by Sky Winters
It was an exhilarating feeling. She had never felt so free. She had ridden a horse once as a child, or at least, been trotted around on one until she begged to be let off, but nothing she had experienced in her life could compare to the experience of swiftly rushing through the forest, dodging limbs and branches, the wind blowing through her fiery red curls and bringing her to life.
When James finally slowed down, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. He slowed to a stop near a running stream and lay down, signaling that it was time for her to get off. One of her legs was asleep, so she stumbled when she hit the ground. She had to rub her leg and try to walk off the pins and needles surging through her muscles. She heard James laugh and turned around in surprise. She had forgotten his powerful masculine form, just as impressive as his bear form. He had slipped his kilt back on while she wasn't looking, and she felt embarrassed again for even considering whether she would be able to peep at him again.
“I don't know about you, lass, but I'm getting hungry. Why don't you get some water in you while I go catch us lunch?”
“All right,” she said, realizing with some embarrassment that her heavy footfalls and slow body would scare off any of his potential prey.
“I'll be fast, don't worry,” he promised. He gave her one of his grins, which were becoming somewhat signature to her now, and disappeared into the heavily wooded forest.
When he was alone, James let out a deep sigh. What had he done? The clansmen would surely lynch him. What would Sadie do if she knew the truth? He had better lay low and keep his hands to himself from now on. It wouldn't be good for either of them if he allowed himself to give in to temptation again. His face was hot as he remembered the night before. Although it had felt incredible, it couldn't happen again. He would have to hide his secret well and cover his tracks.
***
Sadie sat beside the stream, dipping her hand into the cool water and scooping a palm full of it into her mouth. She would never have been able to do that with the water back home. It would be murky and gray-green; not particularly safe for consumption without filters and boiling involved. She wondered how long it would be before James returned and took the opportunity to take in the scenery. The greenery was shocking and vibrant, and the sky a crisp blue. She doubted that she would be able to see anything quite so beautiful back home, at least not in her own timeline.
Her curiosity was piqued by a family of deer, wandering peacefully through the forest. They ambled slowly, lapping up some water from the stream and not seeming to notice her at all. She was shocked by their nearness, how they didn't perceive her as a threat to their well-being and simply continued to move forward. If it was her own timeline, the trauma of gunshots would have made all of them wary of her, and she wouldn't have been able to blame them.
They sauntered quietly into the forest, and she was unable to resist the urge to follow them. They tolerated her company, going about their business as they grazed, their heads raising lazily, an ear twitching here and there as they checked for signs of danger. She felt honored to be accepted into the group, even if it was just temporarily, and she stayed quiet and respectful, amazed by their fearlessness and beauty.
Suddenly, a twig snapped, and the little family of deer froze in fear before taking off through the trees as quickly as their long legs would carry them. James must be back from his hunt. It had gone faster than she thought it would, but then, that didn't surprise her. He was turning out to be more competent than any man she had ever met before.
“James, you wouldn't believe what just happened! There were so many deer! I've never seen that many at once. And they were so beautiful. You should have seen them,” she exclaimed, turning around.
Suddenly she was face to face with the scorned guard – the one she had led on and humiliated.
“James isn't here, and there's no way he will be able to help you now,” he said with a cold grin. She tried to scream for help, but the guard clamped his hand over her mouth, his eyes wild with anger and delight. “You thought you could get away from me so easily, you bloody bear lover? Not likely.”
And with that, he cackled and gripped her arm tightly, twisting it around her back and shoving her forward. To keep her from screaming, he stuffed a cloth in her mouth.
“I'm going to make you pay for humiliating me, wench. And it's not going to feel very good. Not for you anyway.”
Sadie’s eyes widened in panic as she squealed uselessly for James to rescue her. But James was gone.
Chapter 10
“Sadie?” James called uncertainly when he came back to the clearing by the stream. He was holding two dead rabbits, and his beautiful companion was nowhere in sight.
Fear suddenly gripped his heart as he caught a whiff of something familiar – the sour scent of Lord Lachlan's men. He dropped the rabbits on the ground and immediately transformed into a bear, roaring ferociously the moment the shift was complete. He sped off, galloping as quickly as possible, following the blood-boiling stench of the guard, and the blood-curdling scent of Sadie's fear. If he was too late, he knew he would never forgive himself. He should have known better than to leave her alone!
His sharp ears picked up a whimper in the distance, and he bounded toward it as quickly as possible, cursing himself for his carelessness. If he hadn't been so embarrassed about overcrossing his boundaries and worried about losing his place in the clan, he wouldn't have put her life in danger for a hunt. They could have stayed together. He had been so foolish.
James leapt through the trees toward the whimper and landed right in front of the guard as he was beginning to tear his uniform off. He unleashed a deafening roar that made the man pause in his tracks and pale. His pants dropped to the ground, and James wasted no time in sinking his massive teeth into his neck. A gurgling shriek erupted from the man and James began shaking him wildly, until he felt the life leave his victim. He tossed him as far away from Sadie as he could, howling with anger as he transformed back into his human self.
Sadie was bunched up on the ground, sobbing with a gag in her mouth. He ran swiftly to her and removed it, throwing it to the ground as he pulled her into a comforting hug. His strong body was still tense with the throes of battle, and she cried against him. He soothed her, stroking her long red curls and kissing the top of her head.
“It's all right now, lass. I'm so sorry that happened. I shouldn't have left you alone.”
“It's not your fault,” she said through broken sobs. “I left to go see the deer and...”
“Hush, lass, all that matters is that you're safe now. You won't be leaving my sight until we get back to my clan. Come now, I fetched us a meal.”
He lifted her to her feet, pursing his lips in an apologetic smile. “I don't have my kilt,” he said. “But don't worry, it's with our breakfast. Do you want a ride back?”
Sadie didn't know what she wanted. Being comforted by the naked James held a guilty appeal, but it would quickly become awkward.
“All right, lass,” he said, seeming to read her thoughts.
He shifted back into his bear form and looked at her with soulful brown eyes, giving her an innocent, eager to please look that reminded her of a puppy. As if to solidify this image, he gave her a gentle lick on the arm that made her face break out into a smile. She climbed onto his back, laying down with her cheek against his fur, gripping it tightly as he walked briskly through the forest, back to the stream where he had left his rabbits and his favorite kilt.
***
They ate quietly, a small fire crackling between them. When they were finished, James insisted that he look her over for wounds. She allowed him to run his large hands up her arms and down her legs, his clear eyes searching for signs of distress. Fortunately, he found none, and he lifted her to her feet. Their faces were unbearably close, and the thought of just how easy it would be to take her full lips into his, to take her again, haunted James. But he had already made his mistake. He would be crazy to do it again and risk his place in the clan.
He'd worked hard for it.
When she reached out as if to touch him, he turned away, as if he didn't know what she was doing. He bundled up the supplies he'd used to create the fire and tucked them away in his kilt before dousing the fire with stream water and making sure that it was out.
“The spirits won't let me hear the end of it if I burn the forest down,” he said with a grin.
“What spirits?” Sadie asked, frowning.
“Oh, you know, lass. The spirits! The dead who speak to us. They have a soft spot for the wee ones, animals like the deer you were chasing after. If I endangered them, leaving this fire lit, they'd haunt me.”
“I see,” she said, storing the little tidbit of knowledge into her brain. Things in the Highlander's world were not like her own. She should do her best to get used to it, so she could keep herself out of harm's way. Trouble was always likely to follow those who were unprepared and willfully ignorant.
“There's good news,” he said, straightening his back so that his six pack of abs rippled tantalizingly in front of her.
“What's that?” she asked, somewhat distracted by his body.
Luckily, he didn't seem to notice. “We're almost back to my clan. We made it halfway last night before having to stop for rest. There's a lot of daylight left, so we should make it by dawn.”
Sadie smiled at him, eager for any opportunity to sort out whatever was happening, but doubtful that it would make any real difference. Sometimes she almost forgot that she had a whole other world to get back to. Remembering home was strange, and comforting, but it also made her a little bit apprehensive. Back in her own time, there was no James, the man-bear who could lift her with one hand and fill her body with pure bliss. And there were no clear streams to drink from or deer who would approach you as if you were a friend, even without being fed by you. She was becoming quite fond of this world she was in.
Without warning, James shifted into his powerful black bear form and waited patiently by his fallen kilt. He bowed in front of her when she picked it up and used it as a saddle for his hairy back, pressing her head against his as he bounded through the wilderness and toward his clan.
Chapter 11
The sun was just beginning to paint the sky with the pinks and golds of twilight when James stopped trotting abruptly and lay down. Sadie had been nearing sleep and stirred as he growled gently. She slipped down his furry back and leaned against a tree, crossing her arms over her breasts as he began to shift back into his human form. He was facing away from her, and she eyed his lithe body as he slipped his kilt back on before turning to her.
“We're here,” he said, looking into the distance. “Before we go in, would you mind if...”
James trailed off and sighed heavily. Something was weighing on his mind, but he was reluctant to say what it was. She peered at him and he sighed again, actively trying to avoid her eyes.
“What do you want me to do, James?” she asked, frowning.
“Nothing, never mind. But what happened back there can't happen again. I hope you understand.”
“What?” she asked, genuinely puzzled.
“I can't be with a Lowlander, not here,” he said thinly, looking down at the ground and kicking awkwardly at the dirt. “Things are a bit different in my clan. You'll soon catch on, I'm sure. But please try to remember that I'm not the man who made the rules. I'm just the man who broke them.”
She stared after him, her heart contracting painfully as he moved forward, leading her through the brush and toward a warm orange glow. The smell of a campfire filled her senses, and she suddenly forgot the cryptic words James uttered as she followed him into the camp. She felt self-conscious as all eyes turned to her, and James laughed, scratching his head as if he wasn't sure he would be welcome to the party. She half expected them to yell at him, he looked so guilty and sheepish, but instead everybody began to cheer and rush to his side, slapping his bare back excitedly.
“James! Everybody, it's James! We thought we'd lost you!” a man said excitedly. “Wait ‘til we tell the council, they'll be so relieved.”
“I doubt the council gives any care about me,” James said modestly.
“Who's the lass ye brought with you?” they asked.
Suddenly, one of them dropped his jaw. “I know that face! Isn’t it Sadie? Lord Lachlan's fiancée?”
“Oh, James,” an old woman said, shaking her head. “This may turn out badly. You may find yourself in some trouble, lad.”
He was about to respond when suddenly the woman's eyes locked on the pendant dangling between Sadie's breasts. She opened and closed her mouth, grasping at the air as if to try to find the words. But they didn't come.
James lay his heavy hand on her shoulder and steered her away from the scene, changing the subject.
“It's best we talk to the council about this first,” he whispered, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Please tell the same to the others, before word of the girl makes its rounds.”
“Of course,” she whispered and hurried off to inform the council.
“Now then,” he said loudly, turning around with his most charming smile. “I believe I could use a drink.”
“Aye!” the men shouted, laughing and throwing their fists and glasses up into the air.
Sadie and James were surrounded by the crowd and led to a bonfire in the middle of the camp.
“Princess Sadie, meet the rebels,” James said with a grin, waving his arm toward the Highlanders who were gathered in front of the fire. They acknowledged her, somewhat suspiciously, all of them hushed and reserved when their eyes fell upon the pendant. She glanced down at it self-consciously and wondered if maybe it held them captive in the same mystical way that it had drawn her in. Maybe she shouldn't have put it on. Maybe it was cursed, and they could tell.
“Now where's my ale?” James exclaimed, disappearing into the crowd and leaving Sadie alone. She tried to follow him, but she quickly lost him in the crowd. She was learning that Highlanders moved quickly – very quickly – and she sighed, sitting down in front of the fire on a fallen log. She took the opportunity to be lost in the commotion and look around at the Highlander camp.
A scattered collection of tents littered the area surrounding the campfire, one tent standing importantly and looming higher than the rest. She realized that James was heading in that direction, a glass of ale in hand, and she fought the urge to follow him. If he wanted her there, he would have made sure she followed him. She smiled politely when someone offered her a glass, and she took it, sniffing curiously. The smell was strong, and she threw her head away from it in surprise. Still, you were only in the past so often. She figured that you might as well live a little. Sadie brought the glass to her lips and swallowed, raising her eyes as the bite of the alcohol warmed her insides, almost helping her to forget that everyone there considered her a Lowlander.
“Got a nice bite to it, eh, lass?” an old man laughed, giving her a toothless grin. She nodded, giving him a shaky smile.
“Leave the poor lass alone, Ivar,” a woman about Sadie's age said, shooing him away. He gave her one happier, drunken smile before nodding and hobbling away. She promptly plopped down beside Sadie and smiled.
“You don't have to drink that rot if you don't want to,” she said. “Nobody will think any differently of you. In fact, the heathens will probably just be glad to have more to themselves.”
Sadie smiled at the woman and offered her the cup she was holding. She took it with a delighted laugh and drank it down with a few hearty gulps.
“My name's Gail,” she said, wiping her mouth. “I'd wager you don't really know what to do in a Highlander camp, but don't worry. I'm sure James is explaining everything to the council as we speak, and they'll get you settled in. And if it's too late to take action, you're welcome to come back to my tent. I'll give you a change of clothes if you need it, we look to be about the same size.”
Sadie nodded gratefully. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome. You st
ick out like a sore thumb in that green dress of yours,” Gail laughed. “And trust me, you don't really want extra attention. The Highlanders aren't generally very welcoming of strangers. We like to keep to ourselves and protect our own. But as I said, if James sorts it out with the council, things should be fine.”
“He said he'd make sure...” Sadie said, feeling suddenly betrayed.
James had led her to believe that she would be accepted into the clan, as easy as that. And if she wasn't, he would intervene on her behalf. But something about him had seemed different when they had reached the borderlines of his camp, and she hadn't been able to reach the man she'd met in the dungeon again since. Had he simply charmed her to get himself back home with a prize, thinking he might be able to use her against Lord Lachlan?
