He didn’t reply and she kept herself occupied finishing what she had started.
“Look at me,” he ordered in an almost gentle tone when she was finished tending him and had dropped the cloth back in the bowl. He was back to looking and sounding dangerous. “Do you question the validity of our marriage because it did not happen before a priest?”
“No, though I will expect a priest’s blessing in the future.” It was not something she was willing to compromise on.
“Aye.”
She nodded.
Surprisingly, he relaxed. “Why, then, do you wish to wait on consummation?”
She shook her head. She did not want to see his anger at her request.
“Audrey.”
She bit her lip at the command in his tone, but did not obey it. “Surely you can understand my desire.”
He barked out a laugh. “I think, sweet mate, it is you who does not understand desire.”
He was not far off. Audrey was wholly innocent, Shona’s claim earlier that there was great pleasure to be found in the act of copulation for a woman, the closest thing she had received to instruction on the matter.
“I wish to wait,” she repeated.
“Mate.” There was no doubt that this time, Vegar fully expected her compliance.
He would learn that using that tone would not always benefit him. Another time.
She found herself lifting her head so their eyes met.
His were devoid of the anger, frustration or even disappointment she expected. “You are healing, mate. I would not choose this moment to consummate our marriage regardless.”
“Oh.” That was…it was really rather considerate of him. “Thank you.”
“Dinna thank me for doing right by you. No matter our differences, you can always expect that, at the very least.”
“Oh.” His words were not as comforting as the unexpectedly kind expression on his masculine features. “Can I expect anything else?”
“What do you mean?” The question as much as the perplexed drawing together of his brows made it quite clear Vegar truly had no inkling what she was talking about.
It was a bit disheartening, but she forged on anyway. “Do you believe in love between mates?”
“I believe it happens, yes.” He did not sound any further enlightened.
She had no choice but to bluntly ask, “Will you love me, do you think?”
“Will you love me?” he asked, instead of answering.
She frowned at him, wanting to lie, but after his consideration felt obligated to reply with the truth. He’d smell the lie anyway. Arrogant, uncooperative, decidedly not forthcoming warrior.
He waited with eyes narrowed, a tension about him she could not understand.
She blew out a breath and spoke the truth. “Yes, I think I will.”
“You do not sound happy about that.”
“Truly? I am not.” She’d seen the pain a woman lived with loving a mate who had not discernible deeper emotions for her.
“Is it because I am Éan?”
“It is because you are a hard man. I do not think love will come easily to you.” If at all.
“This very morn, I would have agreed with you.”
“Something has changed your opinion in such a short time?”
“Aye, you could say that.”
“What?” she asked, perplexed.
“Seeing you fight with another wolf to protect me.”
“How could that be?” In no way had she been at her best.
“You could have died.”
That was true enough.
“I do not know how to fight.” In fact, she’d done very little damage. Thinking back on those fraught minutes, it was a wonder she’d survived them at all.
“You fought with your heart. That, sometimes, is more important than training.”
“You killed him.” She would never regret the killing blow had come from him and not her.
Audrey did not think she would like knowing she had killed a man, be he in his beast form or not when he died.
“Aye.” The word had a weary, unhappy undertone.
She would have expected him to be pleased, or at the very least proud of his feat. It was clear, however, that he regretted the other Chrechte’s death.
“You didn’t want to.”
“Too many Chrechte have died from bloodshed.”
“It is in our nature.”
“Our human nature, mayhap.”
Her lips curved in a small smile at the joke she knew he meant half seriously. “It will be no easy thing to fight the Fearghall.”
“You are right, but the Éan and Cahir have been doing it for centuries.”
“It is different now, is it not?” This joining of the clans by the Éan, it changed things.
The MacLeod laird’s machinations were worrisome as well.
“It must be done.”
“Yes.”
“Your brother will join the Cahir.”
“How can you be sure?” An awful thought formed. “You will not force him?”
“Nay. He has your heart. He seeks justice and truth. The Cahir will do well to have him join our ranks. And Thomas will find the destiny he seeks.”
“You don’t know him.”
The firm set of Vegar’s jaw and mouth said he did not agree.
But how could he claim otherwise? “You truly are very arrogant, aren’t you?”
“I am a warrior of the Cahir.”
“And that makes you always right?”
“It makes me more aware than even others of our kind.”
“You would have me believe that with your training, you can tell a man’s character after a single meeting?”
“We are Cahir.”
“You already said that.”
He smiled at her jibe rather than getting annoyed. “Chrechte have many gifts, which, when honed to a knife point, can slice through deception and illusions.”
“Hmm.”
“You do not sound convinced.”
“And you sound much too certain.”
“I am not claiming all Cahir, much less all Chrechte, can read a man’s nature upon meeting him, but I can.”
“How?”
“Our sacred stones bestow many gifts.”
“So?” Would she spend the rest of her life trying to understand this maddening man’s riddles?
“So, one of my gifts is to read a man’s heart.”
“What does that mean?”
“Even his most deeply hidden tendencies are as transparent as a loch in the still morning air.”
“You can read thoughts?”
“Nay. Character.”
It was all so very confusing.
“That explains it then,” she said, her intention to tease as she felt nothing had really been explained at all.
“Aye.”
“You don’t know my meaning.”
“What is it then?”
“You were so quick to judge me lacking when you learned of my country of birth.”
“That was a mistake.”
“Yes, but an understandable one.”
“I am glad you think so.”
She nodded. “If I had been a man, you could have read my heart. But since I am a woman, you had to spend time with me first.”
She giggled at his outraged expression, her laughter ending on a yawn as the tea took its effect.
“You will lead me a merry chase, I think, Audrey of England.”
“I do not think I am of England any longer. I have no home to return to.” Not if she wanted to keep Shona safe.
“I am your home now.”
That sounded nice.
She yawned again, trying to smile. “After the Chrechte ceremony, you will be.”
He did not argue and she counted that a victory with the overconfident Éan warrior.
Vegar helped her to get comfortable in the furs, laying down beside her in a most comforting manner as she slipped into tea-induced sleep despite the hour of day.