Prescribed for Love

by Mallory Moutinho

  Alasdair cooled his anger. He realized now Catriona had simply been trying to make their guest more amenable to discussion. “Aye,” said Alasdair. “Ye still havenae answered my last question.”

  “Have the Camerons been a nuisance? Of course they have, they have never been anything but trouble,” said MacKinnon.

  “But have they been even more troublesome lately?”

  “Well—now that ye mention it—aye, they have. The Camerons have been raiding my lands far more than should be necessary for their clan.”

  “I have noticed the same on MacLean land,” said Alasdair. “I think he has gathered something of an army. The additional livestock would be needed to feed all the extra men.”

  “I have feared the same. But ye have not simply called me here to discuss what I already know. What have ye in mind?” asked the older laird.

  “I would like to form an alliance to ensure the Camerons dinnae succeed in whatever endeavor they are planning,” replied Alasdair.

  “An alliance? With MacLeans? Ye must be mad.”

  “I ken we have had our differences in the past,” said Alasdair, “But, I fear what Cameron will do. Ye know as well as I the man has grown cruel and eccentric. He simply takes what he desires with little concern for the consequences. It is why his own land is so desolate and he desires ours.” Alasdair felt hopeful as he saw MacKinnon nod in agreement. “I would offer my men to help if ye were attacked, but would ask the same of ye.”

  “I cannae deny the idea has some merit, but I would like to consider the matter a awhile longer. My clan willnae be receptive to an alliance with ye,” acknowledged MacKinnon.

  “I ken yer reasons,” said Alasdair. “For now, let us enjoy the rest of the meal. We can discuss the matter further in the morning.” Supper progressed much as it did every night, but it seemed to end sooner than usual. With the addition of the MacKinnon guards, his people were not as willing to linger over their food. As everyone began to settle for the evening, Alasdair made sure to intercept Catriona before she went to bed. “What do ye think ye were doing?”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked.

  “Flirting with Laird MacKinnon,” he replied in irritation

  “That? Oh, that was nothing.” She tried to wave away his concern

  “Ye asked the man if he intended to ask ye to wed him.”

  “So?”

  “So…if any man is going to marry ye, it is going to be me,” insisted Alasdair. For further emphasis, Alasdair wrapped Catriona in a feverish embrace, letting his lips finish his argument. He had kissed her often in the past weeks, but those stolen caresses had been an attempt to convince Catriona to stay. This was an entirely different matter. He felt consumed with the need to claim her as solely his. Dragging her into the shadows of the hallway, Alasdair pulled her tightly against his body. He deepened the kiss with an almost bruising force.

  Briefly, Alasdair worried he may have frightened her. He had not given her the opportunity to escape from his embrace as had become his habit. Fortunately, Catriona seemed to completely lose herself to their shared passion. With one hand on her waist, he let the other slide lower to pull her into his growing manhood; he needed her to know just how she affected him. Alasdair broke the kiss to trail his lips down the length of her neck. She released a small mewling sound as he reached the area just below her ear. Normally, she would have pushed him away long before now, but she did not seem to be in any rush to stop him this evening.

  Instead, she acted almost eager to move matters forward. Catriona spread the opening of his shirt to allow her hands exploration of the muscles of his chest and back. His flesh heated wherever her hands came in contact with his skin. Their embrace continued, growing almost wild in their longing.

  But then Catriona broke suddenly away. “Alasdair, I can’t,” she said, even though he could still see her desire. “I’m sorry…I…I just can’t.” She left the shadows in which they had been concealed before he could argue.

  ***

  Catriona ran all the way back to her room and slammed the door shut. She did this not to keep Alasdair out, but to keep herself in. She had been this close to throwing caution to the wind and allowing things to progress further. The irrational part inside her had argued there could be no harm in succumbing to a little love-making—it was not like she needed to worry about any unintended consequences at this point. No, you would just need to worry about losing your heart.

  As Catriona had become less able to resist Alasdair’s kisses, she had begun to fear what would happen in the future. The man was just so wonderful—she worried she would always compare any man she ever met to Alasdair—only to find no one could possibly compare to the

  Scotsman’s shadow. Why could I not have met him in my own time! Catriona had wondered this with increasing frequency since she had arrived here. I will NOT let myself fall in love with that man! I am going to do everything possible to ensure he and I stay far away from each other.

  Chapter 16

  Unfortunately, Cat’s determination proved to be far easier than she would have wished. Before the sun even rose the next day, Niall and Branan rode into the keep, yelling of a Cameron assault moving over the MacKinnon border. True to his word, Alasdair ordered his men to prepare to leave for battle. Upon seeing the might of the MacLean guards, MacKinnon readily agreed to the proposed alliance. Alasdair came to Cat as the men began to leave the keep.

  Inexplicably, a lump formed in the back of Cat’s throat. “How long will you be gone?”

  “I dinnae ken.”

  “And if I’m not here when you get back?”

  “Ye will be here.”

  Catriona did not know what kind of response she had been hoping for—but that had not been it. She knew Alasdair wanted a kiss farewell, but instead, she gave him her back and walked away. It took all of her will power not to run back toward the man and jump into his embrace.

  “So when are you going to admit you have feelings for the man?” asked Keith.

  “I don’t.”

  “You’re in denial Cat. For almost three months now you have been pining away up here, obviously hoping to catch a glimpse of him returning.”

  “That’s the worst part—the waiting! I don’t know how women in this era can handle the stress of not knowing. I just wish I had some idea what was happening to him,” replied Cat.

  “See, so you are concerned for him,” said Keith

  “Of course I’m concerned for him—he’s the father of my child—but, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”

  “And if he doesn’t come back?” asked Keith quietly. Unable to answer, tears started to flow down Catriona’s face. Keith gathered his sister in a hug, even with her belly now getting in the way. “See, this is what I mean. You obviously have some kind of feelings for him if the mere thought of never seeing the big oaf again puts you into hysterics.”

  “This isn’t hysterics, this is pregnancy hormones,” insisted Cat.

  “Fine, you can call it whatever you want, but it’s obviously not nothing,” said Keith.

  “Condescension doesn’t suit you.”

  “Well, what can I say? I was starting to sound way too supportive, it doesn’t fit with my bad-boy style.” Catriona smiled at her brother’s jest. He was always able to cheer her. “You know Cat, if you wanted to stay here, I wouldn’t try to stop you.”

  “But what about you?” Even when Cat had considered the notion in her moments of weakness, she had always dismissed the idea out of worry for her brother.

  “I don’t know. Hell, we still don’t even know if we can return. We haven’t even seen the book. But honestly, I kinda like it here. I can use my skills without having to worry about all the stupid red tape and paperwork.”

  “You’d stay here just to avoid filling out some forms?” asked Cat.

  “No, it’s not just that. While things are simpler here, everything just seems so much more fulfilling. You know?”

  “I think so.
I’ve noticed that without the rush of the daily grind, you can really appreciate the small things in life. Ugh, listen to us sounding all philosophical,” laughed Cat.

  “I know right—wicked lame,” agreed Keith.

  Their laughter was interrupted however, when shouts erupted around the keep. Hope surged through Cat as she saw men in the distance riding hard toward the castle. “Keith look!” she said excitedly.

  “Cat that does not look like Alasdair, those men don’t even look friendly.”

  Branan, one of the few guards left behind ran up to the parapets. “Lady Cat, what are ye doing up here? Ye need to get inside where it is safe!”

  “Wait, we’re under attack?” asked Cat, still not putting two and two together.

  “Come on Cat, let’s get you inside,” said Keith. He brought her to the center of the castle with the other women and children. “Now you play nice with all the other kiddies.”

  “Keith, where are you going?” true panic now tinged her voice.

  “Something tells me we are going to need all the men we can get. Nothing like trial by fire for all the modifications I made to the castle’s security huh?”

  “But, but…” Catriona tried to go after her brother, but was stopped by two sets of arms.

  “Nay Lady Cat, it isnae safe,” said Lainie.

  “Ye will only get in their way,” added Ailsa. “And ye have more than just yerself to worry about,” added Ailsa while looking at Catriona’s stomach.

  “Ugh, you’re right,” admitted Cat. “But, I do need to leave for just a moment, I need to get my purse!”

  “Nay, ye need to stay.”

  “I am getting my bag Ailsa, even if I have to beat the crap out of you to get it!” Whoa…pregnancy rage. Cat ran quickly through the halls to her room. She may not be able to help fight, but she would be damned if she would sit in a room without a way to defend herself. She had pepper-spray in her bag. While it may not kill, it could very well be the difference between life and death. Cat briefly contemplated also trying to find a knife, but quickly dismissed the notion. She had no idea how to use a blade. Attempting to use one with her lack of skills would probably only result in the weapon being turned against her.

  Now back with the other women and children, Cat assessed her surroundings. The room in which they hid had only one door. This worked both for and against them. It had the advantage of making the room easier to defend, but the disadvantage of leaving no option for escape. Determined to do everything she could to increase their chances for survival, Cat grabbed the largest piece of furniture and began to barricade the door. “Are you all just going to sit there, or are you going to help me?” she yelled vehemently.

  Many were too afraid to move, but Lainie, Ailsa, and a few other women quickly helped her reinforce the barricade. They continued in this endeavor until Cat was satisfied the door was now as reinforced as it could be. Cat began to plan further, “Alright ladies,” began Cat with a militaristic tone, “I want to make some contingency plans. If those Cameron bastards start to hack through the door, we need to not panic. Do you hear me? Do! Not! Panic! The surest way to get killed (or worse) is to fall prey to your fear. Now, heaven forbid, if they make it through our additional barricade I have a weapon of sorts that I can use.” She held of her can to demonstrate.

  “What is it?” asked one woman.

  “It sprays a mist that burns the eyes. It will temporarily incapacitate our attackers. If they make it through, I will spray them and you will need to make a run for it. We may not have much time, so you will need to be quick.”

  “But if it will burn their eyes, will it nae burn ours as well?”

  “Well, it doesn’t actually burn them, it just feels that way,” explained Cat. “But, you will have the advantage of being prepared for the spray. As long as you keep your eyes as covered as you can you should be fine. But, if you do get some in your eyes, just keep running, the burning will eventually stop. A little temporary discomfort is worth the escape. Does everyone understand?” A chorus of ‘ayes’ answered Catriona. She had no idea if she was over-preparing, but she had always lived by the ‘better safe than sorry’ mentality. “Now,” she continued, “I notice we have some young children, and some elderly who will need assistance getting out. I want everyone to break into pairs so we can all help each other escape if the need arises.”

  Catriona went around the room assigning pairs. She made sure each person sat with their partner. However, once everyone was sitting, unease began to settle within the room; there was nothing else they could do but wait. Slowly, the sounds of men fighting began to draw nearer. To try and hide her fear, Cat looked through her purse for anything else she could use as a weapon. She had her tool set, but the hammer and other tools were all short handled; the items were unlikely to provide her with any real protection. But, unwilling to waste any possible defense, she put them in various folds of her gown. Worst case, I can throw them at some asshole’s head and run like hell.

  The only other item that struck her as useful was her can of hairspray. Combine that with her lighter and she had a makeshift flamethrower. It may not do any actual damage, but it at least might scare the shit out of someone—buying her a little more time.

  Time passed as if in slow motion. Cat felt like hours went by, but for all she knew it could have been five minutes. There had been a few tense moments when the fighting seemed to be nearly upon them, but then the clanging of steel would draw further away. Cat was just about ready to believe their luck had held, when all hell broke loose.

  At least two axes began to hack through the door. Many of the women immediately began to scream in panic—just as Cat had told them not to. Although, if Cat were to be completely honest with herself, she was having a hard time controlling her own fear. She quickly circled the room in an attempt to quiet the women and children, while also moving them to the side walls. If the Camerons decided to hurl any weapons once they broke through, she wanted everyone out of the direct line of fire.

  By the time the men outside began to hack through the barricade, Cat was glad to see most of the women had entered fight-or-flight mode. They would be ready to follow her earlier instructions. Now, Cat just had to make sure she fulfilled her end of the bargain.

  As the men began to work through the last major obstacle, Cat raised her pepper-spray can. As soon as she caught of glimpse of the men, she depressed the white cap. “Go!” she yelled. “Go, go, go, quickly!”

  Cat was just about to attempt her own escape, but paused when she heard a wail behind her. One of the small children had been left behind. Seriously? The buddy system is not that hard! She grabbed the young girl and then bolted from the room.

  Unfortunately, her escape did not go as planned. As she ran, she suddenly fell hard to her knees—one of the men grabbed the hem of her skirt. Argh, these dresses are gonna be the death of me! She pushed the girl forward, and thankfully the child now had enough wits about her to run.

  Focusing on her attacker, Cat grabbed the hammer she had stashed earlier and began to repeatedly wail him on the head. When he let go, Cat scrambled to her feet. She ran to the hall and turned left, seeing more men that way, she quickly reversed her direction.

  “Catriona!”

  “Alasdair?” Relief washed over her. But then a sudden pain hit her in the chest. Of course! I would be hit by the one freakin’ arrow to make it through that stupid six inch window.

  ***

  Chapter 17

  Alasdair froze with fear as he watched Catriona fall under the arrow. He simply could not believe he had fought for months, then rushed back to defend Duart Castle against a surprise Cameron attack, only to arrive just in time to be able to do nothing. Letting out a roar, he ran to her side. He allowed himself to breathe once he realized she still lived. But, he did not like how much she was bleeding.

  He grabbed the nearest man and ordered, “Find Keith and send him to my chamber. Tell him his sister has been hurt. Hurry! As if yer life depende
d on it!” Picking Catriona up as gently as he could, he rushed to the room.

  He just managed to lay Catriona on the bed before Keith rushed in behind him, “How is she?”

  “I cannae say.”

  “Move, let me see,” said Keith as he pushed Alasdair to the side. Alasdair thought his soul had been ripped out of his body when he heard Keith say, “This is too serious of an injury. There is nothing we can do, not here anyways.”

  “But in yer time?”

  “In our time she would have a good chance if she got to a hospital quickly. But we don’t have the book, she can’t get home.”

  Like a madman, Alasdair ripped into the secret compartment in his chamber wall. “Here,” said Alasdair handing Keith the book.

  “You’ve had it this whole time?”

  “Ye can yell at me later,” ordered Alasdair.

  “Good point.” But then Keith paused, “Do you know how this works?”

  “Nay.”

  “Me neither,” admitted Keith. “Please send Catriona home, she needs medical attention.” Nothing happened. “Here you try.”

  Alasdair took the book and also tried asking, but nothing happened. “Maybe she needs to ask?” he suggested. Walking closer to the bed, he gently shook Catriona. “Catriona. Catriona, ye need to wake up.” She fluttered her eyelashes, so he tried shaking her a little harder, “Catriona, wake up.”

  “Huh, what?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.

  “Catriona, ye need to wish yerself back home. Ye have been hurt.”

  She looked dazed, but then comprehension seemed to alight in her eyes, “Give me the book.” Holding the book with her hand she said, “Please, I need to go back to 2012.”

  ***

  Chapter 18

  Cat heard voices around her, but they sounded funny. Opening her eyes, she was almost blinded by the bright light and white walls. “Oh good. You’re awake.” It took a minute for Cat to process the words; it had been so long since she had heard English.