dressed, not taking her eyes off Caelen. “I even love you dressed.” She rose up and kissed him.
As they crossed out of the shadows, she realized the guards were not at their stations. She asked him about that.
“They heard you screaming my name.”
Her face heated. “You think they know what we were doing?”
“They didn’t think you were drowning.”
She hugged his arm tightly, half burying her face and the pleased smile along with it. He placed a kiss on top of her head.
Crossing into the courtyard, she froze. The dogs howled. The eerie sound bounced about, knocking against the castle walls then swirling about the courtyard. Their cries blared in her ears and filled her head. The sound didn’t stop. She looked to Caelen.
He was pale. His eyes were wide open, but obviously not seeing anything before him. They both knew what the howling dogs meant.
* * * *
The morning light shined through the bed curtains. Caelen squinted against the bright light. Sometime during the night, slumber had overtaken him. The dogs howled all night, never stopping even for a breath. The truth was, he wasn’t ready to face this day.
Brenna, laid beside him, curled up on her side, her hands tucked beneath her cheek. He turned to his side and leaned his face on his hand. He watched her. The heaviness pressing against his chest lessened. He pinched a lock of her hair beneath his fingers. He stroked it between his thumb and forefinger, losing himself in the absent movement.
He could lose her. Nothing was as he imagined. In fact, everything had been wrong. He was meant to return home when the time was right. To claim his wife, when the time was right. Nothing was as he thought it would be. Soon he would be the chief of this clan and he had to be worthy of such a title.
He dropped the lock and forced himself to rise. He slipped on his leine.
“’Tis morning.” She rubbed her eyes. “The dogs ceased.”
Caelen put his plaid on next. She climbed out of bed and padded barefoot to him. Her hair hung in disarray. Sleepiness clouded her eyes, giving her a sensual look. “All will be well.”
He wished he shared her view. He barely felt his heart beating in his chest as if the gnawing pain ate away at his heart. The chamber seemed darker and everything was out of focus.
“Aye,” he said, more for her than himself.
He opened the door and peered over his shoulder. Brenna stood there. Her arms crossed over her middle as her hands ran up and down her arms, warding the chill away. He turned away from her and her thoughtful visage. He gritted his teeth. He didn’t need that now.
He came upon the landing of his father’s chamber. The hairs on his arm rose. The door seemed further away, and yet larger, larger than when he was a boy. There was no choice. He knocked and entered. His father was curled up free from the covers. He cringed and held his gut.
“Mother,” Caelen whispered.
“His medicine isn’t working. Every part of him is racked with pain. There is even blood in his fluid—when he can produce any, that is.”
“You heard the dogs.”
“Aye, but I have no wish to speak of it. No doubt, it was the full moon or they caught a scent of something. Just utter nonsense, Caelen.” She raised a shaky hand to her neck. “Go see about your duties.”
He lingered in his spot. “Go, Caelen.” She seemed to want to offer him comfort or support but at this moment, he did not want it.
Caelen left the room. When he came into the Great Hall, he found Finian, Gilroy, and Tavish milling about, near the dais. They grew quiet as he approached.
“How is your father?”
“Alive. From now on, you will not disturb my father with your petty issues. You will deal only with me. If I follow your advice, good, and if I don’t…” He shrugged. “You are the council, so all you can do is counsel.”
“Ye winna listen to us,” Finian said.
“You treat me as a boy. I may have been away from here for many years; however, I
As they crossed out of the shadows, she realized the guards were not at their stations. She asked him about that.
“They heard you screaming my name.”
Her face heated. “You think they know what we were doing?”
“They didn’t think you were drowning.”
She hugged his arm tightly, half burying her face and the pleased smile along with it. He placed a kiss on top of her head.
Crossing into the courtyard, she froze. The dogs howled. The eerie sound bounced about, knocking against the castle walls then swirling about the courtyard. Their cries blared in her ears and filled her head. The sound didn’t stop. She looked to Caelen.
He was pale. His eyes were wide open, but obviously not seeing anything before him. They both knew what the howling dogs meant.
* * * *
The morning light shined through the bed curtains. Caelen squinted against the bright light. Sometime during the night, slumber had overtaken him. The dogs howled all night, never stopping even for a breath. The truth was, he wasn’t ready to face this day.
Brenna, laid beside him, curled up on her side, her hands tucked beneath her cheek. He turned to his side and leaned his face on his hand. He watched her. The heaviness pressing against his chest lessened. He pinched a lock of her hair beneath his fingers. He stroked it between his thumb and forefinger, losing himself in the absent movement.
He could lose her. Nothing was as he imagined. In fact, everything had been wrong. He was meant to return home when the time was right. To claim his wife, when the time was right. Nothing was as he thought it would be. Soon he would be the chief of this clan and he had to be worthy of such a title.
He dropped the lock and forced himself to rise. He slipped on his leine.
“’Tis morning.” She rubbed her eyes. “The dogs ceased.”
Caelen put his plaid on next. She climbed out of bed and padded barefoot to him. Her hair hung in disarray. Sleepiness clouded her eyes, giving her a sensual look. “All will be well.”
He wished he shared her view. He barely felt his heart beating in his chest as if the gnawing pain ate away at his heart. The chamber seemed darker and everything was out of focus.
“Aye,” he said, more for her than himself.
He opened the door and peered over his shoulder. Brenna stood there. Her arms crossed over her middle as her hands ran up and down her arms, warding the chill away. He turned away from her and her thoughtful visage. He gritted his teeth. He didn’t need that now.
He came upon the landing of his father’s chamber. The hairs on his arm rose. The door seemed further away, and yet larger, larger than when he was a boy. There was no choice. He knocked and entered. His father was curled up free from the covers. He cringed and held his gut.
“Mother,” Caelen whispered.
“His medicine isn’t working. Every part of him is racked with pain. There is even blood in his fluid—when he can produce any, that is.”
“You heard the dogs.”
“Aye, but I have no wish to speak of it. No doubt, it was the full moon or they caught a scent of something. Just utter nonsense, Caelen.” She raised a shaky hand to her neck. “Go see about your duties.”
He lingered in his spot. “Go, Caelen.” She seemed to want to offer him comfort or support but at this moment, he did not want it.
Caelen left the room. When he came into the Great Hall, he found Finian, Gilroy, and Tavish milling about, near the dais. They grew quiet as he approached.
“How is your father?”
“Alive. From now on, you will not disturb my father with your petty issues. You will deal only with me. If I follow your advice, good, and if I don’t…” He shrugged. “You are the council, so all you can do is counsel.”
“Ye winna listen to us,” Finian said.
“You treat me as a boy. I may have been away from here for many years; however, I
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