Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

" I think we should go tae me castle instead."

Evan had been thinking about it for a while now, ever since he and Bonnie had gone around the first forest in their way—the very same one they had crossed the previous day where they had been attacked. Neither of them was eager to go through the same path again, and so they had decided to take the longer route, even if it would delay them by hours.

Now, the sun was slowly sinking in the horizon and there was no town in sight. When they had left Castle Ruthven, Evan had been under the impression that they would find a place to stay, some inn or even a cottage where they could seek shelter in exchange for some gold. They had found nothing but empty land, though, as all the settlements and towns seemed to be at the other side of Castle Ruthven, closer to the north than the south.

Neither of them knew the area and so they didn't know when they would reach another town. Evan didn't want to risk going too far in the dark. Sooner or later, they would have to set up camp.

"Yer castle?" Bonnie asked, frowning as she turned to look at him. "Why?"

"Because we dinnae ken how many people Alaric has managed tae reach," said Evan. "An' we dinnae ken if yer sister an' her husband have made it back by now. If they're nae there, then yer council will make the decision about ye an' Ruthven an' there will be nae one tae oppose them if they decide tae go ahead with the weddin'."

"Surely, Cathleen an' Macauley must have reached the castle by now," Bonnie said. "It's been a long time since the Hamilton weddin'."

"It is most likely," Evan agreed. "But if there is even a small chance that they're nae there an' Alaric's news havenae reached yer council, I would prefer ye were with me instead o' them."

Evan had to admit that he also had a selfish reason for wanting to go to his own castle rather than Castle MacLaren. If he brought Bonnie home, there was no telling whether or not he would be allowed to remain near her. If he brought her to his home, then no one could tell him a thing.

He didn't reveal that to Bonnie, though, even if he doubted she would fault him for it. He simply found it a little embarrassing, and he even felt his cheeks heat a little at the thought of sharing the whole truth.

"I suppose yer right," said Bonnie after a few moments of contemplation. "I will write tae Cathleen once we are there tae make sure she has returned an' tae inform her o' me departure. I truly hope she willnae look fer me in the time it will take me tae write tae her. I dinnae want her tae think somethin' happened tae me."

"Surely, Ruthven will tell her ye left if she does," Evan said. "She willnae fash."

"She will," said Bonnie, sounding certain of the fact. "She always does, even when there is nae reason."

With a chuckle, Evan nodded slowly, thinking about him and Alaric. The two of them worried about each other all the time, even though they were used to danger, even though they always sent each other to risky missions. It was only natural. Even if they knew what had to be done, they never once stopped worrying about the other.

Bonnie and Cathleen must have been the same, he thought. From what Bonnie had shared with him, the two of them were close; they had always been. Now that they had no one left but each other, their parents long gone, they only clung to each other even more.

"We should make camp," Evan said just as the sun began to dip under the horizon. "It is best tae stop now while we still have some light."

"We willnae try tae find a town?" Bonnie asked, seemingly alarmed at the concept of spending the night in the middle of nowhere. She wasn't as used to it as Evan was, surely, he thought. It would be a rough night for her, especially with her shoulder injured. "Is it . . . is it safe tae stay here?"

"It is safer than searchin' fer a town," said Evan. "At least if we are in a camp, I can defend us if someone attacks."

"Ye cannae defend us on the road?" asked Bonnie in a teasing tone, following Evan out of the path as he brought his horse to a halt near the first trees.

"I can defend us anywhere," he said with a soft chuckle, helping her dismount. The wince of pain she gave at the movement didn't escape his attention.

She is in pain. It is dangerous enough fer anyone tae travel, let alone an injured lass. I must be more careful than ever while she cannae use her bow.

"But it is still better if we are stationary," he added, grabbing the two horses to bring them further into the woods. It was darker there the deeper they walked into the trees, and cooler, the temperature dropping significantly under the shade of the leaves. From the corner of his eye, he saw Bonnie clutch at her cloak, tightening it around her shoulders.

Deeper still, though not too far away from the main path, Evan found a small clearing, just big enough for them to camp there for the night. He tied the horses to a nearby tree and then unfastened his cloak, draping it over Bonnie's shoulders as he brought her to sit by the large roots of a towering tree.

"What are ye doin'?" she demanded, making a valiant, though still unsuccessful, effort to give him the cloak back. "Ye'll be cold, Evan! An' then ye'll fall ill an' how will I ken where tae go?"

"I'll be fine," Evan assured her, rolling his eyes at the dramatic scenarios her mind conjured up. "I'll gather some wood fer a fire, so that will keep me warm. Stay here. I willnae take long."

"I can help ye," Bonnie said.

"Nay, ye cannae," Evan countered, already walking away from her. "Yer injured an' ye must conserve yer strength. An' as I said, it willnae take long. There is wood everywhere here."

As he spoke, he began to gather up branches, some bigger and some smaller, bringing them to the middle of the clearing. Thankfully, he didn't have to argue with Bonnie for her to stay put, and she simply watched him as he brought all the wood he needed to the pile, before grabbing the tinderbox from his bag to light the fire.

Within seconds, the warmth of the flames seeped into him and he rubbed the life back into his arms. Despite his promise that he would not be cold, he had to admit that the chill of the late evening had quickly gotten to him, leaving his skin freezing.

With some effort, Bonnie pushed herself closer to the fire, joining him by the flames. The sky was dark now, a deep, velvety blue that almost blended with the darkness of the forest, the branches above them casting shadows all around them. Their little clearing, though, was illuminated well by the fire—perhaps a little too well, announcing their presence to anyone who passed by.

Evan kept his sword close. If there was going to be an attack, he would be prepared for it.

In the silence that followed, Bonnie leaned closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder, and Evan wrapped her arm around her with a soft, content sigh. It was enough to simply have her close to him. It was enough to hold her, knowing that she was unharmed and that he hadn't lost her like he had feared back in that forest.

"When I saw ye . . . when I held ye while ye were bleedin'," Evan said, but then he didn't know how to continue. How could he explain to her how terrified he was? How could he explain to her that his world had come to a halt and he thought that in the span of mere moments, he had lost one of the things he held dearest? There were no words to explain the terror, the sorrow that flooded his mind when he thought she would not make it. There were no words to describe the horror of her blood coating his hands as he desperately tried to keep that wound closed, the nauseating weight of reality as it crashed down upon him.

"I'm here," Bonnie assured him, reaching up to cup his face in her hands. She brought their foreheads together, the two of them resting against each other, sharing the same air. "I'm here, Evan. I'm fine."

Obvious as it was, hearing it from her brought Evan some peace of mind, some comfort he had been lacking. "I love ye," he said, pulling her into a kiss. "I love ye, Bonnie. I never wish tae lose ye."

"Ye willnae," she said, voice hushed and gentle against his lips. "I promise ye. Ye willnae lose me. I'm all yers."

As she spoke, Bonnie fell backwards onto the earth, pulling Evan along with her. He let himself be tugged, though he braced himself on his forearms over her, mindful of her injured shoulder. When her thighs bracketed his hips, wrapping around him, he couldn't help the soft gasp that escaped him. No woman had brought him to this kind of despair, this kind of need before. Every part of him craved her, seeking out her warmth, the softness of her skin, the tender, yielding flesh of her curves where he could sink his fingers and drag his lips, his tongue, just to see her shiver.

"I want ye," she whispered. "Make me yers."

Evan could hardly refuse such a sweet order.