Chapter 21

21

Dawn came sooner than Liam had expected. The night had been long, with hasty preparations made for Bain and Laird Cormac’s removal from the Keep. Liam had had to call in most of the council to bear witness and a few of his men to ensure things went smoothly. Liam had personally overseen their removal, enjoying the way Bain’s battered and bruised face crumpled with a scowl as he saw Alison by Liam’s side. They rode off, flanked on all sides by men who would report back to Liam that they were firmly beyond clan territory, Liam had felt a measure of relief that lifted his spirits. He knew there was still much to do, but his shoulder felt a bit lighter with his cousin and uncle gone.

He and Alison had kept their wits about them until safely ensconced in Alison’s bedchamber. Dinner had been quietly eaten there while they took comfort and made plans. The specter of everything that had happened between them still loomed, but both had been too sensitive to broach the topic. Now, in the light of a new morning, Liam knew they needed to bring everything to light. The council would be meeting soon and he would have to lay everything down for them as well. A change in power from father to son was usually an easy feat, accompanied by excitement at a new generation leading the clan into the future. When the exchange came from something marred by violence, there was much more to be discussed.

Alison shifted in Liam’s arms, her comforting weight shifting closer into the circle of his arms. Her breathing sped up, letting him know she was waking, and before she could open her eyes, Liam brushed a kiss over her warm forehead.

“Good morning.”

Alison opened her eyes, still in awe that Liam was there. Falling asleep with him had been a wholly new experience, and one she intended to keep. “Good morning.” She rubbed a hand over her face. “Oh. I must look dreadful.”

“You look beautiful,” Liam said softly. He cupped a hand around her cheek. “You look perfect.”

Alison felt her cheeks heat with pleasure and she smiled before leaning her face up, beckoning him forward for a kiss. When it came, it was soft, as if reaffirming the new future between them. “You were always a charmer.” Liam smiled though it looked sad. Alison reached up and brushed her fingers over his lips. “What is this terrible expression for?”

Liam brushed kisses over her fingertips before speaking. “Just thinking about all the time we missed.”

“Liam. You can’t blame yourself.”

“But I do,” he said with feeling. “I blame myself for letting grief cloud my judgement. I should have seen through my uncle’s fake desire to help for the power play it was. I should have come to you with my concerns instead of pushing you away.”

Alison wanted to deny it, but a part of her still felt the bite of sadness. “Why did you? Push me away, I mean. You kept saying you wanted to protect me, but from what?”

Liam hesitated for a moment. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go down this path, but he knew he needed to. Alison deserved the truth, and maybe talking it out would help him with the council.

“My father was a proud man,” Liam began. “All men are, to an extent, but my father felt such a deep sense of protection for the clan, and he felt proud that he could lead it. He always taught me to trust in my abilities, even when I felt I would never be half the man he was. When I thought he killed my mother and himself… I couldn’t understand it. It was like a type of madness.”

“But he didn’t,” Alison said, pressing a hand to Liam’s chest. “It was all Cormac and Bain. They did that.”

“I know,” Liam acknowledged with a nod. “But at the time, I thought my father had a break of some kind. And it occurred to me, that if someone as good and steadfast as my father could succumb to such madness, then that could befall me too. That I could, too, hurt the one I loved like he hurt my mother. I couldn’t bear the thought.”

“You wouldn’t,” Alison said. She sat up before leaning forward and cupping Liam’s cheeks. “Even when you were focused on Bain, do you know the first thing you did? You put yourself between him and me. Your instinct was to protect me. That is a sign of strength. There was no madness in your father, just like there is no madness in you.”

Liam smiled before cupping Alison’s hands. “You think so?”

“I know so. I would never have waited for as long as I did had I not known that there was something here worth fighting for.”

“Alison,” Liam choked out. He swallowed hard as he stared into the eyes of the woman he’d loved for years. He almost lost her once and he refused to waste any more time. “I love you. I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you all those years ago. If you continue to stand with me, I promise I will never again forsake you. I will be wholly yours and yours alone.”

They were words Alison had longed to hear, and her eyes burned with unshed tears. She had told herself so many times that she was being foolish for waiting, and yet she had never been able to stray. This was the future she had envisioned. Those were the words that settled like balm on her soul.

“Aye,” she choked out finally as the first warm trail slid down her cheek. “You are mine, and I am yours. I always have been.”

Warmth infused Liam’s chest as he leaned forward, connecting their lips in a kiss that sealed their words. When Alison fell into him, he gladly took her weight, leaning back against the headboard as he found absolution between her lips. This was a gift, and one he would not throw away this time. He would hold fast to this love and let it guide him and the clan to their future.

Alison wasn’t sure how long they laid together, trading kisses back and forth until her lips went numb, but her heart was full. It wasn’t until a soft knock came at the door that she came up for, calling out for the person to enter. It was one of the other chambermaids, whose name Alison couldn’t remember. When she saw Alison and Liam in bed, she ducked her head down, but Alison could see the wide smile on her face.

“The council is making its entrance.”

Alison nodded though she was loath to get up from the bed. She knew Liam had a responsibility, as did she. Liam felt similarly, having enjoyed indulging in kisses that filled him more than any meal. But with Cormac and Bain gone, he knew he had to get up and explain. He could only hope that the goodwill his father had garnered along with the information on Bain’s machinations would be enough to sway them.

Music could be heard throughout the castle and it put a smile on Liam’s face as he combed out his beard. The week had been long and filled with more talking than he’d done in the month before. Still, even with how busy he’d been, he felt lighter in a way he hadn’t since before that night three years past. A knock on the door had him pausing and he responded loudly for them to enter. He hadn’t yet fully moved into Alison’s bedchamber, but he planned to do that soon.

“Aye, I’m coming,” he replied. When the door opened, Liam’s breath caught when he saw Alison standing there. She was a vision in her dress with her auburn curls waving softly over her shoulders. Her skin was flush with color, and her eyes seemed to sparkle with an inner warmth that soothed Liam better than any fire. “Alison.”

His words were breathy, caught in his chest as he breathed her in. Alison couldn’t help the soft giggle that escaped her lips. “Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to escort me to the feast?”

Liam moved swiftly, taking a place by her side and offering his arm. The feeling was indescribable when she took his arm and they walked together from the room. His eyes were on her every step, not bothering to look at anything else. The feast had been called by the council. He had spent the better part of three days calling witness after witness and outlining Bain and Cormac’s actions over the past three years. He was surprised by how quickly most of them nodded along in agreement with their banishment. Liam had gone into it thinking it would be an uphill battle. When Alison had come to speak of her own will, determination shining from her eyes, he had known that no matter what, he would be alright as long as he had her by his side.

Now, as he walked into the great hall, the room filled with laughter and cheers, and he felt at peace. He strode in, head high with Alison by his side.

“Laird Anderson!”

The shouts from the room seemed to echo, and Liam felt a sense of relief when most of the council raised their goblets with the same resounding cries. He swallowed hard as he and Alison made their rounds, talking merrily with members of the clan in attendance. The atmosphere was one of celebration, with candles lit all around bathing the room in a welcomingly warm glow. The scents of roast meat had Liam’s stomach rumbling, but when Alison pulled him to join in the dancing, he was helpless to resist.

“Dance with me!” Alison called out, her lips split wide in a smile that seemed lit from the inside. Liam couldn’t stop himself from following, huffing out a loud laugh as he fell in line. Loud whoops of laughter accompanied the stamping of feet as Liam held Alison’s hand. They swung around, the clan hopping along with them in time. Liam wished his parents could see them, could witness the culmination of everything they had worked for.

As Liam pulled Alison close, he knew the future before them would be filled with the type of love that would weather any storm.