A moment later, he inwardly sighed. He realized he would do anything he could to stay alive and get back to Adeline and Osgar. Lachann admitted to himself that he would fight for life until the last breath left his body, the hope that he could see them just one more time keeping him struggling to get home.
“Ye may nay kill him with your own hands, but the bastard ye take him to will, and weel ye ken it,” Lachann said and bit back the urge to scream when the man lashed him with the whip again.
“I told ye. He willnae give up the lad. This is useless,” said the thin, dirty man.
“Shut your mouth, Keith,” snapped Ian. “Mayhap he willnae give up the lad but dinnae forget the witch who rides with him and the boy. That lad isnae her child, so she may be willing to deal with us. She may nay wish to lose her lover, aye? Fine braw laddie like this. He be the type the lasses all sigh o’er, too witless to ken that he is naught but a beast from hell. We will wait awhile to see if the witch comes after him.”
A surge of fear cut through Lachann’s pain and he nearly cried out from the strength of it. He knew Adeline would never offer these men Osgar in trade for him, even if she could be so foolish as to think they would actually let the both of them leave that exchange alive. What he could not be sure of was that she would leave him to his fate and get the child to safety. He told himself she would think of the child’s safety first but, in his heart, he knew there was a good chance she would try to save him. All he could do was pray that she did not. Stay away, he silently told her. Run. Grab Osgar and run as far and fast as ye can, love.
“And what if she doesnae come after him?” asked Keith.
“Then we will truss this bastard up and take him to the laird instead,” replied Ian. “We willnae get as heavy a purse as was promised for the boy but I suspicion he willnae toss this one back. He is always looking for one of his ilk. Any MacNachton is a prize he will pay for.”
Lachann was about to ridicule that plan when he felt a slight tug on the ropes that bound him to the tree. His heart leapt into his throat, fear and anticipation warring in his heart for dominance. He slowly took a deep breath and then silently repeated every curse he knew. He recognized that scent. It was not Adeline slowly cutting his bonds; it was Osgar. The prize these men wanted so badly was now within their reach and it terrified Lachann.
In a voice so low he knew only Osgar would be able to hear him, he asked, “What are ye doing here?”
“Saving ye from the bad men,” Osgar replied in the same low tone.
“Get away from here and make certain that fool lass goes with ye.”
“Nay. We have a plan.”
Lachann was about to deride that plan, whatever it might be, in terms that would vastly improve the child’s knowledge of unacceptable words when the ropes around his ankles loosened. The three men continued to bicker amongst themselves over the best way to gain their prize or, in failing that, use him to gain some reward. They had no interest in his bleeding carcass for the moment. Hope swelled in him, but Lachann fought to keep his wits sharp, to carefully consider what his next step would be once he was free.
A faltering one, he thought with fury and despair. He had lost too much blood, his strength waning with each drop that soaked into the ground. And he feared the ground was where he would soon be once his bonds were cut, for they were undoubtedly all that kept him standing. Lachann also feared he would be of no help if Adeline and Osgar’s plan failed and they were in danger. His mind all too readily presented the many fates that could befall a beautiful woman in the hands of these men and the fate that Osgar was facing if caught, but he forced them away. Letting himself fall prey to such imaginings would be of no help at all.
“Where is Adeline?” he asked, trying to move his lips as little as possible as he kept his eye on the men. If they thought he was talking they might draw closer to find out why, or to whom.
“She will be riding to the rescue soon.”
Riding to the rescue? In his mind’s eye, Lachann saw Adeline charging into camp on one of her small ponies and cursed under his breath. She would not be so foolish, would she? The ponies were sturdy but little threat to anyone. One of the men could simply snatch her out of the saddle as she trotted by.
The last of his bonds fell away but Lachann held himself in place. He hoped that he would soon overcome the urge to fall to his knees. Then Osgar pressed something into his hand. Dazed, Lachann realized it was the hilt of the sword he had been wearing when he had been captured. Although he was proud of the boy’s stealth in retrieving it for him, dismay swept over him. He should have heard or seen the boy slipping amongst the enemy’s horses and belongings to steal the sword. The excuse that his attention had been fixed upon his captors was judged by his mind and declared a thin one. Taking a deep, slow breath, Lachann fought to steady himself. To prepare himself to be at least some help to Adeline when she appeared.
And just where is the foolish woman? he wondered.
An ululation suddenly filled the air. His keen ears told him that it came from the south of the camp but he could not wholly blame his captors for looking in every direction. The clear, strange battle cry echoed and swirled around them. A heartbeat later the sound of pounding horse hooves came out of the dark. Curse her beautiful eyes, Lachann thought as he braced himself for whatever pitiful defense he might be able to offer, she is on my horse! No pony could make that much noise no matter how hard and fast it was ridden.
He was just moving, raising his sword in preparation for battle and heartily cursing the weakness that made his arm shake, when she burst into the camp. Adeline was leaning over Ulf’s strong neck, holding the reins in one hand and his spare sword in the other. Her thick hair was untethered, flying around her like a blaze fanned by the wind. Lachann suspected he was staring at her in as gape-mouthed a way as the other men were. She looked glorious, like some ancient warrior queen.
Ulf reared when she pulled on his reins, his lethal hooves coming down on one of the men now running for his life. Lachann watched as Adeline struggled to control Ulf, her determined expression turning to one of horror as the man screamed. The other men ran for their horses, leaving their friend behind.
Lachann took a step forward, fell to his knees, and cursed. He was armed, eager to fight, but utterly useless. To his astonishment, the man he thought had died beneath Ulf’s flailing hooves rolled free of the threat, and then ran for his horse. His stumbling gait revealed that he had not escaped unharmed, however. By the time Lachann looked toward Adeline again, she had calmed Ulf, sheathed the sword she had been waving around, and was dismounting with a distinct lack of grace. That awkward dismount completely shattered the image of Adeline the warrior queen. He did not know whether to laugh at the absurd but successful rescue she had accomplished or yell at her for the risks she had taken with her and Osgar’s lives.
“Oh, Lachann,” Adeline cried as she stumbled to a halt in front of him. “They have whipped you!”
Her outrage touched him but he shook aside the feeling and clumsily sheathed his sword. “Help me to my feet, lass. We need to get away from here.”
Even as she did as he asked, she said, “But they have all run away.”
“Aye, but they may pause to grow a new backbone and come back. Get me on Ulf and later we will have a talk about ye riding my horse.”
He was not surprised when she ignored his threat. He needed help just to stagger over to his horse. One look at his saddle and he knew he would need her help to mount the horse as well. Lachann sighed in resignation as she pushed and steadied him while he crawled up into the saddle. She stood and stared at him, biting her lip in indecision for a moment, and then held out her hand to him.
“Best ye get in front of me, lass,” he said. “I am nay sure I have the strength left to take the reins.” It tasted bitter just to make that admission but Lachann could not allow pride to put them all in danger.
Adeline could see how that confession stung his pride. She was glad she had not spo
ken her thoughts about his weakness. It was best if he saw it for himself. She was just very glad that he had.
She pulled herself up into the saddle in a graceless way that would have undoubtedly made him laugh if he were not in so much pain. Taking the reins, she rode toward where Osgar waited with the ponies, Lachann leaning heavily against her back. It was terrifying to see how weak this large, strong man had become. Adeline buried her fear for him and fixed her mind on getting them all to shelter as quickly and safely as she could.
“He needs blood, Maman.”
Fixing closed the last shutter on the windows of the small cottage, Adeline hurried to the bed where Lachann sprawled. He had stayed conscious enough so that she and Osgar had been able to get him onto the bed and only then had he given in to the unconsciousness that must have been lurking for a long time. It had not been easy to strip him of his clothes and bathe and tend his wounds. She had hoped that that would be enough to help him heal, but Osgar was right. Lachann was going to need blood. Adeline touched the mark on her neck and prayed she could do it with the calm detachment of a skilled healer.
When she reached Lachann’s side, he was awake, staring at her, and she knew he would not ask it of her. That meant that the decision would have to be hers alone. She would have to freely offer what he needed. It puzzled her that she hesitated, for she never had with Osgar.
“I can give him some of mine,” said Osgar.
“Nay, I willnae drink from a child,” said Lachann.
“Of course not,” said Adeline as she sat down on the edge of the bed and held out her arm. “Such a wee lad wouldnae have enough for ye anyway.”
“Are ye certain, lass?” Lachann asked.
The weak, husky tone of his voice banished the last of her reluctance. “Aye. Just like Osgar, ye need it to heal.”
He drew her wrist to his mouth and kissed it. It was just a simple kiss but she felt as if it was a benediction of some kind. Adeline winced as he sunk his teeth into her flesh, but then the heat began, curling through her body and stirring to life all her passion for him so rapidly it made her a little unsteady. His dark gaze remained fixed upon her as he fed and she was unable to look away. By the time he was done, she was almost panting and the way he licked the wound to close it made her shiver from the strength of her need for him. Embarrassed by her own weakness, she gently pulled away and hurried to prepare something to eat.
Lachann watched her as he felt his body immediately begin to heal itself. He had seen her arousal in her eyes, in the light flush upon her fair skin, and heard it in the way her heartbeat had increased. It had tasted sweet, flavoring her blood with her need for him. It was a need he shared and intended to feed as soon as he was strong again. By the time she brought him some bread and stew, he was able to sit up and feed himself. The way she blushed every time he looked her way told him that his desire was no secret to her.
Adeline was coming down from the small loft where Osgar now slept when she was caught by the waist and carried toward Lachann’s bed. “I can walk, Lachann,” she protested with a laugh.
“Nay fast enough,” he said as he dropped her on the bed and then sprawled on top of her.
“Ye are all healed now, are ye?”
“Aye, and now I wish to celebrate my health and freedom.”
She opened her mouth to tease him and he kissed her. All thought of play fled her mind as passion swept over her. Lachann had them naked so quickly she fleetingly wondered if her clothes were still whole. Then she lost herself to the wonder of his touch, to the sensation of flesh against flesh, and bodies uniting. A tiny still sane part of her mind reveled in the way their cries blended as they found their release as one. When they soared to the heights together it only made it all the more intense.
Adeline faintly murmured a protest when she felt Lachann move away from her, not sure how much time had passed and not really interested in knowing. She squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment when he washed them both clean and then wrapped her arms around him when he climbed back into bed. At first, she idly enjoyed the soft caresses and kisses he treated her body to. It took several moments for her to realize those touches were not idle ones and her body was rapidly warming to them. By then Lachann was kissing her stomach, his clever fingers slipping between her legs to torment her.
The heated touch of his mouth replacing his fingers had Adeline opening her eyes wide in shock. The protest she began died quickly. With every stroke of his tongue, fire flared through her veins, burning away all resistance. All modesty fled as well as she writhed, his intimate kisses driving her wild with need. She called to him to join her when she felt her body tightening, to share the bliss that was swelling inside of her, and cried out with relief when he joined their bodies with one fierce thrust.
Lachann gently stroked Adeline’s back as she lay limp and sated in his arms. He kissed the mark on her neck and began to lecture her concerning her actions, for although her rescue of him had been successful, she had put herself and Osgar in danger. Ignoring her muttered complaints, he scolded her for not doing as he had ordered, for not taking herself and Osgar to safety, for riding his horse like a madwoman, and for waving around a sword she did not know how to use. By the time he finished she was so stiff in his arms, he was surprised he did not hear a few bones snapping. Lachann decided the only sure way to mend that and soothe her was to make love to her again and he proceeded to do so.
The last clear thought Adeline had before sinking into a sated, exhausted sleep was that Lachann was a sneaky devil. She promised herself she would tell him so when she woke up.
Staring down at a sleeping Adeline, Lachann thought his heart would burst with the strength of the joy that filled it. He was alive. His body was healed and now happily sated. He kissed her cheek and settled her comfortably in his arms.
The only problem facing him now was telling her that she was his mate. Perhaps he should have slipped that information into his lecture, he mused, and smiled. There was still time, he told himself as he closed his eyes. Even if he failed to tell her until they were at Cambrun, there would still be time. If nothing else, Adeline would not just set Osgar down at Cambrun and then walk away.
Chapter Nine
“Cambrun.”
Adeline blinked in surprise. One moment they were riding through a mist so thick she wondered how Lachann could know where to go. The next, a massive stone castle that seemed to grow out of the mountain itself loomed in front of them. Its dark, high walls threatened all comers even as they promised safety to any who were allowed to shelter behind them.
“It is huge,” she whispered, wondering just how many MacNachtons lurked behind its sturdy, well-manned walls.
“Aye,” said Lachann. “And safe. It was built to shelter us from our enemies, including the sun.”
“Can none of ye bear the sun?”
“Some can. We all test ourselves and those of us with a wee touch of Outsider blood can bear a bit more than a Pureblood. For nearly forty years now we have been trying to breed out some of the more, weel, constricting traits of our clan. We decided to seek Outsiders as mates. Unfortunately, there is some danger in that, especially since the Hunters came. But there are women and one mon within those walls who are Outsiders wed to MacNachtons and the children they have bred can abide some sun, a few more than others. Many of the Lost Ones can also abide some sun.” He shrugged. “It was the laird’s idea. A way to solve our childless state and give us people who can mix weel with the world surrounding us. That world inches closer every day and we need to be able to slip in and out of it without too much risk.”
“Is his plan working?” she asked as they rode through the huge iron-studded gates of Cambrun.
“Slowly. Verra slowly. And, we begin to think we will ne’er be able to breed every trait out of our bloodline.”
Before she could ask how he felt about that, if he actually wished to breed out every trait, they were surrounded by people. Adeline was a little unsettled by how beautiful
the women were and how handsome all the men were. Were there no plain-faced MacNachtons? she wondered a little crossly as Lachann caught Osgar up in his arms, dismounted, and set him down on the ground. He then came and helped her dismount.
When Osgar was presented to his kinsmen, the cheers that sang out through the bailey warmed her heart even as her fear of losing him to this clan choked her. Lachann caught her hand in his and kept her at his side as everyone struggled to welcome Osgar. It was as if some long-lost princeling had returned home to save the kingdom.
Lachann called for quiet and then told Osgar’s story. There was no surprise when he told of Arailt’s death, but Adeline could see the signs of grief and anger over the loss in many of the faces. The crowd parted when Lachann finished and a tall, handsome woman with streaks of white in her hair stepped forward.
“So my nephew is dead,” said the woman as Lachann bowed to her.
“Aye, Nan. Nearly two years past he died at the hands of some fools sent after him by his lover,” replied Lachann. “I had no time to make her pay for her crime. I am sorry.”
“Nay, I have done my grieving. I kenned he was gone and I want no more of ours lost in avenging him. I felt it in my heart and soul when he died.” She looked at Osgar. “But he is not completely gone, is he? He left a part of himself behind. A fine lad with much the look of Arailt about him.”
“He is a Blooded Son, Nan.” Lachann nodded at the shock Nan and others could not hide. “Arailt kenned that he was in danger, that his woman had betrayed him, and that the journey here to get help would be a treacherous one. He thought to protect the boy and give him skills to protect himself.”
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