Chapter Eighteen

A group of six—Eli, Maitland, Wenna, Tevis, Thea, and Willum—rode out from Ramsay land that day, stopping at the cave Eli and Alaric had found as a good meeting place.

"I hope Dyna and Alaric will meet us here," Maitland said.

"I hope so," Eli said. "I'm glad to have ye, Thea and Willum, but we need as many as we can get."

Maitland had stopped at Menzie land and taken a shoulder of smoked boar from the stores to provision them that eve and beyond, and they sat on a log, sharing the flavorful meat, dried fruit, and a loaf of bread, fresh from the oven that morning.

The sound of horses approaching pushed them all to their feet and grabbing for their various weaponry, only to find it was Alaric and Dyna.

The strangest feelings coursed through Eli when she saw Alaric. First it was a wee twinge of happiness in her chest, then a clenching in her belly that she equated to being battle ready. Either could be from Dyna's arrival, she supposed, but the awakening of her nether parts she could only attribute to Alaric Grant.

He dismounted and strode toward them, his swagger going right to the female parts he'd awakened not long ago. His long blond hair had been blown by the wind, but he still looked handsome as hell.

She'd never tell him so. She had sudden visuals of some of the things they'd done together, and it put a smile on her face. Another thing she'd never admit to anyone, especially him—she'd imagined what their bairns might look like. The thought had first arisen when she'd realized that he might have gotten her with child. But even when her courses had come, the idea had refused to pass.

Since they both had green eyes, she was pretty sure their bairn would be green-eyed, but would it be a lad or a lassie? Brown hair or blond like Alaric's? Perhaps a lovely blend.

Alaric just nodded toward her as a greeting, the same as he gave the others. "Hope ye are all well and willing to share yer dinner."

He helped himself to a piece of meat then took a seat on the log opposite Eli. She'd hoped he'd sit next to her, but then she realized it was probably better to keep their distance if she wanted to keep their secret. After all, this was going to be battle time, not the time to be negotiating their handfasting nor creeping away for private time. If he had sat next to her, everyone around them would be thinking of that possibility again.

She was sure that was the only reason he hadn't taken the empty spot next to her.

Dammit to hell, but here she was thinking like a swooning fool.

Dyna saved her from saying anything embarrassing. "Tell me what ye heard, Maitland, and what the plan is."

"Sir James sent word that he'd like assistance. There is a force of English soldiers trying to raid cattle in the Borderlands and a small group of Gascon soldiers searching the fertile farmland along the River Teviot. He mentioned three different areas he'd like patrolled—Coldstream, the lands of Quarrell, and Skaithmuir down to Ettrick Forest. He thinks the soldiers have spread out, so he's asking our assistance in covering more territory. Once we are in the area, we will split up in pairs, one archer and one swordsman."

"Then we move on at first light," Dyna said. "We'll find the bloody bastards."

They finished their meal, and everyone scattered, leaving Eli and Alaric alone at the fire.

"How is yer family? Yer brother any better? And how is yer sire faring, Alaric?" She surely did feel badly for all the suffering his family was dealing with at present.

"My father is healing. He still cannae walk, but Aunt Jennie came and straightened his bone the best she could. She thinks he'll be able to walk again in a moon or two, if he follows her orders. My brother has awakened, I'm glad to say."

"Did he talk with ye about the fall? Did it make ye feel better about no' causing the incident?"

He threw the core of the apple he'd been eating into the fire, then gave her a look of regret. "Nay. Els cannae talk yet. He just looked at me and smiled. He can move, but is too weak to walk yet. And when I tried to apologize, he got angry."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Hell but looking at Alaric made her want him. He was so good looking, and right now he looked vulnerable, as if he needed an embrace.

"Look, I know we have an odd situation and when this is over, we should talk again, but ye dinnae wish to get involved with me. So dinnae fear I will say anything while we are on patrol."

She gave him a puzzled look. "What the hell are ye talking about?"

"Ye know. Look. I'm going to set ye free. Forget the handfasting. Ye are better without me."

"So I dinnae get a say in this? Ye decided for me?"

"Ye said ye didnae mean it and didnae want to handfast in the first place. I coerced ye because of my grandsire."

She could see the slight tic in his jaw, telling her he was upset about more than what was happening at the moment. What had happened on Grant land?

"Nay, ye dinnae coerce me."

"I did. Seems like it's my decision to release ye and not hold ye to a promise ye didnae make willingly."

That pissed her off, so she stood up and stepped closer, her voice going into a low whisper. "Nay, ye dinnae make any decisions for me. I make my own."

"Fine. But we are done," he said, gritting his teeth, the line of his jaw still ticking. "Ye should stay far away. I do nothing but hurt people."

Maitland interrupted their conversation. "Trouble between ye two?"

"Nay," Eli replied. "We're fine."

"No trouble," Alaric confirmed.

"Good, because if we split up, ye two are together. But I think ye know that. Alaric, I didn't get the chance to hear how Els is faring. What news do ye have?"

Alaric stepped away to speak with Maitland. Eli headed into the woods to take care of her needs. She didn't know what the hell had gotten into Alaric, but it seemed their short relationship was over.

Fine with her. She had absolutely no feelings for him at all. Except anger that he'd made the decision on his own.

She returned to the fire and sat down on a log with a huff, trimming her nails with a small knife. Thea came and sat down next to her.

"Men can be fools sometimes."

"God's teeth, but ye speak the truth." Alaric couldn't hear her blasphemy, so she used it freely. Perhaps she'd start to use it more often.

"And I care no' what he says, he does like ye. I can see it in his eyes. He didnae look happy just now though. Anything I can help with?" Thea put her hand on Eli's and gave it a squeeze, a much friendlier gesture than her own sister had offered.

"Unless ye can make men stop being arseholes, then nay, probably no'." She sighed and put her blade away. "Ye and Willum got together quickly. Did that bother ye, Thea?"

Thea shook her head emphatically. "But we were involved in those attacks. He was always there to help me, and it developed from there. If no' for the patrols, we'd probably not be together."

"The same for Ysenda and Lewis. She said it was all because of the avalanche. So strange." Eli had to admit that the two were perfect for each other. She'd thought it a sure mismatch until she got to know Lewis better. And she'd never seen her sister happier.

"And Brin and Ceit. And Isla and Grif being locked up together. And Wulf kidnapping Reyna. Dinnae despair. If ye two are destined to be together, the patrol will take care of it for ye. It has an odd way of doing that."

There it was—that word destiny again.

Bloody hell.