Page 13 of Wolf Heir (Highland Wolves of Old #3)

No, but he wanted to spend more time with her, and if she was free, he wanted to take her with him. “Aye, of course.”

“But you’re no’ going to mention that Hamish is your da?”

“Nay.” Then Coinneach took her hand and walked back down the path through the woods and to the meadow.

“We have no’ played as wolves in a while.”

“Nay. We’ve both been busy. Maybe once I’m at the castle, we can do so.”

“We will both be busy there.”

He loved playing with her as a wolf, and he would make it his priority to find some time to take her to the forest and run as wolves.

When he saw his da helping Tamhas repair the roof, Coinneach felt bad that he had not been there to assist.

“I’ll speak to my da on the roof, while you visit with my mother.”

Aisling inclined her head and called into the house, “How now, Elspeth.”

“Oh, my, ‘tis always a pleasure to see you.”

“How was the meal at the castle?” his da asked as Coinneach took his place and began adding the new thatched materials to the roof.

“I got to see Aisling.”

His da smiled. “It appears you brought her home. Tell us what happened at the castle.”

“I fought Chief Hamish’s champion and unconventionally beat him.”

His da and Tamhas laughed.

“Drustan, who is in charge of the guards, wants me to work for him.” Coinneach wanted to tell his da right up front.

His da handed him some more thatch to add to the roof while Tamhas retrieved some more. “I knew the day would come that you would work for Chief Hamish.”

“Tamhas needs to have his own family and run the croft when the time comes.” Coinneach had told his family so many times.

“Aye. You are both good at farming, but Tamhas has his heart in it while you are aching to see the lass at the castle.” His da sounded like he knew this would be the way it played out.

“I will be back to help out whenever I can.”

“Aye. You are a good son.”

But not his flesh and blood son. Coinneach had to shake loose of the grim thoughts he had about dealing with Morag.

He wanted to expose her in the worst way—if only so that Blair and Aisling wouldn’t be her targets for termination.

He had to do so in a way that Blair wasn’t harmed for her part in all this.

“I love being here, but you know me. I have always wanted to do something more.” Coinneach helped overlap some of the thatch.

“Aye. Tamhas will be glad for it.”

Tamhas returned to the house with another cartload of heather to rethatch the roof.

“Your brother is finally leaving the croft so that he can work at the castle,” their da told Tamhas.

At first, Tamhas looked surprised, but then he smiled. “What are you going to do there?”

“I’ll be a guard, a warrior.” And Coinneach would protect Blair and her daughter at all costs.

“That suits you. Especially once you bested the chief’s champion, I overheard.” Tamhas looked thrilled. “When are you leaving?”

“So you can move a lass in to take over my palette?” Coinneach jested.

“Aye. You have your lass already. I was just waiting for us to have more room in the croft.”

“I will start work on the morrow.” Coinneach was glad his da and brother were all right with him moving out of the croft, but he still needed to tell his mother.

“Life is so uncertain,” Elspeth said to Aisling as she helped her make bread.

“Aye.” Aisling and Elspeth had heard everything Coinneach and Magnus had said on top of the roof.

His mother had only smiled. “To best the champion is something to behold.”

“Aye. I’ve never seen anything like it, and what was so great was that he had Coinneach sit beside him in a place of honor at one of the tables.” She hoped he wouldn’t help her serve more of the meal, as he had before.

Elspeth glanced at her. “He will be well-liked among the other pack members, I’m sure. You and Coinneach need to mate, to be there for each other as humans and wolves.”

“I agree.”

“You dinna want to waste time—”

“Courting?” Aisling smiled at her.

Elspeth’s cheeks reddened as she appeared flustered. “There is so much more to being mated wolves.” She blushed anew.

“Aye. We look forward to it and we dinna intend to wait long.”

“We will have a simple ceremony in the meadow?” Elspeth asked.

“Aye. We would be honored.”

“Now that Coinneach will be working at the castle, he’ll see more of you.”

“I hope we willna be in trouble for it when we try to spend some time with each other.”

“Some will understand young love.” Elspeth took hold of Aisling’s hands.

“He is brave, kind, and caring. He will stand up for those who are downtrodden. But he…he sometimes believes someone is good of heart, when they are no’.

He willna believe he needs to be looked after, but he does.

That’s why you will be good for him. Even when a Viking tries to shoot him with an arrow. ”

Aisling’s mouth gaped. His mother had known about it?

“We couldna reach Coinneach in time to save him. We knew when you did, you had a bond that was meant to be. We kept your secret because you wanted it kept.”

Aisling smiled. “He’s a hero. I heard him howl to the castle guards and the other crofters about the trouble.”

“Aye, he is a hero.”

The men all came into the croft, and Aisling said, “I need to return to the castle.”

“I’ll escort you. Mother, I’ll be…”

“Working as a castle guard. We heard you talking on the roof. I’m proud of you and know you’ll do your duty wherever they put you.” Elspeth hugged him. “We love you, son.”

He hugged her back. “I’m returning.”

“I’ll have all your stuff packed before you get back.” Tamhas laughed.

Smiling, Coinneach slapped him on the back. “I hate packing. I appreciate it.”

He grasped Aisling's hand and led her out of the croft. Together, they made their way through the meadow toward the castle. As the moonlight shone over the heather, she hoped they would arrive before the gates were shut.

“I will see you in the morn. I’ll probably have to break my fast there.”

“You willna help me serve the meal.”

He shared a flask of honeyed mead with her as they walked through the heather.

“Aye. I didna mean to embarrass you or get you in trouble.”

“We served up the food so fast that I had to serve the head table after that.”

He smiled. “I wondered why you were doing that and no’ serving us further.”

“Aye. And Gormelia was fit to be tied because she normally serves the champion’s table.”

“Who do you normally serve?”

“The women’s table, which is fine with me.”

They waved at the guards as they approached the gate. The guards inclined their heads toward them, a change from their previous behavior.

“It seems you now have some status among the guards for besting Aodhan.”

“I probably wouldna be able to do it again.”