Page 18 of Intrigued By A Highlander (Highland Revenge Trilogy #2)

CHAPTER 18

D ru’s breath came fast and shallow, each step pushing her farther from the man she loved, from the life she had just begun to think might be possible. The night had swallowed her whole, and now dawn threatened to expose her, painting the world in streaks of pale gold.

She couldn’t stop. She couldn’t think. If she did, she might turn back.

The road ahead was long and dangerous, and she would have to once again become the lass no one would look twice at. A wretched thing with tangled hair and the stench of filth clinging to her. It was the only way to survive.

Tears threatened, though she didn’t know how that was possible since she had cried copious tears after leaving Knox. They left her drained and now she was exhausted after walking all night. She would need a place to rest—a place where she wouldn’t be found.

She treaded lightly, not wanting to be heard in case someone was in the area… mercenaries mostly.

A sound brought her to an abrupt halt. What was it she heard? She listened, waiting to catch it again.

It came. A sharp, ragged cry.

Dru stilled, every nerve in her body tightening. The breeze carried more sounds—gruff voices, the unmistakable thud of a blow landing, and a muffled grunt of pain.

She dropped into a crouch, keeping low as she crept along, what could barely be called a hill, toward the noise. The trees thinned, giving her a glimpse of the clearing below.

It didn’t surprise her to see four of Phelan’s men. It was why she intended to avoid the roads and take paths less traveled.

What did surprise her were the people they held captive and how badly they’d been treated.

Owen was on his knees, blood dripping from his lip down over his chin. One eye was already swelling shut. Rona stood beside him, her face set in a grim line despite the crimson staining her mouth, her lip swollen. Wilbur had one arm wrapped around his middle, his nose broken, his breaths wheezing.

“You didn’t think we’d be watching you, foolish lad,” one of the warriors sneered, tapping the flat of his blade against Owen’s cheek. “Where is she?”

Owen spat blood onto the ground. “Who?”

The warrior drove a fist into his stomach, and Owen crumpled with a sharp gasp.

The warrior grabbed his hair and yanked his head back. “You know who. I’ve told you three times—Autumn. Tell me where she is or next time you’ll feel my blade instead of my fist.”

Dru’s vision blurred with rage. The thought of running, leaving her friends to suffer, never entered her head. Her mind quickly went through different rescue scenarios, fearful Owen did not have much time. She needed to at least even the odds some. She had to get rid of two men before facing the other two. And she had no doubt the trio would help her once she disabled at least one warrior.

Her eyes quickly searched along the ground, finding what she needed. She reached for the sizeable rock, gripping its rough edges until her palm burned. She rose just enough to get the one man in her sights and take aim. Then with more strength and speed than most would expect from her slim arm, she sent the rock flying.

The stone struck her target, hitting the warrior in the temple with a sickening crack. He collapsed like a felled tree.

Everything erupted at once.

Rona lunged for a fallen branch and swung it into another warrior’s ribs. Owen, still gasping for breath, forced himself upright and threw his weight into the man closest to him, sending them both sprawling.

Dru didn’t hesitate. She sprinted forward, grabbing the fallen man’s sword and whirling to block an attack from the third warrior. The clash of steel rang through the clearing. Her arm shook with the force of it, but she held firm, twisting her blade and driving forward.

The warrior grunted as she sliced across his arm, but it wasn’t deep enough to stop him. He managed to kick her legs out from under her.

Dru hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from her lungs and the blade from her hand.

He loomed over her. A brute of a man, his lip curled in a cruel grin.

“Well, well,” he murmured, grabbing her by the front of her tunic and yanking her up. “Look what we have here.”

She swung her small fists wildly, but he caught her wrist, twisting until pain shot through her arm.

“You should’ve run when you had the chance,” he said, shoving her back against a tree.

The cold bite of a dagger pressed to her throat.

Dru struggled, but he was too strong. The others were still fighting, Wibur helping Rona, but no one was free to help her. She sucked in a breath, bracing for the worst?—

A shadow moved behind the warrior.

Dru barely had time to register it before the man was ripped away from her, his body slammed into the ground with such force the air left his lungs in a wheezing gasp.

A blade flashed. Blood sprayed.

The warrior didn’t rise again.

Knox stood over him, his chest rising and falling, his dark eyes locking onto hers.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, voice low and dangerous, he said, “You can run all you want, Dru. I’ll always find you.”

He turned and with not much more than a blink of the eye, Knox ended the other two. He went over to the only one left who was just about coming to. He yanked him up with ease and shook him like he barely had weight to him.

“Wake and hear what I have to say, Marley,” Knox said and shook him some more.

The man fought to clear his vision and when he did, his eyes sprung wide. “Knox!”

“Aye, and it’s your lucky day. You get to live and take a message to Phelan for me.”

“Aye. Aye. Whatever you say, Knox.”

“I warned Phelan about harming my wife. Now he dies and if he even thinks of harming those three,” —he nodded over his shoulder— “I’ll make it an even slower death.”

“We didn’t know,” Marley begged.

“Phelan should have warned his warriors. His men paid the press for his failure. If I see you near my wife again… you die as well.”

Marley held up his hands. “You have my word. I’ll never touch her.” The fear in his eyes spiked. “I never saw her. Something hit me an?—”

“Dru, show yourself?” Knox ordered.

She got up from where she had crouched down to help Rona, who had almost collapsed when the fighting ended. She had gone to her and helped Wilbur to settle Rona on the ground. She stood and turned and stepped toward her husband.

“She’s a wee bit of a thing,” Marley said surprised.

“Who took you down with a rock,” Dru reminded.

Marley’s hand went to the back of his head, and he cringed, feeling the large bump there and blood as well.

“See that you deliver the message,” Knox ordered.

“Aye. Aye. I will make sure Phelan gets it.”

Knox was about to shove Marley away when he thought better of it. “Is Phelan near with more men?”

Marely hurried to shake his head. “Nay. He got word that Autumn was spotted about three sunrises west of here.”

“What were your orders?” Knox asked.

“To shadow you in case his information was wrong, and you found Autumn.”

Knox looked around at the dead men and realized one of them was Bowen, one of Phelan’s trackers. Marley was telling the truth. He was too frightened not to. He wasn’t one of Phelan’s brightest or bravest warriors.

Knox freed Marley with a shove. “Don’t waste a moment getting my message to Phelan.”

“I won’t. I won’t, Knox. I’ll get it to him right quick.”

“Then why are you still standing here?” Knox asked and took a rapid step toward him.

Marley backed up, stumbled, righted himself, and took off running.

Knox waited until Marley was out of sight, then he turned to Dru. “You owe me an explanation.”

“You really are a fool, Knox.”

Knox and Dru turned to see Mave walking out of the woods.

Mave shook her head at Dru. “You’re not too bright yourself, Dru.”

Knox stepped toward her. “I’m getting tired of you?—”

Mave rushed at him, her hand striking out to tap her finger to his brow hard. “Use your wit for heaven’s sake. Now help me see to these three, then Dru and you can be on your way. You know where to take her and I advise both of you to hurry and hash out your problems. And, for heaven’s sake, make wise decisions.”

Knox’s eyes still flared with anger, and he turned to Dru. “Work fast. We leave soon.”

A quick glance at the three had Mave saying, “Mostly wounds they will recover from, though the way Wibur holds his side gives cause to pause.”

“Do what you can, Mave,” Rona said, “but the three of us agreed to keep walking.”

Owen spoke up. “With Marley telling Knox that Phelan went to see if Autumn was spotted elsewhere, that means other mercenary bands will hear of it and hurry to do the same. It will give us a better chance of continuing to Clan MacLeish with less chance of being harmed.”

“Wise choice,” Mave said. “There’s a stream not too far off. We’ll go there and I’ll tend to the three of you and you will rest for a bit and gather your strength. Then you can be on your way.”

“Star,” they heard Knox call out and they turned to see his back to them as he waited for his mare to answer his call.

Mave took hold of Dru’s arm and hurried her away to speak quickly with her.

“Do not be foolish. Knox is your fate. Do not run from it. Meet it head on.”

“What if?—”

Mave scoffed annoyed. “The choice has been taken from you.”

“Like my mum,” Dru said with a touch of anger.

“Knox is nothing like Lord Randall nor you like your mum. She raised you to have the courage to do whatever was necessary. So, make her proud and do it. Stay with Knox. Now go. I can see to this.”

Dru turned then stopped. “Can you tell me if they will make it to Clan MacLeish safely?”

Mave nodded. “They will and they will have a good life there.”

Dru sighed softly. “One less worry.”

“Now bid them goodbye and be off with you,” Mave ordered, and she did.

Knox’s hands went to her waist as soon as she got close enough for him to grasp hold of her. With an easy lift, he had her on his mare and quickly mounted and settled her against him.

“Stay off the worn paths,” Knox called out in warning.

Shouts of gratefulness for his help rang out as he turned his mare and disappeared into the woods.

Knox said nothing, but the firm hold he had around her waist told her that he had no intention of letting her go. And the anger that lingered in his dark eyes warned she would be better off remaining silent.

That, however, lasted only so long. There was much that needed to be said between them, but she chose an easy question.

“Where do we go?”

Knox kept his eyes on the road as he answered her. “A place where no one will find us—for now.”

“We should talk,” she said.

“Not now,” he said. “My anger with you is too strong.”

She went to speak.

“Hold your tongue, Dru,” he snapped again. “You will only make matters worse if you pursue this now.”

As difficult as it was for her to do as he said, she held her tongue. Besides, cradled in his warmth combined with the steady rhythm of the horse had her eyes turning heavy. She rested her head on his chest and was asleep in no time.

It was well after midday that Dru woke, and she leaned her head back as her eyes fully opened. Her husband stared down at her, his anger having faded though not completely. A spark of it flared here and there.

“We’re almost there,” he said and looked away.

Making amends was not going to be easy but he did have a right to be angry. She only hoped he understood when she explained it all to him. And while she reminded herself to trust Mave’s words, part of her feared what might become of Knox and her.

Dru watched as Knox guided his mare along a narrow path that was barely visible. The forest was thick here and she wondered where he was taking her.

They came upon a narrow passageway through thick bushes, the mare protesting a bit, but Knox coaxed the horse through. She calmed once past them while Dru was shocked to see a small cottage.

Knox stopped in front of it, dismounted, then reached up and lifted her off the mare.

“Go wait inside while I settle Star.”

She nodded and went to the door but stopped to turn and see where he took Star. He headed to a lean-to with a roof and back wall while large bushes protected the sides. He was gentle with the mare after their long ride, and she wondered if he would be as gentle with her, or would his anger prevail?

She entered the cottage and was surprised at the scent of a kale and cabbage stew cooking in the cauldron in the hearth. Someone lived here. She looked around. There was a table and two benches, a bed that could fit two but not with ease. Shelves with various size crocks upon them and on the narrow table beneath that ran the length of one wall sat more crocks as well as a large pestle and mortar and a few smaller ones. Dried herbs hung from a branch hanging over the table and baskets were piled beneath along with larger crocks. She didn’t need to see more to know who lived here—Mave.

Knox entered, closed the door and stood there staring at her.

She removed her cloak and hung it on a nearby peg in the wall. She couldn’t delay this any longer. She had to tell him.

She gathered all the strength she could muster, though her roiling stomach cautioned it wasn’t enough.

“I need to tell you the truth,” she said.

“You need to tell me why you left?” he corrected her.

She didn’t hesitate. “I left because I love you.”

“That’s a strange answer.”

“You asked for the truth, I gave it,” she said. “If I stayed with you, it would have endangered your life. I couldn’t bear the thought if you being harmed because of me.”

“So, you sacrifice yourself?”

Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You could have trusted me.”

“Aye, I know that. But I also could have lost you.”

“You left, isn’t that a loss?” he demanded, his anger flaring.

“But I left you alive to live your life,” she insisted.

Frustrated, he ran his hand roughly through his hair. “Life would be meaningless without you. These feelings I have for you intensify by the day and when I woke and found you gone, I felt my heart shatter—then I got angry that you would throw our love away so easily.”

“I thought it was the right thing to do,” she said, thinking now it may have been a mistake.

“You were wrong.”

“You may think differently when you know the truth.”

“Aye, the truth,” He nodded slowly. “It’s about time you were truthful with me.”

Fear struck Dru, having sworn to herself never to let the words past her lips.

She lifted her chin and said, “I’m Autumn.”

He glared at her. “Do you think me that much of a fool?”

She was shocked that he didn’t believe her. “I speak the truth. I am Autumn.”

Knox shook his head. “You don’t think I know that?”

Dru was stunned, words failing her.

“Not at first. Not when I agreed to wed you. But it didn’t take long to put the pieces together. The need for you to keep people at bay with your odorous attire, leaving you to hide more openly, gather information to protect yourself, pretty, not beautiful—though that’s not accurate—it all started to slowly come together. Things Mave told me about you and your mum and how you protected the young lad, Owen. You have a penchant for doing that. It was confirmed when we took the path Mave told me to take to reach the village. You walked it with confidence, never once questioning if we were going the wrong way.”

She displayed false courage, keeping her chin raised. “What now?”

His brow narrowed. “Are you asking me if I intend to turn you over to Lord Torrance?”

“What choice do you have? If you don’t, he will see you dead and force me into an unwanted marriage.”

“I won’t let that happen.”

He spoke with such confidence that she almost believed him, wanted to believe him.

“Torrance is a cruel man,” she said.

“So am I.”

Tears rushed to her eyes. “I love you, Knox, and I don’t want to lose you. But I fear one way or another I will and my heart breaks at the thought.”

“And I love you. We are meant to be together. Fate has decreed it and as Mave would say… you don’t question Fate. I will not let you go, and you will not leave me again and remember what I have repeatedly told you. I will always find you.” He walked around the table and caught her tears with his finger before they could fall. “And now, wife, we seal our vows never to be parted.”

He swept her up into his arms and carried her to the other room.