Epilogue

EPILOGUE

T wo weeks later…

"What if they dinnae like me?"

"They'll love ye."

"Ye dinnae ken that," Elara insisted, shifting in the saddle behind Kaden. "They might hate me."

"I ken me sisters," Kaden said with a laugh, steering the horse down onto a path alongside a castle.

To Elara, it was one of the largest castles she had ever seen. It was staggeringly tall, the grey stone high overhead. The sight of it just made her more nervous than ever.

"I ken them, Fire," Kaden said again. "They will love ye, as I love ye. Well, nae exactly as I love ye. Nay one else will ever get near tae loving ye like that as I am." His voice was seductive as he reached behind him and laid a hand on her thigh.

She giggled at that touch, trailing her hand down his back.

Just the night before, when she had arrived in his clan, ready for this trip to meet his sisters, she had found him creeping into her chamber. They had made love, not even making it to the bed, but taking one another there on the rug. It had been fast, full of need, as they hadn't seen each other for two weeks. The excitement and intensity had been overwhelming, leading Elara to not only find her release once, but twice.

"We're nearly there," Kaden said, nodding his head at the path which curved alongside a loch, reaching out to the castle ahead. "Ye ready?"

"Nay," Elara muttered.

"I ken ye, Fire. Ye're afraid of naething."

"I'm afraid of them. They might think I'm nae good enough fer ye."

"They willnae." Kaden shook his head. "Trust me."

Elara still busied herself chewing her lip in nerves as they now rode up the path and under the portcullis.

The MacThomas castle was an overbearing sight with guards staring at her from all angles. Elara gripped tighter to Kaden, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist as they entered the stable yard of the castle.

Elara jumped down first, taking many minutes adjusting her gown and fussing with her hair. She had worn it up today, trying to be as formal as possible, but she kept tugging at the tendrils self-consciously.

Kaden turned to face her, trailing his fingers through the one loose curl she had left down.

"Ye look beautiful," he whispered gently.

She smiled, wondering for a brief moment why they had left the safety of the bedchamber at all that morning.

"He's here!" a sudden screech went up.

Elara jumped back, looking around at the sound.

"Aye, aye, scream it down for the whole castle tae hear ye, why dinnae ye," another woman's voice sounded.

"Forgive me me excitement. It's been so long since we've seen him. Oh, and he's nae alone!"

Elara reached for Kaden's hand, rather glad when he happily gave it to her and led her forward across the open courtyard.

Two women had stepped down from the castle keep. One was clearly reserved in manner. With her long dark hair, which she pushed back over her shoulder, she eyed Elara carefully. At her side, the smaller of the two sisters was the more eager, hurrying down the steps, her long grey hair after her.

"Kaden," she said with joy, moving toward him for an embrace. He held her tight, releasing Elara's hand long enough to give that embrace.

"How are ye, Líadan?" he asked gently.

"All the better for seeing ye, though aye, I am happy."

"And ye, étaín?" he asked, reaching toward the other sister.

"I am well," étaín said with more reserve than her sister had done, "but ye have me curious. Who is this?" She nodded straight at Elara.

"Ye didnae tell them I was coming?" Elara asked, rounding on him with her hands on her hips.

"Nay." He laughed, shaking his head. "I thought it may be a nice surprise."

"Nice fer who?" she snapped at him.

"Well, me."

"Kaden!" She tapped him around the arm in reprimand, making him laugh again.

"Calm yerself, Fire."

"Fire, funny name," Líadan said, wrinkling her nose.

"It's nae me name," Elara tried to explain. "I'm… well, I'm his…"

"Betrothed," Kaden finished for her when her mouth had turned dry.

"And ye didnae tell us?" étaín was now the one with fury in her eyes. Just as Elara had done, she hit him around the arm.

"Ow, why am I getting hurt fer revealing such good news?"

"Do this properly, Kaden, for god's sake. Introduce us tae our new sister," Líadan waved at Elara, smiling broadly.

"I'm Elara," she decided to take the matter into her own hands, comforted when she saw Liadin smiling at her warmly. "I'm Laird Lamont's sister."

"Lamont…" étaín paused. "Yer parents…"

"Aye." Kaden took on a more serious tone, wrapping his arm around Elara. It was a comforting touch, but also a little possessive, one that Elara loved. "Elara lost her parents in the fire, as we lost ours."

Líadan covered her mouth in shock and understanding as étaín stepped forward.

"We havenae met," étaín said quietly. "But I have always felt strongly fer ye and yer sister's situation, as it was so like our own. I am sorry fer what ye went through."

"As I am sorry fer ye too," Elara softened her tone. "We have reassuring news on that topic though. We have justice fer our parents."

"Justice? How? How is this possible?" étaín asked, looking between the two of them.

"I will explain all, but perhaps ye can let us inside tae rest? It has been quite a journey." Kaden gestured to the road behind them.

"Aye, aye, come in," étaín beckoned them forward.

Elara walked forward woodenly at first, that is, until Líadan took her arm and drew her forward.

"If ye are going tae marry me braither, then we really will be sisters. Ye'll have tae tell us all his secrets. Aye, the man loves us, but he keeps his cards close tae his chest."

Elara smiled, for she had no intention of sharing Kaden's secrets. Mostly because she felt his best secret was the one they shared just between the two of them.

That fire across his abdomen. It's his and his alone.

They were soon settled in a comfortable chamber, sharing wine and toasting the wedding that was soon to come. It took time though for Kaden and Elara to explain everything that had happened. There was much to say, and it took the sisters time to understand Annabella's and Dylan's motivations.

"Laird Campbell I can understand," étaín nodded in thought with these words. "I've heard Bhaltair talk of how greedy that man is for power. It was all for power, all for the need of more money and land, but Annabella? How could she be seduced by such an idea?"

"That's exactly what happened," Kaden said, moving to sit beside Elara, so that they were leaning upon one another. "She was seduced by Dylan. Desperate for some attention, I think she loved him too easily. It didnae help she was a greedy woman herself, arrogant, believing in her high position." He shook his head. "It's one of the reasons I didnae want tae marry her all those years ago. She looked down on everyone beneath her."

Elara couldn't help smiling as she looked at Kaden beside her. So often as of late had she wondered just how close Kaden and Annabella had become during their betrothal, but Kaden had put to bed any concerns she might have had on the subject. The two of them had never even kissed, let alone explored the pleasures that she had shared with Kaden. Hearing every way in which he had actually disliked Annabella also made Elara's jealousy a thing of the past.

The last time they had made love, he had spoken so much about how they just belonged to one another now, she knew her heart was safe in loving him.

"And now she's gone?" Líadan said in disbelief. "She and Dylan, they're gone. So… justice is served?"

"Aye," Kaden spoke with a softness to his voice that Elara had rarely heard. Just in the way he looked at his sisters, she could see at once how much he loved them. Just as Cassian was devoted to her and Lydia's happiness, so was Kaden with his sisters. "Our parents are avenged. It cannae dae enough, it cannae bring them back, but now, maybe they can rest in peace."

Líadan blinked hard to stop any tears from falling as étaín stared into the distance across the room, taking a rather hefty gulp of her wine.

"And ye thought our braither was responsible fer the deaths?" Líadan said eventually, turning to Elara.

"I did. It's a good job I did too, or we would nae have met and discovered what really happened tae lead tae that fire."

Líadan stood. She wiped away tears from her eyes and moved so swiftly toward Elara that she actually sank back in her seat in alarm.

"What – oh!" Elara gasped in surprised as Líadan pulled her up sharply from the seat and embraced her tightly. For a second, she was in such shock that she didn't hold Líadan back, she just looked over Líadan's shoulder at Kaden, who was equally surprised. Slowly, Elara brought up her arms and held Líadan too.

"Thank ye," Líadan whispered in her ear. "If ye had nae come tae find yer own justice, we wouldnae have ours."

"Aye, thank ye," étaín said, smiling and standing to her feet too. She moved toward them and embraced Elara too. "Welcome tae our family," étaín's next words were met with a beaming smile. "Our parents would have said just the same, welcoming ye here. I hope we will be there fer the wedding," she said with a giggle, turning to Kaden. "Kaden, when is the wedding?"

"Two months."

"Two months?" Elara turned to him in shock. "I thought we said a month?"

"Try telling that tae yer braither. He may have given us his blessing, but it may have something tae dae with the fact he's still nae happy tae let go of his little sister that easily."

"We all ken that feeling," Líadan said, casting her gaze to the heavens. "Aye, aye, let us find Bhaltair and Rae. We need tae celebrate this properly. A feast?"

"Aye, aye, a feast," étaín agreed heartily, laughing and wiping her eyes, showing that there had been tears in her eyes after all, though she had fought them all the way and refused to let them fall. "Come, I'll help ye find them. Bhaltair will be upset if he misses ye, Kaden. Ye two havenae seen enough of each other as of late."

Kaden laughed and held up his hand in silent apology as étaín and Líadan left the room, going to hunt their husbands.

As they left, Elara turned to face him, her hands on her hips.

"I cannae believe ye didnae tell them ye were bringing me."

"It was best tae dae this in person, wasnae it?" he said innocently, though she was not fooled by the mischief in his eyes. "There was a lot tae explain. This way, they met ye too. If I had just written and told them that, by the way, a lass seduced me, tried tae drug me, then broke intae me castle, and I'm marrying her… they may have been a little outraged by letter."

"Kaden!" she cried in outraged as he laughed. "That is nae exactly what happened, is it?"

"It's very like what happened," he insisted as she moved toward him, only he stood, towering over her as he mirrored her stance with his hands on his hips.

"Are ye going tae hold the way that we met against me forever?" she asked, poking him in the chest. He caught that finger and flattened her hand to his chest, turning what had been an irritated touch into one of intimacy.

"Maybe just a little while longer. Besides, I'm still eager for us tae make up tae one another what we missed that first night together." He winked at her.

"Are the nights we've spent together nae enough yet?" she teased him, raising both hands across his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. He was already smiling and leaning down toward her again.

"Every night is perfect, but I willnae stop wanting ye, Fire."

Smiling at his pet name for her, she pulled him down into a kiss. The brush of his lips against her own made butterfly wings dance in her stomach. She was desperate for more as he deepened the kiss, and longed that they were far away, somewhere private, so they didn't have to stop kissing in that way.

She was somehow aware of a door opening, the creak of the wood, though she didn't give it too much attention, not until a deep laugh rang out.

"Well, I would have put money on that," a male voice said.

"Ye two arenae married yet!" étain said boldly.

Elara released Kaden and jumped back, turning to see étaín stood in the doorway with who she presumed was étaín's husband, Bhaltair.

"Nice tae meet ye," Bhaltair said with a chuckle as he strode forward to clap his friend on the shoulder. "It's been too long, Kaden."

"Aye, aye, too long. This is Elara, by the way. Me betrothed."

"So, I saw," Bhaltair laughed and extended his hand to her. "I bet the wedding willnae be too long then."

Smiling, Elara looked up at Kaden. If she had her way, they wouldn't have to wait long for the wedding at all.

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