Chapter 10

10

E rik raced back to where the brigands who had attacked Accalia, the boys, and their guard escort were. He listened for any sign of horses moving around in the woods, men’s voices, growling wolves, steel striking steel, and arrows whizzing through the trees. Birds tweeted a warning of Erik’s presence in the woods, and a breeze stirred the branches of the pines. He smelled the air for the scents of his men and those of their attackers, all gray wolves, though he thought they were in human form and knew they had gone in this direction.

His heart was pounding furiously. His wolf senses were enhanced and sharpened. The scent of blood and sweat permeated the air as Erik came across the body of a man lying prone in the bracken wearing three arrows—all were his brother Finlay’s. Erik was grateful the body belonged to one of the villains.

But then he heard swords clashing through the trees. He saw the glint of sunlight off a sword being swung at Finlay. Erik ran in his direction, plowing through bracken and low-hanging branches intent on helping his brother. When he got closer, he witnessed the terror in Finlay's eyes, and the alarm in the grizzled face attacker’s gaze when he saw Erik lunge for him.

Adrenaline and a healthy dose of fear emanated from his brother and his brother’s attacker before Erik reached the brigand. His muscles tensed as he readied himself to pounce. Finlay stabbed at the distracted brigand’s shoulder, drawing his attention back to his brother.

Erik leaped and slammed into the man, biting his sword arm before he could cut him. Bones crunched and the taste of copper filled Erik's mouth as he tasted the blood of his enemy, the taste of victory and justice.

Before he could grab the man’s throat and end his life, his brother pierced the villain’s heart with his sword. Pack members began howling or shouting. Logan howled, telling them to return to the castle.

Finlay wiped off his sword and sheathed it. “I could have handled him on my own.”

Erik nodded but wouldn’t have taken the chance that the villain wouldn’t have gotten the upper hand with his brother. Erik howled to let Logan know where he was and to gather there.

Men on horseback began riding into the area, then wolves loped through the woods and joined them, until everyone was gathered, including Logan. “All of our men are accounted for. Two of their men got away, but it doesna hurt for them to return to Freigard and tell him how many men he lost over the confrontation. We’ll give them a proper burial in the bog,” Logan said.

Erik would have rather they all had been killed and Freigard could wonder what had happened to them. But Erik hadn’t wanted his men to chase after them and possibly be ambushed. He helped them drag the nine dead men to the bog half a mile away. Once they had finished the task, he headed home with the others.

When they reached the inner bailey, he saw Accalia and his boys holding bows, looking tuckered out, the targets filled with arrows. They were watching for them, and as soon as they saw him and the others return, they joined more of his people who hurried out to greet them after battling the brigands.

To his surprise, Johnne and Hendrie quickly threw their arms around his furry neck. Thorfinn looked unsure whether he should or not. Accalia motioned to him to hug his da. Once he had, she smiled at Erik, tears in her eyes, and he nuzzled her leg with his nose.

She reached down and petted him and then hugged him.

He howled, and she laughed, and he realized just how much he loved hearing her laughter.

Beathag ran out and looked like she wanted to hug him, which would be too bizarre to consider. Before she could, Erik raced off to dress in his chamber. Once he was done, he found his sons and Accalia drinking ale and he joined them.

“I was glad to see everyone returned unharmed. What about those whom you fought?” she asked.

“Dead, though two escaped. They will ride back to Freigard and tell him about their defeat.” Erik said to the boys, “You have done well.” He was proud of them for practicing archery, and he knew it was all because of Accalia. Though Rob and Fenton were there teaching them the fundamentals.

“The lass shot several areas into the center of the target,” Rob said.

“Aye,” Fenton said. “I would have her at my back any day.”

She smiled at them. “Your teaching skills are excellent.”

Erik hadn’t had the patience to teach the boys before. Maybe he could work with them now when he had time. But he was glad that Accalia could use a bow so well.

“What do you intend to do now?” he asked Accalia because she always had a plan of action.

She glanced at the boys. “You can play.”

“Aye!” Thorfinn said, shouting at Johnne. “You’re it.”

And off the three boys ran, playing tag.

“Thank you for taking the time to work with the boys on their archery skills. It seems they are no’ anxious about what happened earlier.”

“They were concerned about your return,” Accalia said, “but for the most part, we kept them busy so they wouldn’t worry too much.”

He took her hand and kissed it, his gaze meeting hers. And then he placed his hands on the sides of her face and kissed her before he changed his mind. She kissed him back, showing she was glad he had returned to the keep safely.

Rob and Fenton had made themselves scarce.

“I need to work on the wall before we break to eat the meal.” He wanted to ensure she was well-occupied and not feeling isolated. He never thought he would worry about such a thing with a woman he was interested in courting.

“I planned to help the women making my dresses with the task.”

Which made him feel guilty he hadn’t allowed her to pack some of her things to bring with them from her home. Then they heard riders approaching the outer gates and he and Accalia watched to see who was coming.

His men quickly assembled to observe the situation in case there was trouble.

Erik was shocked to see Ragnoff arrive with two of his cousins, Gorm and Ivar. They had been three of their brother Leifson’s staunchest supporters, despite Erik saving Ragnoff from drowning when their boat sank off the coast back home. Why would they come here?

Ragnoff rode up to Erik and dismounted, his cousins doing the same.

“What brings you here?” Erik asked. He knew Leifson didn’t want him and his brothers to return home. Maybe he had died.

Ragnoff looked gruff as he always did. “You need to return home. Leifson isna of sane mind.”

“I am home. None of us have any intention of returning there.” Erik knew his brother was ruthless, but so did Ragnoff and his cousins yet they supported him against Erik and his remaining brothers.

Ragnoff glanced at Accalia. She stiffened under his hard gaze. He glanced around at the castle. “This is now yours?”

“Aye.” The castle was unless he was referring to Accalia.

“She’s your woman?” Ragnoff asked.

Before Erik could respond, Accalia folded her arms and said, “He’s mine.”

Erik smiled a little at her, amused that she would lay claim to him instead of the other way around when he didn’t think she meant it but only said so for Ragnoff’s sake.

“You may eat with us and then return home,” Erik told Ragnoff. He wasn’t giving them a place to rest. He didn’t trust them. As far as he was concerned, they were still loyal to Leifson. He had men take care of their horses and then waved to Ragnoff and his burly black-haired cousins. “Come. We can talk while working on the wall.” He didn’t mean for them to have to work on it. Not when he was sending them away with nothing to gain.

He glanced at Accalia. She smiled at him, inclined her head, and returned to the keep.

He met Finlay and Logan at the wall that required immediate repairs after a gale had torn down a section of the stone structure. They had to get it done before they had real trouble with someone like Freigard and his men as much as they were causing problems on his land.

“Hey, brother,” Logan said to Erik, helping Finlay place another rock in the mortar.

But they both eyed Ragnoff and his cousins who joined them.

“They want us to return home.” Erik carried a rock over.

“Why?” Logan asked, continuing to work on the wall, not looking in their direction as if they weren’t even there.

“Leifson has killed five of our men for no good reason. He said they were looking hungrily at his wife. The Gods know he had a hard time getting another one. So he fears any man looking at her will take her away from him,” Ragnoff said, watching them rebuild the wall.

“We knew what Leifson was like and you still backed him,” Erik said.

“He wasna as bad before you left,” Ragnoff said. “He willna admit it, but you and your brothers had the best battle strategies. We have lost several battles with neighboring clans. He fears losing his position.”

His life, more likely. “You see what we have here. He gave us no choice but to fight him or leave. This is where our home is now. Naught would make us return.”

“Knowing Leifson, he has stirred up the wrong beehive,” Logan said, slapping on some mortar.

The other men working on the wall agreed. “We tried to convince the three of you to come with us.” “You believed his lies about Erik and his brothers wanting to kill him in his sleep.” “You believed his lies about Erik and his brothers wanting his woman.” “He created problems with the clans to the north and south of our settlement and we told you that would come back to haunt him.”

Erik and Finlay lifted a rock together and put it in place.

“You have your answer,” Erik said. Then he motioned to Philbin. “Take Ragnoff and his cousins to the keep and get them some ale.”

“Aye.” Philbin escorted them back to the keep.

Erik might have sounded like he was offering his hospitality when he didn’t want to hear another word from the three men, and he didn’t want any of his men to waste their breath explaining their reasoning for leaving their homes.

“The lass is certainly resourceful,” Finlay said, changing the subject. “I never imagined she would be practicing archery with your sons.”

“I agree. I was proud of her and the boys.”

The last time he’d tried to work with them, they were younger and so inept, that he couldn’t deal with it, realizing patience wasn’t one of his strong suits. Which was the same as his father had been with Erik and his brothers when they were lads.

He suspected Rob and Fenton, who would have been trying to keep up their tough warrior persona with the boys while training them so they wouldn’t lose face, changed the way they had treated them when Accalia was watching the process. He realized how much his people behaved differently around her—smiling more, laughing more—as if she brightened their day.

Logan said, “You need to do something…you know, romantic with the bonny lass.”

“Willa didna like doing anything like that.” Though if it made a difference to Accalia, Erik would do about anything to show her that he wanted her.

“She’s no’ like Willa, and all women are different. Think on it, brother,” Logan said, loving to give him brotherly advice, even though Erik was the oldest of his brothers here.

Erik nodded. “Aye.” He wondered if she would like to watch the sunset with him. Or would she think it was a waste of time? Since she was so interested in keeping the boys busy with chores, he wondered if watching sunsets wasn’t something she would be interested in.

Logan smiled at him. “I can see you are overthinking this. You can do it. But if you need any ideas, Finlay and I can think of something for you to try.”

“I’ve got this.” Erik hoped. He didn’t want his brothers telling him how to woo the lass. He helped others to place another stone.

The first time she had taken the boys’ side against his, and did what was good for them, he had recognized her innate mothering ability. His mother had been like that until she died of a raging fever when he was about the boys’ age. With a wolf’s stronger healing genetics, they recovered quickly, but several of his clansmen had come down with the fever and nearly a dozen had succumbed.

“She’s doing right by the boys, you know,” Finlay said, carrying another stone to the wall.

“Aye.” That’s all Erik needed was his brothers ganging up on him about his love interest. He paused to drink some ale from his flask.

Before seeing how Accalia worked with the boys, he thought maybe they were too old to need a mother nurturing them, but after seeing how she handled them, he knew now what it meant to the boys.

“I admit she is the woman I want for their mother. Their nannies are loving and caring, but they have a duty to perform. They aren’t free-spirited like Accalia. They would never suggest teaching the boys to fish in the loch, run with them as wolves, or encourage them to practice archery.”

His brothers nodded.

“Moreover, their mother”—Erik had never admitted his late mate’s shortcomings to anyone, his brothers even—"had never done these things with them either.”

“Exactly,” Logan said, as they all went to work on the wall.

“In the short time Accalia has been here, she has shown us what a real mother should be toward my sons, and she isna even their mother. She has all the natural nurturing instincts though,” Erik continued. More than that, he wanted her as his mate with all the benefits.

Logan folded his arms. “ I would woo her.”

Erik cast him a dark look.

Finlay laughed.

Logan slapped Erik on the back. “I know that expression. You want her and no one will have her but you, unless the lass isna agreeable. Which then leads me to the conclusion that you are no’ doing something right.”

It was true that when wolves decided they were right for each other, they didn’t wait a long time before they mated. Erik knew he had to convince Accalia he could have more of a romantic side. But she was shying away from any aspect of that, except for kissing him in the bailey.

They continued to work on the wall, seeing some real progress, lifting another stone with Erik’s help.

As far as seeing him as her lover and wolf mate, he felt he wasn’t making any headway with her. Well, mayhap a wee bit when he kissed her in the inner bailey the one time. When she kissed him back, she did it with feeling, not like she was forced to, but that she had been as much into the kiss as he had been.

He smiled. He wanted to kiss her like that again. But it was her reluctance to join him in his bed where he could be more intimate with her that she was balking at.

His brothers laughed at him. “What I wouldna give to know what you’re thinking that makes you smile so wolfishly,” Logan said.

“Have you told the lass that company is coming?” Finlay asked.

“I need to.” Erik suspected Alasdair and Isobel had learned he had been bringing Accalia here and they wanted to see who his prospective mate was. He was hopeful they would put in a good word with her concerning his character.

If Alasdair gave him grief—in his typical fashion, as Erik did with him—he hoped he didn’t react in a way that showed any unfavorable traits. Normally, they bantered back and forth in a good-natured way, but while he was trying his darndest to impress Accalia, he wasn’t sure how that would all play out.

“You know Alasdair will bring his bachelor brothers, Hans and Rory,” Finlay said.

Erik would have to keep them far away from Accalia if one of them tried to romance the lass more than he did!

When it was time for the meal, Accalia and the boys headed for the great hall to eat with the rest of the pack. She worried that the three men who had come about Erik’s oldest brother were causing trouble. Then Beathag sashayed past her, bumping into her, making Accalia lose her footing.

Accalia could have let the slight go, but not only was she alpha, but if she were to mate Erik, she would manage the staff, and the woman had to know her place.

Then she told the boys, “Go to your seats and enjoy your meal.”

“Are you going to join us?” Thorfinn asked, his eyes wide, his voice hopeful.

“I’m sure Erik will expect me to eat with him again. I’ll see you off to bed this eve.” Accalia hugged each of them and kissed the tops of their heads.

They loved her hugs, and she enjoyed their hugs back. She hadn’t expected them to cherish them, but they were now hugging her freely at spontaneous times and she was glad she hadn’t thought they were too old for such nonsense. In truth, everyone loved a hug, if they were honest with themselves.

She even wondered how it would feel to be embraced by Erik in a way that was much more of a hug. She thought of being with him in his bed, legs intertwined, his mouth on hers, their bodies naked and pressed against each other. If she kept thinking of it, she’d end up in his bed with him to see.

Erik wasn’t in the great hall yet, so Accalia turned and stalked toward Beathag, grabbed her arm, startling her and she gasped.

“Come with me.” Accalia pulled her out of the great hall, past Erik as he arrived with his brothers and the other men who had been working on the wall.

He frowned at them and waited to see what was happening, while his brothers and the others walked into the great hall. Accalia had a job to do, but not in front of everyone in the pack.

She shoved Beathag against the wall outside the great hall, her hands on her shoulders, forcing her to stay there. “I dinna know what you are playing at. But you have no chance to mate Erik if you think you do. No’ even if I leave here. You willna disrespect me again or you will see a side of me you dinna want to.”

Accalia didn’t give the woman a chance to explain herself or apologize. Accalia released her, then turned to Erik and smiled. She joined him and he took her hand and they entered the great hall together.

“Do you want to explain to me what that was about?” Erik asked.

“Nay. ‘Tis a matter between the two of us.” She didn’t believe Erik needed to intercede on her behalf. If she had to manage a staff, she needed to do it her way. She sat next to Erik at the head table. “What’s going on with the men from your homeland?”

The men who had come to see Erik were sitting at a lower table.

“They are well-trained warriors with our clan,” Erik said, as the servers brought them platters of wild boar. “We tried to convince them to come with us, but they stood by Leifson. He can be erratic and moody. And if he doesna like anything you’ve said or done, he’ll fight you to the death.”

She ate some of her boar. “You wouldna think of leaving, would you?”

“Nay.”

“Good. As to the earlier matter, I’m sorry we were running as wolves when Freigard’s men attacked and that I put your sons at risk.”

Erik looked surprised she felt that way and leaned over and kissed her cheek. “The men who tried to kill you were the ones strictly at fault. They shouldna have been on my lands in the first place without invitation. None of my people should feel they canna go for a run as a wolf or otherwise in my territory.”

“Are you and I still running together this eve?” Accalia asked Erik, suspecting he would say no, worried about her safety.

“Aye, we said we would and these men willna keep us from running through our lands when we wish it unless you dinna want to.”

She was surprised he would say our lands , this time when they were his , and she wasn’t even a pack member. “Aye. I look forward to it.” She would fight the wolves herself if she had the chance.

“Will you stay with me this eve?” Erik looked directly at her, appealing to her as a man who desired more of a relationship between them.

Liking that he was trying hard to appeal to her, she smiled and stole a slice of his bread from his wooden plate. “Nay. Though ‘tis tempting.” She had noticed he no longer had Cook sample the food before he ate it.

His smile was wickedly wolfish as if he knew she was considering staying with him.