“I doona know. Abby has the right of it- time passes too quickly and Cameron has many factors against him. He hasna sired a bairn- may not be able to do so, Lord forbid. Both Crowns will annul the marriage should the union be fruitless. But he has one thing in his favor.”
“What’s that?” Amy asked.
“Love. He loves her. And we know that when Cameron wants something, nothing will get in his way. If they want to take Abby away from him, he’ll fight until his death.”
Chapter Fifteen
Abby was frantic. Fear made her shake. She begged him again. Her biggest fear was realized. Time had been her enemy, and her enemy had won.
“Cameron, I won’t let you!” she screamed. “I would rather have you alive and be separated from you, than have you dead because of me! I cannot allow you sacrifice your life for mine. It isn’t worth it. I’m not worth it!” she said, near hysteria.
He walked quickly over to her and held her chin in a fierce grip. With his jaw clenched, he responded to her.
“I doona ever want to hear ye say that again. Ye are worth a thousand deaths. If ye’re no longer in my life, there is no life for me, canna ye see? I am nothing without ye.”
His eyes held her gaze intently.
“But you can find another, Cameron. Please-” she said desperately.
“Nay!” he roared. “It is my fault. I cannot sire an heir. Ye will not be taken away! Ye’re mine, Abby. Mine!” He beat his chest with his fist. “I’ll never let ye go.” His mood and voice were savage.
He strode over to the hearth, spirits in hand. He took a large swallow.
“How confident ye are in my abilities to wield a sword,” Cameron said sourly, bringing the spirits up to his mouth for another long drink. The fire in his throat as the drink went down matched the fire in his soul.
“I am very confident, but they do not fight with honor! My father’s men do not! I don’t want a hair harmed on your head!”
For a month, Cameron had been ignoring missives requesting that he bring Abigail to her father. The marriage had been annulled. Abby was a crying mess the whole time. She was being taken away from her love. Her heart was broken, and she knew that she would be just another pawn for her father. She was scared.
Abby turned around and saw the family looking at both her and Cameron. She turned to Keith and Aidan.
“Can’t you do something? I’ll not have a war over me! I’ll not have it!”
They shook their heads.
“Cameron is the best warrior in Scotland,” Keith said, and paused. Then he continued, “Ye’re a MacPherson, Abby, and we protect what’s ours.”
“But I am no longer a MacPherson! The marriage has been annulled. I will not have lives needlessly taken because of me. Because of me!” Abby said, tears streaming down her face. She turned to Alice for help.
“Alice, please do something! Do something!” Abby screamed, as she leaned down to cup her knees, in a protective gesture.
Alice shook her head. Her tears were falling as well.
“I cannot, Abby. Ye are my daughter. Ye are a part of this family,” Alice said calmly.
“No. I am not!” she screamed. “I am not,” she said in a hoarse whisper. She doubled over, hugging her stomach.
“Doona let this night be wasted, Abby. Come to me. Let us share this night together, for it will be our last in a long while.”
She looked hurtfully at Cameron. Her eyes looked over his face and her heart fell to her feet.
“It will be our last, ever, if you fight, Cameron,” she said helplessly.
“Well then, lass, if I doona fight and ye surrender, as ye wish to do, ‘twill be our last night as well, willna it?” Cameron said, drinking off the last of his spirits. From the hearth, he looked over to her. Her face was red, and her breathing was heavy.
God, how he loved her.
He walked over to her and brought her into his arms. She cried even harder.
“I cannot let you do this, Cameron. Not for me,” she whispered.
He inhaled the fragrance of her sweet-smelling hair and closed his eyes.
“I doona do it just for ye. I’m motivated by my own selfish needs. And ye’re what I need, Abigail.”
He picked her up and headed upstairs. She leaned into his warmth, placing her head in the crook of his neck.
Would this be the last time she would ever feel his strength surround her? She felt the silkiness of his neck, breathed in his masculine fragrance, and let the tears spill out of her reddened, swollen eyes. He opened the door to their room and closed it with his booted foot. He laid her gently on the bed.
They stared at one another for long minutes. It was an intensity that neither had experienced before. Their souls were exposed to one another, open and fragile.
“I love you, Cameron,” she said shakily.
“I love ye, sweetness,” he said hoarsely.
He moved down and kissed her trembling lips. The kiss began tender and then became ravenous. Emotion swarmed within him, more than he had ever experienced. Her tears mingled with his.
He kissed her neck, slowly. Their clothes became too much. He tore them off her, and both became mindless to their need. Desperation swarmed through them. He kissed her breasts and suckled on her nipple.
“Cameron…” she breathed. She grabbed a fistful of his hair, forcing his head up. She devoured his mouth. She kept pushing at his shoulders, a sign that had come to mean she wanted him on his back. Once he was on his back, she sat on him and leaned down to kiss him. Her thick mane of blond hair was wild around her, and now surrounded him.
“Ye look like an angel. Ye are my angel,” he said hoarsely.
She began kissing his neck and trailed kisses downward. She licked his nipple and he groaned. Still she kissed a path downward until she reached his prize, where it proudly stood.
Her mouth surrounded him and he shook from his fierce need.
“Abby,” he said, grabbing a fistful of her hair.
She felt him throbbing in her mouth. Her tongue teased him. She suckled him and he moaned loudly, saying her name. She felt his pulse in her mouth.
She looked up at him from where she lay between his legs. “I love you.”
He grabbed her and put her underneath him.
“Remember this, my love. I doona know how long I’ll be gone, but remember this night,” he said and plunged forward.
Her back arched and she groaned his name. He grunted from the incredible feeling of being inside her. It killed him to go slow, but he didn’t want to rush it. Slowly, languidly, he thrust inside and pulled out. Abby held on tightly, biting his shoulder and licking the red mark she left behind. Her cries and moans echoed in his head.
He felt her begin to tighten. It felt so good, he threw his head backward while pumping her.
“Cameron!” she moaned. “Please, Cameron. Please!” she begged.
“Abby, I love the feel of ye,” he said through clenched teeth.
The magic soared around them. Their love enveloped them in a safe cocoon. Cameron began thrusting faster. His pumping was frantic. Her moans and his grunts became louder. She wrapped her arms around his neck. She was mindlessly thrashing her head and scoring his back.
Faster yet, he moved. Finally the sensations tingled and brought them the most profound ecstasy. Their breathing was harsh as both broke free of the world and soared amongst the stars, each lost within the other.
“Cameron.”
“Abby,” he panted.
He touched his forehead to hers while they struggled to breath. Their eyes locked. Still, they had not had their fill of each other.
They made love twice more that night.
In the morning, he looked longingly down at her before getting dressed and leaving. He hurriedly went downstairs. Cameron was putting his sword on his side when Abby came downstairs in a half-buttoned white dress.
“Cameron!” she panted. “Were you just going to leave without saying goodbye?” she asked frantica
lly.
“I didna want to wake ye,” he said, his gaze heatedly moving over her form. Her wild mane was in disarray around her and she looked so beautiful. She looked every bit the angel he had called her last night.
She rushed downstairs and threw herself into his embrace.
“I love you.”
He rested his chin on her head. “I love ye, my sweet Abby. I’ll fight to the death for ye. Only death can separate us, Abby. Only death.”
Cameron kissed her passionately on the lips and reluctantly let her go. He walked towards the threshold, and Keith, Aidan and Patrick followed in tow. Cameron stopped and turned around to her.
“Wait for me.”
“Return to me.”
His dimple flashed. “Always.”
“I love you, Cameron,” she whispered, barely seeing through her haze of tears.
“I love ye, sweetness.”
He stepped out as Abby brought her hands up, as if she could grab and pull him back.
“Let him go, love, let him go. He’s a grown man,” Alice said, tears also in her eyes.
“Nay, Alice. I’ll not let him sacrifice his life for me.”
“‘Tis what he wishes. Ye must respect that. He’s a warrior, Abby. He was trained by the best- my Robert. His father taught him well.”
“Nay, I cannot let him go! I love him too much!” Abby ran outside the castle doors. There, she stood watching as he mounted his great warhorse. He and his men traveled into the distance, but she still had a view of him.
She saw one of King Henry’s men and one of her father’s men approach. She saw Cameron shake his head in denial. He was refusing to hand her over.
“I’m not feeling well, Alice. I’m going upstairs,” she said, crying.
Alice didn’t say anything else, but let her run upstairs.
“Let the Lord be with my family,” Alice said and walked out of the great room.
In their shared chamber, Abby donned a black wrap and made sure to cover her head. She searched behind the large chest and took the pole with the white cloth. She quietly sneaked down the back staircase and out through the back door of the castle. The stables weren’t so far away and she quickly ran there, hoping no one would see her. Abby mounted a horse and rode out. She slapped him to make him go faster.
Finally, the men came into view. She found Cameron’s warriors, and saw her husband readying to roar the battle cry.
Cameron saw a sudden movement to his left and looked.
A hooded person rode at a neck-breaking pace. He didn’t know who it was and looked to his men. None were missing in his massive force.
Then he took a closer look- a lock of blond hair peeked out.
Everything slowed to a staggering pace. He looked to her and then looked over to his enemy, as all noise faded into the background. His mouth opened as it all dawned on him.
Archers.
He saw the archers aiming for her.
Sweat fell from his forehead as he looked back at his life, riding unknowingly to her death. He sucked in a breath harshly, for he had stopped breathing minutes ago. He heard his breath reverberate in his head, thickly, heavily, hoarsely.
“Abby!” he roared. “Abby!” and the echoes carried his tortured bellow.
Suddenly, she raised her pole with the white fabric and untied her wrap. The hood fell away, revealing her in her white dress, holding her flag of surrender. Cameron turned back to the enemy, and watched the commanders give the sign to ease back.
And there, Cameron saw his life ride into the hands of the enemy.
“Abby!” he yelled in panic. He fell to one knee, both in agony and relief- she was gone from him, but she was alive.
In those few moments, he heard his every heartbeat, his every breath.
She looked back at him for a pregnant moment and turned back to the enemy.
“I, Lady Abigail Haynsworth, am surrendering. Please hurry. Please do not harm them,” she said in a plea.
Haynsworth’s men wanted to fight anyway, but the King’s men controlled their lust for battle. They’d gained what they had come for and saw no reason to fight. The army began receding back in a quickened pace.
“Let her be,” Keith said, grabbing onto Cameron. Cameron was having none of it. He struggled against Keith and Aidan.
“Leave her, damn it, Cameron. Ye cannot ride there to the enemy. They have her, ‘tis too late. We must think on this,” Patrick said.
Still, everything moved slowly for Cameron as he saw his heart move away from him.
Rage filled him.
“How could she do this?” he asked, hoarsely.
“She’s a brave lass, and she loves ye more than her own life, Cameron. She didna want to risk yer life,” Keith said, admiringly.
They forced a shocked Cameron back to the castle.
It would be two months later before he would see her again. It took a lot of searching. Everyone kept telling him lies as to her whereabouts. He had been right all along- she was at her father’s holding. It had been his first thought but he had been fed contradicting information as to her whereabouts.
Her bastard father was marrying her off already. The wedding would be the day after next. He rode along with Keith and Aidan, a white flag in hand. His men stayed behind the gates.
Cameron was let through the gate. Many of the guards snickered until he looked their way. Fear registered, and they stopped their jesting when they saw his desolate, empty, rage-filled eyes.
Cameron heard her voice as he and his brothers dismounted from their horses. She was screaming inside the holding.
“I cannot marry him now, Father, can I?” she laughed.
Cameron heard the slap that came after. He rushed in.
He saw his Abby. She had her back to him. Cameron could see Haynsworth and the fury on his face.
“You will marry him!” Haynsworth yelled.
“The terms were met, Father. The marriage should have never been annulled!” she yelled.
“Nay! You whore. You had lain with another! Everyone knows that filthy Scot cannot sire a child!”
Cameron was slow to catch on.
“What in the bloody hell are ye doing here, ye brute! Ye must be mad if ye think ye’re taking her! Mills!” Haynsworth yelled to his man. “Mills, get here at once and surround them! They trespassed and must die!”
Abby turned around and saw him. Her green eyes met his silver ones and then his gaze slid down.
She had a tummy; it wasn’t overly large, but nevertheless discernable.
“Ye’re with child?” Cameron asked in shock.
She smiled and began to walk over to him but her father held her back.
“‘Tis not yours, Scot! She had lain with another.” Haynsworth spat. “Give me my sword, Mills. Now!”
“Father, they come unarmed. You cannot kill them!”
“You are so simpleminded, little whore. How I wish you were mute again.”
“Abby, ye’re with child,” Cameron said again, dumbfounded.
“Yes, Cameron, the terms were met. I am nearly four months along now. I didn’t realize I was carrying when I left the castle,” she said, tears streaming down her face.
Cameron shook his head to get out of his stupor. Impossible! He couldn’t sire children. Then he remembered her saying that she would never return to her father and would do anything to prevent it.
His eyes turned cold. His gaze, however, was not directed at Haynsworth, but at Abby.
“Ye lay with another, Abigail?”
“Nay. Nay, Cameron. How can you ask me that? This is your bairn!” she said frantically. Her hands moved protectively over her belly. “Our bairn.”
Haynsworth was handed his sword.
“Ye were with another!” Cameron bellowed in his fury.
“Nay! ‘Tis the fruit of our love,” she said desperately.
“I cannot sire an bairn. Ye know that. Damn ye!” he said in full rage.
Cameron was held back by Keith.
Again, time moved slowly.
Haynsworth raised his sword and it came down with a fury. Abby yelled and moved forward. Cameron turned around in time to see his beloved throw herself in front of him. The sword pierced through the top of her abdomen. Her anguished scream of pain followed. His breath stopped.
His Abby was on the floor, her blood flowing from her body.
“Abby?” Eyes wide, his heart skipped beats and then sped to thrice its usual rate.
He turned and saw Haynsworth.
“Damn ye!” Cameron roared.
“Cameron,” she whispered hurriedly. Her breathing was labored and her face was pale. Blood was gushing from her.
“It was yours, I swear it. The bairn was yours,” she whispered. “I love you,” she said and her eyes slowly closed.
“NO!” Cameron yelled and moved toward her.
Haynsworth lunged at Cameron with his sword.
“Die you damned Scot! Die!” Haynsworth yelled and plunged the sword through Cameron, killing him.
Abby screamed. It was a loud, anguished cry that pierced the silence of the night.
“Abby! Awake, my love, awake,” Cameron said, looking down at his wife in the throes of a nightmare.
He gently touched her wet brow. “Awake, Abby,” he said gently.
Finally, after several attempts, she awoke from her nightmare. Sweat covered her body. Her hair was drenched. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. It sounded as if she was choking.
“My Lord.”
Cameron sat up. He began to run his fingers through her sweaty hair. “Easy, Abby, easy. Breathe, sweetness.”
Her panicking was making her struggle for air more difficult. She clawed at the bed linens, bunching them in her clammy hands.
“Ye must not panic my love, it makes it more difficult to breathe.” His hands moved from her hair to massaging her arms. Cameron slowly sat her up. He made eye contact with her.
“Breathe.”
Her eyes locked with his and she made effort to slow her breathing. Her hands tightly gripped his.
Forget Me Not, My Scottish Love (Heart of a Highlander Collection Book 3) Page 14