Sweet Revenge

by Lynsay Sands

  On that thought, Kyla rested her head against Galen's chest and closed her eyes, not opening them again until they had reached Forsythe. Oddly enough the sight of her childhood home did not bring the sense of safety and well-being it used to. Kyla suspected she would not enjoy that sensation until her eyes rested on the MacDonald keep again.

  Sighing inwardly, she smiled slightly at her husband as he set her to the ground, then turned and started wearily up the steps to the keep without waiting for him. Eager to change into a fresh gown and discard the makeshift cloak she now clutched about her, she took the stairs quickly and was several feet in front of Galen as she started across the hall.

  "Kyla!"

  Halfway across the great hall, she paused, her startled gaze shooting to the man seated at the table. Johnny. She had not expected him to be up. He was still unwell. Swallowing back the pain that swelled up inside her at the very sight of him, she whirled suddenly and hurried back out of the keep.

  Galen's mouth dropped at her abrupt exit, then he glanced to her brother, saw the anguish on the man's face, and hurried after his wife.

  The men were just dismounting when Kyla rushed down the steps toward them. Eyebrows rising curiously, they watched her start to hurry by, then she suddenly whirled and moved to the horses instead. Approaching the stallion she and Galen had shared on the way back, she mounted it with more speed than grace, the bed linens she still clutched about her hampering her actions only somewhat.

  "Well?" she snapped, peering at the men standing uncertainly about. "What are you waiting for? Mount up. We return to Scotland."

  Robbie squinted at that announcement and tilted his head. "Return?"

  "Aye. Do you not wish to see Aelfread?"

  "Aye, but--"

  "Then mount up."

  "Wife." The gentle tone of Galen's voice, added to the touch of his hand on her knee, drew her eyes reluctantly down to him as he reached the side of the horse.

  "Come," he ordered gently, holding his hands up to her.

  Kyla hesitated, then shook her head. "I want to go home."

  Galen nearly smiled at that. She sounded like a frightened child. It was the first time since meeting this courageous woman that he had seen any evidence of vulnerability in her at all. It was a bit reassuring to him just then. "Ye must say farewell to yer brother first," he told her gently but firmly.

  "Henry can tell him farewell for me. Give him my love, Henry," she ordered, glancing at the man holding the limp Catriona.

  "Yer afraid!" Duncan blurted the realization the moment it struck him.

  "I am not!" Kyla snapped, then her lip trembled. "He thinks I tried to have him killed. Even after I showed him my back--"

  "Nay!" Henry dumped Catriona into Robbie's startled hands and moved to stand beside Galen. "He remembered all the moment he saw your back."

  "Do not lie to me, Henry. He called me a fool, said it was all lies."

  "He called himself a fool and said all Catriona had said were lies," Henry corrected gently. "You misunderstood him."

  She hesitated at that, hope coming to life in her eyes. Galen smiled at her reassuringly, holding his arms up to her once more. "Come. I'll stand by ye."

  "So will I," Robbie rumbled, turning to shove Catriona at Tommy so that he could move up to stand beside his laird and offer his support to his lady.

  Frowning at the burden he held, Tommy unloaded her on Gavin. "And I."

  "As will I," Gavin murmured, tossing the woman to Angus who immediately turned to Duncan, but Duncan was swifter and hurriedly stepped forward adding his own vow of support.

  Frowning, Angus discharged the woman on Shropshire, then stepped forward himself with a firm nod.

  Amusement tugging at her lips, Kyla peered from the hapless form of the unconscious Catriona to Shropshire's unhappy face. Meeting her gaze, he hesitated briefly, then in a most unchivalrous move, dumped the woman on the ground and stepped forward. "We shall all accompany you."

  "My brave saviors," Kyla murmured, stifling her amusement as she swung her leg back over the pommel and dropped into her husband's arms.

  "Aye, well...He didn't really do any of the saving," Duncan grumbled, jerking a thumb toward Shropshire. "Fact is, he tried to stop us from saving ye, if ye'll recall. The footsy scunner."

  "Now, see here..." Gilbert snapped, turning on the man.

  "It's true," Duncan defended. "First ye wouldn't let us in the room, then yer blade never left yer sheath."

  "My back was to the room, I did not see that he was up. Besides, 'tis better that than for there to have been seven bloody swords in the poor blighter."

  "At least we ken that we saved her," Angus snapped.

  "Which one of you?" Shropshire snorted with distaste.

  "You are all my saviors," Kyla interrupted smoothly. "Every single one of you rushed to my aid when I needed you. Even Gilbert. I shall never forget that. Now, shall we go in and say our farewells to my brother?"

  Shropshire hesitated, his gaze on the woman he had set on the ground. "I had best stay with this one until Johnny decides what to do with her. You go ahead."

  Smiling a thank-you, Kyla nodded and turned back toward the stairs. With Galen's hand at her arm, she started back up the stairs, only to hear the discussion continue behind her even as the men followed her up the stairs.

  "Never fear, we ken the truth of the matter," Angus muttered.

  "Aye, the English are a bunch of wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beasties," Duncan murmured back.

  Pausing, Kyla whirled to face her men at that and Duncan's face twisted with dismay as he realized that he had just insulted his own mistress. "Not ye of course, me lady." When she continued to frown at him, he swallowed audibly. "Nor yer brother, either. I mean, yer only half English anyway, the two of ye and..."

  When his voice faded to silence Kyla rolled her eyes, shook her head, and turned to continue up the steps.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  "So. Do ye get seasick like yer sister?"

  Lord Forsythe raised his eyebrows at Tommy's question, but merely shrugged. "I do not know. I have never been aboard a boat before."

  When his First groaned at that response, Galen smiled with amusement and shook his head. No doubt the warrior was fearing having to tend to the man as Galen had had to tend to Kyla on the way over. The memory of that hellish trip was enough to steal the amusement from his face and set him to frowning again. He had intended on traveling back to Scotland by horseback to save her the trials of a return journey by boat, but she had insisted on taking the boat when she had learned that it made it a much shorter journey.

  "If 'twould be shorter, 'twould surely be easier on poor Johnny, who is still healing," she had reasoned. "'Sides, I have most like gained my sea legs now," she had assured him naively. "I will manage the trip well enough."

  In the end, Galen had given in to her wish to take the boat. Just as he had given in to her other wishes of late, he thought sourly, his mind returning to the day he had brought her back safely from Morrissey Manor.

  Once persuaded to face her brother, Kyla had marched grimly into her brother's castle as if walking to meet the hangman. Two minutes later she was crying and hugging her repentant brother and assuring him she forgave him all. Of course, once that had happened, her wish to return home had immediately fled.

  "Nay, Galen, I would stay and visit Johnny. He is still recovering," she had said. "Surely a short visit to get to know your brother-in-law would not hurt you?"

  A "short visit" had turned into two weeks. During that time, Kyla had seen to replacing her brother's First for him, cleared out the last of Catriona's men, and generally set things to right in her old home. She had also managed in that time to convince her brother that he should return with her to Scotland for a visit.

  "Morag would be glad to see you on the mend and I would surely enjoy the visit. We could play chess by the fire at night," Galen mimicked her words to her brother in his head, then sighed, realizing with not a li
ttle bit of shame that, of all things, he was jealous of the attention his wife had been bestowing on her own brother. It was a sad case and that was the truth, he decided grimly, but could not help himself. His feelings for her were so strong and all encompassing, it hurt his heart that she did not return them. It was a torture to watch her bestow the easy affection he hungered for on others, even her own brother.

  Sighing, he glanced over his shoulder at his wife. She had started out between him and her brother, but had fallen back a ways after the first two hours of travel. Seeing her thoughtful expression, he slowed his mount until he was at her side. "What has ye so pensive, wife?"

  Kyla smiled slightly. "I was just thinking, my lord."

  "About what?"

  "You."

  Galen blinked at the forthright answer, then peered at her curiously. "And what exactly were ye thinking about me, wife?"

  Kyla shrugged. "I was recalling how you tended me when I was ill.... First from my injury, then on the boat."

  "Aye, well...." He shifted uncomfortably on his horse. "And sure enough ye needed tending."

  "Hmmm," Kyla murmured. "I was also pondering over how you promised me you would tend to the MacGregor ere we returned home. And you did. 'Tis now safe for me to picnic on the beach with Aelfread."

  Galen grimaced at that, for his idea of tending the man and what had actually happened did not exactly merge well in his mind. All he said was, "Somehow I fear ye will have a bit of trouble getting Robbie to agree to that."

  Ignoring that suggestion, Kyla murmured, "You also told me that should I be taken, you would rescue me back and you did."

  "Aye, well, as I recall it, I said that ye should have allowed yerself to be taken and that I then would have saved ye. Or some such rot," he reminded her with some embarrassment.

  "And you did," Kyla repeated. "Save me, I mean."

  Galen was grimacing over his foolish pride the night he had made that statement to her when her next words brought his breathing to a halt.

  "I love you." She had barely said the words when she spurred her horse from a walk to a run and sent him racing up the path past the other men.

  Galen stared after her in amazement for a moment, then dug his heels into his horse's sides and charged after her. Catching her up, he leaned out and caught her about the waist, dragging her onto his own mount.

  "What did ye say?" he demanded, drawing his own mount to a halt.

  "You heard me," Kyla murmured, settling comfortably against his chest.

  "Say it."

  "I love you."

  "Saints preserve us," Galen breathed. "I never thought to hear words so sweet. Say it again."

  "I would rather show you," she murmured shyly, and he caught his breath again. He lowered his lips to capture hers in a soul-searing kiss that left them both oblivious as the men caught up to them and reined their animals in, grinning as they watched the intimate embrace. Well...Most of them were grinning. Johnny was a little less than amused.

  "Ahem."

  Recognizing who was making the noise, neither of them paid much attention to his feigned throat-clearing, so he tried again...a bit louder. "Ahem!"

  "Go away, Johnny," Kyla murmured as Galen kissed a trail to her ear.

  "For the love of God, Sister! Show some decorum! We are out in the woods for all to see."

  "Just as you were when you and Catriona were dallying by the river?" she suggested, reminding him of a day shortly before the attack when he and Catriona had slipped away to make love in a clearing in the woods by the river. Unfortunately, Kyla had been restless that day and decided a walk along the path would lift her spirits. Instead of lifting her spirits, she had got an eyeful of her brother lifting his wife's skirts.

  "You saw us?" The horror in his voice was obvious.

  "As you said, 'Out in the woods for all to see.'"

  He sputtered at that and the men chuckled. Kyla stilled at once. In her passion-dazed state, it had not occurred to her that the men would have reached them also. It was one thing for her brother to come upon them engaged so, but quite another for her men to see her in such a state. Flushing brilliant red, she tugged away from her husband. "Please, husband. 'Tis unseemly to behave so out in the open."

  Galen blinked at her embarrassed face, then at the men surrounding them. Understanding dawning on his face, he swung her into his arms and abruptly dismounted. "We'll camp here tonight."

  "Here?" Tommy peered around at the inhospitable setting with doubt.

  Galen nodded firmly. "Aye. Here. See to it."

  "But 'tis only just past the nooning hour," Duncan protested. "We have many hours of travel left to us."

  "'Tis making up for the lack of rest on the way out that I'm about," Galen explained drolly as he carried Kyla off the path and started into the woods. "'Sides, we must no' wear out Kyla's brother. He's still no' fully recovered."

  Stung at the suggestion that he was not up to par, Johnny straightened in the saddle. "The hell you say! I could ride the rest of the day and well into evening!"

  "So could I, but no' in the saddle," Galen murmured under his breath and Kyla gasped and glared at him.

  "Husband!"

  "He didn't hear," Galen defended himself.

  She relaxed slightly in his arms at the truth of that, but was looking worried now. Galen sighed inwardly, already knowing what was troubling her.

  "Mayhap we should not leave him alone, Galen."

  "He is no' alone, wife. My men will tend him."

  "Aye, but he is still suffering over Catriona's betrayal."

  "A suffering he well deserves for getting tangled up with that she-snake to begin with," he responded with no sign of sympathy. "The man should have used his head in picking a wife, rather than what was between his legs."

  "As you used your head?" Kyla suggested archly, and Galen paused to peer down at her as she pointed out, "You did not even know what kind of wife you were getting when you attacked our party. As I recall, 'Twas revenge you were after when you carried me off to wed."

  "Aye. And had I known how sweet revenge could be, I would have come to claim ye sooner," he said with a wolfish grin, then added more seriously. "Besides, I didn't lose me heart to ye because of yer fair looks and yer hot body in me bed. I gave me heart only when I knew ye were worthy of it."

  "Oh, Galen," Kyla breathed, love filling her eyes. "Those are the sweetest words I have ever heard."

  Galen grinned widely at her approval, then kissed her quickly before moving on again. "I've a passel more of those that I would tell ye, wife. And I'll whisper each one of them against yer naked flesh just as soon as I find a comfy spot to do it in."

  "Is that a promise, husband?" Kyla murmured, running one finger along the rim of his ear. "You have always kept your promises to me."

  "'Tis no' just a promise but a vision that has been haunting me o' late."

  "A vision?" Kyla's eyebrows rose, the day he had loved her on the beach coming immediately to mind. He had exercised a couple of visions there that day, she recalled with a shiver. Her voice was husky as she murmured, "I do so enjoy your visions, husband. Pray hurry and find a 'comfy' spot."

  About the Author

  LYNSAY SANDS is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Argeneau vampire series, as well as numerous historical novels and anthologies known for their humorous edge. Visit her official website at www.lynsaysands.net.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.

  PRAISE FOR NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR LYNSAY SANDS!

  "This romance will heat up the cold winter nights with a warm, fuzzy feeling."

  --Romantic Times on Sweet Revenge "A cheeky, madcap tale...vampire lovers will find themselves laughing throughout."

  --Publishers Weekly on Single White Vampire "Lynsay Sands's strength lies in creating very light entertainment with elements of comedy."

  --All About Romance "This madcap escapade [is] comic and cam
py."

  --Publishers Weekly on The Loving Daylights "Ms. Sands gives romance readers what they want. [What She wants] is charming, funny, and has very human characters."

  --The Romance Reader "Lynsay Sands is a skilled writer. The Reluctant Reformer [is] a charming, entertaining read."

  --All About Romance "Lynsay Sands has just the right touch of humor and the perfect amount of mystery to hold you in her grasp.... Lady Pirate is a delicious treat."

  --Romantic Times "Intrigue and humo...that will make you laugh and turn up the air-conditioning. 4 1/2 stars."

  --Romantic Times on Always "The Key is a happy surprise...a whimsical tale that never sacrifices smarts for silliness."

  --The Romance Reader "Readers are swept up in a delicious, merry and often breath-catching roller-coaster ride that will keep on the edge of their seats and laughing out loud. A true delight!"

  --Romantic Times on The Deed

  Books by Lynsay Sands

  THE IMMORTAL WHO LOVED ME

  VAMPIRE MOST WANTED

  ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE

  IMMORTAL EVER AFTER

  THE LADY IS A VAMP

  UNDER A VAMPIRE MOON

  THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

  THE RELUCTANT VAMPIRE

  HUNGRY FOR YOU

  BORN TO BITE

  BITTEN BY CUPID (with Pamela Palmer and Jamie Rush) THE RENEGADE HUNTER

  THE IMMORTAL HUNTER

  THE ROGUE HUNTER

  VAMPIRE, INTERRUPTED

  VAMPIRES ARE FOREVER

  THE ACCIDENTAL VAMPIRE

  BITE ME IF YOU CAN

  A BITE TO REMEMBER

  A QUICK BITE

  TALL, DARK & HUNGRY

  SINGLE WHITE VAMPIRE

  LOVE BITES

  THE HIGHLANDER TAKES A BRIDE

  TO MARRY A SCOTTISH LAIRD

  KNIGHT OF MY DREAMS

  THE LOVING DAYLIGHTS

  THREE FRENCH HENS

  AN ENGLISH BRIDE IN SCOTLAND