Page 7 of To Tame a Wolf

When Alexandra reached the McGregor’s bedroom, she turned to the two guards who had followed her. “I’m sorry you’re missing out on the rest of the festivities.” They did not acknowledge her apology but rather took up their posts on either side of the doorway. Maddie entered the room behind her. Normally, she would have no problem getting herself ready for bed, but tonight she was grateful for Maddie’s assistance. The girl brought her a soft, flannel gown which covered her from head to toe. Extra blankets had also been placed near the fire hearth. She thanked Maddie and ushered her out of the room so her new friend could go back and join the others in the dining hall.

The fire was warm and inviting, and so were her blankets from being so close to the heat. She was asleep within seconds of slipping into the makeshift bed. During what she presumed to be the middle of the night, she woke up to a very cold, very dark room. Her hip and elbow ached from lying on one side for too long on the hard, stone floor. As she lay shivering, she heard the rustle of the straw mattress followed by soft snoring. She must have slept like the dead not to have heard the McGregor come into the room. The fire was completely out. Had the McGregor stoked it before he retired? She doubted she would have slept through that since she was only a few feet from the hearth. Perhaps that was why he had not stoked it—because she was sleeping? Ha, she thought, unwilling to give him any credit. He was probably drunk from too much wine and had just stumbled into bed.

The night stretched endlessly long. She rolled from side to side as her discomfort with the hard floor grew. The blankets shifted and twisted into lumps. Curling into a ball and tucking the blankets close, was the best she could do to keep warm. Unfortunately, her hip and elbow would start throbbing, and she’d roll over and start the whole process again.

Alexandra listened to the McGregor snoring intermittently throughout the night. She was tempted during those times to crawl into the other side of the large bed. He probably wouldn’t even notice, and she could get up again before dawn. He’d never know. She snorted and thought, like I could trust myself to wake up and not be in his warm arms again . Just thinking about his hard body wrapped around her, made her feel warmer. She couldn’t risk it. She was too attracted to him to let her defenses down.

She feigned sleep when morning finally came and the McGregor moved about his quarters. After he stomped into his boots and left the room, she got up from the floor and stretched her sore muscles before jumping into the big bed. The blankets were still warm from his body heat. Pulling the big top fur over her head, she snuggled into the sagging softness. She was pleasantly drifting off to sleep when the bedroom door crashed open and she heard the McGregor shout, “Wake-up, you lazy lass. There’s work to be done!”

Alexandra sat up as the McGregor pulled the covers off the bed. He stared at her uncovered legs before she jumped to her feet.

“Everyone pulls their weight around here, and that includes you.” He stood with his feet spread and his hands on his hips.

Alexandra glared at him. “I’ve no problem doing my fair share! You could have told me what you expected last night so I could be ready for whatever menial task you have in mind.”

The McGregor’s dark eyes were dancing. Was he laughing at her ?

“Our clan healer is sick, and you could make yourself useful by checking on him.”

Alexandra’s anger dissipated at the news. “I will gladly help if I can. Give me a few minutes to get myself and my supplies together.”

“Maddie is on her way with your breakfast. Whenever you are ready, your guards can show you the way to the healer’s hut.” He walked toward the door, and then turned back.

“I’ve given young Jamie the task of looking after your pup until you return.” He watched her as if gauging her reaction.

“Thank you. I’m sure that Happy will enjoy the lad’s attention.”

The McGregor smirked at the mention of the pup’s name and left the room.

****

Alexandra’s guards this morning were Brock and Sean. Both had been reluctant to divulge their names until she said she wouldn’t go anywhere with them until they did. If she was going to be stuck here for a time, than she was going to get acquainted with these people. Besides, being on a first name basis with her guards might eventually help her to escape.

The healer’s hut turned out to be one of the buildings inside the keep’s fortress wall, and the walk to it was a short and easy one as the snow had been trampled by many footsteps. She knocked on the hut door, but there was no response. She looked back at her captors, who both nodded as she opened the door. The interior was dark, damp, and cold. She could make out a bed and walked over to it. The occupant was unresponsive, and he was straining to breathe. Placing her hand upon his brow, she discovered he was burning with fever.

Alexandra shrugged out of her fur cloak and laid it over the man’s bedcovers. She turned to Brock and Sean, “Can one of you please start a fire? And the other bring a good supply of fresh water.” As the men did as she bade, she rolled up her sleeves and looked about the room for items she needed.

Within the hour, a steady fire burned in the fireplace, and Alexandra had several brews simmering in adjacent cook pots. She stripped the poor man’s bed as it was soaked in sweat, and she placed cool rags over his body in an attempt to lower his fever. Brock assisted in propping the healer into a half-reclining position. She held a bowl of foul-smelling brew beneath the healer’s chin and pulled her cloak up and over both their heads so she could see to feed him. The trapped steam from the bowl would help open his airway. After a time, she noted his breathing eased a bit. Removing the cloak, she talked to her patient and encouraged him to clear his lungs by spitting up phlegm when he could.

She asked a guard to fetch a bowl of the next brew and used a spoon to feed it to the sick man. It was a slow process, as she had to coax him to open his mouth and then to swallow. Alexandra continued the pattern over and over again. First she cooled his body with cold rags, tenting him so he could fully inhale the vapors, and then she spooned as much brew into him as he would take.

The hours flew by. She didn’t stop to eat, although she made sure that her guards did. The poor man was hanging on by a thread. As she worked, she petitioned God to save his life. She didn’t know what else to do for him.

Finally, a breakthrough appeared, and the healer, whose name she learned was Silas, became fully conscious. Conscious and cantankerous.

“Woman, leave me alone. Can’t you let an old man die in peace?” he rasped and shoved the foul tasting brew aside.

“You are not going to die. Your clan needs you,” she said and held another spoonful to the man’s pursed lips, but he refused to open them.

“Then you take care of them,” he spluttered as she slipped more brew into his open mouth.

“But I don’t have your experience. In fact, I have very little. I’m going to need your expertise. You could teach me much before you leave this world.” As she talked, she spooned brew into his mouth.

“Well, I do know a lot, and that’s a fact,” the old man said proudly.

“And I will be an eager student. But first we must get you back on your feet. You’ve almost finished the bowl, just a few more swallows.” She cajoled the man into taking a few more sips. Placing her hand on his forehead, she was pleased to note the fever was indeed going down.

Nighttime came, and her guards were replaced with new ones. She was too busy and too tired to bother asking their names, but they readily assisted her.

After several more hours passed, Maddie appeared at the hut entrance. “The laird has sent me to tell you and the guards it is time to come back to the keep.”

Alexandra did not move from the healer’s bedside. “You may tell the McGregor that I’m not ready to leave. However, his guards may leave at any time.”

The guards and Maddie exchanged worried glances. It was not difficult for Alexandra to understand their dilemma. The guards had been ordered not to leave her unattended, but if they had to carry her back kicking and screaming, what would the Wolf’s reaction be? And Maddie was so bashful she was probably scared to tell the laird that she had said no.

Alexandra sighed and said, “Simply tell the McGregor I regret I must decline his offer. His healer still needs attention. You may also tell him his dutiful guards could not abandon their post. He won’t be angry with you .”

The girl hesitated a moment before concluding she had no other option. She nodded and turned away.

Within minutes, the McGregor’s large form filled the healer’s doorway. With his arms folded, he lounged against the doorframe.

“You have two choices. You can walk back with me, or I’ll carry you.”

Alexandra opened her mouth to protest but was cut short when he interrupted, “I also value my healer’s life. If you get sick you’ll be of no help to him. Your guards have been watching. They can take over for the night.”

She knew he would make good on this threat and she did not wish to make a spectacle of herself again in front of his clan. She turned her back to him and gave instructions to the guards. Putting on her cloak, she side-stepped past the McGregor.

The walk to the keep was a quiet one. He guided her through the darkness with his hand at her elbow. Several groups of people still lounged at the tables when they entered the hall. Alexandra went straight up the stairs to the bedroom. She was relieved the McGregor did not follow. She was so exhausted she felt sick. Changing into her nightgown, she let her clothes lie where they fell and climbed into the pallet of blankets on the floor. Her last thought before she fell asleep was surprise that the floor was quite comfortable.

****

The McGregor found Alexandra fast asleep on the hearth when he entered his bedchamber. He stoked the fire for the evening, but even that did not wake her. Deciding he’d had enough of her stubbornness for one day, he lifted her gently from the floor and placed her on the bed. She muttered in her sleep and rolled over on her side, curling into a fetal position. He stared down at her. Admiring her pale, flawless skin, he touched the smoothness of her cheek before picking up a lock of her silky hair and running it between his fingertips. He smiled at the memory of her brushing her long tresses with her back stiff and facing the fire while he bathed, and again, when he remembered how wild and untamed it had looked around her face when he’d jolted her awake that morning. He held back a laugh as he thought of the look on her face when he’d risen from the tub. God, he enjoyed teasing this lass. Drawing his hand back, he covered her with blankets and furs and retreated to the far side of the bed.

The morning rays streaked through his bedroom window before the McGregor woke. To his surprise, Alexandra lay in his arms. Her legs entwined with his, her arms encircled him and her head rested upon his chest. With one arm wrapped around her back and the other under her derriere, he slid her completely on top his chest and hips. She stirred a bit and then molded herself more completely against him. With the palms of his hands he softly stroked her back while his lips nuzzled her neck.

****

Alexandra was having the most wondrous dream. She was warm and cozy. In her dream Ian McGregor was smiling into her eyes and he was tenderly kissing her lips. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, touching and caressing her tongue with his. Hands gripped her hips and pulled her tight against his loins. She could feel the hard ridge of his shaft as it pressed against her.

Intense pleasure brought her out of her slumber. She opened her eyes and raised her head to find herself inches from the McGregor’s face, his dark eyes staring deep into hers. It took her a few seconds to totally wake up and to realize she was lying on top of the McGregor. With a yelp, she tried to throw her body to the side, but the McGregor was quicker. He turned with her in his arms and suddenly she found herself trapped beneath him.

“Oh no, you don’t,” he said, “you started this and I’m not ready to stop.” He grabbed her hands and held them over her head.

Alexandra was speechless. Had she started it? When had she climbed into bed?

The McGregor took advantage of her hesitation and brought his lips down to hers again. The kiss was powerful. He gently ravished her mouth, stroking and sucking until she couldn’t help but respond. Tentatively, she touched his tongue with hers and began to return the strokes. He released her hands and she wrapped them around his back, holding him close. As he kissed her, he moved a hand to her breast, stroking the nipple through the flannel gown. He released her lips to suckle the hidden bud. Fire coursed through her and she arched her back to bring the nipple closer to him. She felt the firm ridge of his loins as he pressed her harder into the bed. She was suddenly overwhelmed by feelings of need and want. She never could have imagined feeling this way. Fighting her own desire, she turned her head to the side and pushed against his chest.

“Please stop,” she said.

The McGregor turned his attention to her neck, gently nibbling below her ear.

“Is it your intention to take me against my will?”

He lifted his head and turned her face back to his. Looking for confirmation in her eyes, he said, “We both know it wouldn’t be against your will.”

Shamed, her eyes filled with tears. “So you would defile me and ruin my reputation?”

“Woman, you sleep in my chamber. Don’t you think people already believe us to be lovers?”

“ I know the truth. And any future husband will know the truth,” she said.

“Have you forgotten your betrothed is the Sullivan? Do you really want your first time to be with him?”

Alexandra glared at him through her tears and resisted the urge to punch him in the face. “What I want is to be left alone by all men and to go back to the abbey.”

The McGregor returned her angry look and released her to roll off the bed. She averted her eyes as he dressed and left the room.

What had she gotten herself into?