s matched to the strength of the demon.”

  “I wonder if he—my father—killed a lot of demons with this.” Shay felt the warmth of the talisman against her hand.” She supposed the Book of Battles could tell her.

  Cody looked a little uneasy to see her touching the talisman. “Aye, he did. Your father was a powerful warrior.”

  “Will you tell me about him?”

  “If you’ll stop playing with the talisman,” he said. Shay dropped her hand, and Cody settled back against his pillows. “He was born in Scotland. So was your mother. They were childhood sweethearts—”

  “Mates?”

  “I don’t know. The mate thing doesn’t always work,” he said quietly. “It’s best if it does, but sometimes it just can’t be.”

  “Where did they—we—live in Scotland?”

  “Outside Beauly, not far from the clan castle.”

  She’d been all over that area, walked the grounds of Beauly Priory. Had she passed her own home?

  “After we get rid of this problem, I’ll take you to see where you were born. I know it’s hard to understand why the clan did this, but they were afraid you’d be killed.”

  She reached for the talisman again, liking the way it felt in her hand, but stopped at Cody’s frown.

  “Careful. Talismans are not toys. Treat them with respect and a good dose of fear, because they’ll destroy anything in their path. You can’t
even look at it if it’s engaged.”

  “But you’ve seen it.”

  “It won’t hurt the warrior it belongs to. Anyone else, even another warrior, has to close his eyes when the light is released.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t have that thing in high school.” She smiled. “All the guys were afraid of you and your brothers. None of them dared ask me out on a date. Only one had the nerve to ask me to dance.”

  “Who?”

  “Zack Anderson. He was new.”

  “Where was I?” Cody asked.

  “Home cleaning your room, unless you followed me. Remember the race I won?”

  “Aye. I didn’t realize we were such a pain. We were just trying to look out for you. There were a lot of guys interested in you, and we didn’t want—”

  “What guys? No one would come near me.”

  “That was because we…” Cody stopped.

  Shay narrowed her eyes. “Because you what?”

  “We made sure they didn’t get close.”

  “Why?”

  “We weren’t sure if they were guys.”

  “You mean… you mean they could’ve been demons?” she squeaked. “In high school?”

  “They don’t come full grown,” Cody said.

  “I never considered… kids?”

  “That’s why Dad and Nina didn’t want you going to public school. Dad had to do security checks on everyone around you. Teachers, principals, kids, even the lunchroom attendants.”

  “I just wanted to be like all the other girls. I was tired of tutors.”

  “The other girls didn’t have a demon after them.”

  “I thought you were just being overprotective. Renee always said I expected too much from men because of you guys. She had a crush on you when she was younger.”

  “That changed,” he said dryly. “What do you think she meant about the letters? Why would she say she was sorry?”

  Shay had forgotten that part in all the chaos. “I don’t know… oh, the missing letters, Renee was supposed to mail them.”

  “That explains why I didn’t get them,” Cody said. “She didn’t want you talking to me.”

  Could Renee have done such an awful thing? She knew how upset Shay had been about everything. Was that why Renee asked for forgiveness?

  “Let’s try to get at least a few hours of sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

  Shay tossed and turned, drawing her legs closer to her body, but she was too cold to sleep.

  “What’re you doing over there? Wrestling?”

  “I’m cold,” Shay said.

  “It’s chillier up here on the mountain. Want my blanket?”

  “You’ll freeze,” she said. What she wanted was him next to her. For warmth. For comfort. But how could she, when Renee could be hurting… or dead?

  “I’ll be fine.” He spread his blanket over her and climbed back into bed, both of them staring at the dark space between them.

  Shay rubbed her feet together, and a broken toenail made a scratching noise on the cheap sheets.

  “What are you doing now?”

  “My feet are still cold.”

  He sighed, climbed out of bed again, and walked over to her. He stood for a few seconds, lifted the covers, and slid in. She started to protest, and then his skin brushed hers, warm as a heater. She rolled over, and he moved behind her, tucking his body close. She wedged her feet between his calves.

  He sucked in a breath. “You’ve got the coldest feet on the planet, pip-squeak.”

  “And you’ve got the warmest legs.” She relaxed against him, the warmth making her forget the wisdom of the matter, and let his hips cradle hers.

  “Your birthmark looks darker than it used to,” he said, touching the spot at the top of her back. She felt a shiver, as she usually did when he touched her, but this one shook her. He wrapped his arms around her, obviously thinking she was still cold.

  The odd-shaped mark on the back of her neck—Cody said it looked like a sliver of moon and three red stars; Lachlan said a toenail clipping and three warts—was hard to see unless she used a mirror. Even then, her hair usually covered the mark.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the mate mark,” he said softly, his breath warm against her ear.

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “I’d planned to, that day I came to Lake Placid, and Renee stopped me. There were other times, when I couldn’t go another day without seeing you, but every time I got there, I talked myself out of it. I couldn’t be with you until I was finished with my duty, and I couldn’t let you be part of my world. Fighting demons is dangerous, in case you haven’t noticed.”

  “But you’re twenty-eight. You’re finished with your duty. Why didn’t you come?”

  “I did.” He slid his hand down her arm and linked his hand in hers. “You weren’t home. Some kid on the street told me he saw you walk down to the pub. I followed you. I got close enough to call out your name, when I saw the engagement ring. I was so stunned, I just left. I started to call Nina and ask who the guy was, but I was afraid if I found out I’d kill him for putting his ring on your finger when it should have been me. I didn’t know it was Jamie.”

  Shay turned and faced him. “I’m sorry, Cody.” She touched the tattoo on his neck. He pulled in a breath. “Where is the mark?” she asked, shocked that the words slipped out.

  He reached for her hand. Taking one finger, he moved it to a spot behind his ear that was usually covered by his hair. There was just enough light from the bathroom to show a circle with notched edges in the design, but looking closer, she could see it was different. He hadn’t tattooed over it, but all around it. A lump formed in her throat. She ran her finger over the mark and felt him shiver. Her hand tingled, then her arm, and her neck, until her whole body pulsed.

  His eyes locked on hers, and Shay slid her hand around the back of his neck, pulling his mouth to hers. They were completely still, no sound except their breathing and the pulse pounding in Shay’s ears. He moved, she moved—she didn’t know which—but they kissed until Shay’s lips and tongue felt numb. Cody lifted his head long enough to roll her to her back. He moved over her, and she could feel his hips pressing against hers, rocking gently, then harder. With a muffled exclamation, Cody reached for her shirt. She lifted her arms, helping him slide it over her head. His gaze dropped past her father’s talisman to her breasts, softly touching them through her bra. His finger dipped underneath, then he shifted his weight off her and opened the clasp, groaning when her breasts were freed.

  His hands and mouth were desperate, moving with such abandon that the two of them almost slid off the bed. He shifted to the side, and a second later, her jeans and panties, along with his underwear, landed on the floor. Shay stared at his body. He was perfect. Broad shoulders, flat stomach, and the sexiest hips and legs she’d ever seen on a man, not that she’d seen many. He settled between her thighs.

  She grabbed his hips and pulled, nudging him inside. “Hurry. Please.”

  He didn’t need any more encouragement. He buried himself inside her, his talisman clinking against hers as they moved. The pace was frenzied, cramming nine years of longing and need into every thrust, every grasp of fingers and touch of lips. Shay felt his teeth at her neck, and the feeling rushed at her, closer and closer, as breaths came faster. He locked his lips on hers as her body tightened, shattered into a billion pieces, and came back together again. He drove in hard, two more strokes, then stilled, his body pulsating inside hers. He collapsed, chest pounding against breasts. He dropped kisses along her forehead, her cheek, and her jaw.

  “If I had any doubts that you’re my mate, not that I did, that just removed them.” He pulled out and rolled over, taking her with him. “Are you all right?”

  “I guess so.” She’d never experienced anything like it, not even in her dreams, but already, doubts started creeping in. Renee, lying injured somewhere, maybe dead. The past. The mark. Cody getting distracted and dying. He’d never be a
ble to focus on the battle now. “I should shower.”

  He released her slowly. “I’d offer to help, but there’s barely enough room in there for a child.”

  A child. Shay’s throat closed and her ears started to ring. Blood. Stark walls. Nurses yelling. She jumped up, scooped her clothes off the floor, and hurried to the bathroom without looking back. She locked the door, reached behind the shower curtain and turned on the water so he wouldn’t hear. Her mouth opened but nothing came out, just gulps of air, then a keening sound. Her arms cradled her stomach and she rocked back and forth as tears streamed down her face. The casket was so small she could have carried it in her arms. She stood at the edge of the hole, her heart numb, until a sharp edge of pain tore through. She dropped to the ground and sobbed, digging her fingers in the fresh dirt. Holding her hands across her stomach, she rocked back and forth as tears streamed down her face.

  There was a tap on the door. “Shay?”

  She froze. Had he heard her crying? She remembered that he could hear things most men couldn’t.

  “Shay. Open the door.”

  “In a minute.”

  “Open the door, or I’m coming in.”

  A fresh bout of tears rolled down her cheeks. She hadn’t had an episode like this in years, but when they hit, it was always unexpected, triggered by something simple, a tricycle on a sidewalk, a boy laughing and running with his dog.

  She scrubbed at her face, and the door flew open. Cody stood, naked, his eyes worried, angry, afraid. “Care to explain what that was about?”

  Shay grabbed a towel and held it against her stomach, covering herself. “I’m sorry. I just…”

  “What? You just regretted it? You realized it was me in your bed and not Jamie?”

  Shay gaped at him. “What does Jamie have to do with this?”

  Cody reached over and shut off the shower. “Well, someone got between us in there. You almost married the guy. If it wasn’t him, who was it?”

  “It had nothing to do with Jamie.”

  His gaze was hard. “I don’t believe you.”

  Her frustration, hurt, and anger spewed out like a volcano. “It wasn’t Jamie. It was the baby,” she yelled.