Callum mounted behind her and curled his arms around her to hold her safe. He was as careful as if he cradled Venetian glass in his arms.
"This is like old times," she said dryly.
"You're a wee bit more cooperative now than ye were when I brought you to Achnasheen, lassie," he said, aiming for a light tone. He failed. He'd come too close to losing her for teasing to sound convincing.
"Aye, I am at that," she said softly.
Callum could hardly believe it when she rested against him as soft as a kitten. Her scent rose around him, sparked a million wanton fantasies. He drew a deep breath. Flowers, a trace of sweat, a hint of fresh water and whisky. And the essence of Mhairi.
Only a layer of frail lawn separated her skin from his. The thought proved too much temptation. It was time they left.
He guided Kelpie onto the steep, winding path. The horse had dashed up this precipitous slope with a valor that earned her his lifelong gratitude. Now there was no particular rush, so the mare could make the journey toward Callum’s doom at a kinder pace. Even if he wanted to make haste, the ponies couldn’t keep up with Kelpie in full flight.
"Rest now. You're safe," he said softly, daring to place a kiss on Mhairi’s ruffled auburn hair.
"I know," she murmured. It seemed at last she'd learned to trust him a little.
He wished to God he deserved it.
Chapter 19
Exhausted with the onslaught of powerful emotions and the long travel through the night, Mhairi lapsed into a fitful doze as she rested in the Mackinnon’s arms. Her wounds troubled her, but his ministrations had gone a long way toward soothing the discomfort. The memory of his gentleness made her heart clench tight. He'd been so distressed to see her in danger and in pain. It made her feel cherished in a way she'd never known before. His care was the physical manifestation of his stirring words to his clan, proclaiming his loyalty to her.
It took far too long to realize that there was something wrong about the route they followed. This wasn’t the same path she’d taken with Sheena.
She twisted her head to see where the sun was. "Did ye no’ say Sheena took me due north from Achnasheen?"
"Aye, she did." Pressed so close to his bare chest, with only the thin layer of his shirt between them, she felt as much as heard that baritone rumble behind her.
"Achnasheen is on the coast. By my calculation, we're heading south-east and further into the hills."
"Of course we are."
She frowned. "But if we keep going, that will take us to Bruard."
There was a pause before he responded in a low voice. "I told ye I was taking you home, lassie."
A dismay of appalling and astonishing degree slammed through her, stole her breath. It took her a second before she could speak. "I thought ye meant Achnasheen."
Another shock. When had she started to consider the Mackinnon stronghold her home? She'd despised every gray stone in its walls when she'd arrived there less than a week ago.
His voice remained somber as he replied. "I'm taking ye back to your father. Ye should beat your kinsmen home by a good few hours."
"But…" Her mind reeled. This didn't make any sense at all. "Ye swore you'd never let me go."
With a heavy sigh, he drew the big gray horse to a stop on the brow of the hill. As she looked ahead, she realized that they already approached Drummond territory. If Black Callum rode much further, he wouldn't be safe from her clan's hunger for vengeance.
"Aye, I swore a lot of things." He sounded grim and defeated, in a way she'd never heard before.
She’d longed to see the arrogance knocked out of him. Now she did, and she hated it.
Her throat was so tight, it was difficult to force the question out. "Do ye no’ want peace in the glens anymore? I thought ending the feud was your purpose in life."
To her surprise, he dismounted and stepped forward to hold Kelpie's rein. The expression on his face confirmed the desolation she heard in his voice. "It was."
Mhairi noticed his use of the past tense. "So what's changed?"
She missed his arms around her. More, she missed knowing he wanted her. Which was mad when she’d just risked her life to get away from him.