I knocked on Iona's door but there was no answer.
"Maybe she's not home?" said Camden.
"That would be strange. I come to visit almost every Tuesday afternoon. She would be expecting me."
I knocked again and waited, but there was still no answer. Worry began to grow inside of me and I bit my lip as I considered what next to do.
"Do you think we should test to see if the door is locked?" I asked him.
Camden looked at me in surprise. "Don't ye think that's going a bit far? She's probably just stepped out. You're worrying yourself for nothing."
We turned to head back to the horses but I paused after a few steps to look back at the house.
"I'm sorry, Camden, I can't go yet. I have to know. She's elderly and lives all alone. What if she's fallen and needs help? I should at least look in, just on the off chance."
He nodded to me and started back toward the house. "All right, then, if you're sure."
"I am."
I tested the door and it opened easily.
"Iona?" I called, sticking my head through the doorway.
"It doesn't look like there's anyone here, Glenna. Let's go," he said, looking around the room.
"Not yet," I told him.
I pushed the door open and walked inside the house. The front room and kitchen were completely empty so I walked toward the back of the small house, where Iona's sleeping quarters were.
"Iona, are you home? It's Glenna." The door to her room was closed and I knocked on it softly. "Iona, are you in there? I'm coming in."
I opened the door to see Iona lying on her bed with her eyes closed.
"There, ye see?" said Camden from behind me. "She's sleeping. Now come away before ye wake her."
I stood rooted to the spot as I looked at Iona. Something was wrong. She was lying on the bed on top of her bedclothes instead of under them, fully dressed and with her shoes on. I walked into the room and a cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. Iona's chest was perfectly still, when it should have had the steady rise and fall of breath.
I stood by her bedside and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed as if in sleep but her mouth was slightly ajar, with a tuft of fur protruding from between her lips.
I let out a muffled cry and turned away, burying my face in the protection of Camden's chest.
"My God," he said as he looked down at her. "Come away now, Glenna. Ye should not be here to see this. We must go at once."
I shook my head, pressing myself closer to him, unable to stop the tears that were streaming down my face. Iona had been one of the few friends I had made since coming to Glen Lyon. Though old and all alone, she had been a wise woman with a strong heart with many years left in her. For that time to be snatched away from her in such a cruel way was beyond comprehension.
Camden pulled me from the room and out of the house. I followed him on unsteady legs, the world around me a faint blur.
"This is three," I groaned.
"What?" asked Camden. "What do you mean?"
"Iona was not the first. This was the third time. The third... murder," I explained.
"There is a known murderer on the loose and ye came into the village today? Are ye mad, Glenna? What were ye thinking?"
"I was thinking about my friend!" I snapped at him. "What if I hadn't come today? Who knows how long it would have taken someone to find her. We don't even know how long she's been d-dead for," I stuttered, the tears coming harder again.
"There, now," he said, pulling me into his arms and holding me tightly. "That was insensitive of me. Of course ye wanted to look in on your friend. You've the heart of an angel, Glenna Gordon, and she was a lucky woman to have had ye for as long as she did. We'll make sure that she's seen to. Let's go tell the magistrate what's happened, then. He'll need to know."
I nodded and backed away from him, sniffling gently and brushing the tears away from my eyes. There would be time to mourn her later, but for now I had to let Mr. MacAlpin know that the murderer had struck again.
"I know where Mr. MacAlpin's office is," I said, my voice sore and raw. "Follow me."
The walk to the magistrate's office was the hardest I had ever taken. Each footstep felt as though my feet were weighed down by rocks, and the closer we got the heavier they felt. It was as if my entire body was in rebellion against the action I was about to take. Once we had told someone what had happened it would become real, instead of the waking nightmare I felt as though I were living in. Iona's death would soon be down on record, and there would be no taking it back. No erasing it. And no waking up.
I raised a heavy hand and knocked on the magistrate's door. The sound of it reverberated through me and I wrapped my arms around myself as we waited.
"Miss Gordon?" asked Mr. MacAlpin when he opened the door. He looked over Camden and me with curiosity. "What are you doing here?"
"It's happened again, Mr. MacAlpin," I told him. My voice sounded very faint and far away in my ears. "Iona is dead."
CHAPTER 6
"Glenna."
I looked up at the sound of Alastair's voice as he walked into the room. Mr. MacAlpin had sat Camden and me in his sitting room while he went to investigate the scene at Iona's home. I could not go back there; the pain of seeing her body again would have been unbearable. So the magistrate had sent word to Alastair back at the castle about what had happened and left us in his home while he attended to his duties. Camden and I had been sitting in heavy silence for hours.
"Alastair," I said with a sigh of relief at the sight of him.
"So it's true, then," he said as he crossed the room to me. "Are ye all right? The message said that ye found her."
I nodded sadly and tried to hold back another wave of tears.
"Ah, love, come here." He opened his arms to me and I rushed into them, so grateful that he was there.
"It's all right now, I've got ye. I promise ye it'll be all right."
I looked up at him with watery eyes and he brushed my hair away from my face. Then, using his thumb, he wiped away the tears from beneath my eyes.
There was a sound of shuffling from behind me and I remembered that Camden was still in the room with us. Alastair looked at him over the top of my head and I turned awkwardly to face him. The moment Alastair had entered the room I had forgotten everything else, and I had no explanation to give.
Camden stood up and took a step toward us, his hand outstretched to Alastair. "Camden Holme," he said by way of introduction.
"Alastair MacGregor." Alastair shook the smaller man's hand as he examined him. "Chief of Clan MacGregor. It's good to see ye on your feet and looking so well, Mr. Holme."
Camden started at the introduction, confusion flashing in his eyes as they traveled to me for a split second and then back to Alastair.
"We can thank Miss Gordon for the speed of my recovery. She was very good to me," he told Alastair.
"Aye, she's a soft heart. It was good of ye to stay here with her."
"I wouldn't dream of letting her out of my sight," said Camden.
Alastair didn't respond, but he shifted slightly in front of me, partially blocking me from Camden's view. I looked back and forth between them as they eyed each other silently. Alastair had a slight frown on his face, and I wondered if he had a sense of Camden's interest in me. I had not told him about what had transpired on our ride the day before. I had not been able to see any good coming from the revelation.
"Do you have to go to Iona's house now?" I asked Alastair, trying to break the tension that was growing palpable in the room.
"Yes," he said with a nod, "but I wanted to look in on ye first. Though now that I'm here, I don't want to leave ye," he said softly, reaching out to take my hand.
"No, you have to go take care of this. I have to have justice for Iona. We cannot let whoever is committing these crimes get away with it. It's Iona, Alastair," I pleaded with him. "You must find this person."
He cupped my cheek in his hand and I closed my eyes, lea
ning into the comfort of his touch. It no longer mattered to me what Camden thought. I loved Alastair and I needed him near me.
"I will find them, Glenna, I promise ye that."
"I will take her back," said Camden. "There is no need for her to stay here now. I will escort her back to the keep."
Alastair clenched his jaw before nodding. "Aye, that would probably be best."
"I don't want to leave you," I said.
"I know, love, but ye must. I will be back with ye as soon as I can."
"All right," I agreed with a sigh.
"Mr. Holme," said Alastair to Cameron, "I would be very much obliged to ye if you were to keep an eye on Miss Gordon this afternoon. See that no harm comes to her."
"Aye, I'll guard her with my life."
Alastair jerked his head in a nod, and with a last look to me he strode out the door.
Once he had gone I sat back down heavily in the chair I had formerly occupied. While I was ready to be out of the magistrate's sitting room, I was not yet ready for the long ride back to the castle, as it was sure to either be full of questions from Camden or worse, none at all.
"So, that is the MacGregor," he said mildly, his eyes still on the doorway that Alastair had just walked through.
"Yes."
"He's quite... tall," he continued.
"Yes, I suppose he is, at that."
"He seems very fond of ye...."
I looked at my lap as my fingers moved idly, pleating the fabric of my gown. "Yes."
"But you're not engaged to be wed?" he asked.
"Not officially, no." This evasive line of questioning was even worse than I had thought it would be.
"And unofficially?" he pressed.
"Unofficially? Well, that's a bit more complicated."
He nodded and stood up, extending his hand to me. "It's been a hard day. We should be getting back."
I nodded and accepted his hand. He helped me out of the chair and we left the magistrate's offices.
The ride back to the keep was a silent one, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I wanted to say something to keep a distance from growing between us. Something that could make him understand why I had such affection for a man Camden must consider to be the devil himself. But I could not think of the words. So I stayed silent and tried to accept the inevitable loss of two friends on the same day.
***
The sun had long gone down on the day when there was a soft knock on the door of my bedchamber. Alastair had stayed in the village for the rest of the day, and had not been back in time for the evening meal. I had gathered my courage and went to find Camden to see if he would join me for dinner in the great hall. Thankfully he had greeted me with a smile, with no sense of distance between us.
I walked to the door and opened it to find a very tired-looking Alastair standing on the other side.
"I wasn't sure if I would see you this evening," I told him as he entered.
"I told ye that I would come for ye. Did ye think I would let you down?"
I shook my head and drew him deeper into the room.
Alastair sat on the bed and removed his boots, letting them drop heavily to the floor before lying back on the pillows.
"Come lie with me a while, Glenna. I'd have ye near me."
I curled up next to him on the bed, resting my head on his chest as his arm came around me.
"I'm sorry for your loss, love. Iona should not have met her end that way."
"She was so wonderful," I told him. "I confided so much in her. She was my first true friend since I came to stay here."
"I am sorry that it has taken people so long to warm to ye."
"It's not their fault. It must be very confusing for them to have me here. They are all very polite, but I don't think they quite know what to do with me, and so are very cautious. And how can I blame them? I may be Glenna Gordon today, but at any time I could be Lady Glenna MacGregor. I think they fear becoming overly familiar. But I believe that I may still be able to count Mr. Holme as a friend, though I was very doubtful of it earlier today. I was grateful that there was no awkwardness between us at dinner."
"He has an eye for ye, Glenna," said Alastair, his voice a low rumble.
"I know," I said quietly.
"And ye trust him, then?"
"He has been kind to me, Alastair. I do not encourage him, but I do welcome his friendship."
"To know ye is to love ye, Glenna. I cannot fault him for falling for ye. But I also canna say that I like it."
I looked up at him and smiled. "Are you saying that you're jealous?" I teased him.
"No, I am not," he said with a huff.
I laughed, my heart feeling a bit lighter. "I do believe you are. You're jealous, the fearsome Alastair MacGregor. Will wonders never cease?"
Grabbing me, Alastair pulled me bodily on top of him, his arms wrapped around my waist, and held me tight.
"Oh, aye? And what have I to be jealous of, then? You're mine, Glenna Gordon. I know that just as I know that the heart that beats in my chest beats for ye. I've no need to be jealous, for I know where your love lies. He can pine after ye all he wishes. I care not, so long as it goes no further than that." He pulled me close and kissed me swiftly. "Or maybe I should mark ye as my own, so that he knows just how taken ye are, aye?"
I squirmed as he nuzzled into my neck, the rough bristles of his beard tickling my sensitive skin. He kissed me softly, but soon the gentle caress of his lips turned more forceful as his mouth widened and he bit me gently, the pressure of his teeth slowly increasing as he suckled on the area. The feel of him demanded my attention, and I allowed him to distract me from my sorrow, if only for a little while.
"Maybe I'll give ye a love bite so bold that it can be seen straight across the great hall. Leaving no doubt in anyone's mind just to whom ye belong."
His words thrilled me. I had never thought that I would be attracted to a man who showed such possessiveness. Never thought that it would make me feel so safe or cherished to hear such sentiment.
Alastair pressed a gentle kiss to my shoulder and rolled us so that I was on my back and he half-covered me with his body.
His large, sure hands traveled down the length of my side and over the gentle flare of my hips before coming to rest on the generous curve of my backside.
"Have I ever told ye how much I love the feel of ye, lass?" he asked me as his hand gave me a firm squeeze.
"No, I don't think you have." I flushed warmly.
"Aye," he said with a lazy smile.
His hand moved back around to my hip and up to cup my breast.
"And these?" he asked, squeezing the soft, full globe. "Have I told ye how very fond I am of these?"
The heat in my body continued to rise and I shook my head.
His hand left my breast and he brushed his thumb across the fullness of my bottom lip.
"And your lips? Have I also forgotten to tell you how sweet they are?"
My lips parted slightly and his thumb slipped between them. Going on instinct, I bit down gently on the tip of it, and was rewarded with the flash of hunger I saw in his eyes. Encouraged by his reaction, I closed my lips around it and ran my tongue over the digit as I watched his face closely.
His throat bobbed as he swallowed and I could hear a low growl coming from deep in his throat, so I decide to bite his thumb a little harder.
His eyes fluttered closed for a moment and I heard him take a sharp inhale of breath.
"That's a dangerous game you're playing, love," his said, his voice a low rumble.
I reluctantly released his thumb. He was right: this was a dangerous game. One that was getting harder and harder for us to play.
CHAPTER 7
I had a late start to the day the next morning. My heart was still aching over the loss of Iona and I had ended up sleeping well into the late morning as I gathered the strength to face the day. I had to fight the urge to lie in bed all day wrapped in my sadness. I knew that no matter how I felt, Ion
a would not have wanted me to wallow in the sorrow of missing her.
I forced myself to wash and dress for the day, then made my way to the library. I hoped that burying myself in a good book for a few hours would serve as a decent distraction until I felt ready to face the rest of the day.
It wasn't until I had the door to the library partially open that I realized the room was already occupied. Disappointed with the discovery, I began to close the door, not yet ready for company, but I paused when I heard Mr. MacAlpin's voice raised in anger coming from inside.
"This is completely unacceptable, MacGregor, and we will no longer stand for it," Mr. MacAlpin said.
"I'm sorry ye feel that way, Mr. MacAlpin, truly I do, but my decision stands," said Alastair. His voice was firm, but he sounded weary, as if this were a conversation they'd had many times before.
"It will not stand," the magistrate insisted. "Ye have a duty to your people, sir. Do ye deny that?"
"No, Mr. MacAlpin, I do not. But I would hope that I had earned the trust of my people by now. I'd hoped that all of those who stand with ye on this would reconsider in time, in light of all I had done."
"Reconsider? When every day ye put the future of this entire clan at risk? No, MacGregor. If you continue to insist on marrying this woman, I warn ye, ye will have a war on your hands."
I heard shifting from inside the room and then Alastair's voice came, low and menacing. "Are ye threatening me, Mr. MacAlpin? Maybe ye think ye would be better suited as chief, aye?"
I heard Mr. MacAlpin swallow audibly and I almost felt sorry for the man.
"I have no intention of challenging ye for the position of chief, MacGregor, but I will not deny that there are those more than willing to step forward if you do not make the choice to do your duty by your people. I know you love Miss Gordon, but a union between the two of ye is impossible. It is time for her to leave. Ye must send her away."
"Mr. MacAlpin, you've made your position on the matter more than clear. Now let me try to make myself just as transparent. I love Miss Gordon and I will not be sending her away, not now, or ever. Ye may be the magistrate but I am still chief of this clan until such a time as I die or someone challenges me for the position and wins. And I'll warn ye now, MacAlpin, if ye do find someone to challenge me, I have no intention of losing. I do not take kindly to your bringing such division to my people."
Taken By The Highland Wolf (The Clan MacGregor Book 2) Page 4