“I—I—” She searched his gaze then blinked as if checking to make sure he was real. “Put me down.” Her voice rang with authority, with a sweetly hot demand that curled around his senses, a demand he couldn’t ignore.
Gently, he lowered her to her feet, set her before him. A compeller. This wouldn’t be easy.
“I see you hold one of the rarest of the fae skills.” He’d scoured through what historical information remained on record, even as scarce as it was. Being aware of what he might be up against when he did find his mate, had been a necessity.
“I do.” Her golden eyes, so gloriously alive, flickered with defiance and frustration. He’d need to take great care to ensure she didn’t use her skill against him. Now that he’d finally found her, he didn’t care to lose her. Or at least not before he knew exactly where she lived.
“You’ve been very hard to track down.” Hard was an understatement. If only his clan held the knowledge of where the original House of Clan Matheson resided, but when Ivan had left his home, so many centuries ago, so too he’d taken the knowledge of their location and kept it from even one soul. Arms crossed, he listened for any movement through the woods. Not one noise, other than the chirping of birds and buzzing of nighttime insects. “You said you can’t leave your partner to fight those bears alone. Who’s your partner and who were those shifters? They’re trespassing on my clan’s land.”
“Owen and Ewan Mathie. They’re brothers who are predators through and through, and must be stopped, tonight, before they can harm another. I left my partner behind. Daniel won’t be happy that I did.” Her cell phone jingled and she hauled it from her jeans pocket, pressed the speaker and answered. “Daniel, the Mathies are in the forest, about a quarter of a mile to the north of the inn.”
“Not anymore they’re not. I chased them, but then they backtracked to the inn and took off in their Jeep, right after they slashed one of our tires. I’m changing it now. I’ll never be able to catch them with the head start they’ve got. Where are you?”
“With Iain.” She eyed him, sexy narrowed gaze and all.
“Well, that would explain why you left me in such a hurry. Can’t control your little bear, eh?”
“She’s contained, but my mate isn’t.”
“You owe me a hundred bucks, Miss You-can’t-play-with-my-bear.”
“You’re not even here for me to stop your bout of playing.”
“That makes no difference. You removed him from my field of play.”
“He removed me.”
“You still lost.” A clanking sounded down the line as if her partner had dropped a wrench. Daniel grunted. “Stupid sucky tire. I’ve almost got it changed.”
“Where do you want to go from here, Daniel?” Isla asked him.
“I’ll update the chief and form a plan. For now, you do what you need to and we’ll talk again in the morning. I’m not leaving here until I know exactly where we need to head. We’ll contain the Mathies, one way or another, and soon. Very soon.”
“I’ll talk to you first thing, or call me sooner if you need to.”
“Wait.” Iain seized her hand before she could hang up and memorized the numbers on the screen, both hers and her partner’s. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow too, Daniel.”
She glared at him and hung up before Daniel could answer. “You’ve really tossed a spanner in the works.”
“Lovely to meet you too.”
“Don’t try and be funny.” She muttered under her breath as she tucked her phone away then paced the trail in front of him. Softly, she sighed and stopped. “I’m sorry. I’m not normally so rude. It’s just this isn’t the way I ever envisioned meeting you, and right now I’m currently frustrated. I don’t mean to push that frustration onto you.” She blew out a long breath then extended her hand. “The name’s Isla.”
“Nice to meet you, Isla. I’m Iain.” He slid his fingers around hers, her skin so warm and soft. Releasing her hand took a whole lot of effort. “Would you care to take a walk? Have a chat and all?”
“It’d be a nice start. Thank you.”
“We’ll follow the trail.” He set a hand at her back and steered her along it. The last rays of the sun shimmered across the darkening sky then disappeared. The full moon hung heavy and low within a blanket of black, its brightness lighting their path along with a glittering array of stars. “I apologize for making you lose your catch. I wasn’t aware we had rogue bears on our land.”
“Catching them is Daniel’s and my current assignment.” Her gaze softened as she looked at him. “Honestly, I’m sorry I was so abrupt. I try not to be rude to people I’ve just met.”
“I surprised you. That’s clear to see. Tell me a little about yourself.”
“Not much to tell. I’m as elusive as they come.”
He needed more information than that, and he intended to push as hard as she’d let him. “Have you got any family?”
“Of course. Apart from my entire clan, I have a father. He’s the chief and seer of my clan. Murdock Matheson. I’m his eldest, his one and only.” She looked ahead along the trail. “You must live close by to have caught me this early on in the evening.”
“It appears you’ve come straight to me this time. Ivanson Castle is just around the other side of Loch Bear.”
“So I get to meet you and your entire clan at the same time?”
“No, not if you don’t wish to. Just me if that suits you best.”
“Just you for now. That I can handle.” She shivered as the breeze picked up. It blew her glossy brown locks about her bare shoulders and caused goose-bumps to rise on her arms.
“Here, allow me warm you up.” He shrugged his jacket off and held it up for her to slip her arms into. She didn’t hesitate to accept his offering. She pushed her hands into the long sleeves of soft black leather and pulled the front edges of his jacket together, covering the white tank top she wore over her jeans.
“Thank you. I wasn’t expecting to go for such a long jaunt this deep into the forest.” She lifted the collar over her nose and breathed deep. “Mmm, you smell good.”
His bear had him leaning in. He buried his nose in her hair, dragged in her sweet vanilla scent. It swirled around and intoxicated him, made him want to pick her up and sling her back over his shoulder all over again. Instead, he gently rubbed her arms then zipped his jacket up and enclosed her completely within its warmth. “Feeling a little less frustrated now?”
“A touch less.” She slanted her head, her gaze questioning. “I have no intention of leaving my clan, even though you’ve found me.”
“Is that why you’ve run from me all these years?”
“My clan’s numbers are dwindling. There are far fewer mated pairs than ever before and when I discovered you weren’t from my clan, I’d never felt such sorrow. I’ve let them down.”
“So by running, you decided our fate before you’d even given me a chance to prove myself.” He stroked a finger under her chin and his bear rumbled in delight at the sheer softness of her skin—so creamy and smooth. “I would never keep you from your kin, Isla, nor do I ever intend to in the future. There must be give and take between mates, and more so between you and I since we come from separate clans.”
“You’re serious?” Her tone held disbelief. “You won’t insist I leave my people to join with you?” She inched closer, touching the tips of her boots to his. Those long legs of hers, encased in dark blue denim, showcased every delectable curve from her pert bottom to her knee-high leather boots that hugged her slim calves.
“That’s right.”
“Then I’m free to go?”
“You’re free to leave whenever you wish, but if you go, then I go with you.”
“There isn’t a chance you’ll abandon your clan to join mine. You’re the eldest son of Ivan’s line.” She lifted one hand, traced her finger over the bear’s claw on his neck.
“You seem to know more about me than I know about you, and I’ll only ever speak the tr
uth with you. I’d never leave my clan, but so too I’d never demand that you leave yours. I’m open to negotiation, to ensure we both receive what we need to from this bond. I’m not an enforcer with a steel hand.”
“Is that right?” She arched one cute brow, rather teasingly.
His mate was feisty and strong, both qualities he admired in any woman, as well as qualities he’d hoped his chosen one held.
“And what is it you’d like to receive from this bond, my mate?”
“You. I desire the bond and all that it entails, but I want the sharing of lives, including that of our clans.”
“I’m not really that great of a catch. I can be a little unruly, rash, indecisive, and a complete pain in the butt, or at least that’s what Daniel always says. I’d be running in the other direction if I were you, and count yourself very lucky you got away.”
“I’ll never run in the opposite direction from you.” Unable to help himself and needing some form of touch that was so important to shifters, he rested his hands on her hips. “There is a lot a man learns during the chase. You hold great strength, are incredibly smart and have completely captured my attention.”
“Are you flirting with me, Iain Matheson?” She slid her hands over his. “Because if you are, I like it.”
“You’ve already proven to me that you’re dedicated to the ones you love by not wanting to leave them.”
“You need to stop with the flowery words.” She smiled, so beautifully it lit up her eyes.
He drew her closer, until if he bent one single inch, he’d be able claim her lips and the kiss he so strongly desired. “Tell me the first thing you’ve learnt about me during the chase.”
“Yesterday, I discovered you visited the bank in Edinburgh and took off afterward in a very sweet red convertible. My father had a vision and captured some footage of you, the first I’ve ever seen. I’ve also had the chance to admire your very fine looking butt while swinging over your shoulder. I could still take you though, and knock you for six, and all with my voice alone.”
“What else have you got?”
“You’ve got two brothers, both identical to you.”
“And their names?”
“No idea. Tell me about your family.” Her curiosity must be eating at her the same way it ate at him.
“My parents are mated, and my brothers and I are tight, very tight. Their names are Finlay and Kirk and we hold a brotherly bond that allows us to sense each other’s feelings.”
“Interesting.” That cute eyebrow shot back up. “Are they mated?”
“They are, but like me, they still search for their chosen ones.”
“Well, their chosen ones aren’t from my clan. There aren’t any more unmated females of the right age other than me, and I’m not the sharing kind of girl. I’m yours alone. What’s their search been like?”
He almost purred at that declaration.
“Rather otherworldly. On the night of the full moon, they’re led to where they sense their mate is, yet there is nothing and no one about.”
“And they haven’t given up their search?” She gripped the sides of his short-sleeved shirt, fisted the black cotton in her hands.
“Not once, and they never shall. The drive to find their women is too strong, as it has been for me.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, needing an even deeper kind of touch, which would likely only get worse as the night continued on. “It’s getting cold out. Let’s keep walking.”
“To your lair?”
“Aye, to my lair.” He steered her along the winding upward trail, her pace slower than before, and not in a nervous don’t-want-to-go-with-you kind of way, but as if she was more relaxed, or perhaps curious. Her attentive gaze kept switching from the trail ahead to him.
Before long, they left the trail behind and emerged before Ivanson Castle, the thick stone walls of the keep rising like an impenetrable fortress in the dark. “This is the home of my ancestors and has been since Ivan’s day. You also have my word you’re free to go at any time, provided I go with you.”
“I’m going to keep you to your word.”
“My word is true, always has been and always will be.” He gestured toward the two-story gatehouse where battlements topped fortified walls and cameras mounted on the top of each crenelated corner sent surveillance footage directly to the guards inside the control room. “Are you prepared to see where our bond shall lead us?”
“That all depends on what you expect from me tonight.”
“All I desire is to get to know you. You’ve nothing to fear.”
“It’s not fear that rides me. This moment marks a huge change. Nothing will be as it was before the moon rose tonight.” She touched her chest then his. “Do you feel it? Our bond already strengthens. I’m quite content to be around you, not nervous or hell bent on running in the least.”
“I do feel it, and I promise we’ll take whatever is to come, just one day at a time.” He caught her hand, curled his fingers around hers and looked deep into her eyes. “I need you, Isla. Meeting you is all I’ve longed for.”
“You seem far too agreeable.” She searched his gaze then nodded. “All right. I can do this, but just you and me as promised. We’ll talk some more, get a feel for each other and where we stand.”
“Thank you.” His mate was prepared to talk and for that he was most grateful.
He escorted her through the gates and across the inner courtyard toward the side entrance where they could bypass the great hall and surrounding rooms where his family would be. Through the darkened passageways, he led her then up the tower’s side stairs and into his chamber. Quietly, he shut the door. “Take a seat. I’ll have you warm in no time. There’s an attached bathroom if you have need of it.”
One with no window and only one door. He could safely allow her out of his sight when she had no means of escape. He’d meant it when he said she wouldn’t be going anywhere without him.
“I’m fine for now, but thanks for the offer all the same.” She ambled across to his narrow window and with one finger, parted the navy drapes and peered out. “What were you up to in the city the other day?”
“I take care of the clan finances and such. Traveling to the city is a regular jaunt, one you are always welcome to join me on. I’d be sure to make it fun, in and amongst working the figures and monitoring our land and stock holdings.” On his knees at the hearth, he tore bark from a log, removed his wrist dagger and struck his flint then blew on the sparks. Flames flickered and he tossed a block of peat on top. He snuck a look over his shoulder when she continued to remain quiet. Her watchful gaze moved about his chamber, took in his large fur-covered bed then returned to him. “Ever been to the city?” he asked her.
“I’m not a city kind of girl.” She stepped closer, raised her palms to the flames. “I prefer the wilds of the Highlands, although I’m curious to learn exactly how you’d be sure to make it fun for me?”
“You’d have to come to find out.” He rose and dusted his hands against his jeans. She didn’t live in the city or the higher populated area surrounding it. At least he had another question answered. “How dangerous is your work?”
“I never leave on assignment without a team member, which is usually Daniel. Even though our clansmen are highly skilled, we never take the chance of losing one of our number.” She backed up and perched on the lid of his engraved wooden trunk at the end of his bed. A glorious smattering of freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and nose, made him itch to touch them, to move closer and trace each one.
“Are you warming up?”
“Aye, I am. Thank you.” She unzipped his jacket, folded and laid it beside her. “I didn’t even sense you close tonight, not even one hint of a warning.”
“You should never feel uneasy when you sense me close by.” Not liking the distance she’d created, he closed the gap between them and crouched at her feet. “Has your father aided you in eluding me all these years, being that he’s a seer?”
&
nbsp; “No, I’ve managed to elude you all on my own. I also wasn’t paying a great deal of attention on you tonight, not when my mind was on my current case.” She lifted a hand, cupped his cheek. “Honestly, it’s been a burden running from you, and I know my father had hoped I’d soon one day stop.”
“Your father sounds like a man I’d like to meet.” As much as he’d detested her need to run, he’d also admired her ability to keep one step ahead of him. No more though. Now it was time for them to join together, to complete the bond—when she was ready—and merge their lives into one. All he’d ever anticipated was finding his chosen one, and for their clans to finally have some much needed hope. “We have so much to talk about.”
“We do.”
His mind reached out, brushed against hers and found a solid barrier. A barrier he didn’t care for. Pushing, trying to find a way in, he couldn’t halt his mind from demanding the merge that would invariably allow him a constant link of communication to the one woman who was always meant to be his.
“I can feel that.” She scrubbed a hand across her forehead and grimaced.
“I’m sorry. The need to forge a merged link with you is strong. Everything within me desires it, to be a part of you, to speak with you at ease, no matter where you are.” He hauled his mind back. The last thing he wanted to do was to harm or cause her any pain. He slid one hand around the back of her head and gently drew her forward until their foreheads touched. Her warm breath whispered across his cheeks and calmed a little of his mind’s need. “Has the pain receded?”
“It’s going.” She rubbed her forehead against his.
“Earlier you said you were your father’s eldest, his one and only. What of your mother?”
“She passed away not long after I was born. I was schooled right alongside Daniel and a few other close friends within clan walls, my father close by.”
“I’m sorry about your mother. That must have been terribly hard for you and your father to lose her so soon in life.” His parents were rarely apart, found any great length of distance separating them difficult, no matter their merged link. They were each other’s confidants, lovers, their one-and-only. A relationship he desired with all his heart. Her admittance also brought with it a great deal of understanding. She and her father must be tight.
Highlander's Desire (The Matheson Brothers Book 1) Page 3
