Chapter 10
Willa threw open the door and bright sunshine flooded the room.
Another beautiful day! A rarity to have so many in a row here in the highlands, although it had been even worse in London.
How she had hated the dreary filth of the city where she had spent far too many days of her life.
She would take a week of torrential rain here in the mountains any day over London.
This was where she truly belonged, where the air was fresh and clean, and one could walk for days in the wilderness and not see another living soul.
Willa walked across the yard and paused outside the door of the make-shift stable, lifting her face to the sky and drawing a deep breath of pine-scented air.
The horse was taken care of, the warrior still dozed in the cottage…
what to do with the rest of the hours in the day?
She was unaccustomed to being less than busy, and in truth there was not much to be done in a place where she wouldn’t be staying very long.
If only she had her sketching book and pencil, or maybe some yarn…
The distant sound of hoof beats put her instantly on alert.
Surely it was too soon for James and Maura to return?
Unless something had gone wrong… with her heart in her throat, Willa ducked behind the end of the stable and watched as a horse and rider approached from the east. When at last she saw who it was, she let out the breath she had been holding and ran forward to greet him with a smile, skirts lifted around her knees to avoid falling over them.
“William! How on earth?”
He laughed at her enthusiasm. Maura’s older brother was like a brother to her, as well, and he had always treated her like a second little sister.
“Pet!” He slid from his horse and enfolded her into a bear-like hug.
“What are you doing here Will? Is everything all right? Maura and James?”
“Aye. All is well, lass, dinna fret. I was traveling this way and Maura asked me to look in on you, but not to tell ye she asked. She worries, ye ken.”
Willa nodded. “Let’s see to your horse, then I’ll feed you. I was only just wondering what to do with the day when you appeared like magic!”
“Well, I canna stay long, I still have a long ride ahead, so perhaps just a bite for my mount.” William gathered the reins and followed with the horse. “Are ye bored, then Pet? Maura implied ye had yer hands full with nursing a dy’in man. Is he…”
“He’s fine. He’ll live”, she said quickly, dismissively.
William narrowed his eyes. His sister had spoken to him about the situation here in the cottage, and he, too had a feeling that the relationship between Willa and the Warrior had a special significance which would make itself clear in time.
He led his stallion into the wattle and daub stable and smiled when the beast snorted at Willa’s mare in what sounded for all the world like masculine appreciation.
“Och, lad, but she’s a pretty lass, is she no’?”
William lifted off the saddle and Willa began to brush down the still-prancing animal, giggling at his antics. She handed William a feed sack, and he tied it on. The horse chomped eagerly on the grain.
“So this warrior…”
Willa’s gaze snapped up. “Drust”, she supplied.
“Drust. What do ye ken of him?”
She shook her head, frowning. “Not a lot at all. He doesn’t speak much.
I don’t know his surname, or where he’s from.
I know he has a brother who likely thinks him dead.
He has battle scars, is well-muscled like a warrior.
But he’s sullen and proud and exceedingly stubborn.
” She turned back to brushing the horse’s shiny coat.
“That’s all I know. He won’t tell me anything else. ”
“Ah. And yet still ye want him.”
Willa looked up, surprised. Then the corners of her mouth turned up in a little smile. “You’ve been talking to Maura, and I see she still can’t keep her mouth shut.”
“Aye. She’s seen the two of ye together, and I’m telling ye, she’s never wrong about these things. ‘Tis the only thing that gave me hope in winning my Lizabet. Och, but that lass did do her best to spurn me in the beginning… and the middle and near the end for that matter!”
Willa laughed at the thought. Now the two were nearly inseparable. Just like Maura and James.
“Where is Lizabet? Did she not come with you?”
“No, I’m on my way back home to her now. I heard of what happened… with Colm. I’m sorry lass, for what ye went through.”
She managed a slightly shaky smile. “I think it was for the best. I didn’t love him, Will. I was foolish to even consider him, when all my instincts were warning against it. I realized… and then… well, as long as we can reclaim the castle, it all will have worked out for the best, I hope.”
Drust stood frozen at the window, staring at the stable where Willa had disappeared with a man. A man she had apparently been very happy to see. A man whose arms she had run into. A man who had looked happy to see her, too.
His arms began to ache, and he realized he had been clenching his fists at his sides, hard enough that his nails dug into his palms.
Anger. Fury. She was mine, the two of us here alone…
No, not yours! Not yours at all.
But maybe she could have been…
He could barely see through the black haze that had come over his vision. What were they doing alone together in the stable? Did the man have his hands on her? Was he kissing her? Were they…lovers?
You have no right to care! She is not yours. Will never be yours!
Then God! Why did he want to kill the man she was in the stable with? Why did he want to drag her away from him and cover her with his body, claim her in the most primal way, keep her with him for always? He realized he had been holding his breath, and let it out with a growl.
He moved away from the window and left the cottage.
He was standing in front of the door when Willa emerged from the stable, the man following behind her, leading his horse by the reins.
She stopped short when she saw Drust there, across the yard.
The other man put his hand on her arm and leaned to whisper in her delicate, perfect ear.
“Is that your warrior, Pet? He is looking at me with murder in his eyes. That’s a good sign, is it no’?” He frowned, considering. “Should I retrieve my sword, do ye think?”
Willa shook her head. “He’s not my warrior.” At least not yet. “And he isn’t healed enough to fight, so leave your sword be and don’t provoke him.”
“Och, lass, we shall see. Perhaps I shall call his bluff. But if he tries to kill me, I leave it to ye to come to my rescue.”
Willa turned to smile up at Will, playfully cuffing him in the arm. “Damn you!”
He rubbed his arm, pretending she had actually hurt him. “Willa lass, I see what I see. The man has already claimed ye in his heart. He just doesna ken it yet. And Maura said…”
“I know what Maura said. Thank you Will, for looking in on me.” She squeezed his hand affectionately. “And give your lovely wife a hug from me, won’t you?”
“Aye, of course. She will be happy to see ye again… when this is all over. Ye must visit.”
Willa’s bright smile faltered. When it’s all over…
She had somehow been able to pretend to herself that things weren’t so bad, that hope was just around the corner.
Maura had helped so much; her natural charm and optimism drowning out the worst of it.
And then she had the distraction of caring for Drust. But the truth was that her family’s home, her only home, was taken, her parents were both dead, and a man she had actually considered marrying was responsible.
She knew James would eventually take back the castle and lands, she had to believe that he would, but it would not be easy.
There was so much unrest and upheaval, who could they possibly turn to for help if the Mac Coinnachs would not?
She shuddered, and a lone tear slid slowly down her cheek.
Will saw it and wrapped her in his arms. “Och, lass! Dinna cry. Everything will be well again, ye’ll see. Why even now James meets with lairds from nearby clans to see what can be done. And for now, ye are safe and well, and that is all that matters, aye?”
Willa nodded and reluctantly stepped back out of his warm embrace. “Yes… yes. I’m fine, truly, I just… I’m fine. You should go now. It will be dark soon enough.”
He regarded her uncertainly, as if he wasn’t sure he should leave, but Willa knew how badly Will would want to get home to his wife, and that pull would be much stronger than any worry he might have for her.
“Aye”, he agreed. There will be a bright moon to travel by tonight, but I have a ways to go. But please, take care, Pet.”
He leaned down to kiss her cheek, and suddenly she felt so very much alone.
She stood and waved to him as Will rode off into the woods, silently wishing him a safe journey. The light was fading fast as the sun sunk farther behind the hills and still she stood there numbly, not sure what to do next.
She felt rather than heard someone behind her. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end. She turned slowly around to see Drust standing there, arms crossed, jaw set. He looked… angry. Why on earth would he be angry?
Drust had pretended indifference, but he was having a harder and harder time keeping up the ruse.
He grew increasingly restless. Who was this man to the lass?
They knew each other, that much was obvious, but they seemed…
friendly. And she obviously held affection for him.
It was in the very way she looked at him.
Suddenly he wanted nothing more but for Willa to look at him that way, as if he meant something to her, as if she cared for him.
But that was all he could have from her.
After all, he had taken a vow to be naught but a warrior…
one of the elite. No women, no family of his own to get in the way of his duty.
That vow had never chafed him so much as it did now.
And not until now would he ever have thought of breaking it.
He returned to stand by the window, wanting to watch the man leave, to see him gone from here so that he could keep pretending to himself that he had such a sweet life as this.
Will was leading his horse, and Willa was tucking a sack into his saddle bag with a smile.
She had obviously packed him some food for his journey.
They walked together to where the trail snaked off into the woods before pausing to say their farewells.
She took his hand. He embraced her with his whole body, rocking her gently, comforting her. Because she would miss him?
Drust’s grip tightened on the sill of the window, his knuckles turning white.
He heard a low growl rise up from his throat, the sound of a wild animal.
He was compelled by his anger to open the door and walk out into the yard, though what he meant to do, he couldn’t say.
Just make the ugly scene stop somehow. But at last the man had mounted his horse and was riding away, though he looked back once and locked with Drust’s gaze, raising one eyebrow as if in challenge. Drust narrowed his eyes.
Willa stood with her back to him still, occasionally lifting a hand to wipe at her face.
Was she crying? He moved closer, but she did not turn until he stood directly behind her.
When she turned, he saw that she had indeed been crying; a large round tear rolled down her cheek, and without thinking, he reached out and caught it on his fingertip.
Unexpected tenderness threatened to overwhelm his rage.
“What is wrong, lass? Did he hurt ye?”
God, he wanted her to say yes, so that he could go after the man and hurt him; punish him for touching her and for holding her affection. She was his angel. She had saved him.
She shook her head and tilted her chin up, visibly trying to pull herself together. Drust found that he almost didn’t want her to. He wanted to be the one to comfort her, he wanted her to sob in his arms, if it meant that he had an excuse to hold her. She had let him hold her…
She took a step back, looking embarrassed that he had caught her crying. “I’m… I’ll be fine. It’s just that a lot has happened lately. I guess it just caught up with me, that’s all.”
He was losing her, losing his chance to hold her while she cried.
She was going to turn and leave when all he craved in this moment was her body pressed against his.
Hell, but he suddenly couldn’t take another breath without touching her!
Acting on instinct alone, he wrapped his fist around her arm.
Her bones felt so delicate beneath his grip, as if he could break them with almost no effort at all. She tensed. Looked up at him warily.
“Ye didna say why ye cry.” He pulled her a little closer, and he could feel the heat from her body, smell the sweet scent of her skin.
She shook her head and looked away, denying him her secrets.
He felt frustration rising hot and tight in his chest. And lust. Undeniably, always, lust for her.
He could no longer contain it all. He gripped her other arm so that he held her captive before him, pulling her against the length of his body as he did so.
She looked up at him with large, luminous eyes, and for a moment he forgot to breathe.
Then, before he even realized what he was doing, helpless to stop himself, he lowered his lips to cover hers.
Damn.
The shudder of heated awareness thrilled through his body with a power he could not have dreamed.
He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, sweeping his tongue along her lips until she opened to him.
A low growl came from his throat as he took her mouth, harder now, lost, completely forgetting himself.
His hands rose to let his fingers sift through her silken hair, holding her still, ensuring that her mouth could not leave his.
A small voice in the back of his mind was trying to remind him that he wasn’t supposed to be doing this: kissing this woman as if his very life depended on it.
She could be his enemy, after all. But God, it felt so damn good!
And she was kissing him back as if though she wanted him too, as if she would let him take her, right here like this.
That thought had him groaning against her mouth as his cock surged even harder and he rolled his hips against her, desperate for the sweet friction of her body.
Dusk had long since fallen, and an owl swooped down from a nearby tree as it flew off in search of prey, startling them both.
Drust pulled away from her, dazed, his breaths coming short as if he’d just run a dozen miles.
His eyes swept over her red, swollen lips and heavy-lidded eyes with a sort of removed fascination.
What have I done? Hell…
He had broken the kiss, this time. But now things would never, ever be the same for him, not even if he were to leave tomorrow and never look back. In this moment, he had been forever ruined for the life he had before.
He could not turn back time and take back the knowledge of how that kiss had felt.
Now he would crave it forever, that feeling of…
what? His whole body aflame with pleasure and lust, peace and ecstasy?
How could he go back to his life at Creagmor, knowing that even existed?
Knowing that there could be so much more…
His cock was so hard and aching that he could hardly think for wanting relief. But there would be none forthcoming. He was not alone. He would have to suffer.
Willa was studying him, as if gauging his reaction, afraid he might lose his head.
“Come”, she said softly. “Let’s go in.”
Like the fool he had apparently become, Drust followed her.