by Lily Harlem
Moira straightened, an injection of adrenaline flooding her system. The strawberries landed on the ground, forgotten. Diane’s shriek had held terror in it.
To her horror she saw two men rounding on the young maid. They were bearded, their clothes dirty, and they were both were big brutes with hunched shoulders.
“Get away,” Diane said, backing up until her shoulders hit a tree trunk. “Be off with you.”
“There’s no need to be unfriendly, we just want a wee chat with ye.”
“Leave her alone!” Moira rushed forward. “We’re from Fifths Castle. Stewart will have you flogged.”
“Ah, there’s another one. Perfect. One woman each.” The vagrant closest to Moira turned and a toothless grin spread on his grimy face.
Fear shot through her. These were exactly the type of men Reid and Kendal were concerned about her coming across. And she’d wandered further than she should have with Diane, down to the forest.
And now… now it was her fault Diane was in such danger.
She felt about her waist, wishing she’d strapped on her dagger that morning. But feeling safe at Fifths Castle, she hadn’t bothered.
Diane threw her basket at the man closest to her. The wild garlic and strawberries scattered as it hit him on the chest. He batted it away and laughed, a deeply unpleasant sound, which sent a chill over Moira’s skin.
“Run, Diane,” Moira shouted. “Get out of here.”
Diane looked at her. “Go.”
The man lunged for Diane but she was quick and scooted to the side. She then gathered her skirts and broke to the right.
He chased her, but only took three steps then became victim of a fallen tree and tripped over a stump half hidden in nettles. “Damn and blast,” he shouted as his arms and face were stung. “Get back here.”
“Go, go,” Moira shouted at Diane’s fleeing back.
She then turned to the mountain of a man rounding on her. “Stay away from me, you brute.”
“You just made it much worse for yourself,” he said, slamming his fist into his opposite palm.
“Don’t you ken who I am?” She backed up, stumbling over a gnarled root.
“I ken you’re a bitch who needs a good seeing to.” He cupped his groin. “Hey, Roderick, get your ass over here and hold this one down. She’s a wriggler, I can tell.”
“No! Don’t you dare touch me. Bastard. My husband will kill you.”
“Not if I kill you first.”
The shard of evil in his eye turned Moira’s blood cold. She really had gotten herself into a terrible situation. Why, oh, why had she suggested they walk so far, and into the woods where no one could see what was happening?
She threw a glance over her shoulder. Diane was gone. There was nothing but the gloomy darkness of the undergrowth.
Spinning, she decided to take off the way the maid had.
But she only made it three steps and strong arms wrapped around her waist. The next thing she knew she was on the ground.
She screamed as she was tossed onto her back. “No, no, get off.” She kicked and struggled. She arched her spine and tried to twist onto her knees.
I have to escape.
Both men were over her. They were big and strong, their fingers mean and tight on her limbs. They smelled of rank sweat and dirt. Their breath was stale and disgusting.
The one who’d rounded on Diane grabbed her arms and yanked them over her head. Her shoulders complained at his rough treatment but she ignored that and continued to fight with her legs.
“Keep still, wench.” The revolting man over her dragged at her skirt, hoisting it upward. A patch of nettles stung her legs and the cool ground pressed on her ass.
“You bastard.” She spat in his face. A big splat of saliva landed on his cheek and dribbled downward.
“Bitch wench.” He slapped her across the jawline.
The sting was brutally intense and the force made her teeth clash together and jarred her neck.
She pulled up her feet and kicked and wriggled. But it was no good, she was pinned in place and now he was taking his cock out.
Nausea welled inside her. Her skin crawled with disgust. She couldn’t let him near her. She had to fight… for her life.
A deep roar filled her ears, then a flashing sword crashed down, slicing through the neck of the man over her.
His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He released his cock and clutched his throat.
Kendal was there. Beside her, wielding his sword now stained with her attacker’s blood.
Relief swelled inside Moira.
One of her men was here, to protect her, to save her from rape and murder.
Kendal pressed his foot against the man’s chest and shoved him backward… hard.
His body hitting the forest floor created a deep thud and he lay, staring up at the canopy. He seemed to be in shocked surprise at the sudden turn of events. No longer in control, the attacker was now the one attacked and soon to be a victim. Justice had been served.
“What the?” The man holding Moira jumped up, but came face to face with Reid’s sword.
Reid is here too?
Of course he was.
“My question for you now,” Reid said, his voice calm but his eyes flashing, “is should you pay with your life for assisting this revolting creature in his assault on my woman? Or should I just chop off your arms and your dick?”
“Your woman?” The man glanced at his friend who lay bleeding to death on the ground.
“Aye, mine.”
“Kill him,” Kendal said. “I can’t bear the sight of his ugly face.”
“No, no, please.” He backed away. “I’m harmless.”
“You’re going to be armless in a minute.” Reid shoved the tip of his sword at the man’s chest. “And cockless.”
“He deserves death.” Kendal added his sword to the man’s torso, digging it into his protruding belly.
“Please, I beg of you. Have mercy on a fellow Scot down on his luck. My blood is as pure as yours.”
“Down on your luck? A minute ago you thought yourself a very lucky man to have found this beautiful lady in the forest. And your intentions were downright evil, you can’t tell me I’m wrong,” Reid said.
“You are, I promise. I was just about to tell this useless man to leave her alone, how dare he touch a lady of this stature.”
Moira pushed to standing, her knees were weak and her hair full of the woodland carpet.
“You shouldn’t touch any woman who isn’t yours,” Kendal said. “A woman should be treasured, treated with respect, rewarded, pleasured, held close to a man’s heart and soul.”
“Aye, aye, I agree.”
“I think it’s fair to say,” Moira said, tipping her chin and trying to sound stronger than she was feeling, “that’s not your belief.”
“Aye, it is, I swear.” He glanced at his friend who’d become still, his breaths shallow. A large pool of bright red blood had soaked the leaves around him.
“He’s worthless, an evil man. The world will be better off without him. Scotland will be better off without him.”
“You are so quick to change your tune, talk ill of the… nearly dead.” Kendal poked him harder.
He whimpered and pressed into the trunk of the oak tree he’d become lodged against. “Please, I beg you, spare my life.”
Kendal and Reid looked at each other. Then Kendal turned to Moira.
“Are you unharmed, my love?”
“Aye.” She smoothed her hands over her waist, setting her skirts back into position. “You arrived in time.”
“Thank goodness we did.” Reid gritted his teeth. His cheeks were flushed; he was more furious than she’d ever seen him.
“If we hadn’t spotted Diane running alone from the forest,” Kendal shook his head, “I can’t even think of what we could be facing here.”
“I’m okay.” Moira placed her hand over his tense forearm. “And one dead man today is enough.”
/> The man on the floor had stopped his noisy death rattle.
Again her two men looked at each other. She sensed if she weren’t there, their prisoner would already be dead. Could she spare him?
And did he deserve it?
“Bind his wrists,” Kendal said.
“You think?” Reid sneered. “I think we should kill him.”
“And subject Moira to another horrific sight? No, bind his wrists, we’ll take him to the castle. He’ll be flogged for his sins.”
“No, not the castle. Stewart banished me from his land many moons ago. He’ll flog me to death for being here.”
“Then that will be your fate.” Reid slotted his sword away. “Give me your wrists.”
As he bound the man who’d held her to the ground to be raped, possibly murdered, Moira was aware of the darkness of the forest invading her vision. Her spine weakened, her knees wouldn’t stay straight; they couldn’t hold her up.
With her head spinning she staggered to the right. The last thing she was aware of before blackness consumed her was Kendal’s arms wrapping around her body and holding her close.
Chapter Nineteen
Kendal could see Moira was about to swoon. It was the deathly white shade of her skin, the way her eyes had glazed, and how her body seemed to crumple in on itself.
He reached for her, catching her before she hit the forest floor, and pulled her slight frame to his.
“Damn it,” Reid said, continuing to bind the man they’d decided to spare… for now. “Is she okay?”
“A swoon. Not surprising. She’s tough, but still a female so a delicate disposition is never far away.”
“I should kill this bastard now.” Reid yanked at the ropes he’d applied, making the man jolt forward. “For giving her a moment of fright.”
“Aye, I don’t disagree. But I daresay Stewart and his men will do the job for us.”
Kendal adjusted Moira’s slumped body against his chest. She really was so light and so fragile it was hard to associate her with the strong woman he’d come to know.
“Let’s go,” Reid said. “We need to get her to bed and find some salts.”
“Aye, I agree.”
As they left the cover of the forest they came across Diane. She was twisting her hands together and looked over the prisoner warily. Her attention then went to Moira. “Is m’lady okay? Did they…?”
“Nay, thank goodness.” Kendal strode past her. “And aye, she’ll be fine. She needs her bed.”
“Of course.” Diane rushed to keep up with the three men. “I’ll get the salts, and some broth.”
Kendal looked down at Moira’s face pressed against his chest. She was still ghastly pale. Her lips were slightly parted and her breaths shallow.
“Damn it,” he muttered. Why had they let her out of their sight in this new, dangerous place? And why had she ventured so far away?
“What were you doing?” he shot at Diane, irritation suddenly swarming over him.
“Foraging, my lord.”
“This fine woman is to be my wife. She should not be foraging. T’is servant’s work.”
“Aye, I ken. I’m sorry, m’lord.”
“So why did it happen?”
“She insisted. She wanted to go to the forest, she talked about visiting the village yonder too.”
Kendal tutted and looked at Reid. “Bryce.”
“Aye.” Reid scowled. “She was told not to.”
Anger welled in Kendal. The woman who owned his heart had put herself in grave danger and risked their future together.
And I can’t imagine a future without her.
Fear quelled his anger—fear of a life without Moira as his wife. Fear at the thought of not having Reid with him. They were a threesome; their love was powerful whether it was as man and wife or best friends.
“Kendal…” Moira murmured as she fisted his tunic.
“Aye, it’s okay, my love, I’ve got you.” He smiled and was relieved she was waking. “Keep still, we’re nearly back at the castle.”
She didn’t reply, instead she closed her eyes again and became pliant in his arms. A soft sigh escaped her lips.
Ten minutes later he was laying her on the bed. She barely stirred as he released her bodice, removed it, and then drew down her skirts. Her small body looked so pale and vulnerable in her slumber and it broke his heart to think someone had touched her so roughly and with so little respect.
She belonged to him and Reid. No one else had or ever would have permission to touch her.
A tidal wave of possessiveness came over him and he vowed to never allow her to be in such a situation again. He’d be at her side, always, and if he couldn’t be, then Reid would be. They loved her the same. Adored the ground she walked upon.
“How is she?” Reid stepped into the room, having escorted the prisoner to the basement.
“Out cold.” Kendal said, covering her naked form with a soft woollen blanket.
“I should go and kill that man now.” Reid stroked her forehead then removed a twig from her hair.
“That won’t help her.”
“But it will stop him doing it again. The disgusting oaf.”
“If that’s what you want to do, I won’t prevent you.” Kendal sat on the bed and took Moira’s hand. “But right now, I need to be here, with our woman.”
Reid sighed and sat. “Och, I agree.” He took her other hand. “I’m so angry with her though.” He shook his head.
“I suspect she was hoping to get to the village.”
“But the glen is bog at the moment, there’s no way she would have made it.”
“We ken that.”
“And so should Diane.”
Kendal brought Moira’s hand to his lips and brushed a kiss over her knuckles. “Whatever the reason for her wandering, it came out badly for her.”
“It could have been worse.”
Kendal looked him in the eyes. “I don’t want to even think about what could have happened.”
“Aye, it brings bile to my gullet.” Reid rubbed his sternum. “I spoke to the stable hand, just now?”
“Oh?”
“I’ve asked him and a few other men to go to the village, it’s only a short ride away.”
“Why?”
“You ken why.” He nodded at Moira.
“To look for Bryce?”
“Aye, morrow you marry this woman, I’ll make her mine too, in our own way. It’s a big day for her, especially as she loves so fiercely and has been through so much.”
“I agree.”
“And it’s clear she misses her brother a great deal. If he really is living in the next village, we need to ken.”
“And have him here morrow for the ceremony.”
“Aye.” Kendal stroked her face. “If she’s well enough to marry me.”
“If she’s awake, she will.” Reid smiled and held her hand between both of his big, weathered palms. “I don’t doubt her love for us, not for a second.”
“Nay, me neither.”
* * *
The next day, Kendal stood in his clan kilt belted above his waist with the plaid going over his left shoulder and pinned with his McDonald crested brooch. He had on polished boots and sporran, and a white linen shirt over a dark green doublet with a single red rose garnishing it.
The banquet room at the castle he’d one day inherit had been adorned with spring flowers. A bagpipe player entertained his guests, and at his side stood Reid dressed similarly.
In Reid’s sporran were three rings, two of which the congregation would witness being put on, one that was for them to know about, in private.
“Are you ready, my lord?” the local cleric asked.
“For the happiest day of my life, aye, I’m ready.” Kendal grinned.
“Good, because she’s here.”
A shuffle told him the wedding guests—mainly the castle inhabitants, staff, and a few villagers—were standing.
“Good luck, my friend.” Reid
clasped his shoulder.
“I’m grateful to have you at my side.” Kendal set his hand over Reid’s then turned to look at his bride.
His heart skipped and emotions welled inside of him. She was so beautiful. So delicate, angelic, and so utterly perfect.
She wore a long pale dress that was heavy with lace detail and showed the upper rise of her small, creamy breasts. Her hair was piled high, small red rosebuds had been pinned into the dark locks, and the tight petals matched the rouge on her lips.
“Breath-taking,” Reid murmured. “We’re so lucky.”
“Aye.” Kendal was aware of a tear forming in his eye. He hadn’t cried since he was a bairn and he had no intention of starting now. He dashed it away, then found he didn’t much care if anyone saw. Moira was the other half of his soul and the woman he wanted to wake up each morning next to, and end each day making love to.
She drew level with him, her eyes also bright with emotion.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, taking her small hands in his.
She smiled and swallowed as if also trying not to cry. She then looked over his shoulder at Reid.
“The most beautiful bride ever,” Reid said quietly.
“Thank you,” she mouthed at him.
Kendal couldn’t take his gaze from her as the vicar began to speak. Every flick of her eyes, twitch of her mouth, word she spoke became printed into his memory. It had taken him many years to fall in love, to find a woman who would be his and Reid’s in the way they wanted… no, make that needed. Obedience combined with strength was important to them and Moira had that in bucketfuls along with grace and beauty and damn, the woman was sexy beyond belief. He’d never get bored of exploring her slight curves and the depths of her womanhood. He’d never tire of seeing her find the ultimate pleasure and watching her gasp as ecstasy ripped through her body.
As he repeated the vows he knew the words were coming from his heart, and from hers too. They placed gold rings on each other’s fingers, then finally shared a kiss much to the delight of the crowd.
“I love you,” he said against her lips.
“I love you too,” she said, then added quietly, “Both of you.” She smiled.
“As it should be.” He was aware of Reid close behind him. Their bond was strong—stronger than any band of steel—and having Moira in their lives made it more so. They’d never be apart; he knew that with everything he was.
