Rebekah knew she should not be thinking it. She knew it was wrong to feel this way, but something about him appealed to her in a way she could not deny.
When they finally made it back to the wagon, he said, “We’ll continue through the pass and set up camp on the other side.”
Bentley nodded while glancing up at the sky. “I was hoping to make it till nightfall before we stopped for the day, but the men could use some rest after the encounter. The edge of the pass will be just as good a place as any to rest the horses.”
“If that’s the case, we may as well stay there for the night,” Caius told them.
Rebekah frowned as he climbed off his horse. She glanced up at the steep hill. “Is it safe? How do we ken there aren’t more of them lurking in the trees?”
Leonidus’s lips twitched as he glanced at her. “We don’t. But we’ll sleep in shifts and there will always be someone there to sound the alarm.”
She nodded as he placed his hands on her hips and helped her dismount. Rebekah was painfully aware of every second his hands were on her body. Every nerve was alight, and she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
It was a feeling that she both loved and hated. She never wanted it to stop.
Chapter Ten
It took them less than an hour to finish riding through the pass and unload the wagon on the other side. Fearing something else might happen to his future bride, Leo decided to keep her close. His affection for Rebekah had grown substantially from the first day they’d met. The men had done well in giving them privacy if the circumstances allowed.
Daniel and Bentley had gone hunting for the evening meal. While they were gone, Rebekah and Lottie took it upon themselves to start a fire and offered stitches to the men who needed it. Leonidus watched as his intended finished cleaning up Thomas’s wound. Then she sat by the fire and bandaged his friend’s cut with a scrap of fabric. Her hair was wild after falling from the horse, but Leo did not think he’d ever seen anything more beautiful.
“That should do it,” Rebekah told Thomas.
He glanced down at her work and nodded. “Thank you, Lady Maxwell. I’m sure it will be fine.”
The sun was setting, and Leo went to retrieve his cloak from the back of the wagon before the evening chill set in. He approached Rebekah after Thomas left and said, “Do you mind if I join you?”
She smiled, then gestured to the empty space beside her. “Nae, I would enjoy it greatly.”
He sat down with a heavy sigh. “Thank you.”
Bentley and Daniel returned shortly with a pair of rabbits, which were skinned and then set over the campfire to cook. When the food was ready, Caius pulled out some rations to supplement their meal and passed it around. When they finished eating, some of the warriors went to bed. Leonidus remained in his seat on the edge of the campfire and wanted to spend as much time with Rebekah as he could.
“Did ye ken my brother, Henry?” she asked.
“A bit,” Leonidus admitted. “We fought together in the battle of Cheviot Hills. What I did know of him was good. He was kind and generous, with a sense of humor.”
Rebekah smiled with a far-off look in her eyes. “Aye, that’s Henry. He was my best friend. He always took care of me. There are times when I still cannae believe he’s gone.”
Her voice cracked as she finished speaking and her eyes were misted with fresh tears. She discretely wiped her cheek and turned away for a moment.
“Sorry, I’m just…overwhelmed, that’s all. It’s been a very long day.”
Leonidus placed his hand on top of hers, and Rebekah gently turned to face him. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I understand completely what you’re going through.”
Their hands clasped, and she shuddered from his touch. Leo’s eyes drifted to her lips as they leaned closer together, and he had a powerful urge to kiss her.
“You will be happy again, Rebekah. I swear it.”
She laughed out a sob. “I hope ye’re right. Right now, I’m just terrified of the unknown and what’s going to happen when we reach Rule Water Castle. The man I’m supposed to be marrying dinnae even come to accept my marriage proposal himself. What am I supposed to make of that? Is he embarrassed of me? I haven’t even met him yet and already I feel as if I’ve brought shame upon his family.”
His heart broke with every word she said. “Rebekah, I know you’re scared, but I’m sure the De Wolfes will welcome you with open arms. Lady Isobeau is a kind and gentle soul, she’ll adore you just as she does her own daughter.”
Rebekah sniffed and glanced up at him curiously. “She has a daughter? I was nae aware of that.”
Leonidus smiled. “Yes, my lady. Her name is Morgana, and she will be delighted to meet you as well.”
“How old is she?”
“Ten and six.”
Rebekah wet her lips as she contemplated that and said, “The thought had never occurred to me that I might be gaining a sister.”
“You will be acquiring an entire family that will love and care for you.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “It sounds lovely. I will never stop missing Henry or my father, but God has at least provided a small consolation, I’ll be gaining a sister.”
“Exactly,” Leonidus responded. “Just think of the life that’s waiting for you. You can’t go back and change what happened, but you can look forward. You can embrace it and become everything your family wanted you to be.”
Rebekah pulled her hand away and reached out to warm herself by the fire. “I’ve never had much female companionship,” Rebekah told him. “Except for Lottie, of course. It will be quite the challenge to become Lady De Wolfe. I hardly think I’m up to the task.”
He glanced over at Caius who was near enough to hear their conversation. His brother’s brow furrowed with concern, as if he felt sorry for her the same way Leo did. They knew better than anyone what it meant to be De Wolfes. At the same time, it was pleasing to know how much she respected the name she would inherit.
“That’s not even a question in my mind. You are everything the De Wolfe family aspires to,” Leo assured her.
“Thank ye. I just hope my future husband has the same faith in me that ye do. I want to be a good wife, and I want to make him happy, but what if I dinnae please him? What if he takes one look at me and sends me back to Castle Caerlaverock?”
Leonidus laughed gently at her impassioned speech, then said, “Forgive me, Rebekah, but you are talking nonsense. The thought of you displeasing anyone is completely ridiculous. I said it before, and I’ll say it again, he will be lucky to have you.”
“Ye think so?”
“I am sure if it. And just as you forbade me from disparaging myself before, I will request you do the same. You’re beautiful and kind, and if your betrothed has half a brain, he will fall head-over-heels in love with you.”
Her cheeks flushed and she let out a nervous laugh. “That’s what Lottie said would happen. Ye think it’s true?”
“I do,” Leo responded instantly. “Because it happened to me the moment I set eyes on you.”
From the moment the words left his mouth, Leonidus realized his mistake. Rebekah’s eyes grew wide, and he could hear her breathing quicken. “Leo…”
The world around them began to fade away. He reached out to tuck one of her stray curls behind her ear. She didn’t shy away from him like he expected, but stared back at him with unspoken longing.
When his fingers grazed Rebekah’s skin, she released an involuntary sigh and placed her hand on his, encouraging the gentle touch. She had the softest skin he had ever felt, and she smelled of lavender and honey. Everything inside him was crying out to take her in his arms and kiss her, to tell her she had nothing to fear because he was the man that she’d be marrying.
Rebekah’s eyes drifted down to his lips and she swallowed hard. “Ye shouldn’t say such things to me,” she whispered.
“Why? Because it’s possible that you might have feelings
for me, too?”
“Exactly.”
She didn’t pull away. Her eyes were dark with desire and she leaned into him. He could feel the heat of her breath against his skin and exhaled nervously, saying, “I am not ashamed.”
“Leonidus, please…I cannae even think it.”
He pulled away from her and sat back on his seat, nodding. “I understand.”
“But…” she said. “If he could be anything like ye, I would consider myself truly blessed.”
Leonidus chest tightened with emotion and he looked away from her before responding. “And if I were lucky enough to be your husband, I would cherish every second that I had. I would love you with every fiber of my being.”
Rebekah nodded sadly and wiped a tear from the side of her face. “In another life perhaps…”
He gazed heavenward. “It’s getting late. You should probably go to bed. We’ll be riding out early.”
“What about ye?”
“I’m on guard for the first shift,” he explained. “I’ll be up for a few more hours at least. Go, rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Rebekah picked up her skirts and nodded. “Goodnight, Leo.”
“Goodnight.”
He watched her walk back toward the temporary shelter the men had built for her to sleep in. As she disappeared inside, Caius walked up behind him.
“Brother, how are you faring?”
Leonidus sighed. “As well as could be expected.”
Caius nodded. “Things seem to be going well between you. I couldn’t help but overhear parts of the conversation.”
Leo gazed into the crackling flames of the campfire. “Yes, but she still doesn’t know who I am. I wanted to tell her the truth, but now I’m concerned once she knows, she’ll will be angry at me for deceiving her.”
Caius took a seat beside him. “Lady Maxwell is kind and generous, she strikes me as a forgiving woman. I think she’ll understand you meant no harm and your reasons for wanting to keep it secret.”
He hummed in acknowledgment, thinking back to the conversation with Rebekah about his father. “She’s afraid of Atticus.”
“What? Why?”
“His reputation has proceeded him out here in the marches. I tried to tell her he’s a reasonable man, but she’s still terrified. All she knows about him is that he’s The Lion. The poor girl is frightened to meet him.”
Caius nodded. “I can understand. If he wasn’t our father, I’d probably be intimidated by him, too.”
Leonidus nodded absentmindedly, his thoughts still lingering on Rebekah.
Caius placed his hand on Leo’s shoulder. “I am happy for you, Leo. She’s a remarkable girl. I think you will do quite well together.”
Leo chuckled. “Thank you. I hope your marriage to Kendall will be the same.”
“So do I. However, that is not for a few more years, I think.”
Leo sighed. “Go to bed. You need to be rested for your shift in a couple hours.”
“Very well. Wake me when it’s time.”
“I will.”
Chapter Eleven
That night, Rebekah dreamt of Leonidus.
His lips grazed her neck, trailing a line of kisses down her shoulder. She sighed at the feel of his breath on her skin and hitched her leg up around his waist. He groaned at her encouragement and slid his hand across her waist to push up the fabric of her skirt.
“Leo…”
When she spoke his name, he growled. “Do you have any idea what you are doing to me?”
Rebekah smiled as he lifted his head to kiss her on the mouth. She lost herself in the passion of the moment, and his hand splayed across the curve of her hips and thigh. His skin touched hers in a way that felt like magic, and she encouraged him to continue.
“Please, Leo,” she gasped. “I want ye so badly…”
Their kisses grew more intense as she knotted her fingers in his hair. He lifted her kirtle higher, gliding his hand along her skin. His lips molded against hers as they kissed, even being so bold as to dip his tongue inside her mouth.
Rebekah wanted more. She wanted everything. Any time he touched her, kissed her, it made her body come alive. Nothing else mattered except his hands on her body.
She wanted more than anything for it to be real.
When he broke their kiss, Leo spoke in a low whisper, “I want you, too. We belong together, Rebekah.”
She smiled, looking up breathlessly at his pale, green eyes. “Then take me.”
He shook his head and slid his hand between her thighs, edging closer to her womanhood. She gasped in surprise as her skin ignited from his touch and arched her back with pleasure. “Ahh!”
“I want to hear you say it first,” he insisted, his words came out dark and husky. “Say that you’re my woman.”
Rebekah writhed beneath him while spreading her legs to grant him access. She didn’t care about anything except what his hands could do to her. It was complete surrender.
“I’m yer woman,” she told him fervently.
There was nothing in between them when his lips crashed down on her again. His fingers prodded gently at her tender flesh, and Rebekah had to stifle her cry of pleasure when Leo found the entrance to her womanhood. Every touch brought her closer to release. Leo was quick to smother Rebekah’s cry as pleasurable sensations radiated from her core.
This is how it is supposed to be, she told herself. This is what it feels like to lie with a man I love.
Leonidus was all she would ever need.
She woke in the morning with a start, still feeling the touch of his fingers on her body and the taste of his kiss. It had all been a dream. She was both relieved and frustrated to find out it hadn’t actually happened. It had been so sweet, so intense, and so undeniably real.
She sat up and could still feel her skin aflame.
It was just a dream, she told herself. Just a dream…
Lottie must have heard her wake, for she sat up beside her. “My lady, are ye well?”
Rebekah exhaled heavily and nodded. “Aye, just a dream.”
“Did ye sleep well? I thought I heard ye moaning.”
Her cheeks heated as she climbed out of the makeshift bed. “Of course. It might have been my stomach earlier, but I am better now.”
The maid yawned and threw off the woolen blanket that was on top of her. “That is good news, lady. I am glad to hear it. We’ve got a long day of travel ahead of us.”
Rebekah nodded sleepily and began folding up the blanket she’d been sleeping with. The smoldering remnants of the fire was being brought back to life by one of the De Wolfe warriors a few feet away. Daniel was pulling out some rations from a basket in the cart and handing it out to anyone that was awake.
It didn’t take long before the others roused from their slumber, and Leonidus came to sit on a log and warm himself by the fire.
When Rebekah saw him across the encampment, she had to turn away. She didn’t dare look at him, afraid her eyes would reveal the impure thoughts from the night before. She was ashamed of wanting him and knew nothing good would come of it. But she could not deny the heat of passion rising between them.
“It happened to me the first moment I laid eyes on you.” Her stomach fluttered at the memory.
Why did he have to say that? Why did he have to be so…perfect? she wondered hopelessly.
When he came up to grab a piece of bannock from the food rations, Rebekah felt her cheeks get hot. She could not seem to shake the thought of having Leonidus put his hands on her again. It was so sinful and yet deliciously appealing.
Nae, it’s wrong to think such things. Nae matter how incredible it would be.
“Good morrow,” Leonidus told her pleasantly. “I trust you slept well?”
She nodded stiffly and took a seat by the edge of the fire. Part of her felt bad for avoiding him, but it was necessary—especially if she was having dreams about him. Rebekah was going to be a married woman soon. Thoughts about another man were compl
etely unacceptable.
Caius, Bentley, and the others joined them, and they all broke their fast together. The men chatted among themselves, and she couldn’t help but glance in Leo’s direction. He was speaking with Caius on the other side of the fire, but he gazed up at her unexpectedly.
He looked hurt and confused, which was understandable. She wanted to explain herself but couldn’t find the words to make it better. Rebekah avoided him until they finished tearing down camp and loaded things back onto the wagon. Leo seemed as eager to speak with her as she was to avoid him.
“Lady Maxwell?”
She pretended not to hear him and continued on toward the mare. Her heart beat fast as she walked away from him and then suddenly, she felt someone grip her by the elbow. Rebekah turned in shock and looked up at him. “Leonidus, I dinnae see ye…” she lied.
He released her elbow and grinned at her. “Are you well, lady? Forgive my boldness, but I felt the need to check on you.”
Rebekah stepped away and nodded. “Aye. I am well, sir.”
“Then let me help you to your horse—”
“Nae,” she cut him off abruptly.
He cocked an eyebrow at her and a moment of tension passed between them.
After a moment, she cleared her throat and said, “Thank ye, sir. I’m quite capable of doing it myself.”
Without another word, she mounted and took hold of the reins. Leonidus went over to his stallion, and she felt a wave of guilt watching him leave. Thankfully, it was not long before they were riding again.
I’m sorry, Leo…
A few hours later, Rebekah was sore from traveling and they came across a mountain creek. Caius called back to all of them, “We’ll stop here. The horses can water themselves.”
She was grateful for the break and rode the horse up to the water’s edge before dismounting. She was not an accomplished rider as the others and required more breaks.
“Rest while ye can, but don’t linger,” Caius told them. “We must be back on the road soon if we’re to make it to Hawick by nightfall.”
De Wolfe in Disguise: De Wolfe Pack Connected World Page 7
