their mother’s dark coloring.
But not him.
“Where is he now?” he asked, emotion threatening to choke him.
“Our father was a violent man drunk on his own power,” Roderick’s voice turned dark and something froze within Finn. “In my twenty and fifth year, he killed our mother when he struck her too hard for displeasing him. Connor relieved him of his head at the same moment I ran him through with my sword.”
“I was told a Berserker cannot harm his mate,” Finn said.
“They canna ,” Connor answered. “It wasna the beast that harmed her, it was the man.”
Finn nodded. Their actions mirrored what his own would have been. He was sorry for their mother. Sorry that their hands were forced to patricide.
Connor motioned toward the heavy door to the great hall. “That woman, she is under the protection of my clan. I can smell ye all over her. Has yer Berserker claimed her as his mate?”
Finn’s chest tightened. “Nay.” An emptiness opened up inside of him that he hadn’t allowed himself to feel for many years. He didn’t allow himself to hope for such things, especially not now.
“Then ye canna take her back to the temple with ye.”
“She is mine ,” Finn roared, surprising even himself with the vehemence of his reaction. His blood simmered at the thought of being denied her. His beast brewed with possession and he grappled with his self-control.
Roderick’s hand tightened on his sword, but Connor held a palm up to stop him.
“Why are you here, Fionngall ?”
Finn closed his eyes, willing the blood pounding through him to settle. The unfairness of it all ate at him. The cruelty of the men to whom he’d devoted his entire being. Surely the Goddess wasn’t so heartless.
“The elders of the temple have been watching you.” Finn knew in his heart that from this moment his allegiances had shifted. Once the MacLauchlans knew what he was about to impart, his betrayal would be complete. Irrevocable. “Magnus the Eldest told me something had transpired that spurred the Goddess to call for your blood. I was chosen to spill it.”
Finn noted the violent tension flowing through the brothers. He felt it, himself. “But, you see, they didn’t send me to assassinate you. They knew you were mated, that your power is now more than mine. Than anyone’s. And they told me nothing.” Finn’s voice hardened, his fists cracked before he realized he’d been clenching them.
“They sent you to be slaughtered by your own brothers .” Connor said what he could not and spat on the earth at his feet.
Roderick’s hand landed on Finn’s shoulder, his gaze earnest. “They failed. None of us will die today.”
Finn shook his head, his whole body trembling with rage. “No. Not today, as it is a holy day for us all. But you don’t understand how much they want you dead. You and your entire household.” He met the intense gaze of Connor, whose eyes sharpened with understanding.
“They’ll not be far behind me,” Finn warned. “If they sent me to fail, they’ll come to kill not just us, but the women and small ones as well.”
Chapter Eleven
“Here, I can take him.” Rhona hovered wringing her hands as Lindsay helped Evelyn into a comfortable chaise situated by the roaring fire in the great hall.
“No, it’s perfectly all right. I’m going to have to get used to carrying a little one about with me everywhere, and this wee darling hardly weighs as much as his blanket.” Evelyn patted his bottom and smiled down at Iain who seemed contented to charm the noble lady with soft sighs and tiny sounds.
Rhona noted that the pregnant woman’s accent was very proper English and she couldn’t help but wonder where Roderick had found her.
“Sixty and two!” Lindsay exclaimed. “Did you know we were married to men in their dotage, Evelyn?
But not him.
“Where is he now?” he asked, emotion threatening to choke him.
“Our father was a violent man drunk on his own power,” Roderick’s voice turned dark and something froze within Finn. “In my twenty and fifth year, he killed our mother when he struck her too hard for displeasing him. Connor relieved him of his head at the same moment I ran him through with my sword.”
“I was told a Berserker cannot harm his mate,” Finn said.
“They canna ,” Connor answered. “It wasna the beast that harmed her, it was the man.”
Finn nodded. Their actions mirrored what his own would have been. He was sorry for their mother. Sorry that their hands were forced to patricide.
Connor motioned toward the heavy door to the great hall. “That woman, she is under the protection of my clan. I can smell ye all over her. Has yer Berserker claimed her as his mate?”
Finn’s chest tightened. “Nay.” An emptiness opened up inside of him that he hadn’t allowed himself to feel for many years. He didn’t allow himself to hope for such things, especially not now.
“Then ye canna take her back to the temple with ye.”
“She is mine ,” Finn roared, surprising even himself with the vehemence of his reaction. His blood simmered at the thought of being denied her. His beast brewed with possession and he grappled with his self-control.
Roderick’s hand tightened on his sword, but Connor held a palm up to stop him.
“Why are you here, Fionngall ?”
Finn closed his eyes, willing the blood pounding through him to settle. The unfairness of it all ate at him. The cruelty of the men to whom he’d devoted his entire being. Surely the Goddess wasn’t so heartless.
“The elders of the temple have been watching you.” Finn knew in his heart that from this moment his allegiances had shifted. Once the MacLauchlans knew what he was about to impart, his betrayal would be complete. Irrevocable. “Magnus the Eldest told me something had transpired that spurred the Goddess to call for your blood. I was chosen to spill it.”
Finn noted the violent tension flowing through the brothers. He felt it, himself. “But, you see, they didn’t send me to assassinate you. They knew you were mated, that your power is now more than mine. Than anyone’s. And they told me nothing.” Finn’s voice hardened, his fists cracked before he realized he’d been clenching them.
“They sent you to be slaughtered by your own brothers .” Connor said what he could not and spat on the earth at his feet.
Roderick’s hand landed on Finn’s shoulder, his gaze earnest. “They failed. None of us will die today.”
Finn shook his head, his whole body trembling with rage. “No. Not today, as it is a holy day for us all. But you don’t understand how much they want you dead. You and your entire household.” He met the intense gaze of Connor, whose eyes sharpened with understanding.
“They’ll not be far behind me,” Finn warned. “If they sent me to fail, they’ll come to kill not just us, but the women and small ones as well.”
Chapter Eleven
“Here, I can take him.” Rhona hovered wringing her hands as Lindsay helped Evelyn into a comfortable chaise situated by the roaring fire in the great hall.
“No, it’s perfectly all right. I’m going to have to get used to carrying a little one about with me everywhere, and this wee darling hardly weighs as much as his blanket.” Evelyn patted his bottom and smiled down at Iain who seemed contented to charm the noble lady with soft sighs and tiny sounds.
Rhona noted that the pregnant woman’s accent was very proper English and she couldn’t help but wonder where Roderick had found her.
“Sixty and two!” Lindsay exclaimed. “Did you know we were married to men in their dotage, Evelyn?
Similar Books
