Forbidden Highlander (Highlander Trilogy 2)

“I am your father and as a father who loves his child I do what is best for you whether you believe it or not. I’m offering you a chance for a good life, please think about it.”

Dawn refused to resign herself to Kirk’s plan and she let him know it. And she let him know that Cree would come for her and take her home.

Kirk stood. “By then you will be wed and there will be nothing he can do about it. Get some rest we leave in a few hours.”

Dawn wished she had a voice, for at that moment she had never wanted to scream so much in her life. How dare Kirk McClusky walk into her life claim that he is her father and force her to wed a stranger for her own good. She was exhausted and furious at being dictated to, her life decided for her.

She turned her back on the two men, not being able to look upon them without growing angrier. She wanted nothing to do with either of them. She wanted to go home to Cree and tell him all she had learned and see if they could find a solution to this ever growing dilemma together.

With the ruse Kirk had played on Cree, she feared he wouldn’t reach her until it was too late. Could she somehow delay their departure? She was relieved when she turned to see that both men were gone. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts she had not heard them leave.

The bed beckoned but she shook her fatigue away. She couldn’t waste time on sleep; she had to remain alert and ready in case she had a chance to escape. Her stomach suddenly protested and she realized that though she didn’t feel hungry, the babe thought differently and needed nourishment, and so she grabbed a chunk of bread and cheese.

She had just washed it down with hot cider when the door flew open and Torr stormed in.

“We’re leaving now,” he snapped and grabbed her cloak and tossed it to her.

The sudden departure could only mean one thing. Cree was on the way. She slipped on her cloak and hid her smile as she preceded Torr out the door.

She once again was planted in front of Torr on his horse, eliminating any chance of escape. They kept a relatively fast pace considering the snow on the ground and she worried that Cree would not be able to find them. She thought of possible ways to slow them down, feigning feeling ill the most obvious, but quickly discounted it. She doubted anyone would believe her.

Thoughts of the babe suddenly filled her head. He would be a bastard like her. Would she need to worry for his life as Kirk did for her? Would there be those who would want him dead? Lucerne would certainly feel him a threat.

More importantly what of Cree? He had told her to take the potion Elsa had given her to prevent her from getting with child. Was it because he did not want a bastard child? If that proved true, would she be better off accepting Kirk’s offer and wedding his friend? Her son would then be safe and well protected.

The thought of never seeing Cree again was like a knife to her heart and she couldn’t help but think that her mother must have felt the same when she bid a final farewell to Kirk. But could she be as strong as her mother had been?

Tears stung her eyes. She loved Cree with all her heart, but she also loved his babe that she carried. She never had a choice before. There had never been any place for her to go. Now she had another option, one where she and her babe would be safe. She didn’t want to have to choose, but she might not have a choice.

The horse was suddenly drawn to a stop and she glanced up and couldn’t help but smile. There a few feet away in the clearing sat Cree on his stallion and spread out behind him was a sizeable troop of his warriors.

She noticed that a few of the McClusky warriors blessed themselves and she could understand why. Cree was all in black and wore the most evil look, as if he were ready to kill each and every one of them singlehandedly. His jaw was set tight, his nostrils flared, and his dark eyes appeared filled with venom. He was beyond angry.

Kirk rode up next to Torr and looked to Dawn. “Think on what your future would be with him against what I offer you.”

“It will not matter,” Torr said surprising his father, though not Dawn. She understood what he referred to. “Cree will not let her go and we do not have enough warriors to battle him.”