A larger group of cattle lowed as they made their way over yet another hill. A cold breeze blew the hair out of her face. Sunshine pulled her coat tighter around her with a shiver. “Are we almost there?”
“Aye, lass.” Malcolm pointed at the next ridge. “The light is in your eyes or ye would see it there on the next rise.”
Squinting, Sunshine stared across the valley. She might have seen something on the other side, but wasn’t sure.
“I think I can see some old ruins.” They had to be ruins. If they weren’t, it meant these two men lived in a castle. They couldn’t possibly accept their invitation to stay in someone else’s castle, could they?
“Those aren’t ruins, lass,” Malcolm said as he leaned close to follower her gaze.
His breath brushed over her ear, making her shiver. The blood rushed through her veins, warming her and, no doubt, making her blush. The man was hot. It took every ounce of Sunshine’s willpower to keep herself from leaning back and soaking up the heat she felt radiating from him.
Never before had she felt such an attraction to anyone. Yet here she was, doing her best not to throw herself at this man and his companion. Roxie did that sort of thing, never her.
Leave it to them to find two hot men in the highlands instead of the polar bears they’d been searching for all this time.
“We don’t have long tae go,” Gavin said as they started down the hill, heading for the valley already covered in a deep green. “If ye don’t mind our asking, we’d like tae know what ye were doing in the cave. I’m sure that’s one of the first questions the laird will ask if he’s not still distracted by his mate and her new pregnancy. Not many would risk life and limb tae visit a hole in the rock that’s not worth much.”
“Well,” Sunshine paused, wondering just how much she should tell them. The night spent in a strange castle practically uninvited was going to be uncomfortable enough without telling them they were looking for shape shifting polar bears.
Sunshine bit her lip. She didn’t want to lie, but telling them the truth would only garner their ridicule, the way it had at the pub in the town where they stayed.
“Um…”
“The truth, lass,” Malcolm said softly. “The laird can smell a lie and he’ll not thank ye for it.”
“No, I don’t suppose he would.” Taking a deep breath, Sunshine thought of a way to tell the truth without sounding like a crazy person. “My grandfather grew up in the highlands, though he doesn’t remember a lot. He used to tell me of the gravesite of a man his clan called the bear warrior.” She smiled fondly in remembrance. “He always said that his grandfather told him that the man fought like ten men and was always good to have around when the weather grew bad. He could go out in the coldest weather, the worst of storms and come back unharmed where others would freeze to death.”
The expressions on the men’s faces told her they knew about the bear warrior. How much, they knew, she had no idea, but they had at least heard about him.
“You’ve heard about him.”
“No, lass—”
“Don’t bullshit me, Mr. Dunbar.” She practically snarled at the man. “I can tell you’ve at least heard the stories by your expressions.”
“She’s right, you two. You both look worried. Like you’re afraid your secret will get out,” Roxie agreed, her hands on her hips. “Don’t even try to deny it. Everyone we met in town acted as though we were crazy when we walked into the pub and market asking about the bear warrior, yet they all looked scared. Why?”
Sunshine had a good idea why they would try to cover it up. If they didn’t believe they wouldn’t want the world thinking that the people here were crazy bumpkins who believed in shape shifters. If they did believe, they would want to cover it up. Why wouldn’t they want to protect the integrity of a secret like that? She was certain they would.
“What do ye plan tae do with the information if ye do find it, lass?” Malcolm asked, lifting one of his perfectly arched brows. “Do ye plan tae tell the world, or write a book, what?” He crossed his arms over his very wide chest.
“Well,” she paused, barely stopping herself from saying something unforgivably rude. Sunshine didn’t want to alienate these men. They were the first to keep talking amicably after their mention of the bear warrior since they arrived in the Highlands. Besides, they were hot enough to fry bacon. “Mainly, I wanted to prove that my grandfather isn’t a crazy old man and I wanted to take proof back to prove that to him as well.” She stared up at him, unable to stop her eyes from filling with tears. “He’s signed himself into a mental institution because now, even he, thinks he’s missing a few of his marbles.”
“How old was your grandfather when he thought he saw the bear warrior?”
Malcolm’s demeanor had changed. He looked a little too interested in what she had to say and Sunshine began to wonder if this was something that these people would kill to protect. No one knew exactly where they were. She and Roxie could disappear without a trace and no one would have the slightest idea where to look first if none of these people wanted to share their secret.
They also might be able to tell her the truth and at that moment, Sunshine wanted the truth more than she cared about safety. She knew Roxie would, too. If she knew one thing about her friend, it was that she didn’t back down from anything without a fight.
“Okay. If you must know, he was little more than a boy. He’s not sure about his age. He thinks he could have been twelve or thirteen. All he remembers is waking up in a cage onboard a ship bound for America. When he woke up, he reached through the bars and unlatched the bolt holding the cage closed.”
“Why did they put him in a cage, lass?” Gavin moved up beside her, his frown fierce.
“He said they thought he was a shape shifter since they had seen him with a man they knew to be one. The man they described was my great-grandfather.” Sunshine spun around, unable to look at the welcoming lights of the castle any longer when she knew these men must think her crazy.
“Listen, I know this sounds crazy.” Almost as crazy as her strange attraction to these two men and the fact that she literally wanted to growl at Roxie for flirting with them. What in the world was wrong with her? “But I know my grandfather wasn’t lying about it.”
Crossing her arms, she began to pace. “You would understand if you could meet him. Everyone insists that he’s lying about being my grandfather because he looks too young. They think he is my father. My father and mother died when I was little. So it wasn’t strange for people to think that Grandpa was my dad.” She looked up to meet Malcolm’s gaze. “Why would he lie about something like that? She shook her head. He’s my grandfather, but he looks young enough to be my older brother.”
“He could hae aged well, lass.”
“Not that well,” Roxie interrupted. “I know her grandfather. He’s an old man in a young man’s body. I’ve been Sunshine’s friend almost since grade school and the man hasn’t aged a day.”
The two men gave each other a meaningful glance.
“Things have gotten so bad that he’s checked himself into the institution.” Tears fell down Sunshine’s cheeks. “I’m afraid of what will happen when he’s there long enough and they notice he doesn’t age.”
Chapter Four
Gavin couldn’t help but stare at the lass who could very well be the daughter of the rightful laird of the clan. It was all he could do to keep his mouth from hanging open. He hadn’t been home at the time, but he’d heard the stories of how the laird had gone missing.
The laird, Carson, had been a young man at the time, certainly more than fourteen, but men didn’t mature as fast then as they did now. Their kind especially didn’t mature as fast. A bear as old as two-hundred could appear to be little more than a child to an outsider. They reached physical maturity in their late teens just as humans did, but their appearance was always slow to catch up.
He looked at the youth of today, thinking how medical science had made such great s
trides in preserving life, but had lost something along the way in preserving their youth. He wondered if maybe it had something to do with the human children growing up too fast in these modern times. Not only did they age mentally, but they aged physically, as well.
What do ye think, Malcolm? Is it possible that she is the granddaughter of our lost laird? Just the idea that we could be in the presence of his granddaughter is staggering.
Aye, Gavin. Malcolm stared at the young woman. If she is, it would explain why she’s here by herself, looking for answers. She’s obviously older than she looks. Her friend, appears tae be in her mid-thirties, yet our lass looks barely over twenty.
Our lass… Gavin shifted his gaze back to the women. I think I like the sound of that. Everything within him went still as he inhaled her essence once again. It’s hard tae believe that we’ve finally found her after all these years.
I know what ye mean, old friend, Malcolm replied. Now we just need tae get her tae stay with us long enough to convince her she belongs with us. I hoped that we would find her together.
Ever since Duncan and Jamie found their female together, most of the clan males realized that the reason they all had best friends they would die for, was because they were destined to mate in a triad.
Though, he and Malcolm had suspected such a thing for much longer than that, people who thought like them, now had the approval of the entire clan.
Yes, Gavin, our lass. Malcolm shifted his gaze to Sunshine.
I knew who ye meant, ye ass. What makes ye think she wants tae hae anything tae do with us? I dinnae know about ye, but I pity the poor lass who has tae wake up tae the sight of your ugly mug on a daily basis. I cannae say seeing it daily is on the top of my list.
Malcolm scowled. Don’t think that I hold the prize for homeliness. That would be ye.
“I think we’re scaring them off, Sunshine,” Roxie said with a laugh. She turned to Gavin. “Seriously. The man doesn’t appear to have aged the entire time I’ve known them and Sunshine seemed to stop aging when she turned nineteen or twenty.” She frowned. “As crazy as this all sounds, everything we’ve told you is the truth.”
“And we believe ye, lass,” Malcolm said as he started walking again. “We think ye know what ye seek.” Reaching out, he rested his hand on Sunshine’s shoulder. “but we cannae tell ye here. We must wait until we reach the keep.”
Gavin looked on with something close to envy. What’s it like tae touch her, Malcolm?
It’s frustrating. I know who she is. Ye know who she is, but it’s going tae take work tae get her tae believe she belongs with us.
Aye, Gavin agreed. They had a long road ahead of them and, if he wasn’t mistaken, their road would lead them to the United States to save Sunshine’s grandfather from himself.
Chapter Five
Sunshine barely stopped herself from gaping at the inside of the castle when the two men led them inside. She expected cold stone floors and large, vaulted ceilings. She also expected to see tapestries hung on the walls. She didn’t expect the warmth. Weren’t castles supposed to be drafty?
“It’s beautiful!”
“Thank ye, lass.”
Sunshine spun around at the sound of the strange voice. “Uh, hello.” Her face burned as she turned to face another tall, gorgeous man.
His black hair fell over his forehead into his sky-blue eyes as he leaned closer and offered his hand. “It’s nice tae meet ye, lass. I’m Duncan Wallace.”
“We found the two lasses at the cave, Duncan.”
“Did ye, now?” Duncan asked turning toward Malcolm. “And ye invited them tae the castle tae spend the night? Good, good. We cannae have them getting chilled.” He turned back to Sunshine. “What brings ye tae our cave, lass?”
“She’s looking for the bear warrior,” Gavin answered for her.
“The bear warrior?” Duncan’s eyes widened. “Where did ye hear about that?”
“My grandfather told me about—”
“We think the lass is Carson’s granddaughter,” Gavin interrupted.
“What—who?” Sunshine asked, tearing her gaze from Duncan to face Gavin. “Who’s Carson?”
“My older brother.” Duncan rested his hand on her shoulder and gently turned her to face him. “Why do ye think you’re his granddaughter?”
“I never said that.” She pointed at Gavin. “He just did.”
“He’s one of us, Duncan. If what she says is true, and we hae no reason tae disbelieve her, he found himself crated tae America. He doesn’t remember who he is. Unless we hae another missing clan member or two that I don’t know about, he’s got tae be your brother.”
Sunshine wondered at the frown on the other man’s face. Did he not want to find his brother? She glanced around at the castle and answered that question for herself. Of course he’s not happy. After all, if her grandfather was his older brother, it meant he was no longer lord of the castle.
Suddenly, Sunshine wanted to be anywhere but here. She didn’t give a damn how hot these guys were. The last thing she wanted to do was lead these men to her grandfather and have them murder him in his sleep, all for a bunch of land and a pile of stone he couldn’t remember or give a damn about.
“What’s the matter, Duncan?” Another man entered the room, carrying two steaming mugs. “Enjoy the tea, ladies,” he said as he handed them the mugs. “Warm your fingers while Maggie, Duncan’s mother, fixes ye something tae eat. I’m Jamie.” He waved his arm toward the door he’d just walked through. “She said tae show ye tae the kitchen.”
Sunshine followed the man into the kitchen. These were strange, but incredibly nice people. The only person she wondered about was Duncan. She still didn’t know if he was happy at the prospect of seeing his brother again or if he was secretly devising a way to kill him to keep control of the castle.
The kitchen was a huge room with a large wooden table set in the center of it. A tiny dark-haired woman bustled about the room setting plates of food on the table.
“Take a seat and help yourself.” She pulled a chair out and waited for Sunshine to sit before setting a plate in front of her. “Ye must be starved. Go ahead.” She waved her arm. “Help yourself. We’ve eaten.” She smiled and sat down at an empty place. “I’m Maggie, but everyone just calls me Mam.”
“Take this, Mam,” Jamie said as he handed the woman a drink. “Duncan and I think you’re going tae need this.”
“I dinnae know what—”
“There’s no easy way tae say it, Mam,” Duncan interrupted. “The lass came here from America seeking information about the bear warrior.”
Maggie stared at Sunshine. “Where did ye hear about us, lass?”
“I don’t understand.” Sunshine frowned. “Where did I hear about you?” Sunshine shifted her gaze to each of the people in the room. “I don’t understand, are you saying—”
“Show them,” Duncan said.
After a bright flash of blue light, there was a giant white bear where Malcolm had stood.
“Oh, my God,” Roxie breathed and shook her head. “I always believed you…but…but this is incredible, Sunshine. Are you saying that your grandfather can do that? That’s so cool!”
“Yes.” Sunshine nodded.
“You’ve seen him do that and neither of you showed me?” Roxie shook her head. “I mean I knew you believed your grandfather, but…but I never thought…” She shook her head, throwing her arms up. “I don’t know what I thought, I guess. I just don’t understand why he wouldn’t show me something so incredible.”
“He didn’t want to scare you. Saying you can do something impossible is different than actually showing someone you can do it.”
Roxie stared at her for a moment then narrowed her eyes. “Can you do that?”
Sunshine shook her head. “No. I can’t.”
Another flash of blue light showed Malcolm standing in front of her as though the huge bear had never been there, taking up all of the room in the kitchen.
&nbs
p; “She wouldn’t, now, would she?” Maggie asked. “She’s not a full shifter, nor is she mated.” She frowned. Not all humans who become mates turn shifter, but all half bloods do.”
“Half blood?” Sunshine shifted her gaze to Maggie. “You mean half breeds, like me?” Hell, she didn’t come to this country to find some strange, new form of bigotry. She could find enough of that back home.
“Dinnae upset yourself, lass. I dinnae say that tae make ye think anyone would feel less of ye for it.” Maggie shook her head. “It’s merely the way things are for some.”
“Oh.” Sunshine stared down at the table. She should have known that these people would never do anything like that. They were too nice.
Why was it that some people persecuted what they didn’t know or understood while others welcomed it with open arms? She glanced at Roxie who still stared at her with something close to distrust. “Don’t look at me like that. How were we to know that his changing shape in front of you wouldn’t freak you out?”
“That’s the thing,” Roxie said with a chuckle. “It does freak me out a little bit. All I’m saying is that, after almost thirty years, you two should have trusted me a little. After all, it’s not like I’m running to the government and telling them that you haven’t aged a day since you turned twenty.”
“True.” Sunshine sighed. How would she ever make this up to her friend? Roxie had been the best—moving with them every eight years, covering for them when others asked about their odd behavior.
Reaching over, Sunshine rested her hand over Roxie’s. “I’m sorry. You’ve been a true friend all of these years. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Say you won’t ever keep anything from me again.” She slapped her palm onto the table. “If you shift into a bear I want to know about it.”
“Deal,” Sunshine readily agreed with a smile. “I knew there was a reason I loved you.”
For the Love of Two Highland Bears Page 2