Chapter 9 #2
She tapped her chin with one finger in thought. “Is there any sign he might no’ be so immune to yer charms as he pretends? I mean, after all, he’s a man and yer a beautiful woman. Have ye noticed if…um…he’s at all attracted? But then again, he’s badly injured, there may no’ be an obvious…”
“Oh, no, Maura. He’s able. That much I noticed.
” She bit her bottom lip and blushed in spite of herself at the memory, well, memories, then lowered her voice and leaned closer.
“I have this feeling… one I can’t rid myself of no matter how I try.
I am so very drawn to Drust, that I think he is the one who is meant for me.
I think… I think he might be my soul mate, my other half.
I can see no other reason for the way I feel, and how strongly and quickly. ”
Maura smiled knowingly and reached for Willa’s hands, giving them a squeeze in return. She had found her own mate not so long ago, and she knew that when one of their kind found their mate it was no small thing.
“Then we must make a plan. And ye mustn’t give up. The verra best things in life are always the hardest fought to come by. Remember that always, even when ye feel that all is lost, it is usually no’.”
Maura sat back on the bench, once more tapping her finger against her chin as she always did when she was deep in thought.
“I think James plans to head west on the morrow, to speak with the clan chiefs there about what has happened, and perhaps appeal to them with the promise of future alliances. It’s a long shot, to be sure, but we must cast our net wide if we are to have any hope at all. I will insist on going with him.”
“Oh Maura, you don’t have to do that… you’ve only just returned…”
“Nonsense. Besides, I’d much rather be at my husband’s side rather than sitting here worrying about whether he’s safe. I would have stayed only to keep ye company. And…” She gave Willa her most wicked grin, “Ye will have more time alone with yer warrior.”
The very thought made Willa’s heart leap in her chest. “But what do I do?”
Maura laughed. “Och lass, I’m sure yer instincts are already telling ye what to do. Follow them, and they willna lead ye wrong.”
“And if he continues to do his best to ignore me?”
“That in truth is a good sign. I think perhaps he is frightened of what ye make him feel, and so he fights to feel nothing at all. If he felt nothing for ye, he wouldna care. Fortunately, it is always a losing battle in the end. One yer own brother lost nay too long ago! He was much the same in the beginning. Strong men dinna like to admit a woman can have so much power over them. But we can, and we do. And we women love nothing better than to try to fix a broken man. Impossible as the creatures often are.”
“Tell me Maura. Tell me how the wedding was, and then tell me everything you know about men.”
And she did.
***
All too soon, Maura and James rode away again, with Willa waving from the doorway.
There was little choice. Time was of the essence if they were to have their home back.
Well, James and Maura’s home. Willa had never really had a real home, and Dunbroch held precious few good memories for her, nearly all of which were of her reunion with James.
But to James, it was everything. Without Dunbroch, he was landless; a born leader with no people to lead.
She wished fervently that there was more she could do to help, but if she left the protection of this valley, she would only become a liability that James could ill afford.
If she were to be captured, he would waste valuable time and money tracking her down.
She couldn’t risk doing that to him. Before he left, he told her of the plea he had sent to the Mac Coinnach chief for aid, but there were rumors the Bren Mac Coinnach was both newly wed, and had recently lost one of his brothers.
It did not seem likely to Willa that help would be forthcoming from the Mac Coinnachs, and they had perhaps been their best chance.
Instead of giving into her frustration and screaming like she really wanted to, she turned to look at Drust, who was sitting at the table, absently pushing food around on his trencher with a knife.
Though his hair fell forward to cover his face, she knew he was scowling.
Was he unhappy to be left alone with her again?
It wasn’t as if he had enjoyed her brother’s company any more than hers.
He had spent the entire evening in his room, even though he could very well have sat at the table with everyone.
James had spoken with him at length, but had come out of the room with a frown, knowing nothing more about their guest than when he’d gone in, and mumbling about ‘stubborn, ungrateful arses’.
“Would you like me to tie your hair back?” she asked. “I have some strips of leather in my…”
“No.”
All right, then.
“What would you like to do today?” she tried instead.
He looked up at her, seeming almost startled that she had spoken. He must have been deep in his thoughts again. She couldn’t imagine what he had to think so hard about. His eyes met hers and as usual her stomach did a slow roll, her heart beginning to throb almost painfully in her chest.
Must be what it feels like to be struck by Cupid’s arrow… the ache…
He looked back down at the food he wasn’t eating. “What I want to do and what I can do are two different things, lass”, he grumbled.
“Well what would you do today, if you could do anything at all?”
He took a breath and let it go. “I would go home.”
Willa felt her heart leap into her throat.
No! Not yet… not when I can’t even follow…
And God, why did those words on his lips feel so much like a betrayal?
Ruthlessly, she pushed back the feelings of panic that flooded her at the thought of him leaving…
of never seeing him again. What would her life be like, if he left now?
Would she always wonder, for the rest of her days, what could have been had she been just a little bolder? Pushed a bit harder?
Yes. The thought deepened her resolve.
“Well, since you aren’t going home today, what would you like to do while you’re stuck here with me?”
Drust regarded her with a carefully blank expression.
Carefully blank because at her last question, all sorts of images flooded his mind without his permission, and he couldn’t seem to stop them.
They all involved naked flesh and the woman standing before him, with her hands on her hips as if she was about to tell him off for being stubborn and prickly.
Which he supposed he deserved. She had been nothing but kind to him, showing him more care then even his own brothers would have.
His cock was, as usual, swollen and now pushed uncomfortably against the fabric of his breeches.
He shifted in his seat. It didn’t help matters that Willa seemed to grow more beautiful every day.
Today she had on only a plain, simple dress of pale blue, but he had already noticed the way the light fabric hugged the soft curves of her body.
Now, as she stood near the open doorway, the bright morning sunlight caught the highlights in her unbound hair and lent a rosy glow to her cheeks.
She was perfection, an angel incarnate. And not just because she had already saved his life. Aye, he finally admitted to himself.
I want her.
To try to deny that fact any longer only made him feel like a fool.
It was not his body’s primal reaction to near-death at all that had him all torn up inside and constantly harder than a damned rock.
It was the woman. This woman. Something about her…
made him crazy. But he could never have her, even if he were to let himself consider such a thing.
He didn’t know who she was, but he knew she was special.
Full of grace and beauty and far too high above him to even hope to have her…
He had to heal and leave this place before he was tempted to do something he would regret.
Or something he’d no doubt be punished for when her family found out…
“Fine”, Willa said when he just looked at her for several long moments.
“I’ll decide what we’ll do today. In fact, I’ve already decided, because I knew you were going to be stubborn about it.
You see, there are two choices here. You can either enjoy the time you’re given and live life to the fullest, because you really don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or…
you can be all serious and miserable and refuse to so much as smile.
Which is not much fun. I know which I choose, so first, we’ll make some sweet buns, and while they bake, we’ll go for a walk, but not too far. Perhaps down to the river to bathe.”
His eyes widened at that, and Willa smiled to herself. “I’ll get the flour. And Maura brought me some raisins from her sister.” She paused to push red hot coals from the hearth into the small oven to heat it, then retrieved the flour from a shelf.
She set a bowl on the table, then moved around the room, gathering ingredients and measuring them, handing Drust a spoon.
“Here. Stir this.”