They all knew no one would be contacting any police over the matter.
His brothers shifted their gazes to a point behind him. Cearnach turned.
Brows furrowed, Elaine strode toward them, looking like she’d take his brothers on in an instant. Both Guthrie and Duncan were fighting a smile. Not in a condescending way, but with respect for her alpha-ness.
“When they stole my car?” she growled, standing next to Cearnach. “They would have a hard time convincing a cop that Cearnach is in the wrong when they left me no choice but to go with him. Plus, there’s the little matter of their having destroyed Cearnach’s minivan.” She said to Cearnach, “I’ll go with you.”
Cearnach frowned down at her. He’d rather she stayed far away from her kin, as he was still worried she might be talked into leaving with them if only to clear things up between them, maybe learn about the stolen goods, and reclaim her car and personal effects along with Cearnach’s.
“I’ll speak with them. I’d rather you stayed safely here,” Cearnach said.
Instead of disagreeing with him and insisting she accompany him, she slipped her hand around his and gave his fingers a squeeze that said, “We’re in this together.”
Bloody hell. No words could have undone his steadfast resolve faster than her touching him in such a loving way.
His brothers’ eyes widened. Not because of what she had done, but because of Cearnach’s hesitation. If he’d been his indomitable self, he would have stated emphatically that she would remain behind. His hesitation said volumes to anyone who might be watching. That the she-wolf knew just how to play him. And that he would go along.
She added, “I’ll insert my two cents worth if they give you a bunch of lip.”
He’d never understand the strange phrases Americans were fond of saying.
He shook his head but tightened his hand on hers, confirming they were unified in this.
“We’re accompanying you also,” Duncan said. “The portcullis is down so they won’t be coming in. We’ve got men posted around the wall walk, watching them.”
“Are you certain you want to go with us, Elaine?” Cearnach asked one last time, knowing what she would say even before she squeezed his hand marginally.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry to have dragged you into this, lass.”
She let out her breath. “I’m not used to pack politics.”
“A loner?” Cearnach asked as they followed his brothers through the hallway, down the stairs, and through the great hall until they were outside the keep and striding across the inner bailey.
He knew Duncan and Guthrie were listening to their conversation, as quiet as they were. They normally ate up the stone pavers with their lanky strides. Both were walking slower to maintain Elaine’s pace and sticking closer to them.
“Yes, by choice. I’m not a follower,” she said.
“Oh.” He realized then that if she’d had no remaining family in the States and she hadn’t mated with a wolf with a pack that she’d stayed with, she had indeed been a loner.
She gave him a small smile and pulled his arm around her waist as if declaring she was fine with joining his pack. “The cobblestones are slippery.”
They were, he had to admit. He knew her cuddling against him meant much more than that, though. She was declaring that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her—again.
His brothers cast them a look over their shoulders as if to see what she had done to make the comment about the slick stones, both slightly raising their brows in unison when they saw them wrapped up together.
“Path’s slippery,” Cearnach said to his brothers, grinning and giving Elaine a squeeze.
Cearnach saw Robert Kilpatrick first, scowling, his face as red as his hair as he watched him, Duncan, Guthrie, and two of their cousins walk Elaine to the outer gate, the iron portcullis firmly in place. More of the MacNeill clan stood atop the wall walk armed with bows and arrows as they observed the talks. Four of Cearnach’s clansmen had shifted into wolves.
Robert’s carrot-topped brother, Edmond, and Baird McKinley stood beside him. Baird’s four brothers were milling about some distance from the gate near their two vehicles as if to show they were the backup muscle but giving enough space to indicate they had come in relative peace. From their dour expressions, all of them looked ready to do battle.
Cearnach glanced at Elaine, whose head was held high, lips thinned, eyes narrow. Her whole tension-filled posture said she was angry and she wasn’t about to take crap from any of them.
As soon as they reached the portcullis, Robert opened his mouth to speak as Baird speared Cearnach with a glacial stare.
Everyone’s attention shifted abruptly to Elaine when, to Cearnach’s surprise, she spoke first. “I’m Elaine Hawthorn, daughter of Hans Hawthorn, the third; son of Hans Hawthorn, the second; son of Hans Hawthorn, the first. You are?” she directed at Robert.
“Robert Kilpatrick, my brother, Edmond, and our cousin Baird McKinley. I missed meeting with you earlier at Senton Castle, cousin.” He sounded as though he was trying to emphasize the point that she was on the wrong side of the gate, that she belonged with them and not standing with the MacNeills.
“We did meet already, Robert. At the church. Remember? There was a little matter of you stealing my rental car and personal items.”
“Send her out here now,” Baird growled at Cearnach.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Elaine said to Baird.
Baird looked at her. “I’m talking about Calla.”
Calla had gone into hiding? Cearnach had thought she was at her father’s home.
“Calla’s not here,” Cearnach said. “If she were, I wouldn’t send her to you unless she wished it.”
Robert cleared his throat and motioned to one of the vehicles they had come in. “We’ll take you to the bed and breakfast now, Elaine. I’m sorry for the… mistakes made yesterday. Had I known that you were the bonny lass sitting beside me at the church—”
Looking beautifully obstinate, Elaine folded her arms. “I want my car and all my belongings…” She looked up at Cearnach as if she needed his permission first, even though this was her home now and she didn’t need it.
He nodded, giving her a small smile, which he knew would irk her kinsmen.
She took a deep breath and continued. “I want them brought here.”
“You can’t stay here,” Robert said as if she was considering sleeping in a dungeon and as if he could dictate to her. Then he got more to the point. “We have a private matter to discuss.”
“She’s not going anywhere with you,” Cearnach said, wanting to make that perfectly clear.
Elaine didn’t take her eyes off Robert, watching for every reaction like a wolf would. Like an alpha wolf. “You owe Cearnach a replacement minivan and whatever else he lost in his vehicle, including his clothes and sword.”
“They’re not our friends.” Robert gave Cearnach and his men a cold glare, then turned his attention back to Elaine. “You don’t know the history between us.”
“That may be so, but your history has nothing to do with me. And you know what? Cearnach protected me from hunters when my own kin left me in an untenable situation. More than untenable. Potentially deadly.”
They had to have known what might happen when they stranded them without vehicles or clothes, and Cearnach and Elaine had no choice but to run in their wolf coats across territory not their own. Cearnach assumed they had figured she was a new girlfriend of his and it didn’t matter what had become of her… or him. He was more than irked that they valued her life so little.
“We didn’t know who you were,” Baird growled. “You don’t side with our enemy if you know what’s good for you.”