Cearnach could see Kilpatrick doing that. “If you hadn’t come to Scotland, that would have been my great loss.” He couldn’t imagine not having met her again today. He would never return to Senton Castle’s ruins without remembering how she had looked there earlier this afternoon, first as a human, observing the castle with such awe and reverence, then exploring it like a wolf—eager, excited, loving it.
Elaine turned to him. “So, all I have to do is mate you, and we can go on a treasure hunt. For your peace of mind, I’m not mating you. You can let your mother know that, too.”
He loved her pragmatism and fighting spirit. He also saw the challenge in her eyes. He was certain she was waiting for him to contradict her, to say he wanted her. She had to know he did. That he recognized she wanted him also.
He cast her a predatory grin, tilted his chin down, and reached under the table to take her hand from where it was resting in her lap. Her gaze latched on to his, and he knew she could see the desire he had for her as plain as he could see the interest in hers. “We’ll see about that.”
He was named “victorious” for a reason. He was often victorious in anything he set his mind to accomplish. And he was determined to have her.
He released her hand and finished his stew.
“All these years, you’ve never been mated?” Cearnach asked, not believing Kelly Rafferty could have been the only one she’d mated with.
“Oh, sure, several times… nearly.”
The inference that she’d been mated several times got to him, until she clarified with nearly. As beautiful and fun to be with as she was, he wasn’t surprised she could have been mated many times over, although hearing it bothered him deep down. He couldn’t fathom why any wolf wouldn’t have followed through.
She took a deep breath, then said brightly, her tone incongruent with her body posture, “A lot of wolves took interest in me over the years. They just always vanished before anything could come of the relationship.”
“That’s hard to believe.” He meant it. Why would any of them show interest and then quit the relationship? Not when she was as intriguing as she was.
She smiled a sad kind of smile. “Maybe so, but it’s true. I began to believe I could easily attract attention, but no one was interested in mating me for a lifetime.”
That’s why she thought he couldn’t want her? Because the others had skipped out on her?
Why would they change their minds overnight like that? He pondered that for a moment more, then a realization dawned. “They were betas.”
“How… did you know?”
“No alpha who wanted you would vanish without making you his. So they had to be betas, unsure whether being mated to an alpha would work out. Why your interest in betas? You need an alpha.”
Like me, he wanted to say.
She gave him a ghost of a smile. “An alpha would have been like Kelly Rafferty—in charge, beating me when I didn’t do as he wished, in control of my money.” She gave a half shrug. “I didn’t need a mate for that.”
Cearnach clenched his fists and wanted to kill the wolf himself for hurting Elaine. “You’re certain he’s dead?”
Though the point was moot. No alpha who had taken her to mate would have left her alone all these years. Not one as controlling as Rafferty had been.
He would change her mind. Not all alpha males were like that bastard.
“Yes, he’s dead. His men wouldn’t have come for me if he hadn’t been dead. They’d know he would have killed them.”
She looked so tired, her eyelids drooping, the swelling and bruising on her face from where Vardon had hit her making her look all the more done in. Cearnach took her hand again and rubbed his thumb over her soft skin. “We can talk more tomorrow. Did you want to eat any of the stew?”
She shook her head. “Too tired.”
“All right.” Then he made his claim, unwilling to put it off any longer. “You need a mate.” He kissed her cheek, deciding this once and for all. “And a family. You’ll have both with me.”
Her eyes widened and her lips parted.
He knew she would disagree with him for now, but he would sway her one way or another. She needed a family, a pack, him.
She said softly, tears glittering in her eyes, “You’ll vanish before we do it. That’s the way it always happens. A wolf promises me the moon, and then he disappears as if he didn’t have the courage to tell me to my face that it wouldn’t work out between us.”
His jaw dropped. He couldn’t conceal his surprise. She was agreeing to be his mate? He was expecting to work a lot harder at it than that. He was ready.
He had to be sure that she was.
He stood, then pulled her from her chair and into his arms, and hugged her with all his might, relieved as hell that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. At least he believed so. “Not this time, lass. You’re exhausted. I’ll take you up to your guest chamber. I’m not losing you again.”
The way her sweet body called to his, if she hadn’t been so fatigued, he knew they would do a hell of a lot more than talk. Just a touch and his pheromones were stirring, and so were hers, communicating with one another, saying it was way past time to get on with the more primal—and pleasurable—side of wolf business.
“Are you going to prove to me why I should mate you?” She looked at him with such a sweetly devilish look that he wondered if the wine was doing the talking. Yet the challenge was there again: Prove to me you truly want me. Make it happen.
He decided she was being wholly truthful with him, and he was going to ensure she agreed to a mating… when she was well rested in the morning.
He would prove to her that he meant what he said. He was no damned beta wolf. Nor was he an alpha like Rafferty. He would give her all that she deserved and more.
Unable to help herself, Elaine yawned, then smiled at Cearnach. She could tell he wasn’t sure if she was ready to be his. She wasn’t. Not until she was feeling more clearheaded. “Sorry.”
After that, no holds barred.
“You’re tired, lass. We’ll decide a course of action tomorrow, once you tell me more about this business transaction between you and your cousin Robert Kilpatrick.”
Hoping to come up with a solution for the situation with her cousins after she had a good night’s sleep and she could think more clearly, Elaine agreed.
Gallant man that he was, and without waiting for her to agree, Cearnach slipped his arms underneath Elaine and lifted her. She let out a little gasp of surprise. As wobbly as she felt from drinking too much wine, she didn’t think she could have stumbled all the way to the castle on her own two feet.
Having told Cearnach so much of her past, she felt drained. She didn’t feel cleansed, as she’d thought she might by finally telling him what had happened to her so long ago. She felt weary.
Some of the tiredness was due to the jet lag and the stress of the day; some of it was the wine. She couldn’t believe she wasn’t staying at the bed and breakfast owned by the Kilpatricks and instead was sleeping in a stone castle owned by an enemy clan.
Yet, Cearnach wasn’t the enemy. He was someone who cheered her even when the situation was dire, gave her hope so she felt she had a new lease on life. Odd thing, that. She hadn’t thought about Kelly for a long time now, but returning to Scotland had brought the memories all back.
She gave in to her fatigue and rested her head against Cearnach’s hard chest as he carried her back to the castle—her braw Highland warrior in a soft lamb’s wool sweater and jeans. She felt more than saw a few people stare in their direction as they entered the castle and made their way to the stairs.