Chapter 36
I woke in the middle of the night to Maddock’s body pressed against mine, his lips kissing me along my jaw.
“Kate, I need to tell ye something. Please, lass, wake up.”
My eyelids fluttered open in the darkness. “Mm? What is it?”
“In truth, ’tis two things, but I willna tell ye either until ye are rightly awake so I know ye heard me.”
“But I was sleeping so well.”
His hand trailed down my body, his thumb dragging across my stomach as his hand dipped between my legs to cup my center. I lifted my hips and groaned as I pushed against him, urging his fingers to move.
“I’ll make it worth yer while, lass, but first…” He pulled his hand away. “We must talk.”
I could see nothing. The room was pitch black, but I sat up in the darkness as I reached for his hand.
“That’s cruel, Maddock, to tease me that way.”
“’Tis not teasing ye if I mean to make good on my promise.”
“Well, good. Just tell me whatever you need to so you can resume what you were doing.”
He kissed me softly in the darkness, and I smiled against his lips.
“I’m sorry, lass. I wish ye’d had more faith in me, but I canna fault ye for keeping the word ye gave to another. I shouldna have raised my voice to ye. I willna do it again.”
I leaned forward to search for his lips so I could kiss him.
“Thank you for that. I accept your apology. What’s the second thing?”
“I love ye. I love ye so much it hurts. I love ye in a way I dinna know ’twas possible.”
I was grateful for the darkness. It kept him from seeing the tears flooding my cheeks.
“Do you really?”
He reached for me in the darkness, pulling me close to him as he wrapped his arms around me. “I do, lass. I love ye now, and I verra much expect I shall love ye forever.”
I kissed him again and slipped my own hand down to latch onto him.
“I love you, too. Now, it’s time for you to make good on your word.”
There was a knock on the door early the next morning, but I stayed in bed as Maddock hurried to dress himself so he could answer the door.
I expected it to be one of the members of The Eight simply coming to chide Maddock for skipping his morning duties. When I heard Nicol’s voice, I scrambled to pull the blankets over me as he stepped into the room.
“I’m sorry to disturb the both of ye. Brachan and I spent the whole night talking.
I think it only right that we give him a chance to prove himself.
He wishes to see Machara, to show all of us that he can resist her.
We will stay gathered in the stairwell, ready to intervene if necessary.
We know Machara will try to bend him to her will.
If he can resist her, we will dedicate ourselves to finding a way to free him from her. ”
At least Nicol’s time with Brachan had produced some sort of productive plan.
Maddock seemed to agree. “’Tis a good plan, Nicol. How are ye?”
There was a short pause then Nicol answered softly, “I am sad that I missed time with him. I doona doubt the lad’s heart. I just doona know if anyone with such ties to Machara can resist her. But Maddock, he has one condition for appearing before Machara.”
“Which is?”
“He will only do so if Kate stands by his side.”
Maddock slammed the door in Nicol’s face.