“Possibly,” Alex said, his voice weary. “But I dunnae entirely trust her. She is a good woman at heart, I believe, but her heart is set on finding her son, as it should be, and I dunnae doubt she would betray me if it became a choice between me and her son. I will discover who the traitors are on my own and hopefully live to return home to my wife, if she’ll still have me.”
Unable to stay silent any longer, Lena slung open the door and charged into the room, taking note of Alex’s and Donald’s shocked faces. “I’ll still have ye!” she announced to Alex as she crossed the room and flung herself into his arms. She squeezed him tightly and buried her face into his chest.
Slowly, he encircled her with his arms. “How much have ye heard?” he asked, concern lacing his tone.
She looked up at him, refusing to feel any guilt. “Enough to ken that ye would have to lock me in the dungeon to keep me here while ye depart to play the traitor for King David.”
“Lena,” he said darkly.
“Nay,” she interrupted. “I will follow if ye leave without me. I vow it on my life. Think of that a moment. The devil himself kinnae keep me from aiding ye, Alex MacLean. Nae a guard ye set to me, nae a dire warning from ye. So ken well that if ye try to leave me behind, I will be coming to ye, and I will nae be near as safe as if I had ye by my side.”
His jaw dropped open as she stared at him. Feeling hopeful that he had not interrupted her yet, she rushed to continue. “I am yer wife, and I am strong enough to help ye. I will nae be left behind or set aside. I am nae breakable.”
“Ye ken well I’d nae ever lock ye in the dungeon,” he said, giving her a furious look.
“I ken it,” she replied, fighting not to smile. She sensed that he felt he had no choice but to relent.
He scrubbed a hand across his face, darting a look between her and Donald. “Ye’re just stubborn enough, intelligent enough, and wily enough that I fear ye would outwit any guard I set to ye, and ye would risk yer beautiful neck to come to me.”
“I would, indeed,” she agreed, her heart pounding hard with her growing hope.
He grasped her by the shoulders, surprising her. “Ye may come, but nae without giving me two oaths first.”
“What are the oaths?” she asked.
“Does it matter? I will nae take ye without them. I will stay here until I can send for Iain and he comes to retrieve ye, as I have every faith he is the one person that could keep ye where I put ye.”
“Ye are underestimating me, Husband,” she challenged, fearing that now that he was considering Iain, Alex may just change his mind about allowing her to travel with him. She cupped his cheek and was pleased when he leaned into her hand. “Ye have helped me grow strong.”
“To my present regret,” he countered.
“Liar,” she said, hearing Donald snicker and seeing Alex scowl his man into silence. “Ye love my strength.”
“I do, but in this moment, I hate it, as well. Ye are forcing me to put ye in danger.”
“Nay,” she assured him, feeling an overwhelming sense of confidence that they could face anything together. “I am demanding my right to guard ye, as ye guard me.” She placed her hand over his heart. “Ye are my life,” she said. “If I lose ye, I lose what matters most to me in this world. I’d rather die by our enemy’s hand than to sit idly by whilst ye face danger alone.”
He leaned toward her and pressed his forehead to hers. “Wife, ye take my words and spin them around me like a web. I am trapped.”
“Aye,” she agreed, pressing her mouth to his ear so Donald could not hear, though he’d turned discreetly away and was looking out the window. “Ye are trapped by my love, as I am by yers. Now tell me the oaths ye will have from me, and then tell me the truth that ye have been hiding.”
He tensed at her words, and she knew deep within that he’d not be revealing all today. Still, she’d take this small victory and move on to the next battle.
Fifteen
A sennight later, the Steward’s keep came into view in the distance as a horn rang out through the air, undoubtedly to announce that his guards had spotted Alex, Lena, and their party. Lena thought briefly of the oaths she had given to Alex before they had departed Duart Castle. The first regarded her agreement to leave when he commanded it. If he truly feared for her life, or even simply felt her safety was in jeopardy, she had vowed to depart with Donald and Broch, both of whom had journeyed to the Steward’s hold with them, and return to Dunvegan.
Her other oath had been that at no time would she venture anywhere in the Steward’s home or attempt to gather any information without Alex’s approval and a guard trailing her. That oath had set her teeth on edge, but she had given it, knowing that if she had not, Alex would have done exactly as he had threatened and stayed at Duart until Iain arrived to take her home by force. She could not allow that to happen. Iain would not blink an eye at throwing her in the dungeon to protect her.
In front of her, Alex held up his hand for their small party of ten to stop. Along with Broch and Donald, and her and Marsaili, Munroe and four of Alex’s most trusted warriors had accompanied them. The party was not so large as to cause unease or suspicion on the Steward’s part but large enough that Alex would have a suitable number of men readily available to defend him if something went wrong.
Alex looked over his shoulder, his dark gaze settling on her. “Ye recall yer oath, aye?”
“Aye, Husband.” Behind him, she could see and hear the approach of thundering horses.
“Stay by my side,” he said to her and then swept his gaze over his men. “Guard my wife with yer lives. And remember, this castle is full of treachery.” Before he could say more, the Steward’s warriors were upon them, halting some feet away when the rider leading the group had commanded it. The lone man rode his black beast forward, and when he drew near enough that his face could be seen, Alex muttered, “God’s teeth.”
Lena focused on Alex. The look on his face was one she had never seen there before—pained, uneasy, and shocked, all at once.
