Page 28 of Wolf Heir

“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.