by Ria Cantrell
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Take yer’ filthy hands off my sister,” came a growl from before them.
Rory drew his sword and pulled Brielle behind him. Bloody hell! Derek Campbell! He must have been tracking them the entire time.
“Get away from us, Derek. Dunna’ make him kill ye’ as well. I am going with him.”
Rory wanted to smile at the feisty response of his Brielle, and he would have had it not been so dangerous a situation.
“Easy, Brielle. Just let me handle this. So, ye’ finally have thought to make an appearance! Ye’ lay one finger on my wife and I will gladly cut yer’ hand off. Now, step back.”
“Yer’ wife? I just heard ye’ ask her to marry ye’.”
“Aye, in a church. We are wed by the Ancient Rite. I wanted her to have a proper wedding.”
“She had a proper wedding when she married Marcus Val Cour, of which her mourning time is not complete, therefore no marriage to ye’, pagan or otherwise is valid.”
“A proxy wedding is a sham, not to mention that marriage was ne’er consummated. She is my wife by all rights.”
Rory knew that saying such a thing would probably embarrass Brielle, but it was the truth and he had the proof. He did not tell Brielle that he had carefully tucked the bedding away in his things after their first night together. When they had spoken their vows, Rory had decided he wanted there to be no question that her previous marriage had never been consummated. Brielle’s marriage to Val ‘Cour was null by all rights.
“What do ye’ want? I would think ye’ would be happy to be rid of Brielle from the way ye’ have treated her.”
“I want to avenge my brother’s death. Ye’ killed Roderick.”
“I did not, but I would have, if I had the chance just for the way he abused my Brielle.”
Brielle spoke up from behind Rory’s back, saying, “Derek, let it be. I love him. I want to be with him. The fight is over. Rod is dead because of his hatred. Will it end in yer death as well?”
Derek glared at Rory.
“Ye dishonored my sister…ye’ just admitted taking her innocence.”
“He did not! He has honored me. He loves me. Useless innocence lost was given to him freely, by my own will. He took nothing from me.”
“It is true, I love her. I would die to protect her.”
“That can be arranged MacCollum Wolf.”
As if appearing like a specter, Caleb held his dirk to Derek’s throat and said, “Put yer’ sword down, son and I might let ye’ still live.”
Derek’s sword clattered to the ground.
“Brielle, lass, go to the horses.”
“Caleb, please, he is still my brother. Regardless of what they have done to me…”
“Lass, just go see to Liam. Yer’ brother isna’ stupid enough to try to take on all of us.”
As Caleb said those words, Shawn also approached with his weapon drawn.
“Go on Brielle, we are just going to talk to him, but some of the things I may say arena’ for a sweet lassie’s ears. Ye’ trust me, lass, don’t ye’?”
Brielle nodded. Kissing Rory quickly, she said, “Please be careful. Ye’, also Caleb.”
“Not to worry lass. There’s a good lassie, go on with ye’ now, aye?”
When Brielle had moved out of sight and earshot, Caleb said, “Now the dirks, son. Drop them as well. Mind ye’, I’ll not hesitate to slit ye’ from ear to ear if ye’ so much as toss them close to one of my sons.”
To emphasize his words, Caleb nicked Derek. Derek flinched and Caleb clucked, “Tsk, tsk…have a care lad, else ye’ may end up with a scar to match yer’ sister’s.”
“How do I…I know ye’ won’t slit me the minute I throw down the dirks?” Caleb laughed sarcastically, “Well, ye’ don’t but I gave my word to the lassie. I would not lie to my daughter-in-law. Now throw them down,” he said, nicking him again. Caleb watched Rory, seeing the darkness coming over him. He said, “Son, go to Brielle. Shawn and I will handle this.”
“Like hell ye’ will, da. This worthless puke is mine.”
Caleb took one of Derek’s arms and twisted it behind him painfully, watching Rory the entire time.
“Son, I’d like nothing more than to let ye’ have him and take yer’ revenge. God knows ye’ deserve it, like no one else does, for Caitlyn, yer’ babe and for Brielle.”
Rory growled sounding more animal than human at the moment.
Caleb knew it was dangerous to provoke that beast that Rory worked so hard to keep from the surface.
“But son, Caitlyn would not want this. Ye’ love Brielle so much now. Ye’ canna’ let her down, for he is still her brother.”
“Brother? What right does he have to claim brotherhood now to Brielle? Ye’ saw what they did to her.”
Rory spoke slowly, controlling his voice in an effort to not draw attention to his its changing sound. Derek blurted out, “I didna’ do anything to her. T’was Roderick.”
Derek suddenly felt fear and it was not from the knife pricking his neck. There was something not right with the one they called Rory, his sister’s lover. He was indeed like a feral beast…The Highland Wolf…and Derek was certain the legends were more truth than myth watching Rory in this moment. Rory’s voice sounded unnatural, with a lethalness that was hard to miss. His visage had seemed to change as well. His eyes had gone dark; pupils enlarged despite the sunlight. He looked more like a falcon ready for the kill than a wolf at the moment.
“Ruiri, we canna’ kill him, for Brielle’s sake,” Shawn said, hoping to get through the blood lust within Rory.
“They would have made Brielle a whore to spite me.”
Despite his fear of the Wolf, Derek spat, “She is already a whore because of ye’.”
“She is my wife!” Rory said with the last of his control quickly slipping away. Shawn acted quickly, dropping his sword and grabbing Rory, holding his arms in the same manner as Caleb held Derek, minus the dirk to his throat, of course.
“Easy, Brother. Dunna’ do it.”
“Let me go,” he roared, fighting to break from Shawn’s hold with an almost unnatural hold. Though Shawn was as big as Rory, it took all his strength to try to still him. Something bigger than both of them controlled Rory, now. Shawn had seen this rage before; after Caitlyn had been killed. He said firmly, “I canna’ do that, Brother. Ye’ know that.”
Derek stammered, “Wh-what is wrong with him?”
Caleb jerked his arm back, causing him to wince and he answered, “Wrong with him? Wrong with him? He watched his beloved Caitlin die with an arrow in her heart; one ye’ or Roderick shot. What is wrong with him? After years of grief and regret, he finally falls in love with yer’ sister, who has been scarred from the hands of one of ye’, only to have her taken, beaten and threatened with rape. Roderick told Rory he had passed yer sister around to his men, letting them have a go at raping her. If I didn’t love that girl like my own daughter, I would gladly give ye’ over to my son and let him finally finish this evil here and now. But I canna’ have that between my son and Brielle. She is his salvation and in allowing him to loose his vengeance on ye’, I would lose them both. Make no mistake, Campbell, I am not sparing ye’ for yer’ own sake, but for my son’s and his wife’s.”
“I never hurt her.”
“Da’, he’s lying,” Rory growled.
“I know son. I know.”
“Let me go, Shawn. Seriously, aye?”
Shawn held his brother firmly, matching his strength.
“Shawn I ought to knock the crap out of ye’ for this.”
“Aye, ye’ should, and mayhap after this is over, ye' will but while I’ve got ye’ thus, ye’ will be doin’ no such thing.”
A roar of anger and frustration left Rory. The sound reverberated through the trees. Its unnatural violence and strength filling the air.
Brielle stopped in her tracks. That was Rory! The hell with her promise to Caleb’s request! Rory needed her and she was not g
oing to fail him again. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her to be back at Rory’s side. She saw him struggling against Shawn’s hold. She ran to him and sank before him. Tears streamed down her face.
“Ruiri, please, let me help ye’,” she pleaded.
Her arms wrapped around Rory’s legs. Brielle sobbed, so afraid for his anguish.
The moment Rory saw her, the tension immediately dissipated from him. Shawn relaxed his hold on his brother. He let Rory’s arms go so his brother could hold Brielle, knowing she had the power to subdue the torment within him.
“Lass, what are ye’ doin',”Caleb asked, quite concerned that this girl was also not going to leave without a fight. Ach, he was getting too old for this!
“Caleb, please. I need to help Ruiri. He is my life. I canna’ fail him again.”
Rory seemed to come out of his rage immediately upon seeing Brielle crying. He shook off the violence and he drew her up into his arms.
He said, “Shhhh, love. Dunna’ cry…”
She sobbed against his chest, his arms holding her tightly. She said, “Ruiri, oh, Ruiri…please be alright.”
“I am fine, Bri.”
“Derek did not hurt me. It was always Rod. Rod who cut me…Rod who beat me.”
Kissing her hair, Rory said, “Perhaps, but this one didna’ protect ye’. And he probably did many cruel and mean things to ye’.”
Derek saw the calming affect his sister had on Rory, this Wolf he had renewed respect for. Derek was certain, unrestrained, Rory would not be a force to reckon with. He was actually grateful for the restraint MacCollum had felt was necessary, else he would have been a dead man, lying cold in the earth alongside of his brother.
There was another thing that suddenly broke through his spirit of meanness. Derek felt years of regret suddenly breaking through his cold heart. He saw his sister as a woman, grown and beautiful and he realized just how horrible he had been to her. He no longer had the influence of Roderick to quiet his conscience. Roderick was so good at justifying the evil they had done to Brielle. Derek finally spoke up.
“Aye, I did do many of those cruel things, ye' are right, and for them I am sorry. Rory is right. I should have protected you. Ye’ were just a little girl and I should not have let Rod abuse ye’.”
“There is not a day I can ever remember either of ye’ being remotely kind to me. But now I at least know why. I did not understand it then, but I do now.” Brielle was suddenly angry and despite the heartbreak Rory heard in her words, he knew she was simmering a rage of her own. “Rod told me…how Da married my mother only two months after yer’ own ma had passed. I came along after that, so I know I am only yer’ half-sister.”
Ah, it was as Rory had suspected all along. Brielle let go of Rory and stood before Derek. “But ye’…ye’ were the only brothers I had ever known. I didna’ know I didn’t belong to ye’…that I wasna’ part of ye’. Or at least, fully part of ye’, because I think my da loved me so I think I was his.”
“Aye, ye’ are my father’s daughter.”
Brielle felt the years of injustice and hurt rising to the surface. She met her brother’s eyes, no longer afraid of him or his taunts.
“Ye’ never even gave me a chance and never gave my mother a chance. Ye’ treated her the same as ye’ treated me and never once made her a part of ye’. I didna’ understand it and since she died when I was still a little girl, from that terrible accident from falling from her horse, ye’ didn’t have to worry about her any more. When she died, I hoped ye’ both would have shown me I belonged. But ye’ ne’er did. Ye’ made me feel ugly and ashamed…and ye’ made me fear I would end up like my mother…dead from an accident that never should have happened. Tell me Derek, did Roderick cause that horse to spook? Was my mother thrown because of something he did?”
Derek dropped his head. It was too horrible to admit, but somehow he knew he had to.
“Aye. He had only wished to have a bit of fun, never thinking she would be thrown. He ran out in front of the horse and it reared to avoid trampling him. Yer’ mother fell and struck her head on a stone. Some say her neck was broken, but she died from the blow to her head, I am certain. We saw the blood pouring from her head and we knew she had been killed. After that, it was then that the guilt of what he had done that ate away at any moral fiber Roderick may have had. It was as if having done that one vile thing, he was forever forsaken. I think he believed it himself, so his only path was to nurture the evil within. I watched him become more and more twisted, relishing in the cruel rather than not…and it was easier to join him than to fight him. I have been a coward.”
Rory felt sick at this revelation. It now became clear that Brielle had suffered in ways that were worse than Rory could have ever imagined. For what? For cruel boyish pranks that cost the life of her own mother.
“It was as I thought…all along. My mother could ride the fastest and wildest of horses. I knew she would not have lost her seating on her own. That bloody bastard!” Rory, moved behind her, horrified at this information. His hands ever so gently, circled her waist.
She bit back a sob and said, “Well, now I belong, Derek. I never belonged to ye’…but I belong with this man, who loves me. And I love him. Stay out of my life, Derek, I want no more of ye’ or the legacy of hatred and evil tied to being a Campbell. Ye’ are to leave me be. I had done all I could to be obedient and ye’ still forced me to marry that sick old man. I belong with Ruiri now. Ye’ can finally put me out of yer mind and forget me, which, I am sure, should not be too hard to do.”
Rory wanted to comfort her, but he knew she needed to finally speak her peace. He knew she had suffered years of abuse and neglect; cruel and harsh realities at the hands of these men. It was her turn to say what she had held inside all those years. She was so angry that she practically shook with the force of it. He had never seen Brielle this angry and he knew that she more than had a right to be.
“Ye’ canna’ hurt me any more. Ye’ are to stay away from me and my husband. Ye’ try to hurt any one of my family and I will forget ye’ are my brother, as you have so easily forgotten about me. I will turn a blind eye and let my husband and our Clan take its vengeance.”
Her eyes blazed with the years of pent up hurt, fury, and with the realization of just what monsters her brothers had been.
Derek nodded and said, “I …am sorry.”
“Sorry? Ye’ tried to take everything away from me, even my own mother and ye’ took everything away from Ruiri.”
Rory leaned in and said, “Nay, love. Ye’ are everything to me now. Come away from him…Ye’ are too precious and good to take any more from the likes of him. It is done now.”
Turning to look at Rory, Brielle asked, “What will happen to him?” She raised tearful eyes to Rory and his heart wrenched in his chest. “He is still my brother, after all,” she sobbed.
Rory took her into his arms and he held her. She wept so bitterly in his arms that he could not hold onto the anger he felt any longer. If she could have forgiveness in her precious heart for this man who had taken so much from her and who had treated her so cruelly, surely he could do no less. Looking over his shoulder, he called, “Let him go, Da. It is done.”
“Are ye’ sure, Rory?”
“Aye, Da. I have to leave the past behind me now, for my Brielle and our babe. I canna bring back Caitlyn, but somehow the heavens saw fit to give me another chance to love. Let him go. Killing him will not bring back Caitlyn or Brielle’s mother, for that matter. Brielle is mine now to love and protect. He is a beaten, broken man, who has nothing...not even a soul. He could never shine compared to this beautiful graceful lady. Look at him. He is nothing.”
Rory took Brielle and led her to the horses. It was then, as if the dam of emotions she had carefully built had broken, because she sobbed and sobbed. All the hurt from her past flooded to the surface. All the pain of her youth now spilled out when she had worked so hard to be as strong as she could. The emptiness she had felt
as a child and at the interment of her brother flooded her; the near loss of Rory, all of it. She cried so hard, that Rory was afraid she was broken beyond repair. In feeling his arms steadfast around her, her sobs soon ebbed.
His voice soothed, “Sshh, it’s going to be alright now. Ye’ve been so strong and it is just that ye’ need to release it. I am so proud of ye’, Brielle. Ye’ handled yerself’ ever as a highland lady. Ye’ make me proud to stand beside ye’.”
At his words, her sobs drifted off and began to cease. Rory brushed her tears away and he said, “I promise ye’ this, Brielle. No one shall ever hurt ye’ again, as long as I have breath in my body. No one shall ever cause you so much grief. I vow not to and to keep those who would far from you. Now, come, Sweetheart. Let’s go home.”
Rory helped her mount her horse and he mounted beside her.
“Aye, home, Ruiri…home with ye’.”
Once the two had mounted their rides and turned away from the clearing, they turned away from the past as well. They now faced the future together. Taking the lead to the road home to MacCollum Keep, they quickly put the ugly scene far behind them.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Caleb growled next to Derek’s ear,“While my new “daughter” and son have found it in their hearts to have mercy on yer' worthless hide, heed me. Ye’ make one attempt to hurt my family or that girl and I promise ye’, I will hunt ye’ down myself.”
Shawn approached and said “That is not going to happen, right Campbell? Yer’ sister may be kind enough to beg for yer’ sorry arse, but I am not.”
Derek nodded.
“Oh, and by the way, just so you know we aim to hold that ye’ to that promise, here is a little reminder of our agreement. This is for my new sister,” Shawn said, landing a powerful punch to Derek’s middle.
Caleb released him as the worthless scum doubled over. As he lay in the dirt, moaning, Shawn said, “Ye’ feckin’ coward, abusing a woman. I despise the sight of ye’.”
With a final kick to Derek’s ribs, Shawn and Caleb turned from him and went to join the riding party set for the MacCollum lands, never mentioning to Brielle the little parting gift Shawn bestowed on Derek.
