Chapter 21
It was a few hours later when Keira realized that Aaron’s concerns about Jack were well founded. She had retired to the Lady’s Bower, seeking a little privacy while she reviewed Cook’s menus for the coming days. Her desk was placed near the window, and light spilled onto the parchment. Since her arrival at Storbrook, she and Cook had settled into a routine where Cook would tell her what she was planning, letting Keira make whatever changes she saw fit. Despite her grim exterior, Cook had proven herself to be Keira’s ally, and had helped to ease her into her new role as mistress of Storbrook.
Keira had just dipped the quill into the small bottle of ink, intent on making some minor changes, when she felt the soft brush of warm fingers on the nape of her neck. Her first thought was that Aaron had returned from his meeting – when a soft voice sent that notion scattering. Jumping up from her seat, Keira spun around to face the intruder into her private quarters.
“Jack, what are you doing here?” she demanded angrily.
“Why, just looking for you, my dear cousin,” Jack said. “We are cousins now, and I thought we could spend some time getting to know each other.” His smooth voice sent a sliver of fear racing through Keira, and she took a step backwards.
“You’re not welcome in my private quarters.” Keira’s voice came out as a whisper, and she paused, forcing an edge into her tone. “Please leave at once!”
Jack took a step towards her. “Not exactly beautiful,” he said, “but there is something quite enchanting about you. I think it must be your eyes. They show a certain intellect quite unusual in humans. I can imagine a man could get quite taken in by such lovely eyes.”
He leaned closer, and his hand brushed her breast before snaking around her waist and pulling her hard against him as he lowered his lips to hers. With his other hand, he grasped her behind the neck, preventing her retreat. For a moment Keira stood frozen in shock before her mind sprang into action. His chest was pressed up hard against hers, leaving no space between them that she could leverage to push him away, so she lifted a hand, and curling her fingers into claws, scoured them down his cheek, leaving three long, angry welts marring his smooth skin.
He jumped back with a curse, grabbing her wrists in a steel hold. “Why, you –”
“Jack!” She and Jack spun around as the sound of Jack’s name cracked out sharply from the doorway. Pulling her hands free, Keira looked at Cathryn in relief as she entered the room.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing, Jack?” Cathryn demanded.
“This has nothing to do with you,” hissed Jack through clenched jaws.
“Perhaps not,” responded Cathryn, “but I believe Aaron will think it has something to do with him.”
Jack stared at Cathryn for a moment, before he shoved past her and out the door.
“Are you all right?” Cathryn asked, quickly crossing the floor to where Keira stood. Pulling the stool closer, she pushed Keira gently onto the seat, and poured her a cup of wine from a jug on the desk. Keira took a few deep gulps before looking up at Cathryn.
“How much did you hear?”
“Enough,” Cathryn said. “I saw Jack heading up the stairs. I wondered what he was up to, so I followed him. I heard you tell him to leave.”
“I’m very glad you arrived when you did,” she said. “I’m not sure what I would’ve done if he had persisted.”
“It sounded as if you were managing just fine,” Cathryn said. “But still, it’s a good thing you have a witness to what happened. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jack tried to insinuate that you were the one seducing him. And the Master does have his enemies – dragons that would use whatever they could to stir up trouble.”
“Apart from Jack?”
“His followers. But since I heard what happened, no-one can doubt your loyalty to Aaron.”
“Would you have doubted my loyalty?”
Cathryn laughed. “It’s clear to anyone who can see that you and Aaron have eyes for no other. I would not have believed Jack.”
Keira nodded. “Good.”
“Now let’s go find that husband of yours and let him know what Jack has been up to.”
“I’m not sure that’s necessary,” Keira said. “After all, nothing really happened.”
“Nothing really happened?” she scoffed. “Jack tried to kiss you. Aaron is not only your husband, but also the clan Master. Jack answers to Aaron, and Aaron needs to know what happened, and he needs to hear it from you. It won’t do for him to hear rumors whispered between the servants in the low hall. Now come, there’s nothing to fear.”
With a sigh, Keira led the way to Aaron’s cabinet, and waited outside as Cathryn went in to call Aaron. He exited a moment later, his brow furrowed with concern.
“What is it? What’s happened?”
“Tell him,” Cathryn urged.
Keira drew in a breath and started to relate the events that had happened, and after a moment, Cathryn slipped away. As soon as Keira mentioned Jack, Aaron’s eyes began to blaze, and the heat seemed to leap from his skin. For a moment, Keira thought his anger was directed at her – that he blamed her somehow – but when he pulled her into his arms and murmured apologies into her ear, she realized that his anger was completely for Jack.
“Aaron, it’s all right,” she insisted. “Apart from his kissing me, nothing really happened.” Aaron pulled away, and stared down at her in shock.
“A kiss is not nothing,” he said. He turned away and slammed his fist against the wall, blowing out a stream of flame as he did so. “If Cathryn hadn’t been there, Jack would have made sure a lot more happened. He pressed his advances on you, my wife. Not only were his actions insulting to you, he has shown complete disrespect to me as his Master. This is his final act of defiance. He’ll be made to leave Storbrook tonight, and will be banished from the clan.”
“No, Aaron, please don’t do this because of me,” she said. “He’s your clansman.”
Aaron turned to look at her with incredulity. “Not banish him because of you? Of course I’ll banish him because of you! You’re my wife, but more than that, you are my very life, and his treatment of you will absolutely not be tolerated. This is just one more in a long line of defiant acts, but mark my words, it will be the last.”
Pushing himself past her, Aaron flung open the door of the small room where the other dragons still remained, and slammed the door closed behind him. Keira watched his retreat in astonishment before turning on her heel and marching away.
Keira didn’t see Aaron again for the rest of the day, but from the curious looks she received, she guessed that news of Jack’s actions had already spread around the castle. She sat with the guests in the Great Hall, and tried to join in the conversation, but her mind was on other matters. Owain and the other elders entered the hall later that afternoon, their loud voices quickly adding to the noise in the huge room, but Aaron did not come.
As soon as supper was done, Keira excused herself from the company, pleading a headache. She felt annoyed and peevish, wishing the ceremony was over so she could have her new home and her husband to herself once again. The bed seemed vast and lonely as Keira pulled the quilts up around her chin, and despite her irritation at Aaron’s response, she longed for his warm arms around her, holding her close. She was already fast asleep when Aaron climbed into the bed, but the action roused her enough to turn towards him, snuggling against his chest as she sought out his warmth.
“Jack’s gone, my sweet. I’m sorry I took my anger out on you,” she thought she heard Aaron whisper through the fog of sleep that still clung to her. She felt his lips brush against her forehead before wandering down to her ear. “I love you, Keira.” The words washed over her and she smiled before once more passing into sleep’s oblivious embrace.
Bound by a Dragon Page 21
