Warrior's Moon cotm-5

by Lucy Monroe

  She looked significantly at the neatly stored belongings on the other side of the room. The yellow-and-black plaid with narrow red stripes in the pile was the same color as the one Caelis wore. She thought Vegar must share the room with Shona’s mate, but it was quite apparent the small room was meant to house a group of soldiers. Each of the four walls had a small chest against it, which a single soldier might use or share with another. There was room for multiple bedrolls on the floor, though the soldiers would be crowded.

  Vegar set the tray down beside his sleeping furs. “Caelis will be staying with Shona.”

  “They are not wed.”

  “They were not wed last night, but he still marked her with his scent.”

  Audrey huffed in consternation. “I thought we had washed away his marking scent.”

  “A human would not know.”

  “But you are not human.”

  “Nor are a good number of the Sinclair’s soldiers.”

  “The Chrechte are more plentiful than my mother led me to believe.”

  Vegar shrugged. “I dinna know about that, but our numbers are not near what the stories claim they once were.”

  “I have never heard the stories.”

  “I will tell them to you.”

  “Thank you.”

  He shook his head. “Do not thank your mate for doing so little.”

  “It is not little to me.”

  “Our children will be able to take such a small thing for granted,” he promised.

  Their mother never would.

  “Get back in bed, Audrey.”

  “I…” Thinking better of telling him she wanted to see Shona, Audrey said instead, “I thought you were attending to important matters.”

  “I was: getting you your even meal.”

  “You are not at all as I first thought.”

  He frowned. “You think there is aught odd about me seeing to the needs of my mate?”

  “No, of course not. Well, maybe a little. My father never cared for my mother’s needs and honestly, I do not recall her watching out for his comfort, either.”

  “That is not the type of mating I hope to have.”

  “It is the only one I have ever seen.”

  “Then you must take my word that even where tender feeling does not exist, a mating can be a great blessing for those connected by the bond.”

  And for a mating where tender feeling did exist? Because Audrey grew more certain by the minute in her barbaric mate’s company that love would grow on her side very quickly.

  His rough manners aside, Vegar was all that Audrey could have dreamed of in a mate…had she allowed herself to dream.

  “Not all matings enjoy the sacred bond.” That much she knew.

  “Nay, but ours will.”

  She agreed with him, but did not understand how either of them could be so certain. Nodding her agreement, she looked toward the door, wondering if she just walked out if he would follow.

  And what he might do about it.

  “I will pick you up and carry you back in here, where I will undress you before tossing your clothing out that window there.” He pointed to the small opening high in the wall through which the waning sun cast its dim light.

  “You cannot throw away my clothes.”

  A single light brown brow rose, but he did not bother with a verbal reply.

  “I need to see Shona.”

  “Why?”

  “I am worried about her.”

  “What has you concerned?”

  “She has just discovered the true nature of the Chrechte, then she and her children’s lives are threatened, and she has not come to check on me.”

  The last was the thing that worried Audrey the most.

  “Do you think the baroness will convince the Sinclair to nullify our marriage?”

  “What?” She stared at him, unable to comprehend where the question had come from. “No! I told you, I accepted our mating.”

  “But you do not wish to consummate it.”

  “You said you would not do so regardless because I need to heal.”

  “It is not my motives that are under question.”

  “Mine are?”

  “I did not say that.”

  “I think you did.”

  He moved the things on the food tray around, but to little effect in her eyes. “I offended you upon meeting.”

  “I thought it was I who offended you by being English.”

  He turned back to her, his rugged features creased in a familiar frown. “I told you that I regretted that.”

  She nodded.

  “You are beautiful.”

  She started, not having expected those words at all. “I am still English.”

  He shook his head. “You will not throw that up between us for the rest of our lives.”

  “I might, actually.” She smiled at him, letting him know it would not be in anger.

  “You have a teasing nature.” He did not appear upset by that realization.

  “My brother has accused me of that, yes.”

  He tugged her toward the furs on the floor. “You need more rest.”

  “It will not tax me too greatly to see Shona.”

  “You will see her tomorrow night at our mating.”

  “I wish to see her now.”

  Vegar paused, looking down at her. “This is important to you.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you will not implore her to have our marriage annulled before we consummate?”

  “No.” She let him see he was not the only one who could frown. “But if I did have that intention, what would you do? Attempt to lock me in this room until we had consummated the mating?”

  She could not believe she was speaking so freely, but he was her mate. She found that gave her a freedom in her speech she had never before experienced. She felt no hesitation to share her thoughts, regardless of what they might be.

  “There is no benefit to speculation on that which is not a reality.”

  “You would,” she breathed, shocked.

  Hazel eyes met hers, no apology in them. “You are my mate. You spoke your vows without duress.”

  Vegar’s definition of “without duress” might not match hers exactly, but for the most part, she agreed with his assessment. “And I do not go back on my word.”

  “’Tis good to know.”

  “You are ruthless.”

  “Aye.”

  “I am not certain that is good to know.”

  “I will be as ruthless protecting you and our family when it comes in time as I am in protecting our mating.”

  “That is something to be grateful for at least, I suppose.”

  “I will accompany you to Shona’s chamber after you eat your latemeal.”

  “Why is she in her room?” Audrey would have thought Shona was eating in the great hall.

  Unless the world of the Chrechte had become too much for her. Audrey’s anxiety on behalf of her dear friend increased.

  Vegar shrugged, clearly not worried about why his friend’s mate was not sharing latemeal with the clan. “You can ask her. After you have eaten.”

  “You are very focused on me eating my dinner.”

  “You have injuries. A Chrechte needs rest and food to aid in quick recovery.”

  “Humans do as well.”

  “Aye, but I am mated to a Faol.”

  “You are very singleminded.”

  “You will grow accustomed to my ways.”

  “Will I?”

  “Aye, ’tis the way of mates.”

  “Will you also learn my ways and to accept them?”

  “Aye.” The furrow between his brows showed confusion at her question.

  A unique man indeed.

  Vegar proved his intent focus when he actually helped her eat the mutton stew on the tray, then feeding her bits of the dark bread he’d brought with it. He cajoled and encouraged until she’d finished all the food.

  And only then did he accompany her t
o Shona’s room.

  Stubborn, unique man.

  Audrey knocked on the guest bedchamber’s door, listening for sounds from within. She couldn’t hear any voices, only muted movement as someone approached the door. Part of her was glad that Shona was obviously alone, but another part of Audrey worried at that fact.

  “Where are the children?”

  “With your brother and Caelis.”

  “Oh.”

  Again Audrey could not decide if that was something to be grateful for, or should add to her worries about the baroness.

  The door opened, the handle clutched in Shona’s hand.

  Her amazingly clear green eyes widened in surprised recognition. “Audrey! Are you well? Look at you, your dress is ripped. Is that blood? Oh, my dear Audrey, I can hardly believe today was more than a dream.”

  “It was real enough,” Vegar said prosaically from behind Audrey.

  Shona glared at him. “I am not speaking to you.”

  Audrey gasped with shock at her dear friend’s rudeness. It was so unlike the woman she’d come to know over the past five years.

  Shona blushed and looked beseechingly at Audrey. “He spirited you away and…and…I am very angry with him right now.”

  “Be as angry as you need to be, my lady, but what’s done is done and there will be no undoing it.” Warning chilled Vegar’s tone, his frown very much in evidence.

  Audrey rolled her eyes before giving Vegar her own glare. “We have had this discussion. I have given my word.”

  “You’re doubting her integrity?” Shona asked, annoyance sparking in her gaze.

  “Nay.” Vegar laid his hand on Audrey’s shoulder. “You are in good hands. I will be back to collect you in an hour.”

  “You are timing our visits?” Shona demanded in outrage.

  “Audrey is still healing. She needs her rest.”

  Audrey rolled her eyes again, but both of them ignored her.

  Shona was too busy nodding a grudging agreement and Vegar was simply walking away.

  Audrey sighed. She supposed she should expect nothing more, not after such a short time and the inauspicious beginning to their mating.

  Besides, she had refused intimacy with the man. Whatever his own plans, he’d taken that personally and so she’d finally realized.

  She made to step inside Shona’s bedchamber, but a strong hand on her shoulder stayed her. She looked up and briefly caught an intent expression on Vegar’s face before his head lowered.

  His mouth covered hers briefly. “Dinna tire yourself.”

  She shook her head and then nodded, her lips tingling from the kiss.

  His dour face creased in a barely-there-and-gone-again smile. “You are a sweet one, my mate.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  He turned and walked away again, this time disappearing around the corner that led to the stairs.

  Chapter 18

  The duty to pack is only overshadowed by sacred duty to a true mate, but even then one’s duty to his Chrechte brethren cannot be dismissed entirely.

  —FAOL TRADITIONS

  “He’s gotten over his aversion to England then,” Shona said with asperity.

  Audrey turned back to her friend but was given no opportunity to reply before she was yanked into Shona’s arms for a bone-crushing hug.

  “I was so worried. You cannot allow strange men to spirit you away like that, even if he is your mate. Abigail said you were well but with Vegar. You are married?” Shona pulled back and met Audrey’s gaze. “How did that happen?”

  But again, Audrey had no opportunity to say because Shona squeezed her tight. “I wanted to find you and check on you myself, but Caelis said you and Vegar would be otherwise occupied. It worried me, I can tell you. I know we have not discussed these things and you were entirely innocent. Did he hurt you?”

  Audrey choked out a laugh as her skin heated with another blush. “No.”

  Relief covered Shona’s features.

  “I am still innocent,” Audrey admitted.

  Shona’s eyes went wide again and she pulled Audrey into the bedchamber before slamming the door. “Why?”

  “I wanted to wait.” Feeling the pain of her healing injuries, Audrey moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “I do not feel married. You were not there to witness my vows, nor was Thomas. Vegar and I were married standing on the stairs for the sake of Heaven.”

  Shona sat beside Audrey and took her hand. “How did that come about?”

  “Vegar wanted to see to my wounds. He takes being mates very seriously.”

  “That is good.”

  “Yes, but I have a feeling it is also going to be annoying at times.”

  Shona nodded, a great deal of understanding in her eyes.

  “Laird Sinclair would not allow Vegar to accompany me upstairs, much less take me to his room because I am…I mean, was…an unmarried woman under his protection. Vegar refused to promise not to compromise me. He just kept saying I was his mate to see to as he saw fit.”

  “He’s a very stubborn man.”

  “Yes, but I am quite accustomed to dealing with stubborn.” Audrey gave Shona a significant look.

  The baroness laughed as Audrey had meant her to. “You are, at that.”

  “At any rate, I was sure the two men would come to blows and that was upsetting enough, but then Laird Sinclair ordered Vegar to stand down. Vegar refused, point blank. He was going to challenge the laird. I just knew it.”

  “I still do not understand how you ended up married.”

  “That was Vegar’s idea. He told the laird he could proclaim us man and wife if it would satisfy his civilized rules of propriety. I never knew civilized could be considered a dirty word, but the way Vegar said it…” Audrey shook her head. “So, the laird asked if I was willing to be made Vegar’s wife.”

  “And you were because you didn’t want him to challenge the Sinclair.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Men!”

  “They are very demanding, are they not?”

  “Still, I think you will enjoy Vegar’s demands more than I did those of the baron.”

  Audrey shuddered, remembering the haunted look in her friend’s eyes too many evenings when she said her good nights to Audrey and the children. “I am sure you are right. I enjoy his kisses very much.”

  “I noticed.”

  Audrey giggled, but sobered quickly enough. “I should still very much appreciate that talk you mentioned on the marriage acts.”

  “After I see to my own satisfaction that your injuries have been treated and we get you into clothing that is not torn or stained with your blood.” Shona’s eyes shone with tears. “I cannot stand the evidence of your actions.”

  “You have taken an abhorrence of me,” Audrey said with sinking heart.

  “Nay. How dare you judge me so weak.” Shona’s frown would have melted rock. “You are my family, no matter what blood runs through our veins. Seeing you risk your life and fight with that wolf while standing back in order to protect my children was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.”

  Audrey’s own eyes burned with tears. “I left you and the little ones unprotected.”

  “You did what your instincts dictated, just as I had to. Neither of us could do all that we wanted.”

  They hugged again before Shona helped Audrey change her clothes and checked on her bruises and abrasions. “It is a good thing you did not enter into conjugal relations this afternoon. You are hardly in a fit state.”

  “That is what Vegar said when I told him I wanted to wait until after speaking my mating vows before witnesses who mattered to me.”

  “He is not all bad.”

  “I think he is not bad at all.”

  “He is surly.”

  “Yes, but under that, he is kind, I think.”

  “Caelis respects him.”

  “Vegar returns that respect.”

  Shona nodded, looking quite annoyed.

  “What is it
?” Audrey asked.

  “Caelis announced we are getting married.”

  “And?” Audrey wasn’t sure why that would have angered her friend so. “Don’t you want to marry the father of your son?”

  “He insists that he is both their father now.”

  “That is good.”

  “He’s arrogant.”

  “Yes.” Of that there was no doubt.

  “He didn’t even bother to propose.”

  “He does not seem like the type of man to get down on one knee.”

  “I would settle for the question without any pomp or circumstance.”

  “Would you?”

  “I would.”

  “Would you say yes?”

  “Of course.”

  “Does he know that?” Caelis did not strike Audrey as the type of man to risk rejection.

  “Mayhap not, but he will ask or he will not receive.”

  Audrey smiled. “Stubborn, I told you.”

  “Aye, but I fear Caelis had no inkling just how intransigent I can be.”

  Nor how long the woman slow to anger held fury once it kindled, but Audrey did not say so. Her heart-sister and Caelis would have to find their own way to their relationship.

  “You said there were things you wished to tell me before I went to my marriage bed?” she asked, embarrassed but determined to learn what she could.

  “Aye.” Shona frowned, a shadow of the despair Audrey used to see in her gaze. “It can be both wonderful and terrible.”

  “I do not believe Vegar is like the baron.”

  “Nay, and you will not loathe his touch as I did the baron’s. That in itself will make things easier.”

  “You said there was great joy in the act for a woman.”

  “I found so with Caelis.”

  “Not the baron though.”

  “Nay, but there are ways to endure.”

  “I do not believe I will need to endure with Vegar.”

  “I am more grateful than I can say to agree with you.” The sincerity in Shona’s tone could not be questioned.

  Audrey had known her dearest friend had found her marital duties onerous, but she saw now they had wounded Shona deep in her soul. “Does Caelis know?”

  “What?”

  “How awful it was for you to be married to the baron?”

  “It does not matter.”

  “I think it does.”

  Shona just shook her head and then proceeded to tell Audrey the most improbable things about the pleasure between a man and woman. Or at least Audrey would have seen them as so before meeting Vegar.