Chapter 8

Miserable and tired though he was from their bedtime shenanigans, Odhrán put a brave face on things during the days, embarrassed by his plight. On the fifth day of sleeping on the floor to please his wife, he was in the vestibule of the keep, sharing a joke with Tadhg and Liam, when Angus Bowman hurried up to them, all in a flap.

"What is it, Angus?" Odhrán asked him, concerned by the old councilman's air of panic. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maddison coming down the stairs. He felt a pang of longing, for she looked ravishing, but he forced himself to look away and focus on what the old man was saying.

"Me laird, a council meetin' must be called at once, for a report has just come in about an attack on our northern border!" Angus cried.

"An attack?!" Odhrán exclaimed in shock, immediately forgetting Maddison and exchanging worried looks with the brothers, who were also instantly on alert. "What sort of attack?"

"We didnae ken who the men were, but they were all wearin' dark clothin', and they attacked our outpost, killin' several of our men," Angus told them.

"What the hell!" Odhrán said, alarm flooding through him. "Who the devil can be attackin' us? Angus, call the others tae the meetin' chamber. We'll see ye there." He and the brothers hurried to the council chamber.

"Who d'ye think could be responsible? Is it just brigands?" Tadgh asked as they strode along. Odhrán shook his head.

"Nay, they would nae have killed so many men," he said.

"Aye, it sounds like a deliberate attack on the clan," Liam put in.

In the meeting, it was decided that Tadhg, the clan's best scout, would go out and see what he could find out about the mysterious attackers.

"But be careful, Tadgh, dinnae take any chances," Odhrán told him as his friend prepared to ride out.

"Aye, I willnae. I'll send back word and be back a soon as I find out anythin'."

"All right, man," Odhrán said, embracing him like a brother before Liam did the same. They waved him off together.

When they went back into the keep, Odhrán noticed Maddison waiting for him. When she approached, apparently about to speak to him, he asked Liam to wait to one side.

"What's the matter? What is this about an attack?" she asked, the first real interest she had shown in his affairs. In his tired and worried state, that irked him.

"That's me own business and so of nae interest tae ye," he found himself snapping. The hurt look on her face immediately made him regret his anger. "I'm sorry, I didnae mean tae bite yer head off like that. I'm just very concerned about it, is all," he tried to explain. It occurred to him that she could be in danger, so he added, "I've seen ye going out with Alana. In future, I'll make sure ye have a guard if ye go out anywhere."

Immediately, she was on the defensive. "How d'ye ken I've been out with Alana? Have ye been spyin' on me?" she demanded.

His patience draining away, he said forcefully, "'Tis me castle, and ye're me wife. Of course, I ken what's going on around here. I need tae ken what ye're up tae and if ye're all right at all times."

"Och, so that's it, is it? I'm yer possession now, I suppose."

"I didnae mean it like that," he tried to explain, getting flustered. But she had already gone, and he turned around to see her making a beeline for Liam.

"Well, good day tae ye, Liam. And how are ye today?" she asked the surprised war leader, who looked at her in obvious shock.

"Er, I'm fine, thank ye, me lady," the huge warrior replied, casting a worried look at Odhrán over her shoulder as Maddison came right up to him. He backed away along the wall. "And yersel'?" he stuttered.

"Och, I'm doin' just fine, especially now I've bumped intae ye," Maddison replied, smiling flirtatiously as she drew closer. Much too close. Odhrán watched in appalled silence as she batted her eyelashes at Liam and looked him up and down with an appreciative smile.

"Well, that's, er, good tae hear," Liam said, rapidly moving backwards away from her and falling into a small console. A copper vase fell to the floor with a crash as he stumbled backwards in an attempt to get away.

In other circumstances, Odhrán would have found the look of panic on Liam's face comical indeed. But not today. Anger flooded his veins to see his wife's antics, and he suddenly decided he was not just going to stand by and let her make a fool of him any longer.

With a purposeful stride, he went over and simply lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder. When she realized what was happening, she began kicking and screaming.

"Let me down, ye great oaf! How dare ye, put me down this instant!" she cried, pummeling his back with her small fists. To him, her punches were like tiny elf blows, resulting in nothing but a light tingling. He ignored them and her cries to be let down, carrying her as if she was a sack of turnips up to their chambers. Once inside, he kicked the door shut behind him, crossed to the bed and threw her on it none too gently.

She bounced back to her feet as if on springs, confronting him like a spitfire.

"Who d'ye think ye are, carting me off like that?!" she screamed, her dark hair flying.

"I am Odhrán, Laird Lennox, and I am yer husband," he said, enunciating every word with cold fury as he stared her down.

"Ye may be me husband in name, but ye never will be in truth," she shot back, her cheeks red with anger.

"I dinnae care. Ye're me wife whether ye like it or nae, and I'll nae put up with yer stubborn ways any longer. I'm sick of ye tryin' tae make a fool of me every chance ye get," he growled.

"How can I make a fool of ye when ye're already the greatest fool that ever lived?!" she shouted, balling her fists as if she would attack him.

"There ye go again!" he bellowed into her face, for they were almost toe to toe now as they screamed at each other. "Ye seem tae have forgotten what I did fer ye."

"What ye did fer me?" she gasped, staring at him in obvious astonishment, her hands on her hips. "What was that exactly? D'ye mean when ye lied tae me fer a whole year, pretendin' tae be someone else, tae fool me intae trustin' ye? Ye made a fool of me, nae the other way around," she accused.

"I killed me own faither tae save yer life," he reminded her through gritted teeth, watching her face. Despite his rage, he could not help thinking she looked more beautiful than ever, with her cheeks red and her eyes flashing fire. As if against his will, his eyes fell to her lips. Her mouth was half open as she panted with rage, her lips plump, pink, and inviting despite the cruel words falling from them. He could not tear his eyes away.

"Ach, aye, and I suppose I'll never be allowed tae forget that, will I? I'll have tae be grateful fer that fer the rest of me life, I suppose. Well, Laird Lennox, let me tell ye somethin'. I wish I had died that day. I wish yer faither had killed me, so I wouldnae be here now, married tae ye!" she screamed.

Even as the words left her lips, she wished she could take them back. They were the cruelest words she had ever spoken, and she faltered for a second, groping for a way back. But as she stood there dumbly, her mouth hanging open, Odhrán moved swiftly and took control. He grabbed her around the waist with one arm, while his free hand buried itself in her hair and cradled the back of her head, pulling her towards him.

Suddenly, Maddison found herself being crushed against the length of his body, her feet leaving the floor, and her head being forced backwards until she met his gaze. They stared intently into each other's eyes for a few moments. Time seemed to stop for Maddison, who held her breath, feeling like a stunned bird pinned in place by the stare of some deadly predator. Those moments felt like the longest of her entire life.

As she looked into Odhrán's dark, stormy gray eyes, her heart raced to see the naked hunger written there. Something ignited inside her then, something she could not deny. She was seized by a strange compelling force she had never felt before, and when his mouth came down and his lips crushed hers, she found herself meeting them with a fiery passion drawn from somewhere deep inside her.

In the heat of the moment, she let herself go, reveling in his warmth as Odhrán held her fast against his body, his lips devouring hers hungrily. Compelled by the burning flame he was stoking inside her, she reached up and pressed herself against his chest, putting her arms around his broad shoulders and twining her fingers in his hair, drawing him closer.

Her body sang as their tongues clashed and tangled together in an erotic dance, and Odhrán's free hand raked over her curves, squeezing her waist, her hips, and her behind, leaving her feeling hot and dizzy and craving his touch. The kiss deepened, and they eagerly explored each other's mouths and lips. Fueled by the flame Odhrán had lit inside her, Maddison knew nothing but her desire for the kiss never to end.

But then she heard a noise out in the hallway, and she realized from the way he sprang away from her that Odhrán had heard it too. Maddison felt completely dazed, her body was vibrating, her skin hot. They stood staring at each other, in a state of shock, both panting. She noticed how flushed Odhrán appeared and wondered at her wanton behavior with the enemy. Damn him fer bein' so handsome!

Another noise from the hallway brought Maddison back to her senses with a cold rush of reality. Without thinking, she lashed out and slapped Odhrán's cheek hard.

"Never, ever, touch me like that again!"

"I'm sorry. I dinnae ken what happened then. It'll nae happen again," Odhrán promised in a low voice, rubbing the spot on his cheek where Maddison had just slapped him.

"It had better nae!" she told him sternly, her cheeks still bright pink, along with her lips, which he could not quite believe he had just been kissing. He was deeply confused, not to say aroused by what had just happened. In truth, the kiss had been the most amazing thing he had ever experienced in his life. He was rocked to his very core by the desire he felt for her. But even more amazing and puzzling to him was the unmistakable passion with which Maddison had returned the kiss. How can she kiss me back like that when she says she hates me and that she's gonnae make me life a misery?

On the other hand, he was not so stupid as to point out that small inconsistency to her just then. Instead, he felt an urgent need to get away and take some time to think about what the kiss might mean.

"I'll take me leave of ye then," he told her and hurriedly left the room, deciding to head for the guardroom to find Liam. After what had happened, he realized he needed good counsel. He needed to talk to his closest friend about the situation he found himself in with Maddison. He could have done with Tadgh's viewpoint too, but he was scouting the countryside for intelligence of their unknown attackers, so Liam would have to do.

Ten minutes later, the two friends were alone in the guardroom, which served as Liam's makeshift office. Odhrán sat on the edge of the desk, his arms folded, while Liam occupied the only good chair. He poured them both a dram and handed one to Odhrán.

"Slainté mhath," they chorused, wishing each other good health as they clinked glasses and downed the whisky in one swallow. "Now, man, what brings ye here? Dinnae tell me… I'm guessin' it has somethin' tae dae with yer wife." He raised his dark eyebrows.

"Aye, I'm sorry about earlier," Odhrán said with a sigh. "She was only comin' after ye like that tae show me up."

"Aye, I could tell," Liam said with a small laugh. "I was awful glad when ye came tae me rescue!"

"Well, now ye ken what she's like, and ye havenae seen the worst of it," Odhrán told him bleakly. "She'll nae speak tae me unless she has to, and she blows hot and cold all the time. She tells me every day how much she hates me and likes making me miserable. Well, she's certainly succeedin'. We were wed five days ago, and we've nae consummated it yet. I've slept on the floor since our weddin' night. She'll nae let me anywhere near her."

"Good Lord, Odhrán! That's terrible!" Liam sympathized, rubbing his stubbly chin as if seeking and answer. "Nae wonder ye're a wee bit tetchy."

"And I'll nae stoop so low as tae force her," Odhrán added, "even though she's slowly drivin' me mad." The reality of the kiss had not yet fully sunk in, and so he hesitated to mention it. It was too confusing and seemed likely only to add to the complications. "I've thought about persuadin' her though. A lot," he admitted, "fer 'tis true I can hardly keep me hands off her. But I ken it would just make her hate me more. She'd truly never forgive me then, and I couldnae live with it. It's got tae the point now where I think I've made a big mistake. I just dinnae ken what tae dae tae make things tolerable between us, Liam."

"I think ye've done the right thing in nae forcin' yersel' on her. Think of her like a nervous filly. Ye have tae get her tae trust ye over a period of time. It may take a while, but if ye can be patient, ye'll be in the saddle before ye ken it."

"So, how dae I dae that then? If she was a filly I'd give her an extra bag of oats and a good rub down with a pint of whisky," Odhrán said with grim amusement. "I dinnae think Maddison will go fer that."

"In me view, yer only chance of succeedin' is nae tae force her tae dae anythin' she disnae want tae dae. Stop tryin' tae get her tae speak tae ye and give her plenty of time tae find her feet and sort out her feelins."

"And what am I supposed tae dae in the meantime?" Odhrán asked, turning the advice over in his mind.

"In the meantime, old son, ye have tae act like the best man she can imagine, be considerate and caring, give her flowers and gifts and suchlike. And ye must be there tae support her when she needs ye tae be, whether she kens it or nae."

"Are ye serious, man? I've just about lost me patience with her."

"But she's only been her for what? A seven-day? 'Tis nae long, specially nae after what yer faither put her through. And now she's yer wife. Dinnae throw it all away just because there are a few problems startin' out. Better tae try yer hardest tae make things work between ye."

"All right. That sound's fair. Will ye help me out?"

"Aye, of course. I suggest we make a plan of what sort of things ye could try tae win her heart," Liam told him, snatching up a quill and a piece of paper from the desk and preparing to write. "Now, let's put our thinkin' caps on."

"Does this mean I'm gonnae have tae keep sleepin' on the floor fer a while longer?" Odhrán asked a bit forlornly, leaning over Liam's shoulder to look at the paper before him.

"I'm afraid so, but in time, man, in time she'll be draggin' ye intae that bed with her, ye'll see I'm right. All ye need tae dae is dae what I say."

"I hope ye're right. But ye dinnae ken how stubborn that vixen can be," Odhrán said, harboring grave doubts that anything would work, whilst at the same time praying his friend was right.

He sighed and then got up. "Let us go to the council room now, the men must have all arrived," he added, trying to focus on the more urgent matter at that moment.