Page 29 of Wolf Heir (Highland Wolves of Old #3)

This time, while Aisling served the champion’s table their morning meal, Coinneach was thrilled she was now his mate. She gave him a big smile as she brought bread, two slices for Aodhan, and slipped another slice to Coinneach. He chuckled.

Then she hurried off to serve the rest of their table. Coinneach glanced at the table on the dais and noticed that Morag was glowering at him. He couldn’t understand why she had so much animosity toward him. Or why she felt that way toward Aisling either.

Once he had issues with Rupert over accosting Aisling, he figured that’s when Morag might be peeved with him.

But before that? When she had pitted Aodhan against him?

And when she tried to stop the men from coming to his and Aodhan’s aid when the Vikings had planned to burn down his family’s croft, Morag had no reason to side against him or Aodhan.

“It appears as though Morag is giving you the evil eye,” Aodhan said low for Coinneach’s ears only.

“Aye. I have no idea why. I mean, sure, after I had words with Rupert, but before that? She was still against me. I didna even know about the issue of who I was at the time.”

Aisling brought them porridge. “You both look so serious.”

Coinneach realized he and Aodhan were frowning. Coinneach smiled at her. “We’re just talking about why Morag would have had anything against me before I had the confrontation with Rupert over you.”

“I dinna know.” Then Aisling furrowed her brow. “Unless someone saw your wolf mark on your shoulder when you removed your shirt the first time and fought Aodhan and told Morag.”

“What about the wolf mark?” Aodhan asked.

“He has a mark from birth of a wolf’s head.” Aisling glanced around. “I need to finish serving the meal.” She hurried off.

“That’s how Blair knew I had been the baby she was supposed to get rid of,” Coinneach explained.

Aodhan rubbed his bearded chin, appearing deep in thought. “Then any of the women who saw you when you were born would have seen the mark.”

“Aye. Unless Morag covered me up too fast with a swaddling cloth.”

“Then it would only be Blair’s word against Morag’s, and the chief would be bound to believe his own mate.”

“Aye.”

Aisling returned with more ale for everyone at the table. “Rupert looks like he could kill you where you sit,” she whispered to Coinneach.

“Aye. I wouldna put it past him to try and find someone else to do the job,” Coinneach said. “Even if he had sent the hunters in the first place.”

“Och, and Osmond is giving you the evil eye,” Aisling said.

“If he’s behind sending his thugs to hunt us down, I’m no’ going to let that go,” Coinneach said.

“Nor will I,” Aodhan agreed. “The men worked for him. I canna imagine someone else could have convinced them to hunt you down.”

Morag came to mind.

Aisling hurried off to serve ale to the others at the champion’s table.

“So what do we do?” Aodhan asked.

“Talk to him?”

Aodhan drank some of his ale. “I’ll do it. Osmond willna know what is coming. If you confront him, he will, if he is the one who arranged this.”

But Coinneach wanted to be there when Aodhan questioned him. He really wanted to learn the truth for himself.

Once the meal was done, Coinneach walked off to speak to Aisling before he went up to the wall walk, but was surprised when Blair stopped him with a hand on his arm. “We need to speak. I’ve heard rumors that two of Osmond’s men who work in the stables have…uh, vanished.”

Coinneach looked around. Everyone had left the great hall. “Aye?”

“I wouldna think anything of it if some other men went missing. But when Niven told me the two men who work for Osmond left the outer bailey carrying bows and, as far as he knew, never came back, the rumors started. He said you and Aisling went running as wolves last night. Nelly carried Aisling’s bow and was with you.

The men didna have Hamish’s permission to hunt, from what I learned. ”

“Certes, no’, just any pack members. But they were trying to hunt down no’ only me, but Aisling as well. Luckily, Nelly was at the croft and safe.”

Blair’s eyes filled with tears. “What are we going to do about it?”

“We have to expose that Rupert isna Hamish’s son.”

“And that you are?”

“Nay. No’ at the moment. We need to prove Rupert is no’ Hamish’s legitimate son and mayhap Hamish will force Osmond, Morag, and Rupert out of the pack.

” At least that’s what Coinneach hoped for.

“Then they will no longer be a threat. I’m going to see Aisling and then go to work.

” But he decided he couldn’t let Aodhan be the only one to speak with Osmond.

“Let me know what you plan to do.”

“Aye. I need to know who else was in the birthing room with you when I was born.”

“Senga and Isla.”

“All right. Thanks.” He didn’t know the women, but he was sure Blair or Aisling could point them out to him. He hurried off to the kitchen and found Aisling helping to clean up after they had eaten their meal. Then he kissed her and said he had to hurry to work.

She eyed him with suspicion.

He smiled. “Aodhan will no’ be happy with me if I dinna join him on the wall walk and he has to do all the guarding.” He kissed her again. “I will see you at the meal?”

“Aye. Dinna get yourself into trouble before then.”

“No’ me.” Then he gave her a bear hug of an embrace and hurried out of the kitchen. It didn’t take him long to leave the castle and head straight for the stables.

Aodhan was talking to Hamish’s brother, Collum.

What was that all about?

As soon as they saw Coinneach coming, Collum said, “I want a word with you, Coinneach.”

“Aye.” Coinneach figured he was in trouble.

“What happened last night?”

Coinneach hadn’t planned to tell anyone, but he couldn’t lie to the chief’s brother. “Two of the stable hands tried to hunt Aisling and me down when we were running as wolves last night.”

Collum’s brows raised. So did Aodhan’s.

Och, maybe that wasn’t what Collum had come to talk to him about.

“Aisling and I went running as wolves. We decided to mate in the meadow in privacy, and the next thing we knew, two men, the two stable hands who had worked for Osmond, were coming after us with bows, intent on hunting us. Still, we gave them the benefit of the doubt. We took extra measures to stay out of their sight.”

“But?”

“They continued to track us to the river. We crossed to the other side and waited for them to follow us. Once they did, we returned to the opposite side of the river and got rid of their clothes and weapons. Then we returned to my family’s croft.

We had given them every chance to leave us alone, but they came after us as wolves.

We had no choice but to take them down.”

“Why would they go after you?” Collum asked.

“Mayhap because I confronted Rupert about being aggressive toward Aisling.”

“Rupert? Why would he have solicited two of the stable hands to kill you?”

“Maybe because he was humiliated when he was forced to work in the stables, mucking out the stalls. I dinna know for sure if he was the one to send them after us. Unless his da did it.”

“His laird wouldna have done so.” Collum folded his arms and looked furiously at Coinneach.

Gods’ wounds, Coinneach hadn’t meant to let that slip. Coinneach rubbed his beard. “I misspoke. I meant that Osmond might have sent the men after us.”

Collum eyed him with suspicion. “What would his motive be?”

That Osmond was Rupert’s da, but Coinneach didn’t want to make mention of that again. “Maybe he didna like that Rupert had to clean out the stables. I dinna know.”

“I’ve heard the rumors. My brother has too. That Osmond is Rupert’s da. Is that why you think Osmond might have sent his men after you? Because he felt he had to protect his son? We dinna believe that Rupert isna the chief’s son, by the way. ‘Tis just a malicious gossip started by wagging tongues.”

“Aye, well, I have no idea.”

Collum considered Coinneach’s expression and then said, “I came to tell you I heard you and Aisling had mated and wanted you to know you and she can stay in the couple’s quarters.

I’d heard whispers that a couple of our pack members left the castle and hadna returned, but I didna think much of it because no one raised the alarm.

If you killed them, where are their bodies and why didna you report it? ”

“Their bodies are in the bog. We didna report it because we didna know who was behind it. We thought if we didna say anything about it, someone would slip up and say something or would send someone else after us again.” Which was the truth.

“Come with me. You need to tell the chief about this.” Collum waved at Niven, who raced to join them. “Tell Aisling to join us.” Then he asked Coinneach, “Who else had seen what happened?”

“Aisling, Nelly, Tamhas, and my parents.” Coinneach didn’t want to involve his family, but they had been witnesses, and they could help corroborate their story. But since they were family, the chief might think they were saying what they did to protect them.

“All right. Niven, go get Nelly and Aisling and bring them here.” Collum said to Aodhan, “What were you doing in the stables? You and Coinneach are supposed to be on guard duty.”

Niven dashed off to the castle to get Nelly and Aisling.

“Well?” Collum asked Aodhan.

“I asked if Osmond sent the men to kill Coinneach and Aisling since they worked for him. He said he didna. All that he knew was that they hadna returned to sleep here last night and they hadna come to work this morning. He wanted to know what I knew about it. I didna tell him what had happened because I hadna witnessed it,” Aodhan said.

“But you believe Coinneach,” Collum said.

“Aye.”

“Do you also believe Rupert is Osmond’s son?” Collum asked.

“I didna, but now I believe so.”

Collum frowned at him. “Go get Tamhas and his parents and have them meet us at Chief Hamish’s solar to discuss the fight between Coinneach, Aisling, and the two men.”

“Aye, Collum.” Aodhan stalked off toward the castle gates.