“Vegar is a strong warrior,” Eadan said, admiration in the boy’s tone. “Audrey is bigger ’n me.”
“Aye, she is at that. And louder,” Caelis answered after the woman in question let out a frustrated shriek.
Shona harrumphed. “You don’t know how loud she can get, but your barbarian friend will discover it soon enough if he doesn’t have a care.”
Caelis’s laughter at her warning should have annoyed Shona, but she found herself wanting to smile instead.
The man was too arrogant by half. So why did she find it so difficult to remain irritated with him?
Mayhap it was the way her son joined in his father’s amusement.
Without warning, Vegar dropped Audrey and Marjory to the ground, pulling his sword from its scabbard in almost the same motion.
Caelis let go of Shona’s wrist and withdrew his own sword from the scabbard on his back. “Get between us.”
“What’s happening?” Shona demanded even as she moved to obey his urgent instruction.
“Trouble.”
She’d figured that much out when he’d drawn his weapon. She resisted the urge to say so though.
She and Audrey instinctively placed the children between them, turning with small daggers in their hands to face whatever trouble was approaching. It never occurred to her to doubt that something dangerous was indeed coming. If the man who shared his nature with a wolf said it was so, and his friend who could take to the skies as an eagle agreed, there could be no doubt in her own mind.
The Sinclair soldier stopped and turned back. “What are you doing? We must heed the laird’s orders.”
“We’ve a wee bit of trouble to take care of first,” Caelis answered, his keen gaze fixed on the treeline to their left.
The soldier’s eyes widened and he looked around as if expecting the bogeyman to jump out from behind a rock. He too seemed more than willing to take the warrior’s word for it.
Audrey whimpered and Shona’s craned her neck to see what had her friend so upset.
It was not the bogeyman. Rather, it was six enormous wolves coming at them from all directions, each one giving a low-throated growl.
“These are more of your brethren, I take it?” Shona asked, proud when her voice did not waver with the fear she felt.
“They are no brothers of mine,” Caelis barked. “Not now.”
Vegar spit on the ground. “Nor mine.”
The young soldier started praying, his eyes going wild, his muscles tensed for flight. Or mayhap he intended to fight alongside the Chrechte warriors. He’d drawn his own dagger, but his fear was much more pronounced than Shona’s.
“Get you between us,” Caelis ordered the young man. “You will protect the women in case one of these rogue wolves gets past Vegar or me.”
Shona didn’t think the clearly untried soldier would be much defense, but she said nothing. Caelis was giving the man a way to relative safety that would spare his pride.
Somewhat.
“Can’t he run for help?” Audrey asked, her own voice trembling, the terror there turning Shona’s own trepidation to fury.
The past months had been difficult enough on the young Englishwoman, Faol or no.
“He would never make it before they tore him to pieces,” Vegar growled.
Caelis nodded without looking away from the wolves. “He is not Chrechte.”
That must have been for Shona’s sake as he would know Audrey would already be aware of that fact. Her friend must be truly frightened out of her mind to have made the suggestion, knowing, as she did, the wolf abilities better than most.
The Sinclair soldier visibly shook at the idea of being torn to pieces by wolves as he rapidly made his way to stand with the women. Shona did not blame him.
And she held even greater respect for him when he helped her and Audrey create a triangle barrier around the children, his dagger to the ready, further supplications to “On High!” falling from his lips.
She was surprised the children were being so quiet. She spared a glance down and her heart swelled with pride.
Eadan was comforting Marjory, his arms around his sister. “All will be well, Margie. Da will protect us.”
Then he started singing to her and his sweet little boy voice about broke Shona’s heart. How incredibly blessed was she to have such amazing children?
She looked up and around, noting that the wolves…all six of them…had gotten closer.
No matter how intimidating they appeared in both size and number, she refused to believe Caelis and Vegar would not win in the coming confrontation.
When they were but a few yards away, the biggest of the wolves shifted to his human form. Right before their very eyes. The snarling expression on his face was just as malevolent as it had been on his beast. “For your sins against the Fearghall, you will die this day, Caelis the Betrayer, and everyone with you.”
Caelis stood firm, no sign of fear or even anger at the insult showing on his features or sounding in his voice. “The Fearghall are wrong, Maon. Chrechte are meant to be brothers, no matter the race.”
Maon snarled, “Only the Faol are strong enough to survive.”
“Explain then, my people living all these generations despite the Fearghall’s most despicable efforts.” Vegar was clearly angry, but like with Caelis, no sign of intimidation showed in him.
“Dirty Éan!” the big—and naked—warrior spat.
“I am a Chrechte warrior with true honor. Something your laird has no knowledge of. He withheld Caelis from his true mate.”
The MacLeod Chrechte sneered. “So you say.”
“So I say.” Shona spoke up, all the anger she felt at how these miscreants were frightening her children and Audrey in her tone. “I am his true mate and my son is proof of that.”
“You told a human about us?” Maon asked with disgust. “She will have to die.”
“You already said that,” Shona pointed out, her own tone scathing.
Audrey elbowed her. “Do not antognize them.”
“Why not? They’re bent on attacking us, aren’t they?”
“I don’t know why they would be,” Audrey said and looked at Maon. “Your laird’s daughter is not with us.”
Either Audrey had forgotten the denouncement of Caelis made only seconds before in her agitation, or she was deliberately ignoring it.
“We’re not here for the female. She had no wolf, no value to the pack. Not like you. We’ll take you back with us and you can breed for the pack.”
Vegar let out a sound that sent chills down Shona’s spine.
Maon acted as if he had not heard. “Uven received word that two of his soldiers who had been sent here live but are no longer loyal.”
“I still wear clan colors.” Caelis stood proud, in no way intimidated by the other man’s indictment.
“You have no right to them!”
“I have more right than Uven, and soon enough, you’ll know it.”
“When you are dead, I’ll shred the plaid you wear and burn it on top of your corpse.”
Now that sounded like a man who had been trained by Uven. Shona didn’t say so though, since Caelis had been as well, initially.
The sound of her son humming loudly gave Shona the comfort of the hope that her daughter at least could not hear the awful words spoken. With his enhanced hearing, Eadan was bound to have.
And still he remained strong and brave.
Motherly love and pride burned in her chest.
“Am I so valuable that Uven sent six of his strongest warriors to wreak his twisted justice?” Caelis mocked.
“A warrior does not have to possess honor to be a formidable foe.”