Highland Dawn

by Donna Grant

  Dartayous’ own stomach rumbled. “Aye, lad, I’m famished as well.” He eased out from beneath Moira and stood.

  Still the wolf stood in the door. Never taking his eyes from the animal, Dartayous clothed himself and reached for his bag. Inside were a couple of meat pies that Rebecca had given him.

  He tossed them to the wolf that quickly ate them. The wolf licked his great chops and then turned and left.

  “Was that a wolf you just fed?”

  Dartayous looked down to see Moira staring at the door. “It was.”

  “Are you in the habit of befriending wild creatures?”

  He thought about her words for a moment. “I am.”

  “Something else I didn’t know about you.”

  The smile she gave him would have brightened a stormy day. He found himself returning her smile. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Better than I have in months. You?”

  “Very well.” He knelt in front of her and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

  She ducked her head and pulled at her hair. “I hate it. ‘Tis forever coming down.”

  “I love it,” he found himself saying before he realized it.

  “Thank you.”

  He noticed she clutched the plaid to her chest. “I’ll fetch your bag.”

  He retrieved the bag and returned to find her standing, the plaid wrapped around her. His mouth went dry at what he knew was underneath, a body that had come alive in his hands, giving him pleasure beyond his wildest dreams.

  His gaze rose to her face and the small smile that was there. His rod throbbed and swelled at the mere sight of her, and if he didn’t watch it he would have her on her back in a heartbeat.

  “Dartayous?”

  He blinked. “Aye?”

  “Can I have my bag?”

  He looked at her outstretched hand, then to his hand that still held the bag. Feeling like an untried youth, he handed her the bag and turned toward the door. “I’m going to have a look around.”

  Moira waited until the door closed before she let the plaid drop. She hadn’t thought about this morning would bring once they woke, but she was happy to see that he wasn’t ignoring her.

  What she wished was for them to stay just as they were. She was happier here than she had ever been in her entire life. In truth, she’d be happy anywhere with Dartayous.

  Her heart pounded viciously as she realized just where her thinking took her. Already she dreamed of a future with him when they had yet to talk of one. Last night could have been just that to him.

  She pushed aside her fears and dreams for the moment. There were more pressing matters to attend to. * * * *

  Dartayous sat on the boulder and looked over the landscape. It was a lovely place. He had been many places in Scotland over the last five hundred years, but this was one he hadn’t ventured to. Its wild surroundings matched with the pounding of the sea fit him. Even the haphazard array of boulders over the isle were delightful to look upon. It was as if the place was meant for him.

  He looked up to find Moira beside him, an apple in her hand. He took the apple and bit into it.

  “We’ve tarried long enough,” he murmured.

  “Aye. We have much to do.”

  No matter what his mind told him he needed to do, his heart didn’t wish to leave the lovely spot. Still, he had given a vow. He would carry through with that vow.

  He looked again at Moira and noticed the bruise on her face was gone. “You healed yourself?”

  “Not like I would you or someone else. Minor wounds like that heal in my sleep.”

  “Good.”

  “About yesterday,” she began.

  But he quickly cut her off. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have goaded you as I did. I left you no other choice but to carry through with your threat.”

  Her laughter carried on the wind and mixed with the smell of the sea. “You are full of surprises. Still, I would like to thank you for once again coming to my rescue.”

  He slid a glance at her and jumped from the boulder. “We need to get moving.” He didn’t want her to bring up last night. He still hadn’t even allowed himself to think about what he had done. Eventually he’d have to, but until then he was in denial.

  * * * *

  Frang, the great High Priest of the Druids’ Glen, looked at MacInnes Castle below him. The cliff was one of Moira’s favorite spots, and he knew why. She could look at the people below her and see their happiness.

  “I thought I would find you here.”

  He turned and found Moira’s youngest sister, Glenna, striding toward him. “Hello, lass. How is that husband of yours?”

  She laughed. “Conall is just fine. Although he is still upset to learn that Gregor is laird of his own clan and won’t be staying.”

  “Fiona and Gregor have to make a life of their own.”

  “’Tis what I told him. He’ll be fine.”

  “And you? Once again your sisters have left.” He looked deeply into her dark eyes.

  “They will return,” she said. “The prophecy must be fulfilled.”

  He nodded and looked back at the castle. “The prophecy. I’m afraid I have put too much on Moira's slim shoulders.”

  “She’ll be safe. She has Dartayous.”

  It was then he realized that they were comforting each other. “What a pair we make, eh?”

  She smiled and nodded. “I do worry about her, but she could have no great protector than Dartayous.”

  Frang didn’t respond. There were things that Dartayous didn’t even know about himself yet. Safe. Was Moira safe with him? He had now doubt that he would keep her safe from harm. But what of her heart?

  “You are deep in your thoughts,” Glenna said.

  “An old fool who is wondering if he has done the right thing.”

  Glenna snorted. “Old? I don’t think so. You keep many secrets yourself, High Priest. As for doing the right thing. You would no more put Moira in harms way than you would any of us.”

  He turned to face Glenna. “But that’s exactly what I have done. An evil that is beyond your thinking is waiting for her. She must be strong to defeat it.”

  “She will.”

  “Moira is many things, but she has a soft heart. I may have made the gravest mistake in sending Dartayous with her.”

  “Because they hate each other?”

  “Because she once gave her heart to him only to have him throw it back at her. I could have prevented all of it, but I had so hoped.…” He couldn’t finish. “Even afterwards I kept Dartayous’ secrets for, after all, they are his to keep or share as he will.”

  “And this secret,” Glenna said, her brow furrowed deeply in concern. “It has been kept all these years?”

  Frang nodded. “Few know of it. Rest assured that it won’t injure Moira as you might think.”

  “I’m thinking of her heart,” Glenna responded, her curly brown hair blowing in the breeze around her.

  Frang bowed his head. “I knew there was no other Druid Warrior who could protect Moira like Dartayous. I also hoped that while on this arduous journey they might mend old wounds.”

  Glenna sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I hope you are right.” She started to walk off then stopped. “Is he her mate?” Frang refused to meet Glenna’s eyes. “That is for them to discover.”

  * * * *

  Dartayous couldn’t shake the feeling that there was still danger lying in wait for

  them.

  “What is it?” Moira asked as she caught up with him.

  He continued to scan the hills. “Danger.”

  “This journey is nothing but dangerous. It won’t end until the prophecy.”

  He threw her a glance, but didn’t comment. Perhaps she was right. Maybe he was overreacting. But with the great evil waiting for them, it didn’t relieve him.

  While they walked side by side, his hand brushed hers. It made his heart race and his body harden. He was in sore need of her again,
but he didn’t dare. He had sacrificed much to take her body last night.

  It couldn’t happen again.

  He’d guarded himself for too long for a mere slip of a lass to knock down his defenses. Yet, that’s exactly what she had done with a simple kiss and a touch that scorched him to his very soul.

  A sigh escaped him.

  He had really complicated things by letting his body rule him. But, if he was honest with himself, he didn’t regret sharing his body with her. It had been exquisite. Unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.

  And that scared the hell out of him.

  He’d been around the Druids and Fae too long not to realize that he had stepped over some bound that he wasn’t allowed to retreat from.

  A slim hand took his and pulled him to a stop. He turned and faced Moira. Her lips were pinched in worry.

  “Tell me what is bothering you?”

  He shook his head. “I’m just keeping an eye out for trouble.”

  She began to walk again and Dartayous kept in step with her, shortening his strides a little. He could tell she needed to talk. Moira wasn’t a person who let her emotions show, but today was different.

  He swallowed with some difficulty. But before he could speak she said, “Have you thought more of the key?”

  “Wait,” he said and unwrapped her necklace from the pommel of his sword. He handed it to her and watched her mouth drop.

  “I thought I had lost it forever.”

  “I retrieved it for you.” She didn’t need to know that he had become a madman when he had seen the man holding it in his hand and that he had sliced the man from

  navel to neck for daring to take something of hers.

  “Thank you,” she said and leaned up to give him a kiss.

  He stood perfectly still and fisted his hands at his sides. The urge to take her in

  his arms and taste her again was so strong he almost gave in. She clasped the necklace around her neck and gave him a bright smile. “I’m glad Frang sent you with me.”

  * * * *

  Moira kept a smile on her face the rest of the day. She knew something bothered Dartayous, but if he didn’t wish to speak of it she wouldn’t push him.

  It wasn’t until they stopped for the night that it became obvious that she would have to mention what had happened between them. Once the fire was built and a couple of hares cooked, she decided it was time to brooch the subject.

  “Dartayous-”

  “The old crone said we have the key,” he said over her. “We’ll most likely reach the stones tomorrow or the next day. Once there we’ll try everything we have. If she’s correct and we have the key, we’ll find it.”

  Moira decided to let him talk of this. For now. “We’ve already gone through my things. I have nothing that would be considered the key except my necklace.”

  “The only thing I have is my weapons.”

  She didn’t bother to mention his tattoos again. Obviously they were personal to him, and he did say they would try everything once they reached the stones.

  “Is there anything on any of your weapons that it could be?” she asked while he sharpened one of his daggers.

  He stopped and looked at the dagger. “I would doubt it, but we can check.”

  Once he laid all of the weapons out before him, Moira went to sit beside him. They looked over each weapon carefully. She touched one blade that had the same markings on the blade as her necklace.

  “This is beautiful.” She rubbed her hand along the smooth wooden hilt that had solid gold bands around it. She carefully returned it Dartayous.

  She didn’t bother trying to pick up his massive sword. Not only was it extremely heavy, but with its slightly curved blade with notches like teeth on one side, it was deadly. He had an array of weapons of all different sizes that fit in various places on his clothing and boots.

  Another dagger caught her eye. Its blade was curved, and it too had markings on it. Again, she didn’t recognize the markings, but she imagined it was even older then the other dagger.

  She wanted to ask him about the weapons, but if he was closed mouthed about his tattoos she could only imagine how he would be discussing his most valuable items.

  As she handed him the curved dagger her hand touched his vest. She had always been interested in it. It wasn’t leather, though it looked like it.

  “Where did this material come from?” she finally asked as she rubbed it between her fingers. It was very soft and warm.

  “I would have thought you would recognize the work of the Fae.”

  Her eyes jerked to his face. “This material came from the Fae?”

  “Aye.”

  More surprises. Mystifying tattoos with hidden meanings, strange weapons that were so ancient the markings weren’t known, and clothing from the Fae. Just what kind of a man was Dartayous?

  She should know after sharing her body with him, but in truth he was more of a mystery. Suddenly she became aware of just how close they were. She slowly raised her gaze and found him staring at her with his ice-blue eyes.

  For just a moment, she remembered where she had seen eyes like his, but it was gone in a blink. So, too were her thoughts of his eyes as her body became aware of his. Her sex clenched and her breasts grew heavy.

  Night claimed the land. The sun had set and the moon and stars lit the dark sky. An owl hooted nearby. Waves from the loch crashed against the shore.

  But all her senses were focused on Dartayous.

  She leaned forward wanting, needing to feel his lips on hers again, to feel his hands bringing her body to life.

  His hands touched her arms and rose to her shoulders where he held her still. “We need to talk.”

  The fire that had kindled in her body was snuffed out as if a bucket of water had been thrown on it.

  “About what?” she asked and turned away from him.

  His voice was low, soft. “You know what.”

  “What is there to talk about? It happened. We both wanted it. It cannot be taken back.” She clasped her hands together and watched the hares cook.

  When he finally spoke his voice was barely above a whisper. As if it hurt him to speak. “I have kept my distance from you for many years.”

  She shrugged. “I know. I’ve also kept away from you. We just aren’t compatible.”

  “We were last night.”

  She bit her tongue and willed herself to continue looking at the fire. He wouldn’t get any tears from her, least none that he could see.

  “You don’t know me, Moira. You think you do, but you don’t.”

  “Nothing I can say will change that. ‘Tis the truth we don’t know each other despite the fact that we’ve spent years together.”

  “Do you remember when you gave me that caste kiss when you but a small child?”

  How could she forget it? “Aye.”

  “I knew you were listening when I told that lass how I felt nothing.” He turned her head until she looked at him. “I had to. It was the only way to keep you away from me.”

  Her heart broke all over again at his words. All this time she had thought it was her kiss, when it had been her. She pulled her chin out of his grasp. “If you wanted me to stay away it would have been kinder to just tell me instead of having the entire clan of Druids know what had happened.

  He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. “I never meant to hurt you.”

  “So that explains the constant antagonizing.” She tried to laugh it off, but failed miserably. “I never expected to marry and have children. I never even expected to find my mate as Fiona and Glenna have. But, I had always hoped to able to have something special with a man for just a moment.”

  “Moira.”

  “I’ve had that special moment,” she said and rose to her feet. She needed to be alone. To shed the tears she didn’t wish him to see.

  “Are you denying that you want me?”

  His words stopped her. She turned and looked at him. “I won’t deny it. ‘Tis
you who doesn't want me.”

  “That isn’t the truth.” He stood and took hold of her hands. “I had to keep you away from me because if I didn’t I knew I would take you.”

  She looked down at the big hands that held hers. Warrior’s hands, she mused. She turned them over looking for any scars but didn’t find any. That was odd.

  Dartayous let her examine his hands until he realized she was looking for something. He pulled them from her grasp and took a step closer to her.

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “I want you even though I know I shouldn’t.”

  “Why? Tell me what you are hiding?”

  He almost told her of his immortality. In all the years he had kept the secret he found himself wanting to tell her. Then what? They'd have a life. And he'd watch her die while he didn’t age. He couldn’t even guarantee there would be any children.

  “Too many secrets to speak of now,” he finally said.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Tell me one.”

  “I’ve never given my love to a woman.”

  She reached up and touched his face. “Will you ever give it?”

  “Not if I can help it,” he answered honestly. “I have my reasons. And don’t ask why,” he said when he saw her mouth open.

  “Do you believe in people finding their mates?”

  He nodded. “How could I not after seeing Glenna and Conall and Fiona and Gregor? Do you?”

  “I think some people are meant to find theirs.”

  “And you aren’t one of them?” he finished for her.

  She laughed and walked to the other side of the fire. “For many years I’ve hid my feelings for you. I’ve kept my love a secret.”

  Her words were sharper than a sword as they sliced all the way to his soul.

  “I am far too old to attempt to find a husband,” she continued. “And I simply won’t settle for less than my mate. All these years I had thought you were him. I guess I was wrong.”

  With long strides Dartayous walked to Moira and picked her up until she stood before him. He wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that they were mates. But he couldn’t. It would be a lie.