Once in their bedchamber Odran had sat on the bed, keeping Elysia in his lap and that’s where they sat now, in silence, holding on to each other.
“I should have never left you,” Odran finally said in a whisper.
“You have a duty to the clan. Besides, you returned and saved me, that’s all that matters,” she reassured him with a gentle kiss to his lips.
He rested his brow to hers. “I feared losing you. I cannot lose you. You gave me reason to live when I had no wont to.” He placed his hand on her stomach. “And you give me hope of a future with family and love. His lips settled on hers, his kiss more demanding than her tender one. And she returned it with a demand of her own, both needing to be close, to be loved.
Odran reluctantly ended the kiss. “If we continue, we both will soon be naked, and I will be deep inside you.”
Elysia pressed her cheek next to his and whispered, “Promise?”
He drew his face away, ready to stand and relieve them both of all their garments when he spotted the blood from his face on hers. He wiped it away with his thumb. “I will not touch you with blood on me. And you need your bare feet tended.”
“I was in a hurry and didn’t want my footfalls heard,” she said with a smile.
“I can only imagine and it angers me when I do.” He scowled at the thought.
She rubbed at his brow. “No more scowls. I say we wash, you speak with Stiles, also let all know that we are well and seek sleep, and with the rest of the night left to us—we make love.”
“I like your idea, wife,” he said and kissed her gently.
A knock sounded at the door and Dorrit called out, “My lord, are you and my lady in need of anything?”
“Extra buckets of water, so we may wash, Dorrit,” Odran ordered.
“I can have a bath made ready,” Dorrit said.
Elysia shook her head when her husband cast her a glance. “Takes too long.”
Odran smiled and called out to Dorrit. “Not necessary, just the buckets of water.”
Elysia stood and grabbed a cloth to wet in the bucket by the hearth. She returned to sit on her husband’s lap and wipe the blood from his face. “What made you return so fast?”
“My trackers were returning to let me know that the information about the border farm was false. It hadn’t been attacked. They met a merchant who had just been there and everyone was fine and he had seen no signs of mercenaries in the area. I sent a couple of men to make sure. I realized then it had to have been a ruse, giving someone time to go after you. But I had no worries since Rory and Finch wouldn’t let anyone near you unless it was someone they and you trusted. My mind went crazy with possibilities of who it might be and if I would reach you in time. When we came across one of the sentinels dead, I feared I was too late. When we clashed with a few of Cadell’s men in the woods, it became obvious who was responsible.”
“It was coin Cadell wanted to use to get away from the curse and the Highlands with all its madness, so he said.” She went on to tell him all that Cadell had told her.
“Glenis betrayed the clan and was poisoning my mum, and she knew Tavish?” he asked as if he could not quite believe what she told him.
Elysia nodded seeing her husband as stunned as she had been at the news. “Cadell told me we are blind to the truth that is right in front of us. I don’t know what he meant and it worries me that someone close is responsible for wanting you, Brogan, and Rannick dead.”
“I will send a message to Rannick to let him know what happened here and tell him to be cautious about those around him. Hopefully, we can get word to Brogan.” He hugged her close. “This isn’t over, Elysia.”
“The mystery continues, but I have faith we will solve it.”
“A knock came again, and several buckets of water were carried into the room. Stiles followed in after the last one.
“All is settled, my lord, only two of Cadell’s men survived and are being well guarded. The men claim to know nothing and say they only followed orders,” Stiles said.
“I find that unlikely,” Odran said. “I will give you a message in the morning to send to Lord Balloch of the Clan MacRae since they are his warriors and we will see what he says before I decide their fate.”
“How is Willa?” Elysia asked. “She was quite brave tonight and upset.”
“She does better than everyone, my lady, and is proud of her wounded lip,” Stiles said with a laugh, then shook his head. “Though she has not stopped complaining about losing her blackthorn stick.” He bobbed his head. “I will see you on the morn, my lord.”