Elaine didn’t spare them a glance as she watched the wedding, ignoring Cearnach as he waited for her to comply with his request.
Not used to anyone saying no to him, he hesitated. Like his older brother, Ian, he was used to giving commands and having people respond quickly to do his bidding.
When she didn’t move, he grasped her arm and pulled her out of the seat, which meant her skirt brushed over Robert’s kilted lap and her bare leg touched his long legs as she couldn’t avoid them. Not surprisingly, he wouldn’t be a gentleman and stand up to allow her through. Robert Kilpatrick smiled broadly at her. Her face was either red with embarrassment or flushed with anger. Cearnach couldn’t tell.
Cearnach marched her across the aisle and sat her beside him in the empty last pew, this time blocking her in.
“Highland barbarian,” Elaine whispered, still frowning.
Cearnach crossed his arms over his chest and smiled.
“I didn’t mean it as a compliment,” she said. “Why did you make me sit over here, anyway? I was perfectly fine where I was. I won’t have you dictating where I’ll sit. Not when you forced me to come here in the first place.”
So that was what this was about—showing off her alpha spirit. He could understand that. Alphas truly didn’t like to be dictated to. Certainly not by a stranger. He also wondered if she had a deeper reason for not wanting to sit next to him. A reason that had to do with their meeting in the past.
When he didn’t respond, she changed tactics, saying in a hushed voice, “Oh, I see. You sorely missed me.”
“Hardly.” He gave her a dark look, hiding the smile that was trying to surface. “I didn’t want you forgetting your duty in the event any of those,” he said, his voice couched low as he motioned toward the now disgruntled Kilpatrick brothers, who were watching them and not the wedding, “distracted you too much. Besides you didn’t look happy with the company you were keeping.”
She didn’t respond for several moments, which meant he’d thought right. Then she folded her arms and asked, “How long is this going to take?”
“Hours. We’ll attend the reception afterward.” He’d only meant to wish Calla well at the reception and leave, but something about Elaine made him want to prolong his being with her. He couldn’t fathom exactly why. Maybe deep down it bothered him she was in a strange country and hadn’t connected with whomever she was supposed to be meeting.
Yet…
Looking down at her, he seemed to recall he had tried to rescue her before. It wasn’t just a meeting that they had had. He just couldn’t remember when. Or why.
“No way. I’m not staying that long,” she whispered, tilting her head to the side with a pointed look. “Don’t you have any friends here who could give you a ride?”
“Not here.”
Narrowing her eyes, she stared at him. “Wait. You’re not a wedding crasher, are you? I’m not exactly what you’d call an invited guest either, you know.”
He shrugged. “I’m a friend of the bride’s. She did invite me. I doubt anyone else is happy to see me, though.”
She snorted. “Most likely not even her, right about now.”
He couldn’t help but give her a wry smile.
The minister again spoke, this time garnering Cearnach’s full attention. “Does anyone have an objection to the marriage?” The minister looked straight at Cearnach and Elaine, his voice elevated, sounding half annoyed with them.
Everyone in the congregation turned around to stare in the direction the minister was looking. A few of the men seated on the groom’s side had their hands on the hilts of their swords belted at their waists. The bride’s guests and family waited with bated breath.
Elaine finally prodded Cearnach in the ribs. Prodded him! A Highland warrior! He glared at her.
Frowning, she looked up at him. “Well?” she whispered, when he said nothing.
Everyone was so quiet that he heard a fly fluttering on the other side of the kirk.
When Cearnach didn’t say a word to either the minister’s question or Elaine’s prodding, two of McKinley’s older brothers stood, ready to do battle, and headed toward the back of the kirk, just to the place where Cearnach and Elaine were sitting.
The eldest one motioned with his thumb for Cearnach to leave.
Vardon.
The McKinley had never forgiven Cearnach for having kissed Vardon’s mate first. Vardon hadn’t even known the lass at the time. Apparently Cearnach’s kiss had made an impression on the lass, and she had shared what had gone on between them. Still, one kiss shouldn’t have mattered. Add that to the years of battles between their kin, and now with Cearnach being at Vardon’s brother’s wedding…
The problem had been that the lass’s kiss hadn’t done the same for Cearnach. He looked at Calla one last time as she stood so regally next to the groom. He decided she had made her choice, and that she knew he had come to see her wed as she’d asked. He could do no more, and not wanting Elaine involved in any kind of melee with the groom’s family, he motioned for her to leave the pew. “We’ll leave now, lass.”
“I thought you were staying for the reception.” She sounded surprised. Then she saw the two hulking Highlanders headed in their direction, and she moved so quickly that she started dragging Cearnach toward the door.
He hadn’t wanted to walk that fast, not when he was trying to show the McKinleys they weren’t chasing him off, but he didn’t want to frighten Elaine further by forcing her to slow her pace.
“Truce,” Cearnach mouthed to the brothers, intending to stop the fight that was bound to happen, but before he could leave the church, the bigger of the men stormed into Cearnach’s path.
Vardon McKinley. Of all the brothers, he was the most volatile.
He swung his massive fist at Cearnach’s face. Before Cearnach could push Elaine behind him and block the blow meant for him, she jumped in front of him, as if to protect him! Or at the very least, to stop the fight.
Vardon wasn’t able to pull back in time and hit Elaine in the face. Gasps in the church resounded.
Elaine’s head jerked back from the impact, and Cearnach saw red. She fell against him and cried out in shock and pain.
Roaring a string of oaths, Cearnach tucked Elaine under his left arm and unsheathed his sword with his right hand in one swift move.
“No!” Elaine shouted, struggling to free herself from his iron grip. “We’re leaving.” Her voice was clear and hard, as if she was in charge of the situation.
A she-wolf did not dictate combat rules to a Highland wolf who was ready to avenge her injury, no matter how alpha she was. Unable to quell the rage-induced adrenaline running through his blood and the need to pummel the Highlander who had struck an innocent woman, Cearnach couldn’t let it go.
Even though Vardon normally bowed down to no one, man or woman, he did appear a wee bit contrite. At least he hadn’t unsheathed his sword, and he had taken a couple of steps back, his face looking a bit pale.
“Get out of our way,” Elaine said to the McKinley brothers, her voice a fearsome growl.
Cearnach had to give her credit for thinking with her head and not with her heart. He was still ready to kill Vardon. But he couldn’t run him through if Vardon didn’t at least unsheathe his sword. And he did have to think of Elaine’s safety. He couldn’t keep her tucked under his arm and risk her getting injured if he encouraged Vardon to draw his weapon.
She sensed Cearnach’s indecision and tried to take a step forward, attempting to take charge of the situation. Cearnach wouldn’t let her drag him off. Not when he still wanted to destroy Vardon.