Page 5 of To Tame a Wolf

Alexandra froze with terror at the sight of the riders heading for them before she heard the McGregor yell, “Drop the mare’s reins and ride as fast as you can toward the trees on our right.”

She let go of the reins to the extra horse she was leading and kicked the gelding she rode hard in his sides. He bolted and took off at a gallop. Hanging on tight to his mane, she hunched low over his neck and urged him on. Glancing to her left, she saw the McGregor was keeping up with her, but he hung back at her flank. The tree line was fast approaching. Not daring to look, she wondered how far away the other riders were.

As soon as they crossed into the trees, the McGregor yelled for her to pull up. She reined in the horse and turned to face him. He had already dismounted and strode toward her.

“Keep riding north as fast as you dare without killing your horse. The McGregor keep is no more than hours away,” he shouted, “I’ll keep them at bay as long as I can. Ask for my brother, James McGregor, and tell him everything.”

Alexandra looked down at the man who had helped save her. How could she just leave him?

“Do as I say!” he shouted and slapped his hand on her horse’s rump. “Go!”

Startled, the horse took off into the woods. Within moments, she regained control of the animal and reined him to a stop. Dear Lord, what should I do? The McGregor doesn’t know that I might be able to help him…and besides, who did he think he was to order her about? Making up her mind, she turned her horse around and headed back.

She didn’t arrive at the exact spot but found she was farther to the north when she reached the meadow. The riders were almost upon the McGregor, who just stood there like an idiot waiting for them, with a weapon in each hand, and his back to the woods. Alexandra grabbed the bow and quiver of arrows and jumped from her horse. Bracing herself against a tree trunk, she withdrew an arrow. The riders formed a circle around the McGregor.

She pulled back on the bow string and said a quick prayer. Please God, let my aim be true, and don’t let me kill anyone. Gently letting the bowstring roll over her fingertips, she let the arrow fly toward the back shoulder of the rider nearest to her. He stiffened suddenly and slumped over his horse’s neck, before falling off its right side. As the man hit the ground, she placed the next arrow ready in the bow.

The hunting party had started their attack just as Alexandra’s arrow hit the first man. She pierced her third man before the rest of the group realized the McGregor was not alone. They split what was left of their forces, leaving three men to deal with the McGregor, while the last two turned and charged her position.

****

Ian McGregor had planned to disable at least half the group before retreating into the woods and picking the rest off one at a time. His experience had taught him that men tended to drop their guard when they had a man clearly outnumbered. When the first arrow struck, Ian knew the foolish woman had not listened to him. Charging into the crowd, he easily killed two of his enemies, using one of their horses as a shield before striking down the next. He cursed when the group split and two broke off, charging in the direction of the flying arrows.

Left with three men to deal with, Ian felt an urgency to dispatch them as quickly as possible in order to go to Alexandra’s aid. He was fighting the last man when he heard a faint scream. His opponent took advantage of Ian’s momentary distraction and went to deal him a fatal blow. Turning his body at the last second, Ian grimaced as the man’s hatchet sliced through his left arm from shoulder to elbow. Instead of retreating, he stepped into the man and stabbed him with his dagger.

****

As the two men charged Alexandra, she nervously nocked one last arrow and let it fly. The arrow landed in the nearest man’s thigh. He slowed down but kept coming. Alexandra fled into the forest. The bow wasn’t meant for close fighting. Now what? She didn’t have a plan. She needed to hide, but how? She was leaving tracks in the snow, and she didn’t have much time. Then an idea hit her. She stopped and retraced her footsteps, stepping exactly where she had left footprints.

She kept Happy quiet in his pouch, but she knew it was only a matter of minutes before they reached her hiding spot. She needed to buy some time for the McGregor to find her.

She watched the first man break through the tree-line with his sword drawn. Peering at the ground from atop his horse, he followed her path in the snow. The second man, cursing loudly and pressing his hand against his bleeding thigh, soon caught up to him. The first man led the way, following her tracks until they abruptly ended.

“Where did she go? Her tracks just disappeared?”

“We’ll find the witch, and she’ll pay when we do,” his companion muttered and wrapped a cloth around his leg.

When they circled under her tree, Happy struggled in earnest. She held his wiggling body tight against her with one hand and clamped the other around his snout. But Happy still managed to emit a loud growl. Both men stared up into the tree.

She looked down at their astonished faces and climbed even higher. Who would have thought having been such a tomboy as a child would come in so handy one day?

The two men below looked at one another before the injured man shrugged and said, “I can’t climb with this leg.”

The other man, shorter and stockier, stood in his saddle and grabbed a branch. Pulling himself up into the tree, he started to ascend. As he climbed, the injured man below shouted threats of what they would do when they got their hands on her. Alexandra concentrated on not slipping on the snowy bark and climbed higher. The man following her was making faster progress without the hindrance of skirts. The branches were getting smaller and smaller, and instead of continuing to climb, she carefully slid sideways, out on the current limb as far as she dared go, while using both hands to hold onto the tree limb above her.

The climbing man closed in enough to jump and grab the branch she was balancing on. His extra weight, combined with hers, served to bend the limb, and it slipped out from under her feet. Screaming, she clung to the tree branch and hung perilously in the air.

She heard the man on the ground laugh. “That’s it, just shake her loose.”

The climbing man answered, “We won’t get no reward if she’s dead.”

“She’s gonna wish she was dead anyway when I get done with her,” the other stated and taunted her with graphic threats.

Abruptly, the ranting of the injured man stopped. The man in the tree noticed the sudden silence and took his hatchet from his belt. He yelled down, “I can easily kill her from here.”

Alexandra had also noticed the sudden quiet and she was relieved to see the McGregor had finally made an appearance. Her hands were numb from holding onto the wet, snow-covered branch. She feared she would fall at any moment.

“So go ahead and kill her. The woman means nothing to me. I’ve only just met her,” she heard the McGregor say. “You kill her, and then I’ll kill you and go about my merry way.”

Alexandra couldn’t believe what she was hearing. That scoundrel!

Several seconds passed and the McGregor added, “Or you could help the lady down, and I’ll let you live to take a message back to your Sullivan laird. The choice is yours.”

The man didn’t have to think long. He released the branch he’d pulled out from under her and sheathed his hatchet. He yelled down, “I’ll take the message.”

The branch did not spring all the way back up and Alexandra’s toes barely reached it. She inched along until she was closer to the base of the tree, and then she stopped and leaned against the trunk, taking a minute to gain her composure. The climbing man moved down several more branches to give her room to descend. She was tempted to stay in the tree. She wasn’t sure either man could be trusted. But she didn’t have much of a choice, and she slowly made her way back down. The man remained close enough to help her should she start to slip or fall, and offered assistance along the way.

Her legs trembled by the time she finally stood on solid ground. Without looking directly at her, the McGregor ordered, “Wait here.” He led the Sullivan man out of hearing distance and stood with his back toward her. As they spoke, she saw the man nod his head several times before he mounted his horse and rode away.

The McGregor glared as he strode back. She lifted her chin and glared right back at him. When he got close enough to reach her, his hands snaked out, and he grabbed her upper arms and pulled her abruptly against his chest. Startled, she looked up at him with her mouth open to protest. He brought his face down within inches of hers and said in a whisper, “The next time I tell you to do something”—and the whisper escalated to a roar—“by God, you better do it!” He gave her an extra little shake, before pushing her away.

Stunned, she yelled back, “You’re mad at me? I came back to help you, you idiot!”

The McGregor pounded his massive chest with a fist, emphasizing each syllable as he yelled, “Do. I. Look. Like. I. Need. Help? Especially from a woman?”

Alexandra stared up into his angry face. Actually, no, he didn’t look like he needed anyone’s assistance. He looked like a giant, a fierce warrior. She took a deep breath and talked calmly to ease the building tension between them, “You may not have needed my help, but I did help. Next time, I’ll leave you to your own devices.”

“What you did , was almost get me killed!” He glanced down at his bleeding arm.

Alexandra hadn’t noticed until then. Blood dripped from the fingertips of his left hand. She gasped and stated the obvious, “You’re injured!” Stepping forward, she gently lifted his arm and examined the wound. Luckily, it wasn’t as deep as she’d first feared.

“This should be cleaned and stitched right away.”

The McGregor looked down with annoyance. “It can wait, we are only hours from the keep, and there are undoubtedly other bands of Sullivan’s men nearby.”

“You could lose your arm if it gets infected. At least let me apply a salve and a wrap. It will only take a few minutes.” As she spoke, Alexandra ran in the direction of her horse. The McGregor didn’t give her an answer, but he did follow. Thankfully, the animal was well trained and had not strayed far.

Ian sat in silence while she applied a paste she mixed from herbs and water. She had just enough clean wrapping material left to cover his muscular arm. She looked up into his brown eyes and found them already focused on her face. “That should hold until we reach your home. I’ll stitch it for you then.”

Ian nodded. “Let’s get moving.”

After retrieving his horse, they once again ventured out into the meadow, only this time they stayed close to the tree line and galloped across the remaining distance. The horses had rested during the skirmish so the McGregor pushed them at a faster pace. They rode for over an hour without speaking. Neither was in a talkative mood.

Alexandra thought back to the tree incident. The McGregor had stated so coldly she meant nothing to him. He had practically invited the Sullivan man to kill her. She couldn’t help but wonder if that was how he really felt, even though he had followed up with a solution where no one was injured. She couldn’t believe she was actually hurt by his comment. Personally, she thought a bond had formed between them during the time they’d been fighting for their lives. The more she thought about it, the more hurt and angry she became until she couldn’t hold it back any longer.

“So…” She spoke loudly to get his attention, “You only just met me, and you wouldn’t have cared if Sullivan’s man did you a favor and got rid of me?”

The McGregor, taken aback by the tone and look upon her face, laughed out loud.

She didn’t think it was funny and glared at him, which only served to make him laugh harder. When he caught his breath, he said, “Lass, the only thing I could do from the ground was to try to catch you, should you fall. There were far too many branches between him and me to deflect any weapon I threw. Sullivan’s man was no fool. He knew what his fate would have been.”

His response calmed her a little, and she even managed a wry smile at how ridiculous she must have looked, hanging high from the tree branch.

The sun reached midpoint when the McGregor stopped his horse and said, “We’re getting closer to the stronghold. I don’t think any of Sullivan’s men will be foolish enough to venture this close.”

He threw back his head and howled. Alexandra looked at him like he was crazy. What on earth was he doing? The pup jerked awake in the pouch, and he stuck his head out, his ears up and alert. The McGregor sat on his horse and listened for a few seconds before letting out another loud, drawn-out howl. Happy tilted his head back and joined in, howling mournfully. Alexandra smiled at his unexpected response. Perplexed, she watched the howling match before other answering howls coming from the surrounding woods startled her.

Her heart pounded, and she clutched the pup closer to her. Fearful of an oncoming attack, she glanced to the McGregor for a clue as what to do while she peered into the trees around them. The McGregor didn’t appear disturbed. With a grin on his face, he jumped down from his horse as a group of men rode out of the woods and into the open. It took her a moment to realize they were also wearing the McGregor colors.

The men dismounted. Laughing and joking, they surrounded Ian and took turns shaking his hand or slapping him on the back. It was obvious he was well liked among his clansmen. They looked at her and the pup with open curiosity but stood back respectfully and waited for Ian to introduce her.

“Instead of explaining my tale over and over again, I’ll wait until everyone’s gathered back at the main hall,” he announced and mounted his horse.

The group surrounded them, forming a protective ring, as they walked their horses toward the McGregor keep. Alexandra’s stomach fluttered with nerves about the upcoming encounter with the McGregor laird. Would he help her? Would Ian help plead her case? From what she could see so far, these men seemed to be a rather decent sort, which spoke well of their leader, didn’t it?

The McGregor stronghold appeared in the distance. The stone fortress was tall, and intimidating, and it was surrounded by a stone wall. As they drew closer, they came upon clusters of huts at the base of the wall, near the gated entrance of the keep. From the huts, more and more people joined their procession. They were smiling and happy, yelling out to the McGregor and the other riders. Before long, a chant started. At first she couldn’t make out what the people were saying, but as their voices grew stronger, she heard, “Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!” Alexandra held the pup closer to her chest. Many curious eyes were upon her and Happy. Why were they yelling Wolf? Was her pup in danger?

Passing through the outer wall of the keep, they entered the stables. The McGregor and the other riders dismounted, so she did also. She was glad to stand on ground once more. Young lads came forth from the stable and took their reins. Alexandra grabbed her medicinal bags before her horse could be led away. The McGregor seemed to have forgotten about her, as he was greeted by more and more people. He loudly made the announcement for everyone to come into the main hall. Alexandra trailed behind but stayed as close to him as she could.

As forbidding as the outside of the stronghold was, the inside was the complete opposite. The hall was clean and bright, warm and inviting. Tapestries hung from the walls and fires blazed from multiple fireplaces. The McGregor was loudly greeted and given a bear hug from a large man whom Alexandra assumed to be his brother, as the man looked like a younger, slightly smaller version of Ian. Alexandra’s eyes searched the growing crowd for a glimpse of the McGregor laird. Ian raised his hands to silence the people.

“I was delayed returning from my hunt due to being captured by Sullivan and his men,” Ian shouted so all could hear. Silence prevailed as his words sank in, and then the crowd erupted with yelling and curses toward the Sullivan clan. Ian held up his hand again to quiet them so he could continue.

“Sullivan took me to the Englishman, Niles Conrad, at whose estate I was kept prisoner.” He raised his fist in the air and shouted, “They are in league to overtake our lands!”

The people exploded again but silenced themselves as he added, “They had no idea I was the McGregor laird, and they only kept me alive to try to torture information from me about our fortress and defenses. But as you can see, I escaped and I have brought with me Sullivan’s bride-to-be as my prisoner!”

Cheering interrupted any further talk, and weapons were raised overhead as the chanting of “Wolf” started all over again.

Blood drained from Alexandra’s face as the McGregor’s words fully sank in. Everything suddenly became crystal clear and she remembered Aggie’s statement that the clan was headed by a man nicknamed “the Wolf”.

She slowly set the pup on the ground. As the crowd cheered and stared, something inside her exploded. Before she had time to gain control, she leapt across the few feet that separated her from the McGregor and flung herself at him.