A Scot's Devotion (The MacLomain Series: End of an Era, #2)

by Purington, Sky

  “Aye,” Tiernan agreed. He reminded Robert of everything they’d shared in his tent that first eve. “Best to keep a close eye on Donald for any uncharacteristic behavior. ‘Tis impossible to know who is and isnae possessed.”

  “Aye,” Robert said. “I am keeping a close eye on everyone. Thus far, all has been quiet.” He shook his head. “Though Donald bringing David to the battle isnae necessarily what I would have done it doesnae mean he’s possessed.”

  Nay, if anything, they feared Robert might have been possessed for wanting to keep him here. The Bruce ultimately leaned toward the right conclusion, though, so all was well. At least for now. Unfortunately, recorded history said little about David’s whereabouts at this time. Therefore, best to remain wary wherever they might be.

  Despite talk of war, they enjoyed the next few hours with the wee king, who spent more time talking with Julie and Chloe than anyone else. Eventually, someone came to escort the king back to his rooms, and Robert invited them to join him at the tavern.

  “We’d love to,” Chloe gushed, snapping her mouth shut when Aidan tossed her a frown.

  Chloe knew he didn’t want her at the tavern with so many rambunctious men about, but he supposed there was no helping her curiosity. Not to mention, as Robert soon pointed out, that’s where Donald and his fellow nobles were. So it was a good time to see if he were off in any way.

  “Outside of having a mighty buzz,” Julie said under her breath as they entered the tavern, “I’d say he’s as much of a dick as he ever was.”

  “Right,” Chloe echoed, taking everything in.

  It wasn’t as crowded at this hour since many were already abed with orders to leave at dawn. Robert went off to drink with his men, and Tiernan and Aidan kept their lasses tucked against their sides at a small corner table. Back to looking fierce, Cray plunked down beside them, crossed his arms over his chest, and eyed the room with distrust.

  “’Tis a wonder there hasnae already been a fight with this mixed crowd,” Cray remarked, clearly relishing the idea of one.

  “Nay, the men in here have but one enemy at the moment,” Tiernan reminded.

  A fetching barmaid set down mugs of ale then winked at Cray. Naturally, he grinned back only for his momentary humor to fall flat. He cursed under his breath about intrusive, unwanted dragons not dictating his actions, and downed his entire mug in two long swallows. Then, determined to set things straight, he pursued the bonny lass, his intentions clear.

  “What was that all about?” Chloe asked. She sniffed then sipped her ale before flinching at its bitter taste.

  “My guess?” Tiernan shook his head when Cray pulled the barmaid against him only to scowl fiercely, set her aside, and stalk out of the establishment. “Your friend Madison is making herself a wee bit too comfortable inside my cousin’s mind.”

  Aidan couldn’t help a small grin. “It seems she might have made a comment or two about the lass who served our drinks.”

  “Really?” Chloe’s brows flew up in surprise. “She’s in Cray’s head that much?”

  “I would say so.”

  “But they haven’t even met.”

  “Nay.” He gave her a pointed look. “But then you and I hadnae met yet either when we made contact at the stones in a dream.”

  “True.” She peered after Cray and shook her head. “Lord, I can’t imagine being inside Madison’s head, never mind, Cray’s.”

  “No, kidding.” Julie chuckled. “Those two hooking up is a stretch all the way around.”

  As they continued drinking and kept an eye on everyone, Aidan and Chloe filled them in on the revelations from their previous lives. Mainly that they’d broken the rules somehow and it cost them. Now Chloe felt Aidan’s life was threatened because of it. Julie and Tiernan, of course, reminded them that they’d had a similar experience, and everything worked out, so not to worry.

  “Like you told us when we were going through our stuff, Aidan,” Julie reminded. “The answers will come when the time is right.”

  “Aye,” he murmured, at least fairly certain about one thing. “I think it started for us at the Irish Stonehenge. I’m almost positive that’s where we met.”

  “I agree.” Chloe nodded, thinking about it. “When I dreamt about first seeing you, you were sitting beside a standing stone.”

  “Aye,” he said softly, meeting her eyes, seeing her memory as though it were his own. Feeling it as if he were sitting there once more. “’Twas one of several stones.” The slurred conversations of the patrons around them faded as he remembered. “’Twas a place I visited often, drawn by the peace it lent, the warmth...”

  “It drew me too,” she murmured. “But, never like it did that day. Because you were there.”

  He could sense how strongly she felt.

  How important that moment in time had been.

  “That’s it,” Julie whispered, seeming to sense something. Her eyes shifted a little. Her inner Guardian Witch surfaced. “You’re right, it was the Irish Stonehenge! You sat beside one of the stones my ancestors used in the ritual to protect the Celtic King and Druidess.” Her eyes widened. “Better yet, you sat there before Adlin’s conception, not after.” She looked between them, amazed. “The stone didn’t affect you. It was the other way around. You affected the stone.”

  Then she said something that backed up Adlin's revelation.

  Something that implied they had played a big part in things indeed.

  “You affected the destiny of Clan MacLomain.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “HOW DID WE affect the destiny of Clan MacLomain?” she began only for a ruckus to erupt outside.

  “Bloody hell, Cray,” Tiernan and Aidan said at the same time. They pulled Chloe and Julie after them and headed out the door with everyone else just behind them. She put her hood up against the rain and took everything in.

  A circle of curious onlookers had formed in the street with Cray at its heart, fighting three men. One had a sword. The other two went at the giant MacLeod hand-to-fist. As to be expected, that went poorly for them, and Cray knocked their heads together in no time.

  Rather than call a halt to it when he joined the fray of onlookers, the Earl of Mar seemed more interested in assessing Cray’s skills. Or so she assumed when he waved a few of his men forward to fight. She supposed there was always the possibility he simply wanted to see Cray get his ass kicked, but she didn’t think so. He was sizing Cray up. Meanwhile, the MacLeod kept his sword sheathed and engaged the third man hand-to-fist despite his opponent’s weapon.

  “His rage is finding an outlet through his fists,” Aidan muttered. “Which would be fine if the earl truly understood what the MacLeod was capable of and called off his men.”

  “I would think he’d want to keep everyone intact.” Despite herself, she was as caught up in the excitement as everyone else. “And fighting Cray definitely isn’t the way to do that!”

  She flinched, leaving the rest unsaid when despite the slick mud underfoot, Cray moved fast and knocked the blade out of his competitor’s hand. Then he punched him so hard that he landed on his back, passed out cold. Clearly not in his right mind, Cray roared with laughter then made a come-hither motion to the men Donald had urged forward.

  “Well, are you just going to let him go at it alone then, lads?” Grant commented, manifesting beside them, his ethereal form somewhat splintered by the falling rain. It was obvious nobody else could see him. But then there was a good chance even if they could a mere ghost would pale in comparison to the show Cray was putting on.

  “You know bloody well, we’ll end up on the front lines of battle if we join him,” Aidan replied to Grant, though she didn’t miss the spark of excitement in his eyes either.

  “Aye, no doubt.” Tiernan glanced at Donald, noting the earl’s sudden sobriety as he assessed Cray’s fighting.

  “So there is an opportunity in this,” Grant said, referring to being put on the front lines. Which likely meant putting them toward th
e front of the traveling retinue as well. Grant glanced at Aidan and Tiernan, part of his ethereal form catching on torch smoke. “’Twill put you in higher regard and closer to the earl.”

  Which meant closer to the king.

  “Aye,” the men agreed, pretending that was the reason they were so eager to go to Cray’s aid. Not because they simply wanted to get in on the action.

  Yet Aidan scowled and shook his head, remembering what he’d said to her earlier. “’Tis unwise to leave the lasses alone.”

  While he didn’t say it aloud, she knew he was tempted to say, ‘especially Chloe.’

  “We’ll be fine.” Julie looked at Chloe. “Won’t we?”

  “Absolutely!” While one part of her worried about Aidan getting hurt, another part thoroughly enjoyed watching him in action. Watching him anytime, actually. Case in point, it had been damn near impossible keeping her eyes off of him when he bathed earlier.

  Sure, she had seen his body when they slept together, but she’d been so lost in the moment she couldn’t really appreciate it. Not like it should be appreciated. He was beautifully made, all muscles and hard flesh. She looked forward to touching and tasting all his perfectly sculptured contours.

  “Och, lass, how am I supposed to fight when ye think thoughts like that?” he growled into her mind. Somehow, his pre-battle adrenaline rush affected the timber of his internal voice and cranked her sex drive way up. The man had some serious energy when fighting so she could only imagine what he was capable of in bed.

  He was right, though. Best not to think about sex right now. Definitely not a good time.

  Cray side-kicked one man before he spun, punched another, then lunged at the third, never giving his opponent a chance to draw his blade. In turn, far too many of Donald’s men joined the fight and went at him.

  “Well, we’ve no choice now,” Tiernan said with a little too much pep considering his dire expression. He planted a kiss on Julie, told her to stay put, then strode toward the fighting, throwing over his shoulder, “Come on, Cousin.”

  “Ye best go then,” Robert Bruce said, joining them.

  Just like that, Grant’s ethereal form merged with the rain and vanished into a puddle.

  “I’ll watch over the lasses,” Robert promised Aidan.

  When Aidan looked at her unsure, she urged him on. “Go, I’ll be fine. Please.”

  “You’ll stay put then?”

  “I will,” she swore.

  His eyes narrowed. “I remember you saying something similar before.”

  “I was left alone.” She grinned, gesturing at Julie and Robert. “Now, I’m not.”

  He eyed her for another moment, all the while glancing at the battling before he sighed, kissed her hard, then strode away, leaving her breathless. Hell, if she didn’t release a girly sigh. One quick kiss, and she felt like the ground had been swept right out from beneath her.

  Julie grinned and teased. “Well, you two seem to be getting along just fine.”

  “We really are.” She shook her head, unable to tear her gaze from Aidan. “I never would have thought I’d get along so well with a medieval Highlander, but we really seem to click.”

  Of course, their previous lives together helped, but it was more than that. She genuinely liked him. Wanted to be around him. With him. Always. She was startled by that last thought. More so, how strongly she felt it was the right thought. That he was the right man.

  The only man when it came to her and whatever the future held.

  Naturally, coming to that conclusion amped up her concern for him as he battled, but there was no need to worry. If anything, he fought better now than he had in the forest, his moves even quicker. So precise that he often took down men before they got within feet of him.

  “Aidan’s getting his mo-jo back,” Julie commented. “Though rumor has it he's amazing, I’ve never seen him fight this well.”

  Aidan had talked about this during one of their many conversations. How much he had fine-tuned his skills as a warrior along with his skills as a wizard. Strengthening them to complement each other. Yet, unfortunately, doing such had consequences because his fluctuating magic was affecting his fighting abilities.

  At least until now.

  “This is a good thing then,” she said softly, realizing that the two of them growing closer was likely the reason his fighting had improved.

  “Definitely.” Julie grinned and glanced at Chloe’s ring. “I’d say it’s just a matter of time before your stone’s a gorgeous shade of turquoise.”

  Chloe nodded, truly looking forward to it. Looking forward to many things despite what lay on the horizon. She wanted to go to Aidan’s castle. Meet his family and people. She wanted to watch him in his element, overseeing his clan. Then she wanted to learn everything she could about his way of life. How to help him. How to be the wife of a chieftain...

  “Oh my God,” she gasped, putting a hand over her mouth at how far her thoughts had progressed.

  “What?” Julie asked, flinching when seconds later, someone got a solid punch in on Aidan.

  “Shoot,” Chloe swore, knowing full well she was responsible for that.

  He had heard her thoughts.

  Especially that last one.

  Although it caught him unaware and made him temporarily vulnerable, moments later, he seemed a powerhouse, grinning alongside Cray.

  “What was that all about?” Julie said.

  “Whatever it was, it made the Hamilton bloody untouchable,” Robert praised, whooping alongside his men as Aidan took down three warriors at once with a few impressive moves.

  Despite the chilly rain, warmth washed over her when she realized his increased zest was, in fact, because of that last thought. Because she had envisioned becoming his wife. She pressed her lips together against a wave of emotion. She’d never really given marriage much thought. But then why would she when she had such rotten luck with men?

  Now, it seemed a whole new world was opening up to her. Yes, there were hurdles to leap first. Fighting the Disinherited and all that entailed. But she had faith they would prevail. They had to. Because she wanted more time with Aidan.

  A lifetime if that were possible.

  After a while, the rain grew heavier, and the earl finally called a stop to the fighting. More than a few of his men walked away from the battling gingerly, but he didn’t seem all that concerned. Based on the way he eyed Tiernan, Aidan, and Cray with approval, he probably figured he’d found warriors who more than made up for a few injured soldiers.

  Cray seemed in far better spirits. He wrapped an arm around one of many women who had begun meandering around when the fighting started. She wasn’t sure what to make of him going off with one when he was likely meant for one of her friends, but what could she do? Cray was his own man, and she didn’t want to be the cause of his foul mood returning.

  When Aidan returned to her, he was a muddy mess but smiling as widely as Cray. She grinned right back, once again flustered and not quite standing on solid ground. She’d heard about this feeling when people fell in love but always sort of brushed it off, thinking everybody experienced it differently. Because surely she’d fallen in love a few times by now, right? But nope, she was pretty sure she hadn’t based on how she felt around Aidan.

  Concerned, she gently touched the outer edge of the bruise on the corner of his eye. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” he assured softly, never taking his eyes off of her. He fingered a lock of her wet hair. “We need to get you inside, lass. You’re sodden.”

  “All of us are.” Just like that, she was lost in his eyes, and the world faded away. “But you’re right. We should get inside.”

  And out of these clothes.

  She hadn’t said it aloud but knew by the flare of his pupils that he’d caught that thought and envisioned her nude. She also knew because she’d caught his thoughts earlier that he didn’t want to sleep with her again right away. He wanted to respect her. Give her time and get to
know her better. Give her what he felt she deserved.

  In essence, he was trying to give her a ‘courting’ period like a normal couple. Time to get to know each other and decide if they wanted to take it to the next level. Something she intended to talk to him about when they were alone again. Because they were so not a normal ‘next level’ couple.

  This whole situation was anything but normal.

  They dealt in magic and Claddagh rings and destined love.

  “Destiny,” she whispered. In all the excitement, she had forgotten to ask Julie what she’d meant in the tavern. She glanced at her friend, who had just ended a rather lengthy kiss with Tiernan. “Hey, we have a conversation to finish!”

  “We do.” Julie gestured toward the inn. “Let’s go get into some dry clothes, then we’ll talk.” She shot them a telling look. “Because I’ve figured out something pretty big .”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  LATER THAT EVENING after he bathed again and they both changed, all the while watching each other out of the corner of their eye as they were want to do, they joined Julie and Tiernan in their room. Whisky had been brought up, and rain continued falling steadily.

  “So whatever your ancestors did to those stones happened before Aidan and I met that first time?” Chloe said after Julie finished telling them what she had discovered. “Then their Guardian Witch magic soaked up what happened between Aidan and me? Not just at that moment but possibly during some of our other lives?”

  “That’s right,” Julie confirmed. “Not only that, but I’m fairly certain whatever they did happened before the gods who delivered Adlin to Scotland ever became involved.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure they even knew about it.”

  “Da and Grant had wondered about that,” Tiernan said. “Seeing how we only ever heard of Celtic god Fionn Mac Cumhail and Goddess Brigid being involved.”