Chapter Ten

Alaric had to turn away from Eli before his erect member gave him away. Hell, but did she have to look at him that way—that way that ended with her licking her lower lip slowly while she stared at his chest?

If that look didn't rouse his need, nothing would. Her green eyes had the longest lashes he'd ever seen on anyone. Hell, he'd never noticed anyone's eyelashes before. Her skin carried a light bronze from the sun with a smattering of freckles across her pert nose. Her hair looked brown some days and blonde on others, as if someone gave her hair two different colors and mixed all the strands. It was neatly plaited before the storm, but many strands had escaped since then and framed her face with a slight curl. None of that enticed him like the rest of her. The pink lips were just the right size of plumpness, and the curves she carried were unmatched.

She was nearly perfect in his eyes.

He looked off into the distance, not surprised that he couldn't see far at all. But someone had to make a decision. It might as well be him.

"All right. I say we return to the cave for this eve. We cannae ride in the mist for hours—we might never find our path again. In the cave, we can get a good night's sleep, even if it rains again, and wake up refreshed and able to find our way back on the morrow. As it is, I think we've circled about for more than two hours. Mayhap the mist will be gone in the morn."

Eli didn't say anything, just stared up at the sky. In fact, he thought her eyes were growing wet.

"Dinnae cry, Eli. I'll protect ye."

"Cry? I never cry. What made ye ask me such a ridiculous question? What the hell have ye been thinking? I agree with yer suggestion. I dinnae like to sleep on sodden ground. I have to be dry, which also means no raindrops falling from treetops. I'll never sleep on the ground, wet as it is after that storm. Lead the way."

"Me?" Hell, but he didn't know if he could do it. He mounted his horse and swung its head to point—he hoped—back the way they'd come.

"Aye. Ye know the way, do ye no'?"

Nay, he surely did not, but he wasn't about to admit that to her. "Of course. That way." He turned his horse but he heard a shout behind him.

"Nay, that way. God's bollocks, do ye no' know anything?"

He covered his ears. "Will ye please stop with the blasphemous cursing? Just say hell or hellfire or bollocks even, and leave God out of it."

She sighed. "I'll try my best. Hellfire," she drawled. "Do ye no' know anything? We have to go that way." She pointed in a different direction.

"Do we? Are ye sure?" He was more confused than ever, but when the fog was so thick that the sun was hidden, it was difficult to judge directions. His cousin Alasdair knew where he was without ever checking the sun. How Alaric wished he were with them now.

Alaric could hardly find the sun.

"All right. We'll go that way."

They had to adjust their directions on three different occasions, but they finally found their way back to the cave. "Yer horse is a better guide than ye are, Grant."

Alaric barked out a chuckle. "I cannae argue with that, but ye arenae much better, Ramsay." He winked at her.

"Dinnae wink at me." Her lips made a straight line that was surely the biggest pout he'd ever seen.

He did his best no' to laugh at her, though it would be better if he laughed than if he told her exactly what was going through his mind. She was cute when she looked annoyed. He was going daft, for sure. That was it.

"All right. I'll never wink again. I beg yer pardon, lass. But only if ye quit the blasphemy."

She narrowed her gaze at him but said nothing.

After settling their horses, they found their way into the cave, Alaric making sure to follow Eli so he could look at her sweet arse. He would die before ever admitting such a scheme to her, of course.

She was a prickly sort, but he liked that she kept him alert, so to speak. He'd never dare to fall asleep around her because she'd do something like his brother and cousins used to do.

Comb his hair in a different way.

Paint his face with ashes.

Put a foolish hat on his head.

Once they carried him outside, and he never awakened until they yelled at him with swords aimed at his belly.

Once they put his hand in a bowl of water because someone told Els he would wet his bed if they did it.

Fortunately, he proved his brother wrong.

He let out a deep sigh, hoping he'd have the opportunity to argue with his brother again. He enjoyed their banter, just like he enjoyed bantering with Eli. It was a challenge, and it kept his mind off other topics.

Like his brother and his father. Like how much he'd failed them both.

"Stop whining."

"I'm no' whining." His hands went to his hips. How could she call what he was doing whining? He hadn't made a sound.

"Aye, ye did. Ye were sighing. Nearly the same as whining."

And suddenly, Alaric was tired of arguing. "I'll do my best. Look, I'm tired and I'm sure ye are the same. I have some dried meat I can share and a hunk of cheese. Then I'm going to try to get some sleep."

Eli said, "I'll go along with that plan. I'm verra tired too. I have a wee bit of dried meat left too. My apologies for being so abrupt. I'm worried. I just hope we can find our way back on the morrow." She plunked down on the boulder and took the proffered hunk of cheese, biting into it slowly.

"We will. Once the mist is gone, we'll be able to see the landmarks to guide us. If ye cannae see in front of ye, finding a path will never be easy. 'Tis annoying that the weather has made it so difficult. But at least we havenae fallen because of an avalanche. We've no' been attacked like poor Thea. Not been kidnapped like Reyna. Not locked in a cellar like Isla and Grif. And at least this cave is big enough for both of us. There's a wee bend to block the wind. I think we should sleep back behind it."

Eli smiled. "I am shocked when I consider all that has happened to our friends and clanmates on patrol. I'm glad I missed much of it. Are ye worried about the English finding us?"

"Nay," he replied. "The issue with Thea was vengeance for stealing their quarry and later, wounding one of them."

"The one Englishman was apparently offended that a lass struck him with an arrow. I'd like to be the one to hit him, if that were the case."

Alaric laughed. "Aye. This patrol will be more interesting, if the English really are coming out in force. Dyna thinks there will be a true battle. Have ye been in battle yet?"

"Nay. I must admit it makes me a wee bit anxious thinking on it. I am no' sure how well I can handle looking at dead bodies. Have ye been in a big battle?"

"Nay, no' yet." He chewed on his dried meat, finishing up the last piece. "We have to find our way out on the morrow. We'll run out of food soon."

"We can both hunt. We'll no' starve, Alaric."

"I know. But I hope to catch the group. This isnae what I thought I'd be doing on patrol."

They finished their meager meal and readied for the night. Alaric knew the night would be cold but how exactly did one suggest sleeping together for warmth to someone like her?

"Ye can sleep close to me if ye'd like my heat, lass. I promise to be honorable."

"If we do, we'll end up like Brin and Ceit. 'Tis what they did in the cold, or so I heard."

"Wagging tongues like to tell stories. Ye have my word as a Grant warrior that I'll be honorable."

"I'll be fine, Alaric. My thanks for offering. I'll sleep deeper into the cave. I dinnae want some odd creature coming up to me in the middle of the night."

"Fine. I'll gladly sleep closer to the mouth. I hate spiders, so I dinnae wish to sleep in the back of the cave."

"Afraid of spiders? Truly? Why?"

"Probably because my brother and cousins used to hold me down and tease me with them. Now I hate all spiders."

"Now that was just cruel," Eli said. "Ye may have the front of the cave." She rubbed her cheek, a nervous habit if he were to guess.

Alaric settled once he knew she'd found her spot, then crossed his arms, his head on his spare plaid, which had finally dried from the rain. They weren't that far apart, close enough for him to keep watch over her. His grandfather's teachings told him that he was responsible for the lass whether she liked it or not.

He closed his eyes once he knew she'd settled, then cleared his head so he could sleep. The only thought in his mind was a lass with long brown hair, green eyes, and an unusual vocabulary of curse words.

Someday he'd like to kiss the curses off her tongue.