Chapter 21

"Ready a troop, Reed, we hunt him," Slayer ordered.

"Aye, sir, with his wound he should not get far," Reed said with a bob of his head and hurried off.

"My lord."

Slayer turned at the sound of his wife's voice and he took hasty steps to her, seeing her limp toward him. Without thought, he swung her up into his arms as soon as he reached her.

Fane stuck close to his side as Slayer hurried her to his solar., yelling as he walked through the kitchen, "A bucket of water and cloths, Euniss."

Sky saw Angel run toward them and before she could warn her husband not to step on the kitten, Fane's mouth scooped her up with his mouth for her to join them.

Slayer sat Sky in a chair near the hearth and went to grab a nearby bench while Fane deposited Angel in Sky's lap then sat beside the chair.

"Which leg?" Slayer demanded, after placing the bench in front of her.

She pointed. "The right ankle."

He crouched down and lifted her right leg gently and placed her foot on the bench. He pushed her garments out of the way and slipped off her shoe.

"There is no swelling," he said as he caressed her ankle with a tender hand. "Does it pain you?"

Euniss entered then to Sky's relief since she did not want to lie to her husband.

"Keep everyone away from here, Euniss," Slayer ordered.

"I have taken care of that already. Everyone believes you are admonishing her for speaking to the prisoner. They will avoid you not wanting to catch the tail end of your anger."

"Wise of them," Slayer said.

"They know you well, my lord," Euniss said and left them alone.

Slayer dropped a cloth from the small stack into the water-filled bucket and looked at his wife. "You need admonishing for putting yourself in danger as you did."

"I thought I might learn more from him and I did. He said he would not hurt me. That he was a friend I should trust."

"Friend? Trust?" he asked incredulously and twisted the soaked cloth tight until not a drop of water fell from it. Then he shook it out and placed it on Sky's ankle. "How do you trust a liar to be a friend? The other prisoners say that Lester only recently joined them and that none of them trusted him. He would disappear at times and suddenly return with a poor excuse of where he had gone. The mercenary leader didn't care since Lester was a skilled swordsman, and he didn't want to lose him. Just learning that, I was on my way to question him some more when I heard you scream for me."

"He told me that he had hoped to have more time to talk with me?—"

"Bloody hell," Slayer grumbled. "He knew his time here was limited and that when I found out more about him, he would once again be a prisoner."

"That was why he ate before having his wound tended to. His stomach would be full, and he would not need to worry about food, only his escape." Sky shook her head. "Seeing how fast he climbed that tree, I suspect he never suffered a wound."

"I believe you're right," Slayer agreed. "What else did he say to you?"

"He told me that I was in more danger than I knew—" She stopped talking suddenly.

"What is it, Sky? Tell me," he urged.

Her brow wrinkled, recalling Lester's words, and she shook her head slowly as if not believing what she was about to say. "He told me I was not who I thought I was but that the truth would reveal itself soon. He must know who my parents are."

"Or he lies to you as he did to me. But I will catch him, and he will have no choice but to confess everything to me."

"His last words sent a chill through me. Who will come for me? Why will he come for me? And why do I need saving from this man?"

"You could be the one the Lowlander family searches for and with there being no love lost between Lowlanders and Highlanders, it could be why he warns you against trusting anyone. I would linger and discuss this with you and try to make sense of it, but I cannot wait to hunt him. His tracks will be fresh and when I catch him, I will get the truth from him."

"What if others wait for him and you ride into a trap?"

"That will not happen. The trackers and riders have already been dispersed and will send word to me, so I know what I face. It is Lester, if that is his name, who needs to worry and fear what awaits him." He stood. "You will rest and heal your ankle while I am gone, and you will not go beyond the gate." He leaned down and kissed her firmly, then pressed his cheek next to hers to whisper, "I will miss you, wife."

Sky was off the chair when she heard the door close and thought about running after him and reminding him how much she loved him and that he was to stay safe and return home to her. She almost reached the door ready to do just that when it swung open. She did not wait. She threw her arms around him.

"I love you with all my heart. You will stay safe and come home to me. I will have your word on it," she insisted, even though she knew fate would have the final word.

"Your ankle healed quite fast," Slayer said with a slight smile.

Sky's cheeks turned a warm pink. "It was the only way I could get you alone."

"Yet when you had me alone you still allowed me to believe you were injured."

"I gave it thought, but then your hand felt so good on my ankle, I found myself remaining silent."

He kissed her gently. "I am glad you did since I very much enjoyed caressing your ankle."

"We think alike, husband," Sky said. "Now please give me your word that you will return to me."

"Nothing will ever stop me from returning to you. Even a wound will not stop me. I will make my way home to you, for if I am meant to die it will be in your arms."

"Nay! Do not say that. You will not die. We have a whole life to live together," she insisted, keeping the tears that sprang to her eyes at simply the thought of losing him from falling. "Why did you return? Did you forget to tell me something?"

"Aye, I forgot to tell you that you, mo ghaol, belong to me and only me and I will let no one ever take you away from me. You are mine and always will be."

His hand cupped the back of her head as his lips came down firmly on hers in a kiss that left no doubt that he meant what he said in the only way he knew how… that he loved her.

* * *

Sky keptherself hidden as best she could while watching her husband in the practice circle. She had noticed how empty the village seemed today and had asked Euniss if something was going on beyond the stone walls. She told her that Slayer was challenging his warriors today. He did so every now and then, though mostly when his anger lingered. It was a way for him to rid himself of it. Unfortunately, most of his warriors did not want to challenge him when his anger simmered, though the clansmen enjoyed watching their leader go undefeated.

Sky was aware that her husband's temper had lingered and been simmering for the last couple of weeks. It was because Lester had not been found, not even a single sign of him had been spotted. Slayer had been withdrawn, spending more time in his solar, not talking with her as much as he usually did. And it had been several days since they had coupled, or he had shown her much affection and she missed the closeness they shared. He purposely avoided her, even in their bedchamber. The last few nights he had joined her in bed after she had fallen asleep, and he was gone before she woke in the morning. She was not sure what to do about it, although she knew it could not go on like this much longer.

He struck quite a figure in the circle, no warrior coming near to his size nor to his skill. He stood shirtless, a sheen of sweat covering his broad chest and muscled arms and suffering no breathlessness. Not so for the six warriors he had engaged separately in a sword fight. They all sat beyond the circle breathless and dripping sweat, except for one. He suddenly dropped back on the ground, his body prone, as if he had no strength left to hold himself up.

Clansmen cheered for Slayer, and Sky wondered how many more men he would need to fight to assuage his anger. He did not wound anyone who fought him, though he could have several times. He won by exhausting them into surrender. He paced the circle like a caged animal waiting for his next opponent to step forward. His warriors glanced amongst themselves waiting for the next brave soul to volunteer.

She went to turn away when he caught sight of her and the intensity in his eyes sent a shiver racing through her. It was not her husband who fought in the circle. It was the fearless Gallowglass warrior and leader. Not only did anger spark like flaring embers in his eyes, but passion swelled there as well. She understood now that it was not her husband who had been avoiding her but the fierce Gallowglass warrior.

For a moment, she thought of turning away and avoiding the warrior in him that at times frightened her, but she stopped herself. How could their marriage grow stronger and survive if they both did not reconcile the two?

She needed to get him alone and there was only one way to do that… defy him. It would force him to punish her, and all knew she was sent to his solar for a tongue lashing or her bedchamber where she would spend time in penance for her disobedience. When truly, it gave them time alone. But how did she accomplish that with all eyes on him?

The sudden cry of a hawk had her tipping her head back to look up. The bird circled overhead, then abruptly dropped down, disappearing into the forest of trees. She silently thanked the hawk for his help and, with her stomach twisting anxiously, she cast what she hoped resembled a defiant glance at her husband, then headed toward the woods.

"SKY!"

She cringed at how he could make her name sound like a forceful command, thinking any wise person would stop abruptly. And she almost did, but caught herself and kept walking, slowly since she had no desire to truly disobey him. She only wanted to get him alone even though that thought worsened her already anxious stomach. It was time she faced the Gallowglass warrior whether she wanted to or not. Though recalling the consequences of the one time, in the thunderstorm, against the tree that Slayer had let the fierce warrior loose, she wondered if it was wise to do so again. But things were different now. She knew more, understood more about intimacy, and had grown to love every intimate moment they shared.

"STOP, SKY!"

This time she stopped since he sounded closer, and she was getting too close to the edge of the forest. She turned and took a step back as his powerful strides made him appear that he was set to devour her once he reached her.

"You are not permitted to go into the forest," he said, slowing his steps to keep a distance between them, and keeping his voice loud enough for all to hear his command.

Sky cast a glance past him to see that all who had gathered stood silently watching them, so she did the same as her husband. She kept her voice loud enough for all to hear and kept her defiance clear, leaving him no choice in what he must do.

"I want to go into the woods," she said with a tilt of her chin, though hoped he did not notice the quiver that raced through her.

"Nay! I forbid it. You will go to the keep and stay there," Slayer said at first surprised by her outright defiance before he realized what his wife was up to. He stepped closer to her and kept his voice low, though failed to keep his anger in tow. "You are being foolish. You will stop this now, Sky."

She briefly thought of doing as he said, dismissing this foolish plan of hers and obeying him. When suddenly she was flooded with memories of the endless times that she had dismissed plans because someone deemed them foolish for her. If she was ever to escape the fearful and unsure woman she once was, then she had to start now by confronting the Gallowglass warrior.

Sky tilted her chin higher, a gesture of defiance when actually it was to look him straight in the eye, and say, "Make me!"

Slayer was not sure he heard her correctly, although it was more likely that he never expected to hear such defiant words from her.

"I will warn you one last time. Go to the keep now!" he ordered, his eyes narrowing and his gruff voice threatening. He lowered his voice quickly to add, "Do not defy me, Sky."

This was the moment. She either backed down or stepped forward and stood firm.

She stepped forward and poked him in the chest. "Nay. I will not."

A chorus of gasps filled the air and Sky almost expected to see fire spewing from his mouth, the anger in his eyes expanding tenfold. He latched onto her arm so tight that she cringed, but he appeared not to notice or was too angry with her to care since he propelled her forward, forcing her to keep pace with his powerful strides.

"Get back to your chores!" he ordered the crowd.

Sky was not surprised to hear snippets of talk as the crowd dispersed around them.

"He should beat her good."

"She will hold her defiant tongue then."

"Lock her away."

Slayer stopped suddenly, tightening his hold on Sky when she lost her footing. "Watch your tongues or I will see the same inflicted on you. The next one I hear say a word about her will find himself or herself put in the stocks for two days. Now go do your chores before I change my mind and see that those I heard say such disparaging remarks locked in the stocks."

Everyone there rushed off, keeping a wide berth around Slayer.

Sky held her tongue as well, as he hurried her to the keep and into the Great Hall.

Servants froze and stared at him, fear filling their eyes and Sky understood why. Slayer's anger was on display for all to see.

"STAY!" Slayer shouted when Fane stood to approach him from where he had been sleeping by the fire, Angel halting along with him to scurry under the hound's front legs in fright.

Slayer continued to the stairs, the servants not moving or flinching, but following him with their eyes.

Sky stumbled when Slayer shoved her into the bedchamber but did not close the door. "Never. Ever. Challenge me like that again. You will remain here until I say otherwise." He turned to leave.

She could not let him go. She had to keep him there. She had to help him release his anger. "Are you too cowardly to remain here and talk with me?"

He turned back, his nostrils flaring. "You have pushed me far enough, woman."

"And what has your anger done to me? You barely talk with me, barely touch me, barely couple with me." She went to him, and he backed away from her. "I miss you."

He fisted his hands as if fighting to keep control of them. "Trust me. You don't want me touching you right now." He went to leave the room again.

"I love the Gallowglass warrior in you as much as the man I came to know at the cottage."

Slayer fought the urge to turn around, grab his wife, and plunge his stiff manhood into her, make her scream in pleasure and fill her with his seed until it flowed out of her. But it was such an overpowering need that he feared he would hurt her as he had done that time in the rainstorm when he made her lip bleed and took her against the tree with the rain pouring down on them. The memory further ignited his already fiery passion as did her words of love and if he did not leave the room soon, he worried what he might do.

Sky took advantage of his silence and slipped out of her garments and shoes to stand naked. "I love you, Slayer, and I need you."

He turned to warn her, and seeing his wife naked, a low growl started in his chest. His hands were eager to touch her, and his manhood ached to plunge into her.

He let loose a growl that shivered Sky and she wanted to scream at him to come back when he walked out of the room and slammed the door shut. Her heart hurt, for him and for herself. How was she ever going to get through to the Gallowglass warrior inside him?

Sky jumped when something pounded at the door so hard that she heard it crack. Then the door flew open, and her husband stood there, his one fist scrapped and dotted with blood. He stared at her, fire in his eyes, then suddenly slammed the door shut.

"Tell me to stop, Sky," he warned as he slipped out of his boots then began to yank his garments off. "Tell me now before it is too late."

All Sky could do was stare at him, the hearth's flickering light highlighting the sheen of sweat on him and the small smudge of dirt on his brow. And his muscles where so taut from fighting that the veins in his arms were visible. But it was his manhood rock-hard that made her take a much-needed breath.

"Too late," he said as he descended on her and grabbed her around the waist to lift her off her feet and fling her down on the bed, although he did not drop down with her. He quickly flipped her over to lay on her stomach. "On your hands and knees. It is time to do penance."

"I trust you," she said, reminding him and herself.

He leaned down and whispered, "You might want to think twice about that."

"I don't have to think twice," she said and gasped as her body swelled with passion when she felt his teeth sink with gentle force into the back of her neck, sending gooseflesh rushing over her.

"Mine. Always mine," he said, slipping his hands beneath her to squeeze her breasts and tease her nipples before he positioned himself behind her.

He reminded her of that often or was he confirming it to himself repeatedly to understand what it was he was feeling for her?

She sighed with pleasure, feeling his shaft poking between her legs as he caressed her backside slowly and firmly. Then he suddenly grabbed tight hold of each cheek and entered her with such a hard and fast plunge that she gasped loudly not in discomfort but delight. It felt so very good. He needed this and so did she. He needed to know that her love for him, all of him, was unconditional.

Slayer lost himself in the strong rhythm he set and in the intoxicating melody of his wife's moans of pleasure. This was where he wanted to be, what he ached to feel, ached to get lost in, ached to share with his wife. With every thrust his pleasure grew and he could feel it overpowering his anger, forcing it to retreat, only allowing pleasure to prevail.

He had been so lost in overwhelming pleasure that he had not realized his wife had been close to release until she screamed out his name. But he was not ready yet. He wanted more. When he felt her begin to go limp beneath him, he pulled out of her and with one arm around her waist flipped her onto her back and entered her quickly, driving into her to ignite her passion all over again.

Sky gasped and grabbed her husband's arms, needing to hold on to him, the renewed passion that hit her overwhelming her.

He leaned down over her, his arms taut on either side of her to hover slightly above her as he drove in and out of her.

"Mine. Tell me you're mine," he ordered, slipping closer to the edge with each thrust.

"I will always be yours," she confirmed and stretched her head up to kiss him.

She claimed the mighty Gallowglass warrior with that kiss, and they burst together in a mind-shattering climax that chased his anger away, leaving him satiated but more so, loved unconditionally.