Good. “Dinna be daft, mo toilichte. We will leave after we break our fast. The day after tomorrow.”
“We?” she asked, sounding both hopeful and still slightly worried. “Why the day after?” came out as a clear afterthought.
“How can you doubt it after what we just shared? And because your dearest friend is to be mated with the traditional Chrechte ceremony tomorrow evening.”
“I’d forgotten.” Shona’s fingers worried against his chest. “How could I have forgotten?”
“It has been an eventful day.”
“It has. And I don’t doubt you.”
“Good.”
“When did you decide to come with me?”
“As soon as you announced your intentions of going.”
She made a scoffing sound.
There had been no real decision to make. “I would trust your safety to no one else for the journey.”
“Oh.”
He surged up to lean over her, his warrior’s heart catching at the expression on her lovely oval face. “You will make yourself known to your family. I will state my intentions toward you to them. But heed my words, mate, no one—not even you, my dearest Shona—will keep you from me ever again.”
Her smile was like the sun coming through an unexpected break in a heavy gray sky.
Waking held tight in Caelis’s arms was much more comforting and enjoyable than Shona would have admitted, even to herself, the day before. It seemed so normal to be cuddled together under a fur, their naked limbs entwined.
She didn’t remember a fur being on top of them the night before, though. Hadn’t it been one of the Sinclair plaids on her borrowed bed?
Caelis must have moved the one he’d brought with him from beneath them to cover them, but she could not remember him doing so. Though she’d been less than sensate when he finally declared the time for sleep had come.
In the morning light coming in through the high window, she could see more details of the fur and she realized she’d seen it before.
And not just the night before in the hallway.
She pulled the corner of the fur up to look at the soft leather underside; sure enough, there was an S and C burned into the leather with an intricate Celtic knot joining them.
It was the same fur they had made love on six years ago. Tracing her finger over the lines of the symbols, she tried to fathom what it meant that he had this fur with him at the Sinclair holding.
The tension in the body beside her told her that Caelis had woken up.
She looked up at his long-beloved face. “This is the same fur.”
He did not ask the same as what; he simply inclined his head in agreement. “It is.”
“How?”
“I use it as my bedroll, always.”
“Even when you are going to another holding to bring back Uven’s daughter?” Though the proof was covering her with delightful warmth.
“Even then.”
“But why?”
“It is our mating fur.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Chrechte tradition is that special furs are prepared for the joining of a Faol and his mate.”
“But you did not make me your mate.”
“Oh, I did. Our bond was formed when you gave your body to me.”
“You really thought I would stay and that Uven would change his heart.”
“Aye.”
“You were stupid.”
“Aye.”
She smiled. “I love you.”
“You said so last night.”
“I thought you might like hearing it this morning, too.”
“I do.”
“Good.” Even if he did not love her, so long as he did not take her love for granted, she could find contentment with him.
She was certain of it.
She had lived with worse and could feel only gratitude her past would never be her present.
Chapter 21
Raise a Chrechte child with knowledge of the sacred laws and he will grow into a man of honor.
—CHRECHTE SACRED LAW, FROM THE ANCIENT SCROLLS
Shona was delighted to find Audrey waiting in the great hall with Thomas, the children and Vegar when she and Caelis came down to break their fast.
The daughter who had been so shy when they left England was ensconced contentedly on Vegar’s lap, talking to the rag doll Shona had made her when Marjory was a baby. She lifted the doll to Vegar and said something that Shona could not hear.
But it caused Vegar to look uncomfortable, and that brought a bit of a smile to Shona’s face. She was shocked beyond believing when the dour warrior kissed the doll on its raggedy mop of a head and pretended to feed it.
Audrey laughed lightly and Thomas said something, but Vegar did not seem annoyed.
Or as unirritated as the man had ever seemed in their brief acquaintance.
“I am glad to see our children and their Uncle Vegar getting along so well,” Caelis said with a smile in his voice.
Shona stopped in their progress toward the main table and stared up at him. “Uncle?”
“He is mate to your heart-sister. That would make him uncle, but he is also the closest I have to a brother.”
“What about Darren?” she asked, naming Caelis’s younger brother.
Sadness and anger emanated off of Caelis. “He died much like Jon did, on an assignment for Uven for which Darren had neither the experience nor training.”
“Is that when you began to question Uven’s ways?”
“I began to doubt our laird’s omniscience when you left our clan.”
Shona accepted the claim without comment, starting forward again. She noted that the warriors they passed were careful not to brush against her.
“You marked me with your scent again, didn’t you?” she asked across the mating bond.
A rich chuckle sounded in her head though his face remained impassive. “Most of these soldiers are human and have no idea you wear my scent.”
“Why are they so careful not to touch me then?”
“Because I am a formidable warrior and anyone looking at us recognizes you are mine.”
“I don’t even wear the MacLeod colors, much less a sign proclaiming me yours.” She still wore her English clothes, but Caelis walked so close, there could be no doubt they were connected in some way.
“I am all the sign these men need.”
“Arrogant,” she said aloud as they reached the table.
This time, his laughter was out loud and for some reason both the Sinclair and Vegar joined in. Thomas smiled, too, like he was holding back mirth.
She glared at them all, but turned a smile on Abigail and Audrey. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” Abigail’s smile was kind. “You look well rested.”
“I am. Thank you.” She looked Audrey over critically. “You slept last night.” Shona was glad. She’d been worried her friend might lay awake in nervous anticipation of the mating ceremony to come.
“I did.” Audrey gave a look toward Vegar that was not difficult to interpret.
Audrey might well still be a virgin, but she was no longer wholly untouched. Shona was deeply grateful the experience had so obviously been a positive one.
She could almost look with favor upon the cantankerous Éan warrior because of it.
“Are you still angry with Da?” Eadan asked as Caelis helped Shona to sit before joining her on the long bench.
“No, sweeting. I am not.”
“Daddy says no puddings every night,” Marjory announced unhappily.