by Becca Van
Maeghan’s gaze went from Ewan’s harsh, scowling face to Hamish’s concerned expression and back to Calum. She flinched when Hamish reached out and pushed her hair away from her face.
“Shh, little one, no one here will harm ye. Ye are safe here.”
When Maeghan tried to scoot away from Hamish’s touch, Calum nearly smiled. His younger brother was now frowning at the lass as if she had two heads. Maeghan gasped with pain, stopped wriggling and grabbed for her ribs, froze, and then flopped back on the bed. Perspiration broke out on her forehead, and Calum wondered if she had broken her ribs. She was panting as if she couldn’t take a full breath.
“Move,” he ordered his brothers.
They moved back, and he gently removed the furs from her hands. “Easy, lass, I’ll no’ hurt ye, I just need to see if yer ribs are broken.” He pulled the covers down to her waist and began to gently probe the line of each rib through the material of his shirt. He kept his eyes locked to hers the whole time, and once he was done, he was satisfied that she was only badly bruised.
When he had her covered again, he turned to face his brothers and nearly laughed out loud when he saw the awed expressions on their faces and the determination to protect her in their eyes, as well as the attraction they felt for her. He knew just how his brothers felt, seeing Maeghan’s slim form through his shirt.
“Ewan, I want ye to ride to the MacTavish clan before dawn and inform the laird that Maeghan Fraser is here with us. Tell him how we found her and bring him back with ye.”
“Nay,” a feminine voice gasped out.
“Nay what?” he asked, turning to face Maeghan once more.
“He’ll no’ want to come back here. I donnae want to be a bother.”
“Are ye worried that yer laird will harm ye, lass?” Hamish asked.
“Nay.”
“Then what has ye in such a dither?” Ewan inquired.
“He’ll be angry with me,” she whispered, but Calum heard.
“What for?”
“For leaving the village without an escort.”
“That is as it should be. Ye took a foolish risk, woman. And now ye are paying the price. Not that I condone what those bastards did to ye. Yer laird will want to see for himself that ye are all right. I am no’ hiding yer presence from him. If he found oot that ye are here and I dinnae tell him, he might jump to the conclusion that we took ye. I will no’ war with another clan over one puny lass,” Calum stated harshly and turned his back on her.
Hamish was frowning at him and then gazing at the woman with concern, but Calum ignored him.
“When do ye want me to ride oot?” Ewan asked, and even though Calum had already told him, he knew his brother was trying to distract the lass from his harsh words.
“The sooner the better.”
“I’ll leave well before first light. I should be back with the laird by afternoon.” Ewan stepped around Calum. “Does Laird MacTavish know ye, lass?”
Her reply was too muffled for him to make it out. “Look at me when I speak to ye, Maeghan,” Ewan commanded.
Calum kept his expression blank but felt anxious when Maeghan turned over and he saw her tear-streaked face. She hastily wiped her face with the backs of her hands and winced with pain as she touched her swollen, bruised face.
“Again, lass,” Ewan commanded but tempered his tone. “Does he know ye?”
“I donnae think he does.”
“It makes no difference. He will come either way. Ewan, make sure MacTavish understands everything before he arrives,” Calum ordered, drawing his brother’s gaze.
Ewan turned his back on Maeghan. “Are ye…?”
“I am,” Calum interrupted before his brother could form the question on his lips. He drew Hamish’s eyes.
“Really? Are ye sure?” Hamish asked.
“I am. Do ye have any doubt? The need to protect was instilled in us from an early age, Hamish. Surely, ye of all people can see more is needed. She dinnae get the protection she needed from her own clan.”
“Nay, but I donnae think she will accept. She will want to go home,” Hamish whispered dubiously but didn’t look at the woman in question.
“She has a choice. All she has to do is say nay.”
“Ye donnae think she will?” Ewan queried.
“I need more time with the lass,” Calum stated, tilting his chin arrogantly.
“Ye feel that strongly toward her?” Ewan asked.
“Aye. And I could see from the way ye were both watching her that ye do, too.”
Now all Calum had to do was convince Maeghan Fraser that she would be safer living with him, his brothers, and his clan. He only hoped she agreed.
Chapter Three
Maeghan had no idea what the three men were talking about but didn’t want to ask. She was tired and her whole body was aching. She was also running hot and cold and knew she had a slight fever, probably from all the injuries she had sustained at the hands of the bastards who had beaten her.
She had no real idea who the other men were. Of course she now knew that their names were Ewan and Hamish, since Laird Calum Campbell had called them by their birth names. From the similar features they shared with the laird, she suspected that the other two were either brothers or cousins, but she wasn’t about to ask.
Maeghan wasn’t ready for another dressing down from Laird Campbell. The one she’d already had had been more than enough, and she wasn’t strong enough to stand up to the man, at least not yet. Maybe in a day or two she would feel more her usual self, and by then she would be back in her own home.
If her laird did come to see her on the morrow, he would more than likely take her back home, where she belonged. She peeked to see the three giant men had finally moved away from the bed, and she let her muscles relax for the first time since she had opened her eyes in a strange bedchamber. The deep rumble of their voices soothed away her fears and she felt herself drifting off to sleep. Tomorrow she would be able to go home.
* * * *
Maeghan had just finished bathing with help from Gerty and was now being dressed. Her fever had broken in the night. Although she felt like she had been trampled by a runaway destrier, and probably looked like it, too, she felt far better than yesterday. The muscles in her body were stiff and sore, and moving caused her a great deal of discomfort, but she had been determined to at least be clean to meet her laird.
A shout went up in the courtyard outside, and after thanking Gerty, she shuffled her way over to the window. Unhooking one side of the fur that covered it, she peered out and down. She gasped with trepidation at what she saw.
Ewan Campbell—Gerty had informed her that Ewan, Hamish, and Calum were brothers—was riding beside Alec MacTavish on one of the biggest horses she had ever seen. Maeghan had thought her laird was a giant of a man, but compared to the Campbells he looked to be of normal size.
Riding behind Ewan and Alec were a contingent of MacTavish warriors. Squinting against the glare of the sun, Maeghan tried to see Alec’s expression.
“Oh God, he looks so angry. Please, donnae let him be angry with me,” Maeghan whispered.
The men came to a stop in the yard, and lads came running from the stables to care for the horses. Only two were needed as Alec and Ewan were the only men to dismount. She followed them with her eyes until she couldn’t see them anymore and turned around, intending to hurry down to greet her laird.
Maeghan was pulling on the door when it suddenly swung open. She jumped back and would have fallen if strong arms hadn’t wrapped around her waist and pulled her up against a hot, hard body. The hands restraining her brought back memories of yesterday, and Maeghan began to panic. Lifting her arms she pushed against the solid muscle with no effect.
“Shh. Easy, lass, I’ll no’ hurt ye,” a familiar voice rumbled, and the arms finally released her.
Tilting her chin back, she looked up into the handsome face of Hamish Campbell. He was so tall that her neck ached from having to look up. Taking a f
ew steps back, she kept her gaze on his green eyes. Hamish Campbell had to stand over six and a half feet tall, and he literally bulged with muscle. His sandy-colored shoulder-length hair was tied back with a piece of leather, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it felt as silky as it looked. He smelled so nice that she inhaled his clean masculine scent of sandalwood and leather, but it was his face and voice which drew her. He had a gorgeous face for a man and such a gentle voice she found herself leaning toward him.
“There’s no need to back away from me, Maeghan. I would never hit or hurt any woman.”
“Words are cheap. Actions speak louder.” Maeghan wondered if she had gone too far when Hamish just stood staring at her, but then his expression changed and he smiled at her. Air caught in her throat and she had to bite her tongue to stop an answering smile from forming on her lips.
Hamish Campbell looked like a fallen angel. His green eyes were sparkling with amusement as he looked at her. His face was strikingly beautiful, and he had mischievousness about him.
“I am glad to see that yer spirit was no’ affected by the beating. Laird MacTavish and Calum would like to see ye in the hall. I have come to escort ye, my lady.” Hamish grinned and made her a courtly bow, then offered her his arm.
Maeghan was hard-pressed not to be caught up in his contagious devilment and flirtatiousness, but her nerves had jumped as soon as he said she had been summoned. She hadn’t had much to do with Alec MacTavish, but the stories her father had told her of an evening made her very apprehensive of his reaction. He wasn’t going to be pleased with her, that much she knew. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand lightly onto Hamish’s arm and let him guide her from the room.
By the time they had reached to bottom of the stone steps, Maeghan’s legs were trembling, but she placed a blank expression on her face and let him lead her into the great hall. The clean, sweet-smelling rushes beneath her feet helped to calm her anxiousness, and then she raised her head and looked across the room.
She stumbled slightly when she saw Ewan, Calum, and Alec sitting at the large table near the entrance.
Ewan Campbell was handsome in a harsh, rugged way. He had reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes. She knew he was shorter than Hamish by a couple of inches since she had seen the brothers standing side by side in her bedchamber the previous evening, and even though he wasn’t as muscular, he still looked very strong.
Her eyes flitted to Laird Calum Campbell. He had hair so dark she wasn’t quite sure if it was a deep-brown color or black. His eyes were a deep blue, and even though he stood just over six feet tall, he had such an intimidating, commandingly confident presence he could have been a giant. For some reason she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. His biceps bulged when he moved, and she couldn’t help but look at his solid, muscular legs when he shifted.
“Donnae be afraid, lass, we won’t let anyone hurt ye,” Hamish said for her ears alone as he urged her across the great room’s expanse. The massive wood trestle-like table was up on a raised dais with wooden benches running along each side and across the end. Calum was seated at the head of the table with Ewan to his right and an empty space to his left, no doubt reserved for Hamish. Alec was sitting on the side next to Ewan.
Alec must have heard her coming, because he looked up at her. The roar of fury he released resonated around the large room as he jumped to his feet, heedless of the bench seat falling over behind him. Skirting the table, he rushed to her side and carefully cupped her chin in his large hand.
“What happened, lass?” Alec asked gently, studying her bruised and swollen face. “Did these men hurt ye?”
Maeghan gasped when Alec placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and glared at Hamish. With speed she wouldn’t have thought such a large man capable of, he pulled her away from Hamish and into his side. His arm wrapped around her shoulders when she tried to move away.
“Nay!” Maeghan cried. “The Campbells saved me.”
“Come and be seated,” Calum called. “My brothers have yet to hear what happened to the lass. I had Ewan bring ye here so ye could hear the telling the same time they did. I donnae want any dissension between our clans. We found Maeghan on the border of Campbell land close to the MacLeods.”
Maeghan let her laird guide her to the table. He placed a large hand on her lower back and gently urged her forward. Once they were all seated and goblets of wine had been poured all the men looked to her.
Picking up the wine with trembling hands, she took a sip to ease the dryness in her mouth and throat and tried not to grimace at the bitter taste. Taking a deep breath, she explained how she had been captured, what had been done to her, and how she had escaped the MacLeods’ clutches. When she had finished, she found each of the men looking at her as if she had grown another head. She wished she knew what they were thinking. Hamish’s angelic features had tightened with anger. Ewan’s face showed nothing except the ticking muscles on either side of his clenched jaw. Calum was staring at her with a blank expression but had a funny look in his eyes.
Gathering her courage, Maeghan finally turned her head and looked up at Alec MacTavish. He was looking at her as if she were a curiosity. But as she watched, his puzzlement turned to fury. Turning his face away from her, he looked to the Campbells.
“They die!”
Maeghan’s ears rang from Alec’s roar and watched in confusion as anger swept over Calum’s, Ewan’s, and Hamish’s faces. They each moved their hands to the hilt of their swords and nodded in agreement.
“Nay!” Maeghan yelled, rushing to her feet.
“Ye dare defy yer laird, lass?” Alec asked softly.
“Aye. Nay.” She clutched her hands nervously. “I cannae let ye avenge me.”
“Why the hell no’?” Alec roared.
“I will no’ have ye, or anyone for that matter, in danger over my own stupidity.”
“I should punish ye for leaving the village without an escort, but I fear it is yer sire’s fault for the way ye are. If he hadn’t treated ye like a lad, ye would never have been alone,” Alec said, running a hand over his face. “Sit down, lass. Ye are still in pain.”
Maeghan sat down and took another sip of wine. She wondered if her laird was correct. If her father hadn’t taught her how to hunt and defend herself, would she have had the courage to go about so freely? Aye, she would have. Maeghan didn’t like having to rely on others for her own existence. She was so unlike all the other women in the MacTavish clan. Maeghan Fraser liked to be independent, and no matter what, she wouldn’t change for anyone.
“We need an alliance,” Calum said, drawing her gaze. He was looking at her, and even though she tried to stare him down, she looked away first. “There has been too much dissension between the clans. Ye and I both have the largest clans in the highlands. It would be a bloodbath if we were to war against each other.”
“What are ye talkin’ aboot, Campbell?”
“We have a responsibility, and we aren’t aboot to give that up,” Calum answered.
What in the hell were they talking about? Placing her goblet on the table in front of her she lifted her head and froze. Four sets of male eyes were looking at her. Heat stole into her cheeks at the attention, but she didn’t lower her head again. Maeghan lifted her hand and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, wincing and gasping when her fingers touched her swollen face.
“When a life is saved, that life becomes the property of the savior,” Ewan stated in a hard voice.
“Ye are no’…”
“Aye, we are,” Calum said, glaring at Alec.
“Just thee or yer brothers, too?” Alec queried.
“All of us,” Hamish answered.
Maeghan had no clue what they were conversing about, but a frisson of alarm skittered up her spine. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She looked from one Campbell to another and saw the steely determination in their eyes. Whatever it was, they weren’t about to back down.
Pain shot through Maegha
n’s ribs when she moved, and perspiration formed on her brow. She reached for the table and clung to the edge until the pain began to recede. When she straightened slowly, a large, muscular arm wrapped around her waist. Lifting her head, she gazed into the eyes of Hamish Campbell. She hadn’t even heard the man move, and now he was sitting at her side.
He picked up her goblet, crushing something into the wine before he held it to her lips. “Drink up, love. This herb comes from our healer. It will help the pain.”
Maeghan didn’t have much choice. It was either swallow or drown. Hamish tipped the vessel and didn’t stop until the goblet was empty. Her vision began to blur and the room felt like it was swaying. The arm around her waist moved and then she was being lifted. She tried to protest, but her tongue felt so thick she couldn’t form words. Hard thighs warmed her bottom, and she was pulled up against a big, warm body. I’m sitting in someone’s lap. A giggle escaped before everything went black.
Chapter Four
“What did ye give her?” Alec bellowed when Hamish Campbell lifted an almost-unconscious Maeghan onto his lap.
“She was in pain. The herbs in her wine will ease her,” Ewan answered. “Ye saw how stiffly she held herself. Do ye honestly think we would harm the lass?”
“Nay,” Alec sighed.
“Tell me something.” Calum’s soft voice caused the hair on Ewan’s nape to rise. “Why did ye no’ know how the lass cared for herself?”
“I have a clan to care for. Ye of all people should know how much time that takes. Her father was a good man, but his affairs were no’ mine.”
“Did ye no’ know that she survived by selling her loom’s work for supplies?” Hamish questioned.
“Nay.”
“Maeghan is no longer of thy clan,” Ewan stated.
“The hell she’s…”
Alec MacTavish trailed off, but Ewan still watched him closely as he stood in their hall, glaring at them with his hand on the hilt of his sword. Ewan could kill him before he even drew his claymore from his scabbard, but from Alec’s hesitation, he knew it. No one had ever bested him or his brothers with a sword. A few had come close, and perhaps Alec would be one of those few, but he wasn’t stupid enough to try it.
