by Aliyah Burke
“Are we here to rest for a bit, Mama?”
Mama? A sword pierced his heart. She did have children, which would explain the cool reaction she gave him. Here he had been dreaming of a woman who had gone and had a child.
“You have a son? Congratulations.” His voice was sharp and tense. Even he heard the pain. The knife settled between his ribs as he saw his dreams leave his reach. “How old is he?”
“Yes. This is my son, Brenden Kumi McKay. Bryn say hello to Wo… His lord, the Marquess of Heartstone.”
“Good day. Thank you for allowing us to rest our horses.”
The boy was polite even though his address to the marquess was not correct. His voice was like a gentle rain, falling anywhere without fear. And why should he fear? He was well-protected.
“Not a problem.” Each word killed him a little more. The boy even sounded like her, with an accent on certain words. He looked at Ciara and saw her gaze on her son, full of love.
“Bryn, go play with Kosse and Faolan. I don’t think his horses are used to them.” She turned her amber gaze back to Lucien. “Is there a place they can play?”
“By the lake.”
“You heard him, Bryn. What do you say?” A small victory as Lucien noticed that she didn’t ask if he would be safe.
“Thank you.” The child who went by Bryn looked up at him and smiled. Lucien stared in shock, his heart coming to a halt as he gazed into a mirror image of his own eyes. Thick dark lashes framed them, giving him a very exotic and innocent look. His eyes were going to be a very big attraction for the ladies when he was older. His eyes did not leave the boy until he was headed to the lake.
“How old did you say he was?”
It couldn’t be. It’s impossible, isn’t it?
“I didn’t. A little over six years.” Her amber eyes were guileless as she looked at him.
“He’s mine.” He swore. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up flush against his chest. He heard the gasps of shock from his father, stepmother and the rest of the vultures listening in on them. “Deny it! Damn you, deny it.”
His entire body quivered with rage. Rage that he had been denied his son.
Faolan looked back, and as he saw Lucien reach for her, he turned. Ciara sent a word to him. The large black wolf continued with Kosse and Bryn.
“I can’t. He is yours.” Ciara still spoke with the calm assurance that he had always admired about her. Now it just added fuel to the fire.
Meeting his gaze head-on, she asked, “I thought you were going to show me your stables. Has that changed?” She was unflappable—her calm settled over her like a suit of armor nothing could get through.
Eyes hardened. “No, it hasn’t. This conversation isn’t over.”
He knew she didn’t lie about him being the father—it wasn’t in her to do so. But she had kept it from him for seven years. She hadn’t even sent him a missive. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Weeks still watched.
“Weeks, see that the green room is made up for her. She and her son will be staying the night.”
He swung off toward the barn, never once letting go of her arm. He entered the stables and stopped a stable boy and gave him the reins to Artemis. “Take care of her horse. It needs water and some grain. The other ones need some as well.”
He stalked to the back of the stable where it was low light and found an open stall and pushed her through then followed. He snapped the door shut behind him and glared at her.
“Explain yourself.”
The edge in that tone could have cut steel. This was the tone that made him good at being a marquess, it demanded an answer—her answer. He was beyond angry. He shook with untold anger as he tried not to put his hands on her. Truth was he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t do her harm.
“I don’t owe you any explanations.”
“You don’t owe me any— You can’t believe that? That’s my son, damn you! I had a right to know he even existed. You had no right, none, to keep that from me.” Lucien’s voice rose and he shouted with no regard to who might overhear.
“Perhaps not. Maybe I handled that bad—”
“Maybe? There is no maybe about it, you—”
“But surely you gave some thought to what happened between us. You never once pulled out of me. Or did you forget that when you got back here to your ‘golden-haired’ beauties with their ‘skin the color of cream’? Don’t take this out on me.” Ciara’s bitterness cracked through her normally calm demeanor.
“I never held any idea of trying to get money from you or anything for him. I love my son. I came to fulfill my promise and to let you know of his existence. I will not let him come to harm in your society.”
She meant to leave him. Fresh rage swept through him. “I could keep him with me. He is my son. I have the right to keep him with me.”
Ciara’s eyes flashed with danger as she advanced on Lucien. He had found the chink in her armor. Her entire body trembled with fury. “Don’t you dare threaten me with taking my son from me. He is mine.”
Lucien found himself retreating a step under the wrath of her vehemence. As he realized that there was also fear in her gaze, he understood what he had done. He held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. Bloody hell, this woman—his woman—was magnificent.
Ciara stopped when he put up his hands. Her breaths came short and fast. It wasn’t only from the yelling match either. She was aroused.
Lucien saw her eyes darken, with desire this time. His eyes flared and he grabbed her into his arms and kissed her. Kissed her with all of his worry and love for the past seven years. He crushed her to him as he imbibed deeply her smell.
“Umm. Humm.” The sound of a throat being cleared brought them back to earth. Lucien snapped his gaze to the door and saw Rafe there with a smug grin on his face. “As the rest of your family is on their way, perhaps you would like to put some light between your bodies.”
They stepped out of the stall just as his family came down the aisle. All speaking—no, demanding—at once so it was hard for him to tell which person was yelling at him.
“Who is she? What is this about your son?”
“Where did she come from?” Richard asked.
“What is she to you? What is her family line?”
“Where did she get those horses? I want some like them.” That from his father.
Ciara stood erect between the two men and faced the storm that was his family. Lucien placed his hand on the small of her back and stared at them until they quieted. “I will answer your questions, inside. One at a time.” Once again he had become the unflappable marquess, no task too great for him to handle.
The family glared at her but stepped to one side of the aisle to allow them to pass. When they got back outside, Ciara stopped. Lucien looked down at her and tried to nudge her forward but she wouldn’t move.
“What?” he asked in a low tone.
“I will go to check on Bryn.”
“Will you leave?” She stared out toward the lake where her son, their son, played and didn’t answer. “I would have your word you won’t leave.”
“Very well. I will not leave until I speak to you again.”
“No. You will stay the night. Your word or I drag you with me.” Lucien knew that his family was shocked by his behavior. He didn’t care. He wanted her word of honor.
“One night we will stay.” She pinned a look on him and added, “As long as he is safe.”
He sketched a bow at her and smiled.
“Until later then.”
He strode off to the house while his father continued to berate him. Lucien didn’t even take offense when she had said that he might not be able to keep them safe. She was here. After seven long years she was here, with him. And he had a son.
“It is just a woman. Who cares if she leaves? Her word is useless to you.”
Chapter Nineteen
Devonna began to follow her family but, at the sight of her stepbrother, she stopped. She turned to Ciara, who w
atched Lucien walk away with a longing gaze, and Devonna asked, “Could I go with you? To the lake?”
Ciara snapped her attention off the male who had sucked up all too much of her common sense to face his sister. “Of course.”
Richard glared at his sister as she stepped closer to the guest. “Coming to the house, sis? I would be glad to escort you.”
Devonna sucked in a breath and tried hard not to cringe. Ciara’s gaze flickered between them before she stepped forward to place herself between Devonna and her brother. Richard hesitated at the look, the silent challenge.
As they walked to the lake, Ciara snuck glances at the woman beside her. Although not in the start of her youth, she was still beautiful. She had seen fear flash in those eyes when her brother looked at her.
“How did you meet my brother? He said you saved his life?” Devonna’s voice was raspy from lack of use.
Ciara smiled. “Yes. He had been attacked by a bear. I found him in the woods and took him back to my cabin to heal him. He caught the fever and for two weeks it was uncertain whether he would pull through. Good thing he was a healthy man. He will have scars but, other than that, I think he pulled through fine.” She picked up her son and held him close, inhaling his clean scent until he struggled to be let down.
“Weren’t you scared with him alone in the cabin?” Her question hid a silent inquiry, that instinctively Ciara knew she was too ashamed to ask.
Ciara sat down on the ground by the lake. She kissed her son and sent him back off to play with Faolan and Kosse. Then she answered Devonna’s question.
“At first it was difficult. I had an advantage, though, since I had Faolan—he is the wolf. One night after he was walking again, he came to my room.” At Devonna’s shocked gasp, she hurried on to finish. “I was having a nightmare and he sought only to wake me from it. When he touched me, I knocked him to the floor and was in the process of sliding my knife into his throat when I realized who he was and what he had been doing.” She did not look at Devonna but stared after her son.
“That night he asked me to tell him why I had reacted how I did. I couldn’t tell him for it hurt too much. Sometimes, though, it helps to tell someone who has experienced the same thing. If you wish to talk about it, Devonna, I am here to listen.”
Devonna swung toward Ciara but she was looking at her son. “How did you know?” Her voice filled with shame.
Ciara put the full intensity of her eyes on Devonna. “Don’t ever feel like you have anything to be ashamed of. I know because I was raped myself a long time ago.”
Devonna crumbled. Sobs racked her body as she laid her head in Ciara’s lap. The story came out among the sobs.
“It started when I was sixteen. He would come on different nights that he stayed at the house, claiming that I had been screaming in my sleep and how he was worried for my safety. I was forced to do things to him, touching and kissing on him. He said that my father would never believe me so not to tell.” Her body shook.
“Then he started to give me to his friends and they bragged about me to others. I know the only reason they want to marry me off is because I am on the shelf and they don’t want me in the house. Since I have been here with Lucien, he hasn’t been able to touch me. He would never dream of touching me with Lucien around.”
Ciara put two and two together by her reaction to her brother and her comments and figured out whom she spoke of. Her brother Richard had committed the ultimate sin.
“Rafe told them today that he compromised me. He sought to protect me. I have always thought he was a wonderful man and now I know it. But I can’t let him marry me. I am spoiled, used, worthless to him.”
Ciara stroked the head in her lap, her calm words hiding the fact that she was furious. Where had Lucien been during this time?
“You are not used or worthless. That was taken from you, not given. You are still pure, and when you find a man who loves you and you love, it will be like your first time. It will be wonderful.”
Devonna turned her violet eyes up at her. “Like you and Saint? Your boy there, Bryn, he is my brother’s son, isn’t he? He has his eyes. Males get those vivid blue eyes.”
“Yes.”
“Do you love my brother?”
* * * *
Lucien looked at his parents as they sat on opposite sides of the room from each other. It seemed the only thing they did together was glare at him. They were doing it now.
“Who is she? What is she to you? What were her parents? Her skin is too dark,” his stepmother asked.
“She is the one who saved my life in America. From the bear. She has the father to the horse that you got from over there.”
His father jumped in next. “Did you bed her? Is that why she is here? To try to pass off that boy as your own. Don’t let her. All she wants is money. How can you be sure it is your son after all this time? We will not have one of her skin in our family. It won’t happen.”
Lucien slammed his hands on the desk as he spoke firmly. “This is none of your business. She is none of your business. She is my guest and will be treated with the respect due. I will not have you disrespecting her or her son in this home. Now, what are your wishes about Devonna and Rafe?”
His father spit he was so angry. “I will not be paying a dowry for that slut. She isn’t worth it.” His stepmother seemed to agree although with a small hesitation.
“Fine. I will give a dowry. If that is all, I would like to go and speak to my guest.” He headed for the door. “If you kill each other, try not to make a mess of my house.”
Lucien found Rafe sitting in the library, holding a glass of brandy but not drinking. He just stared at the amber liquid.
“Why? Why did you do it, Rafe? You know that she is not all there upstairs. I won’t have you hurting her more than she has been hurt.”
There was menace beneath his words to his friend. He wanted to be furious with Rafe, but Lucien’s mind was on the whiskey-eyed woman by the lake.
Rafe looked at his friend and took a deep breath before he made his declaration. “I love her. I have always loved her.” His voice spoke volumes to Lucien.
Lucien smiled as he walked to his friend.
“I guess I should have known that from the look you were giving her. Congratulations then, my friend. Welcome to the family. Care to walk with me? I am going to find some females.”
Rafe stood and asked Lucien, “Have you told her how you feel?”
“Who?”
“I am not blind nor am I stupid, Luc. I saw how you looked at her. In all of our trips to visit professional women, I have seen the looks you give. Ones to seduce, ones to scare people, but never like the one you gave her. It was tender, for lack of a better word. If I didn’t know you better, I would also say I saw tears, but I don’t wish to anger you.”
Rafe walked out on his friend’s stunned expression. They strolled in companionable silence to the lake. What they saw when they got there surprised them both. It took a moment for the men to pick their jaws up off the ground and regain their composure.
Devonna was screeching and laughing as she chased Bryn around. Faolan and Kosse chased her. The scene was observed by a woman who had shed her cloak and stood protectively over her charges. Ever the guardian. Lucien heard Rafe’s sharp intake of breath at the sight of her.
Jealousy swarmed him. She still wore her buckskins. If anything, having a child had filled her out more. She was still firm, but he knew what lay beneath that hard exterior. Passion. Endless, inexhaustible passion.
Bryn turned and ran toward his mother and launched himself at her. She caught him and spun him around. A tight hug for him before she set him down and sent him once again on his way.
Ciara felt Lucien’s presence and didn’t turn to face him, just waited until they got close enough to speak. “Hello again, Wolf.”
“Why do you call him Wolf? I’m Rafe by the way.”
The pale-haired man with the green eyes spoke. He was almost as tall as Lucien,
but lacked his broadness. Lucien was big and broad while Rafe seemed to be lean and dangerous.
She pivoted and her lips turned up as she looked at the man that Devonna was to marry.
“It is nice to meet you, Rafe. I am Ciara.”
There was kindness in his eyes. It would be a good match.
“You can call her Miss McKay,” Lucien snapped.
With a negative shake of her head, she corrected, “Call me Ciara. I don’t know how to answer to anything else.”
“Yes you do. I have seen you.”
Ciara arched a brow at his comment as she continued her conversation with Rafe.
“This is why I call him Wolf. He is ornery and pushy, always thinking that he should get his way.” She waved a hand in the direction of Faolan who was in the process of tripping Devonna. “You see? Pushy.” She looked at Lucien. “What do you want? What was so important for you to be rude to your friend?”
Lucien stood in silence for a moment. “I want to show you your room. Come with me.”
Ciara turned toward Devonna and Bryn. She motioned with her hand and all four of them came up. Devonna curtsied to her brother and to Viscount Harrington, her skin flushed and her expression full of life for once. They all walked up to the house.
She entered the house and Ciara’s breath caught in her throat. It was huge. Her entire cabin could fit in the entrance. Everything was large and clean. There were servants by doors who opened them before people got there.
“I put you in the green room. Come, I will show it to you.” Lucien interrupted her study of the house.
“Mrs. Ashley, I would like you to meet my guests, Miss McKay and her son, Bryn.”
“Pleasure to meet you, miss. And you, little sir. Perhaps the young lad is hungry? We’ve some sweets in the kitchen.”
Bryn looked up at his mom. With a smile she nodded.
“Bryn?”
“Yes, Mama?” He turned and looked at her before he ran back to her and jumped into her arms.