Page 10 of Wolf Heir (Highland Wolves of Old #3)

Aisling hurried to the kitchen, hoping she wouldn’t be too late to arrive to do her duty after watching the sword play between the clans and annoy Cook. Cook was always on everyone’s case when they didn’t show up early to prepare the meals.

Her mother caught up with Aisling, but she didn’t need the delay. “I’m late, Mother. I need to get to the kitchen.”

“I will talk to you on the way there. I canna believe Coinneach is here.”

“I dinna want to talk about it, " Aisling said, repeating her mother’s often-repeated words. If her mother couldn’t tell her what was bothering her about Coinneach, Aisling would continue to see him as she pleased.

She adored him, and she knew he loved her.

She reminded herself they would be mated in a fortnight, with or without her mother’s consent.

“There are things you canna be privy to.”

“You have told me that many times before.” Aisling was tired of hearing it.

Her mother hurried after her. “I’m serious. It’s dangerous for you, me, and Coinneach, too.”

Aisling stopped. “Tell me why.”

Tears filled her mother’s eyes. “I…we’ll have to talk about this privately, away from here.”

“You’ll tell me?”

“Aye, after the meal.”

She hugged her mom. “That's good. I’ll see you after the meal then. We can go to the meadow and speak.”

“Aye.”

Aisling was glad her mother would finally tell her what was bothering her. She just hoped it wasn’t as dire as her mother thought it was.

She hurried into the kitchen, where everyone was busy cooking various dishes for the chief, the rest of the clan, and his guests.

Cook said to her, “That man of yours bested Aodhan. No one has ever done so, though he used some strange maneuver to do it.”

Aisling was so surprised to hear admiration in the Cook’s voice, not to mention she was shocked that she knew Aisling had been seeing Coinneach.

“Dinna be so surprised that everyone knows you are smitten with him.”

Everyone?

“Och, everyone gossips whenever you have gone to the meadow.”

“He is braw,” Aisling admitted.

“Aye. Anyone choosing to fight Aodhan is either touched in the head or extremely brave. Because he won the battle, I believe he has the courage of an alpha wolf. Did you see that Viking sword he carries? Of course you have.”

Aisling smiled, thinking back to when she’d saved Coinneach’s life. But she never let on that he was anything but a great warrior and didn’t want him to tell anyone she had killed the Viking to protect him.

Aisling stirred the pot of fish stew while Cook chastened others in the kitchen who were dawdling while listening to their conversation. Aisling felt her position had somewhat been elevated for the first time since she’d worked for Cook.

Of course, one mistake could change everything in an instant. But for now, Aisling was walking on the moon.

“All right, just this once, I’ll let you serve the table where—what is his name?”

“Coinneach.”

“Where Coinneach is sitting. For Aodhan to ask him to sit with him is a great honor. And serving him his meal is also so dinna spill or drop anything,” Cook said.

“Aye, Cook.” Aisling was beyond excited and hid her enthusiasm so she wouldn’t make a fool of herself.

A redheaded woman, Gormelia, who usually served Aodhan’s table, said, “But that’s my table to serve.

” Her hair was often on display, but it wasn’t half as showy as Cook’s springy or Aisling’s wavy curls, if she said so herself.

Gormelia’s hair was straight and fine, not as full and luxurious as Aisling’s and Cook’s.

And Gormelia’s mouth was downturned more often than not, like she was always unhappy with something.

Unless she were with her friends, and then she’d make a show of laughing and smiling, which all looked faked to high heaven.

Her dark brown eyes were catlike and pretty but often narrowed with disdain, like she was trying to copy the chief’s mate, Morag’s demeanor.

“Aye, normally, and who is in charge here?” Cook asked, sounding annoyed that the woman would question her authority. “You will take care of the table Aisling normally serves.”

Aisling should have known Gormelia would be irritated with her for taking over her table. Some of the lasses preferred serving the guards, hoping to find a mate. Aisling often served the women and was happy to do so.

She already had her man, but still wanted to convince her mother that he was the only one for her. She suspected Gormelia was interested in Aodhan, but he hadn’t shown any interest back.

As soon as loaves of bread were brought up from the ovens below, the head table was served first, and then Aisling carried a tray to the table she was assigned while Gormelia bumped into her, nearly making her lose her tray. She could have bitten her; she was so mad.

When she saw Coinneach's smiling face, all her anger melted away. She smiled at him and hurried to serve Aodhan first. Before she could give him a slice of bread, Coinneach left his bench seat to assist her. He wasn’t supposed to; he was an honored guest.

He also didn’t know the rules here. She glanced at Aodhan to see if he would tell Coinneach it wasn’t done, but he only grinned and winked at her. Which made her cheeks heat in embarrassment.

She knew everyone would be watching them, partly because Coinneach had bested the champion and befriended him in one fell swoop, and partly because of his actions now, which were gallant but not at all done. She hoped everyone wouldn’t laugh at him as he helped her pass out the bread at his table.

“Two for me, love,” Aodhan said with a smirk. He probably needed more for all his muscles.

She hurried to give him another slice of bread and whispered to Coinneach, “You’re not supposed to help. You’re a guest.”

He only kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you in the meadow following the meal, aye?”

She thought of her mother’s comments, and now her mother had promised to tell her the truth about what bothered her so much about Coinneach being at the castle.

“Later.” Aisling hurried off with her empty bread tray to deliver fish soup next.

“You had a helper, I’m told, which is why you returned so quickly,” Cook said to Aisling, as she oversaw the rest of the meal.

“Uh, aye. He doesna know the rules.”

“Well, serve the fish stew, but to the head table. They always get their food first.”

“Aye, of course.” Now this was even more stressful. She hoped Coinneach didn’t try to help her serve the fish stew at the head table. And prayed she wouldn’t spill any of it and make a mess of things.

As soon as she went to the head table, Alasdair smiled at her. She smiled back and then gave Chief Hamish his soup first, without spilling a drop. But when she came to Alasdair, she tripped on an uneven stone and spilled some on the table. Alasdair quickly reached out and steadied her hand.

She silently thanked him. Then she left the soup off for the rest of the people at the table and hurried off to the kitchen, perspiring like crazy.

Venison was next, and she saw that Gormelia had rushed back to the kitchen so she could serve another table besides the women’s.

Maybe so she could serve the head table, which would suit Aisling fine. She wanted to see Coinneach instead.

Cook eyed the two of them. “All right. You can take the food to the head table, Gormelia. You work on the champion’s table, Aisling.”

“Thank you,” Aisling said, even though it wasn’t as prestigious as bringing the meals to the head table. But she didn't think it was as nerve-racking either. She just hoped Coinneach didn’t come to assist her with the venison.

When she returned to the table, she told Coinneach, “Sit, and I will serve you.”

“Aye, lass. I hope I didna get you into any trouble.”

“Nay. I’m meeting my mother in the meadow. She’s going to tell me the truth about what concerns her.” She didn’t say anything more than that, not wanting Aodhan or anyone else to be privy to their situation.

Coinneach nodded. “I will wait for you still, to learn what she has to say.”

“Aye. But out of sight.”

She glanced at Aodhan, who was already eating his venison, listening in, of course, to all that was being said.

Then she served Coinneach and hurried off to finish serving the rest of the clansmen at the table, even Drustan, in charge of the warriors.

“You fancy this Coinneach, aye?” Drustan asked.

Her cheeks heated in embarrassment. “Aye.”

“Good. He will work for me.”

She glanced back at Coinneach, worried about the danger her mother had alluded to.

“After he ensures his family can take care of the farm without him.”

“Oh, aye.” She was ecstatic about him living closer to her, but still worried about her mother’s warnings of doom.

She continued to serve the meal and then left with the empty tray to return to the kitchen.

She couldn’t believe it. Maybe that was what Coinneach had wanted to tell her about in the meadow.

She thought about her mother’s haunting words again. She had to know what her mother would say, and she hoped it wouldn’t upset the plan for Coinneach to work at the castle.

Coinneach was hopeful that Blair would tell Aisling what bothered her about him. And he hoped it wasn’t any significant concern, just something she had worked up in her mind.

He was eager to tell Aisling he had the offer to work at the castle, but he still needed to ensure his family approved.

Once the meal was done, he wanted to see Aisling before he left. The chiefs of the two clans left the high table, signaling to everyone else that the meal had ended. Coinneach motioned to Alasdair that he was going to the kitchen and would return.

Alasdair nodded.

Then Coinneach headed into the kitchen, where Aisling and the others ate. “I’m leaving with Alasdair now. But I will see you in a bit, aye?”

“Aye.”

He leaned over and kissed her. Everyone there was goggle-eyed. Even Cook.