He nodded. “Please help me.”
“You are one of Greer’s men?”
He shook his head and winced. “Hew McDolan. Please... the pain.”
“You cannot be the only man they sent.”
“Please help me and I will tell you anything you want to know.”
Her warriors would never beg an enemy if captured, their honor would never permit it. This man felt no honor to his laird and that told her something about Hew McDolan. He was not a man his men respected.
Rushing footfalls from behind her let her know that Hunter had recovered and was heading her way.
“I will see you tended, but first how many—”
“You have been injured,” Hunter said, stepping in front of her, his hand going to her bloody shoulder.
She pushed it away, gave him a scathing look that had his brow rising, and pushed him to the side. She glared at the man on the ground, though the annoyed glare was meant for her husband. “How many men follow you?”
“As many as needed to see him dead,” the man said with a nod to Hunter.
Patience turned to Beast, pointed behind her, and ordered, “Go bring help.”
The dog took off.
She turned her attention back to the man, but Hunter once again stepped in front of her. She went to shove him out of the way again, but this time he took firm hold of her arm and eased her a few feet away from the writhing man on the ground.
“I will not be put off this time,” he said with a command that surprised her. “You have been wounded and I will see how badly.”
“It is nothing,” she insisted and went to yank her arm free. His grip was too firm and his expression determined, not to mention the spark of anger that flared in his eyes. Something she had never seen in him before.
Hunter kept tight rein on his anger. If he did not, he would have scooped her up in his arms by now and taken her back to camp to see to her wound. He could not believe how fast she had reacted or that she had taken him down with one forceful blow of her shoulder. It had taken several minutes for him to regain his breath and when he finally had, she had been nowhere to be seen. Fear had gripped him and it had turned to anger fast enough. The woman was fearless and that frightened the hell out of him.
“Tell me if I hurt you,” he said his hands going to her bloody shoulder.
“Be done with it,” she snapped, tilting her head to look past him at the groaning man on the ground. “Are others far behind you?”
“When I do not return to camp another will come.”
“What camp?” she demanded and went to move.
Hunter’s hands went to her waist and held tight. “Listen well, wife, you will stay put until I see to your wound or I will snatch you off your feet and carry you back to camp.”
Her brow knitted as her eyes narrowed. “You would not dare.”
He planted his face so close to hers that their noses touched. “Do you truly wish to find out?”
His determined tone and stormy blue eyes warned her not to challenge him, so she said, “Hurry and be done with it.”
“Wise choice,” he said and gave her lips a quick kiss and for some reason she calmed.
Hunter worked as tenderly as possible, not wanting to cause her any pain. After spreading the tear in her shirt further apart, he was relieved to see that it was not serious. The arrow had grazed the surface of her skin and her shirt had soaked up the blood that had spilled, though spilled no more.
They heard Beast in the distance, his barking letting them know he would soon be there with help.
Patience lowered her voice. “I would prefer my warriors not see me so vulnerable.”
He nodded. “It is nothing, though it still needs tending. I will help you with it when we return to camp.” He stepped away from her, seeing Beast barreling through the woods, her warriors close behind.
He moved aside and waited as Patience praised a prancing Beast for his valor, then she issued orders to her warriors upon their arrival. He watched Edward give a nod to her wound as he followed her command. She shook her head and he nodded once more. She worried about showing weakness to her men, though he wondered if she also worried about feeling vulnerable.
He was glad for this time with his wife. It allowed him to catch glimpses of her, he doubted others ever saw. And with each glimpse, she became more intriguing to him.
Her men got the wounded man to his feet and assisted him back to camp while Edward remained behind speaking to Patience, and Hunter did not like what he heard.
He walked over to the pair, Beast trotting alongside him. “You cannot mean to join your men to attack the camp that idiot assassin spoke of?”
Patience turned a look on Edward that had him bobbing his head and heading back to camp. She then turned to Hunter. “Do not question me again in front of my men.”
“Then do not make foolish decisions and I will not do so. You are wounded and what do you think will happen if you attack that camp and kill Greer’s warriors? It will start a war we married to prevent.”
“I attack those men to delay them, not kill them. Greer will find them trussed up, waiting for him.” She held her hand up when he went to argue. “My warriors and I have done this before without an ounce of blood being shed. It will afford us extra time to reach Macinnes land.”
“I will go with them,” Hunter said as if it was done.
“No you will not.” She turned and began walking away and Hunter fell in step beside her. “You are not trained like my warriors and you will only get in our way. You and the others will take your leave and we will join you as soon as we are done.”
Hunter did not say a word and when they entered camp, she was surprised that he walked away from her. She supposed he was angry, but she had made it clear before they wed that he was not to dictate to her. She shook her head. He would learn. He had no choice.
Chapter Fifteen
Hunter found Ewan talking with his mum by one of the three doused campfires.
“Is everything all right?” his mum asked anxiously when he joined them.
Hunter rested a gentle hand to her back. “Everything is fine, Mum, but Patience did suffer a minor wound. Could you tend to it for me?”
“Of course,” his mum said and hurried to fetch her healing pouch.
“I will join you after I speak with Ewan,” Hunter said.
His mum nodded and hurried off.
“A problem?” Ewan asked.
“A small one. No doubt the Dark Dragon is following our situation closely while we are on his land, but there is something he does not know and should be made aware of immediately.”
Ewan bent his head forward to listen.
~~~
“You have a delicate and knowledgeable touch,” Patience said as Una tended her shoulder. “My sister Emma would admire your skill and probably delight in talking with you.”
“I have heard of your sister’s exceptional knowledge. I would also enjoy talking with her and hopefully will be able to soon.” Una finished wiping the blood away from the wound. “I have cleaned it well and it bleeds no more. It is a minor abrasion and should cause you no problem.”
“I am glad to hear you confirm what I thought,” Hunter said, joining them. “And now that you have finished and Patience’s warriors stand in wait, we can all take our leave.”
“Another day’s journey.” Una nodded and patted her son’s arm before walking off.
Hunter stepped close to his wife, his fingers going to gently probe the wound through the tear in the shirt. “You are lucky.”
Patience smiled. “I am skilled.”
“Foolhardy as well. I can well defend myself.”
“So you saw the arrow headed straight for you?” she asked her smile growing.
He took hold of her chin. “I would have rather suffered a wound than see you suffer in my stead.”
She pulled her chin away. “And I would rather not become a widow before I was made a proper wife.”
&nb
sp; He slipped his arm around her waist and pressed his lower body against hers. “Just say the word and the deed will be done with much enthusiasm.”
She laughed softly. “”You make it sound so romantic.”
He slowly stroked her cheek with a single finger. “I will make certain that you never forget our first night together. It will live long in your heart and memory and some day when I am gone you will have that memory to keep you warm beside you in our bed.”
Patience felt a wrench to her heart, followed by one to her stomach. The thought that he would one day die, leaving her alone, left her with a loss that overwhelmed and also left her feeling more helpless than she ever had. Why did it trouble her so and why did she suddenly want to be as close to him as she could possibly get? She ignored the haunting thoughts and wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his chest. His shirt smelled of earth and pine and she inhaled deeply, as if she was breathing part of him into her.
He pressed his lips near her ear. “You will take care, wife, and come back safe to me.”
That he was letting her go without any further argument surprised her. She had thought for sure he would once again strenuously voice his objection.
He eased her from his arms and kissed her lips softly. “Be safe.”
When he turned and walked away, she felt a sense of emptiness pervade her. It went deep and it disturbed her. She was beginning to feel more and more for this man, her husband, this stranger. Or was he? He was becoming less a stranger to her and more a man she admired, and one that definitely made her smile more than any man ever had. And she liked that.
Heather had warned her numerous times about being too serious. She had cautioned her to smile and laugh more often, and when Patience had told her that there was not that much to laugh about, Heather had told her that that was her problem. She did not see enough joy in simple things. She, of course, had argued, but now that Hunter brought a smile to her face and made her laugh, she could see what her sister had meant.
She was growing attached to Hunter and she was not sure if that was wise or foolish.
Patience took one last look at her wound, stretching her shirt out to have a good look and saw that blood had run down over her breast. She would find a stream to camp by tonight and give herself a good washing and replace the bloody shirt with a clean one.
A smile tugged at her lips as she heard her sister Emma in her head. Keep your wounds clean and yourself as well. Her father had assured her that Emma was happy in her marriage to Rogan, but she wanted to see for herself. And she would upon her return home.
She joined her men and they took off on their mission, taking the wounded McLaud warrior with them.
~~~
Patience and her warriors watched from the bushes as ghost warriors saw to leaving every last one of Greer’s warriors incapable of going after anyone. Some suffered wounds while others were trussed up like sheep ready for roasting.
Why had they struck now and not when Hunter had almost been killed? Had they not been around? If not, where had they gone off to? Could the Dark Dragon’s home not be far from here? She hated not having answers, especially when it came to her sister Heather.
She watched as the ghost warriors finished their chore. A sudden thought came to her and she did not stop to think about her actions. Why should she? Since the ghost warriors were so good at not being detected, it meant they kept themselves aware of their surroundings, which meant they had to know that she and her warriors where there this very minute.
She had nothing to lose; she stepped out from behind the bushes and trees and walked right into the middle of the camp. Her warriors followed, lining up behind her after two dumped the wounded warrior they had brought with them near his comrades.
The ghost warriors had turned still upon seeing them, though made no move to leave.
“I have a message for the Dark Dragon,” Patience called out her voice full of strength. “Tell him I want to meet with him before I leave his land and to bring my sister with him. If he does not, I will hunt him down and cut out his black heart and feed it to the wolves.”
None said a word.
She backed away with her men and disappeared into the woods, knowing the ghost warriors would not follow. If they had wanted to attack, they would have by now. And she had a nagging feeling she knew why the ghost warriors had suddenly appeared and solved their problem.
It did not take long for her and her men to reach the rest of her troop. Once she spotted them she urged her horse forward until she reached Hunter and Ewan riding alongside Una.
She eased her horse in front of the trio, forcing them to draw to a halt and looked from Hunter to Ewan. “I will speak with you both now.”
They had all ridden for some time, so she ordered Edward to stop a few feet ahead for a rest while she turned and stopped at a small clearing and dismounted before her husband could help her.
Ewan dismounted, his expression serious, while Hunter grinned at her, his arms folded across his chest.
Without a word having yet been exchanged, she had an answer to her question. She marched over to her husband and jabbed him in the chest. “You advised Ewan of my plan and,” —she turned and pointed at Ewan— “you supplied that information to whoever it is that connects you to the Dark Dragon.”
“And Hunter was wise to do so,” Ewan said. “You heard yourself that the Dark Dragon wants no blood spilled on his land.”
Patience walked over to Ewan. “I do not care what the Dark Dragon wants and if he does not pay heed to my demand I will do exactly as promised... cut out his black heart and feed it to the wolves.”
“You gave that message to the ghost warriors?” Ewan asked as if he could not believe her words.
“He meets with me, with my sister in tow, or so help me God I will see him dead,” Patience confirmed.
“As I informed your husband, the Dark Dragon does not take well to threats,” Ewan said, shaking his head.
Patience turned to her husband. “So you did speak to Ewan of my plans.”
“He was right to do so,” Ewan said. “There is no telling what the Dark Dragon would do if you had spilled blood. He wants no war.”
“Then tell him to return my sister or it is a war he will get.”
“Do not speak such nonsense,” Ewan warned. “Your father would not be so foolish as to claim war against the Dark Dragon. I would think that he is already in negotiations to have this matter settled.”
“The only way this matter can be settled is to have my sister returned home,” Patience argued. “And there is no negotiating. The evil bastard releases my sister or he dies.”
Ewan stuck his face close to hers. “Demands will get you nowhere and could harm your sister. Curb your anger and pay heed to your name, for you need to learn patience.” He turned saying, “I hope I can undo the damage you have done.”
Hunter grabbed her arm as she went to follow Ewan. “Think of your sister and let it be.”
She glared at him, angry, though with whom she was not certain. She yanked her arm away from him and went to her horse, taking the reins. She turned heated eyes on him. “I thought I could trust you.”
“And I thought you would listen to reason and not place yourself in harm’s way when not necessary. It is not always wise to take everything upon yourself when there are easier solutions to a problem.”
“So I should discuss it with you and have my husband approve my decision?”
“Your husband may provide insight to situations that could prove useful. You have made it explicitly clear that in the end the decision is yours. I would, however, advise that a wise leader does all she can before resorting to war, for though there is a victor, it comes with a heavy price.”
“So I leave my sister in the hands of a monster?”
Hunter walked over to her, his horse trailing behind him. “Until it is prudent to do otherwise.” He brushed a stray strand of hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. She was
a beautiful woman even when her temper flared. “I am sure that your sister harbors no doubt that you will come for her. And if she has only an ounce of your courage and strength, she will survive until then. Threats will not help her, patient action will.”
She considered his words. Heather had always reminded her that patience was a skill she had yet to conquer, and one that was necessary if she was to lead the clan.
“You threatened?” she said curious to know what he had done.
“I advised that I protect what is mine just as the Dark Dragon does his.”
“I do not need protecting,” she reminded, though thought that she would not mind his arms around her or to rest her head on his chest and listen to the steady beating of his heart.
“Perhaps, but allow me to be a proper husband now and again,” he said with a smile.
“Duty,” she said not able to keep disappointment out of her voice that he did what he did out of duty and nothing more. “Aye, we have a duty to each other now that we are husband and wife.”
“Duty has nothing to do with it,” he said, taking her in his arms. “It is a good husband I want to be to you and a good husband protects his wife, sees that no harm comes to her, even if she is a skilled warrior.”
How did he always manage to bring a smile to her face? “You are a good husband,” she confirmed.
“I am forgiven for going to Ewan and telling him of your plan?” He tugged her closer.
It amazed her that she enjoyed being in his arms. More and more it was feeling as if she had come home when his arms wrapped around her. Her temper even lessened when he held her, and she found herself wanting to linger in his embrace.
Instead, she stepped away. “Do not do it again.”
“Then promise me you will at least hear me out and consider my suggestions.”
“Is that an or else I hear?”
“Aye, it is or otherwise you will drive me insane with worry and you will be stuck with a madman for a husband.”
She laughed and realized how easily he brought laughter to her lips. “I would not want that.”
He pressed a hand to his chest. “I am relieved to hear you say that.”
Highlander's Rebellious Love Page 13