I turned back to the large man in the center of the crowd to listen to what he had to say.
“We MacGregors have always been feared throughout the highlands for as long as we can remember. We have been the thing of whispers and nightmares. We have held respect! Our mystery has protected us throughout time and our curse, this wolf blood that flows in our veins, has been ours alone. But now what do we have? We have a chief who that takes an outsider as his wife and who is so vulnerable that he was attacked in his own keep! Have we grown so fat, so lazy that the other clans are now welcome to simply murder us in our own beds? What are we to do with a leader who can no longer lead? Are we going to stand for this? Is this how we will be remembered by our children? By our children’s children? And if we do nothing, say nothing, will we even last long enough to have those sweet bairns and to teach them our ways? To see our wolf pups howl at the moon and take them for their first hunt? We may be a clan, but are we a pack? And if we are not, then who is to blame?”
The crowd grew louder, a mix of encouraging cries at the man’s words and angry grumbles of agreement.
As I watched him whip the crowd into a mutinous frenzy, my mind raced as it tried to make sense of what he was saying and how he could be so insanely foolish.
“What is going on here?” Alastair called out.
The heads in the crowds turned as one and the masses hurriedly stepped back as their chief slowly rode toward them. They parted like the sea, making way for him to pass until he was directly in front of the speaker.
Alastair swung himself down from his horse and looked the other man squarely in the eye. “What is your name?” he asked the man gravely.
“Graham McConnell, sir,” the man replied. He stood tall, his back straight, and it suddenly struck me that this was the first man I had ever seen who could rival Alastair in height. Over time I had gotten used to Alastair’s size as I was so often near him, but now I stood in slight awe of the two men who towered over the crowd around them. They looked like giants, and I feared for those who would be crushed if these two came to blows.
“What is it that you’re trying to accomplish here, Mr. McConnell?” Alastair asked him mildly, his eyes never leaving the other man’s.
“I want the people of this clan to take a hard look at where they’ve found themselves,” McConnell told him, his voice unwavering. “We are a strong, proud people, and yet we act as if we were the hunted instead of the hunters. We have grown lazy and as tame as the common hound instead of as wild and free as the fierce creatures we are. We have untold strength and power, and yet we squander it. We have stayed hidden so long that the wolf blood that flows through us is turning to dust in our veins. We must break free. We must rally together and show our strength. The days for hiding are over.”
McConnell finished his speech and raised his chin defiantly, as if he were daring Alastair to strike him, his body tense and ready for the blow. But Alastair did no such thing.
“If ye believe that ye can lead this clan better than I have done these many years, then ye know what ye must do. But I warn ye, if ye take such action against me, it will be folly,” Alastair snarled.
McConnell blinked at him in surprise before silently bowing his head.
“As I thought,” said Alastair before turning his back on McConnell and mounting his horse.
I watched as to a man, each person in the square followed McConnell’s lead and silently bowed their heads to Alastair as we rode by. I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Alastair had been able to put a stop to the trouble before things had gotten out of hand.
***
“Should we be worried?” I asked Alastair as we continued on our way to Mr. Alpin’s house.
“I’m not sure yet,” he told me. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the road ahead.
“I don’t like the way he was riling up the crowd. He could be a problem,” I continued.
“I think I made my point very clear, but you’re right. He could pose more of a problem in the future,” Alastair agreed.
When we arrived at the magistrate’s house, we were greeted by his housekeeper and ushered inside to the sitting room.
“My lord, Ms. Gordon, a pleasure as always,” Mr. Alpin said with a deep bow and a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.
“Alpin,” said Alastair, distracted, with a curt nod of his head. His attention was obviously still on the scene we had just witnessed outside.
I stepped forward to greet the magistrate with a wide smile. “Mr. Alpin, how nice it is to see you. I hope you’ve been well.”
“Yes, Miss Gordon, very well, thank ye. We’ve been having a fine summer, don’t you agree?”
“Yes, very fine,” I agreed, already growing bored with the niceties that were necessary before we got down to the task at hand.
I highly doubted that Mr. Alpin and I would ever grow to like one another. He had been much too vocal about his distaste for Alastair’s wedding me and I didn’t think that he would ever fully approve of me.
Mr. Alpin’s housekeeper poured our tea for us as we got settled. Alastair waited until the door to the room had closed softly behind her before he allowed himself to tell Mr. Alpin exactly what was on his mind.
“Mr. Alpin, are ye or are ye not the magistrate of this area?” Alastair asked him mildly.
Unsure of himself, Mr. Alpin looked around at the other men in the room but was met with a sea of black faces. “Yes, MacGregor, I am,” he said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
“Then why, I wonder, is there a mob gathered outside within shouting distance of your door, questioning my leadership and the future of our clan?”
I watched the magistrate with interest as he swallowed audibly.
“Well, ye see, MacGregor, I suppose I felt the people had a right to voice their concerns…” He trailed off lamely at the sight of the storm clouds gathering on Alastair’s face.
“I see,” Alastair said with a nod. “Ye thought they should be able to voice their concerns, did ye? And ye thought that they should be able to voice those concerns without you there to make sure things dinna get out of control?”
“They… they didn’t seem overly violent or… disrespectful when they first started to gather,” Mr. Alpin stuttered.
It amazed me that the man had ever been appointed to office. I wondered vaguely how much money must have changed hands for him to secure his position, because I couldn’t see how he could have been appointed as magistrate due to any great show of competency.
“Alpine, I came to speak to ye today so that we could discuss how we would work together to keep these people calm in this troubling time. But from what I saw out there, I am seriously beginning to question your ability to do your job effectively.”
“I can assure ye, MacGregor, that I do my job and I do my job well. And if ye are displeased with my performance, then maybe ye should just find someone else to appoint as magistrate,” he said with great boldness.
Mr. Alpin’s eyes went wide, as if he was only just realizing what he had said, and he hurried to continue before Alastair could take him up on his offer.
“Of course, I remind ye that I have been magistrate in the area since your father was chief. If he had questions or doubts about my ability to perform my tasks efficiently, then I would have been replaced long ago.”
“Though that may be, Mr. Alpin,” said Alastair, “I think it would be unwise to make any drastic changes just yet. The future is unsure enough without giving our clan more to worry about. But I expect ye to get a firmer handle on what’s going on out there. The last thing we need is rioting in the street.”
“Of course, sir, of course. I will endeavor to put an end to any more of these gatherings before they’ve begun. Now is the time for peace and order while we prepare to defend ourselves from the enemy at the gates, not squabbling amongst ourselves like errant children.”
Alastair sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Just be sure to keep the people calm
, Mr. Alpin.”
The magistrate flushed red but held himself straight, bristling in indignation. His eyes flickered toward me, and my eyes flickered away from him as I took a sip of tea. I suddenly found myself very interested in the lovely floral pattern around the rim of his teacup. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the magistrate flush an even deeper shade of red and I knew that any displeasure he felt toward me was only being deepened by the fact that I was here to witness Alastair voicing his displeasure with the man.
“Alright, enough of this,” said Alastair. “Mr. Alpin, why don’t ye tell me what you’ve been working on with the outlying crofters? Has word of the threat been sufficiently spread?”
Sitting back, I listed intently as Alastair and the other men discussed the actions that would need to be taken to prepare for any further attacks from Allina.
CHAPTER 3
The sunshine streamed in through the open shutters of my bedchamber window as I lay in the soft cocoon of blankets, staring up at the ceiling. I raised a trembling hand to my breast and could feel my heart pounding in my chest.
There was a soft knock on the door and I sat up in bed. “Hello?” I called.
“It’s Anna, Miss Glenna. I’m here to help ye get ready.”
Shaking, I threw back the bedcovers and walked slowly toward the door. Taking a deep breath, I took hold of the handle before opening the door wide.
“Thank you, Anna. Please come in.”
As I stepped aside to allow the maid entrance, my gaze landed on the ivory gown hanging from my wardrobe door and my heart skipped a beat. It was finally happening. I was about to marry Alastair.
The morning moved by in a blur as Anna dressed my hair and helped me into my gown.
“You look lovely, miss,” said Anna. Our eyes met in the mirror as she smiled at me. “You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”
“Thank you, Anna,” I said softly, with a nervous smile.
She rested a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
Our moment was interrupted by a firm knock on the door.
“I’ll answer it for ye, miss.”
Anna walked over to the door and opened it to reveal my father.
“Da!” I shouted. I leapt up from my chair and rushed over to the door. “Oh, I’ve missed you.” I squeezed him tightly.
“Glenna, lass, let me take a look at ye, my girl.” He took me by the shoulders and held me at arm’s length so he could look me up and down. “Ye look good, lass. I’m glad to see ye looking so well.”
“Thank you, Da. I’m so nervous.”
“Are ye having second thoughts?” he asked me, a slight frown touching his face.
“No, not at all,” I reassured him. “I’ve never been so certain of anything before in my life. I just… I can’t believe it’s finally happening.”
“I didn’t want to let ye go, that day ye told me that ye were choosing to stay with the MacGregor. But to see ye standing here in front of me now… You’re such a vision, my girl. The spitting image of your mother the day I married her. Well, my heart is just filled to bursting.”
I could feel my eyes tearing up and I pulled my father close, resting my head on his shoulder. “I wish she could be with me here today. I miss her.”
“I miss her too, lass, and I know she’s here with ye today watching over ye. She wouldn’t miss seeing ye wed for all the world.”
I took a deep, shaky breath and gave him a watery smile, then I brushed my hands down over the skirt of my wedding gown to smooth out the non-existent wrinkles while I collected myself. “Where’s Flynn?” I asked him, curious about the absence of my little brother.
“He’s around here somewhere, terrorizing the MacGregor’s men with what must be a thousand questions, but I know he’s eager to see ye.”
“I wish that I could speak with him now,” I told my father. I hadn’t seen either of them in months and I was eager for the visit.
“You’ll see him soon enough. But first it’s time to get ye to the chapel so that ye can be wed. Ye don’t want to keep your future husband waiting, now, do ye?”
“I cannot believe that it’s already time.”
“Aye, lass, it’s time.” My father took my hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm, then escorted me out of the room.
My mind raced as we headed toward the chapel. As we got closer I could hear music from inside spilling out into the hallway through the closed double doors and my heartbeat doubled its pace.
We stood before the door and my father patted my hand. “Are ye sure about this, lass? Because if you’re not…”
“I’m sure, Da. I’ve never been more sure of anything before in my life.”
I looked at the two men standing on either side of the door and gave them a nod. They smiled at me and nodded back before they each took hold of a door handle and opened the doors to the chapel.
I took a step forward and gasped at the sight. The chapel had been filled with beautiful flowers and the pews were filled with the castle’s inhabitants. But all of that faded and fell away as soon as I set eyes on Alastair at the end of the aisle.
I took a slow step forward and then another. It soon felt as though I was moving automatically, drawn toward him. At the end of the aisle I turned to my father, who kissed me softly on both cheeks, a touch of moisture shining at the corner of his eye. He took a seat in the front pew next to my brother Flynn, who was grinning widely as he waved at me. I grinned back at him before turning to face Father MacGregor.
Alastair took my hand in his as the priest began to speak. We stared into each other’s eyes as we recited our vows, promising to love each other until the end of time. In no time at all Father MacGregor had declared us man and wife, and I was in Alastair’s arms as I kissed him for the first time as his wife.
I was only vaguely aware of the cheers that went up around us as the world disappeared and there was only the two of us left.
***
The great hall was filled to bursting as our wedding guests danced and laughed and toasted to our happiness. I threw back my head in merriment as I reeled with my younger brother Flynn, whirling around the dance floor with carefree abandon.
Our dance came to an abrupt stop as I turned to find Alastair standing directly in front of me.
“Master Flynn, I hope you’ll excuse me the intrusion, but I was hoping to have this next dance with my wife,” he said to my brother with an incline of his head.
Flynn grinned and let go of me, then left us to find himself a new willing dance partner.
I smiled up at my new husband as he crossed an arm in front of himself and dipped into a low bow before extending his hand out for me to take. I slipped my hand into his larger one and he pulled me into his embrace, then I followed his lead as he twirled me around the floor, keeping an easy pace with the lively pipes and bodran drums.
“Well, then, wife, are ye having a fine time?” he asked me.
“I am, husband. Thank you,” I told him. I broke out into an unmanageable grin.
“There’s no going back now, Glenna. You’re well and truly mine.”
“I thought I was already yours. Did you not believe that I meant to stay with you, then, even after everything? Maybe you expected me to slip out in the middle of the night, having changed my mind?” I teased him.
He raised an eyebrow at me and frowned slightly. “Aye, well, it surely wouldn’t have been the first time, now, would it? I’m not ashamed to say I considered sleeping outside your door last night to make sure that I could catch ye in case ye decided to make a run for it.”
“I’m glad you decided to trust me instead. That could have made for an awkward conversation with Anna in the morning when she came to help me get dressed.”
“Do ye think she would have believed me if I told her I was there due to sleepwalking?” he asked me with a grin.
“I think she would have thought you a terrible liar, but would have been too polite to tell you so,” I
laughed.
Alastair pulled me tightly to him and kissed me swiftly on the lips. I pulled away from him, my face burning as I heard the hollers of the revelers around us cheering at the sight.
“I look forward to being able to do that much more often. In fact, whenever the mood strikes me from now on,” he said, grinning at me mischievously. Then he lowered his head to my shoulder and placed a soft kiss there before whispering softly in my ear, “There is one other thing I look forward to having the opportunity to do with you whenever the mood strikes.”
My face flushed at the suggestiveness of his tone and I squirmed slightly as his fingers caressed my spine. He straightened slowly and looked me in the eye, his gaze unwavering, before looking away over the top of my head with a quick glance around the room. I followed him as he tugged on my hand and moved us quickly through the crowd as subtly as possible. We were stopped a few times by well-wishers but it didn’t take us very long to make our way across the great hall in order to slip out the door as subtly as possible.
Once we were through the large doors and into the main hallway I gathered up the skirts of my gown and we took off for the staircase at a run. We did not stop once we hit the stairs, but hurried up to the floor of our bedchambers. We passed by my bedchamber door without a glance and moved toward Alastair’s. The closer we got, the harder my heart began to hammer.
Alastair reached out and opened the door to his room and I hesitated before stepping inside. I could feel every inch of my body crying out for his and yet a part of me was still unbelievably nervous.
The room was cast in shadow, moonlight streaming in through the open window as I moved slowly toward the bed.
Alastair came up behind me and put his hands on my waist, pulling me back against him. Even through the layers of my wedding gown I could feel his readiness and my heartbeat quickened.
His hands slid up my sides to my shoulders and brushed my hair away from my neck so he could place a kiss there. I shuddered at the feather-light touch and closed my eyes to savor the moment.
Craved By The Highland Wolf (The Clan MacGregor Book 3) Page 2
