Forbidden Highlander (Highlander Trilogy 2)

“Forgive me, my lord, but my head pains me so.” She sighed dramatically and let her body go limp against his.

Cree hated the fact that he would have to marry this lying, manipulative woman. He would never be able to trust her and the thought that she would bear him children unnerved him. He shoved her down on the bed.

“Since your head hurts you shall stay abed for the remainder of the day with no one to disturb you. I will have one of the servants bring your supper.”

“Bree will—”

“Remain in the Great Hall and have her wounds tended,” —he pointed a finger at her—“and if I see another bruise or wound on the lass you will be confined to your quarters for a week.”

He didn’t wait for a reply, didn’t want to hear one; he left the room without looking back at her and returned to the Great Hall grateful to be away from her. He no soon as sat at the table joining the other men then he got the overwhelming urge to see that Dawn was all right. He looked to Elwin who was already slipping on his cloak and Cree wondered if the man got the same uneasy feeling, for he nodded to Cree to let him know he was going to check on Dawn.

Cree grew more uneasy as he waited for Elwin to return and when the man rushed into the Great Hall, Cree sprang out of his chair.

“She’s not in her cottage, my lord.”

Chapter Nine

Cree’s heart slammed against his chest and his stomach roiled. What in God’s name had she gone and done now?

He was surprised when Torr jumped up and said, “Are you speaking about the voiceless one?”

Kirk McClusky stood as well. “What voiceless one?”

“Later, Father,” Torr said.

“What do you know of Dawn?” Cree demanded.

“I met her briefly upon entering the village.”

Cree turned to Elwin and the warrior nodded his head toward Torr. “He stared at her as if he knew her. Naturally, Dawn had to find out why so she approached him and they spoke briefly, Lila interpreted, before I sent him on his way.”

Cree turned to Torr with a fury in his eyes that had Torr drawing his shoulders back and clenching his fists. “Dawn is my woman and you’ll keep your distance.”

“We can stand here and argue or we can go find her,” Torr said.

“Unless you wish to die, stay away from her,” Cree said and then turned to Sloan. “Gather the men.”

“We’ll help you,” Kirk offered.

“It’s not necessary,” Cree snapped.

“Perhaps but it is what friends do for each other.”

Kirk was extending his hand in friendship and Cree would be a fool not to accept it so he said, “You’re help would be appreciated.”

“Wise move,” Sloan whispered when Cree turned to him.

“I hope I don’t regret it.” Cree didn’t know why he said that, perhaps it was because he wanted to beat the hell out of Torr for even speaking to Dawn as foolish as that was. And he wondered if it would eventually come down to that since Torr had not acknowledged his warning about staying away from Dawn.

It wasn’t long before the men were gathered and Cree issued orders for the entire village to be searched. If she wasn’t found they would move beyond to the woods, though as soon as he stepped outside the keep and into the snowstorm he knew this would not be an easy task.

~~~

Dawn knew the woods well, especially the path to Old Mary’s cottage. Her mother and she had visited the old woman often and so the trail was instinctive to her. Then there were the markers her mother had pointed out to her so that if she wandered off in play she could find her way back, so when she spotted the large gnarled tree through the falling snow she knew she wasn’t far from the cottage.

What she hadn’t realized or prepared for was the fact that the cottage hadn’t been tended to since Old Mary moved out of it and to the village. She stood blinking away the falling snow that tickled her eyes and stared at the gaping hole where the door should be. The shutters were gone from the lone window and there was a large hole in the thatched roof.

This meant that she had no choice but to return to the village and with night not far off she would need to hurry. She made her way around the cottage and was barely a few feet down the path when she noticed movement in the snow. It was low to the ground and could be an animal burrowed in a hole against the cold or…

She didn’t have time to weigh her actions, she hurried over to where she had seen the movement and dropped down beside the mound brushing the snow off to reveal Old Mary curled in a ball. She shook the woman awake, her eyes fluttering open and then she helped her to sit up and wrapped the blanket around her.