Chapter 20

20

W ith trepidation, Accalia and Erik shifted back into their fur coats, and the wolves left the croft. Accalia led them to a tall cairn. She followed it farther west, stopped, sniffed the ground, and pawed at the dirt.

Erik hoped they didn’t need shovels to find the entrance. But then he and the other wolves began digging and soon their nails scratched something metal. Erik shifted and found the rung on a trapdoor and pulled it, opening the entrance to the dark tunnel below. He knew the other men would eventually catch up to them and smell their scents and where they led. He shifted again into his wolf.

Thankfully, with their wolf vision, they climbed the stairs into the abyss and saw the tunnel ahead despite how dark it was. Once the other wolves had descended the steps, Accalia led the way.

Erik hoped the rest of the men would find them soon because he didn’t want such a small force to come upon the brigands. Then again, if they were to fight using their swords, they needed to have their clothes and weapons.

They wandered through the tunnels forever, the moss-covered stones damp with moisture. Erik was afraid Accalia had forgotten how to navigate to the castle entrance, but she sat down on the stairs and looked up. She shifted. “That leads to my chamber. We should wait here for the others to catch up. They’ll smell our scent and know the way to go.” Then she shifted back into her wolf.

They waited for what seemed like forever, hearing naught in the underground tunnels, which probably meant no one could hear them down below.

Then they heard footfalls and heavy breathing. Erik prayed it was his kin and Alasdair’s men, not Freigard’s. Logan was leading the pack. Erik smiled and shifted.

“’Tis about time. I thought we would have to send someone to show you the way,” Erik jovially said.

“You ran as wolves. If we had, we would have been here already,” Logan said with the same lightheartedness, as he and Rory gave them their clothes and weapons.

Then Erik dressed and so did Accalia. They armed themselves and she pointed to the stairs. “My chamber is beyond the door. There’s a secret wall behind my bed. It looks like part of my bed. We’ll be able to listen and make sure no one is in my chamber. We dinna want to alert anyone that we’re slipping in this way.”

Erik agreed. He was so glad Accalia was his mate. She was not only goodhearted but also clever when it came to battle plans.

Erik preceded her into the secret wall, followed by Logan, Alasdair, and Rory. They listened but didn’t hear any sounds at all. At this time of day, unless a maid was cleaning a room or someone was sick, there wouldn’t be anyone in the bedchamber. He wouldn’t put it past Freigard to be using the bedchambers for his people though.

Accalia squeezed in to show them how to open the compartment on her bed and Erik went first, followed by the other men. Accalia went last, though he wanted to keep her safe in the tunnels. He couldn’t leave her behind should Freigard or his men find her. But she was right about identifying who her people were as opposed to Freigard’s men.

They went over to her chamber door and listened. They could hear voices from far away, most likely in the great hall. The hallway seemed clear. Erik opened the door and didn’t see anyone. “The hallway is clear,” he whispered.

“My da’s chamber is straight down there on the right.”

“We’ll check each of the chambers on the way.” Erik didn’t want anyone coming out of a chamber they might pass by, strike them from behind, and alert Freigard they had trouble.

They went to a chamber on their right and Erik peeked in. The chamber was empty.

“My uncle’s chamber,” she said.

At least he had seen her da and uncle, so he knew who they were. They moved down the hall. There was no one in the chamber on the left up ahead.

“That is my aunt’s chamber. Davina is my da’s and my uncle’s sister.”

So they would know a woman was supposed to be sleeping in there and he smelled her scent. But also men’s scents.

“And that is my younger cousin, Cameron’s bedchamber. He’s four and ten summers.”

Everyone would know he would be a young man, not a full-grown warrior, should one of them come into the chamber in the night.

He suspected everyone in her pack was in the great hall. Or they could be in the dungeons. Though he was hopeful Freigard hadn’t killed anyone.

They reached her da’s chamber and Erik heard Accalia’s breath hitch. He opened the door, but no one was in there either. They heard talking down below and he was certain everyone was down there until nightfall.

“We could wait in all the chambers and if Freigard’s men show up, we’ll deal with them,” Accalia said, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

“And if ‘tis your people?” Erik asked.

“We move them into the tunnel. They’ll be safe there,” she said.

Erik glanced at Alasdair. He inclined his head. “We’ll divide up and lay in wait.”

Erik smiled. “Aye. They willna know what hit them.”

“What about our scents in the hallway?” Accalia asked.

“He wouldna know any of us, but you,” Erik said, “aye?”

“I didna think of that. Though he would have smelled me in the castle anyway since I have lived here since I was born.”

“Aye, do you want to return to the tunnel or?—”

“I will stay with you so I know if the person or people coming into the room are friends or foe.”

Then they divided up into groups of six in each of the five bedchambers. As soon as Erik, Accalia, and four other men joined them in her da’s chamber, they closed the door and took up positions around the room.

They were sitting on the floor next to the bed on either side, next to a large chest, against a wall, hidden by clothes hung on pegs on another wall. Everyone was hidden from the view of the door. Erik and Accalia stayed on one side of the bed together.

He kissed her. “Are you all right?” He listened to her rapid heartbeat and smelled her anxiousness.

“Aye. I hope my da is fine and comes here to sleep.”

“I wish that would be so.” Erik pulled her into his arms and held her tight so they could rest until someone arrived.

They waited for what seemed like hours but probably only an hour or so when they heard footfalls head past the bedchamber. “The others willna know if the ones going to the bedchambers are my people or no’,” she said.

“Logan saw your uncle when we came for you, so he knows him. If a grown man enters any of the other chambers, yours, your aunt’s, or your cousin’s, they willna belong there. Even so, they willna kill them, no’ until they know for sure.”

“Aye.”

Then they grew quiet and waited. It seemed like forever before they heard more footfalls coming up the stairs and down the hallway toward the bedchambers.

“He has killed enough of my men already,” a man said.

“Freigard,” she whispered to Erik, her heart beating like crazy.

“I told you he was one to watch out for. If you had allied with my brother, that would have kept him from our gates,” another man said, and Erik recognized his voice as her uncle’s.

Accalia’s eyes widened and she took hold of Erik’s hand. “My uncle. Dunbar’s…he’s in league with Freigard?”

Erik whispered back, “It appears that way.”

That’s how Freigard and his men were allowed into the castle so easily, Erik suspected. Her da wasn’t with them in the hallway, or he didn’t make a sound if he was.

“On the morrow, I want you to send out some of your men with a couple of mine to learn if Accalia is still at Whitehaven. Your people can infiltrate them and learn their plans,” Freigard said.

“Aye, that I will.”

“Dinna change your mind about being with me on this,” Freigard told her uncle.

“You are putting me in charge of the pack. I wouldna do anything to sabotage that,” Uncle Dunbar said.

Then Freigard said, “You’ll stay in your chamber, Baldur, until your daughter returns here.”

Her da was with them, but he was a hostage! Erik needed to know how many of Freigard’s men they had to fight. If they could solicit Baldur’s people to battle Freigard’s, they stood a chance to defeat Freigard and his men. He hoped that Baldur’s kinsmen weren’t siding with his brother.

Erik motioned to the other men in the bedchamber that the person entering the room was Accalia’s da and no’ to make a sound or harm him.

They all nodded their assent.

“You’ll have a guard posted at your door at all times, so dinna get any ideas,” Freigard said.

“I canna believe you would go along with this, Dunbar,” Baldur said.

“Why no’? I always should have been the one to take over the clan,” Dunbar said.

Then the door opened, and Baldur walked inside, looking weary as a guard shut the door behind him. But then Baldur’s eyes widened as he sniffed the air. Thankfully, he said nothing and moved deeper into the room. “Accalia?” he whispered.

“Aye.” She hurried from her hiding place, throwing her arms around him and hugging him to pieces.

Erik shook his hand and said, “I’ve mated and wed your daughter. We have an alliance. We will do everything to free your people and eliminate Freigard and his men.”

The other men with Erik and Accalia showed themselves and Baldur’s eyes filled with tears.

“Uncle Dunbar was involved in this?” Accalia asked.

“Aye,” her da said. “He let Freigard and his men in.”

Accalia shook her head. “Does he have our people’s backing?”

“Only a few because Dunbar has promised his friends elevated positions in the pack. If we eliminate Freigard and his men, Dunbar willna have any sway over the rest of our people.”

“Where is Aunt Davina and my cousin, Cameron?”

“They sleep in their chambers so that when you arrived with Erik to tell me your decision about mating him or no’, everything would look normal.”

“Except Freigard and his men are here.”

“Aye. They hoped to stop you before you entered the castle, but Freigard has grown impatient and is sending a group of men to Whitehaven to learn when you’ll be coming here,” Baldur said.

“We heard. He’s sending some of our men also.”

“Aye, so that you believe everything is all right when they reach Whitehaven.”

“Would our men no’ turn on Freigard’s men when they are away from our castle?” Accalia asked.

“They have families here and Freigard told them if they give anything away, their families will be the first to die.”

“Och,” Accalia said. “We have men in each of the chambers. Mayhap they can take Uncle Dunbar and Freigard into custody.”

“Freigard isna staying in any of the chambers. He’ll go back downstairs to speak with his men and stay below. He wants to be there if you and Erik show up.” Baldur gave each of them a hug. “I’m pleased you have mated and married.”

“We hoped to have a celebration here also. We didna expect this,” Accalia said.

“Neither did we,” her da said. “But I welcome the alliance, and I hope you are happy with each other.”

“Aye, we love each other,” Accalia said.

“Do you have only one guard outside your room?” Erik asked.

“Aye. They’ve taken all my weapons.” Baldur smiled at Erik. “But you have enough for yourself and me, it appears.”

Erik smiled at him. He didn’t want her da fighting, but he knew he needed to prove to his people that he could lead the pack.

Since Baldur knew his pack members best, Erik asked, “What do you suggest we do?”

“If we kill my guard, that will be the only one up here and he willna be relieved until early in the morn. My sister and nephew dinna have guards. Neither would be brave enough to leave their bedchambers for the night. But you say you have men in each of the bedchambers?” Baldur asked.

“Aye.”

“We must do this before anyone is aware of the deception. What about my brother?” Baldur asked.

“He will be held hostage until you decide what will become of him.” Erik felt it was best if Baldur, as pack leader, and because Dunbar was his brother, made the decision.

Baldur nodded. “I will go to the door and ask for ale. Then?—”

“We will take care of the guard.” Erik moved into place next to the door.

Another one of Erik’s men moved to the opposite side of the door.

Baldur removed his belt and great kilt. Dressed in his long shirt as if he had gone to bed and then realized he was thirsty, he would use the ruse that he had gotten up and went to the door to ask for something to drink. He took a deep breath, then walked to the door and carefully opened it, so as not to startle the guard or reveal that Erik and his man were waiting to take the man out.

“What do you want?” The guard was still seated on a chair outside the door as if he couldn’t be bothered to stand in the lord’s presence.

“Some ale, my good man. If you please.”

“Drink your own piss. Now close the door and be off with you or you’ll wish you hadna bothered me.” The guard had turned to look away as if he expected Baldur to do what he told him to do. Immediately, Erik moved past Accalia’s da, grabbed the guard, and pulled him into the bedchamber. He quickly broke the man’s neck and dragged him behind the bed.

“We’ll take your aunt and your nephew into the tunnels,” Erik said. “But we also need to carry the guard there so that no one knows what happened to him.”

“Aye,” Baldur agreed.

“How many men does Freigard have?” Erik asked.

“Mayhap forty. He didna need that many because Dunbar helped him. But he could have as many as fifty. I dinna know for certain.”

“All right.” That would be a force to reckon with. “We have twenty-six, counting you and Accalia,” Erik said. Though he didn’t intend for Accalia to be in the middle of a battle.

“My nephew will want to fight,” Baldur assured them.

“Good.” Her cousin was practically a grown man.

Baldur pulled off his shirt and shifted into his wolf.

Erik hadn’t expected that. He glanced at Accalia. “Will you go with your aunt and cousin to protect them?”

“Aye,” she said.

He was relieved she wouldn’t run through the castle, trying to take down Freigard and his men.

Then they went out into the hallway and headed toward the other chambers. First, they went into Davina’s room. Some of Erik’s men were in the room, waiting to do battle with the new arrivals. But as soon as Erik opened the door, Davina looked terrified like she expected a fight between Erik’s men and Freigard’s.

But when she saw Baldur and Accalia, she gave them both hugs. She was a pretty dark-haired woman, her eyes as dark as brown, and slightly built. Baldur wagged his tail at her and licked her tear-laden cheeks.

“I’m taking you to the tunnels,” Accalia said to her aunt. “I’m sure the men here with you have already told you we are here to free our people.”

“Aye, and I’m grateful for it.”

Accalia began pulling clothes off hooks on the wall and helped her dress in something warm for their journey.

Then they moved to Accalia’s cousin’s bedchamber, everyone’s hearts beating hard. When they opened the door, Cameron looked as stricken, while Erik’s men with him were ready for a fight, but everyone was glad to see Baldur, his aunt, and Accalia with Erik and the others. Cameron had the same dark hair as Accalia and his aunt, gangly, not fully muscled yet, his eyes blue and wide with expression.

“If you wish to fight, you can do so, either as a wolf or a man,” Accalia said. “I’m hiding our aunt from harm.”

Her cousin nodded. “I will fight.” Cameron began to strip out of his clothes and shifted into his wolf. Which was the best thing he could do because he didn’t have any weapons. Neither did Accalia’s aunt.

Erik assumed Freigard’s men had confiscated them. “We are going to Dunbar’s chamber next. Alasdair and his men should have taken Dunbar into custody already. Accalia will escort Davina to the tunnels after that.”

Once they reached Dunbar’s chamber, Baldur shifted and knocked on the door. “’Tis me, Baldur.” Then he shifted back into his wolf.

Even though Erik knew they should have Dunbar in custody, they had to pretend they didn’t, in case something had gone wrong.

A bearded, graying-haired man opened the door. Alasdair had a sword at his throat, keeping him silent. The man had glacial blue eyes and Erik assumed he was Dunbar.

All of them entered his chamber and shut the door. “I was only trying to buy you time until Erik arrived with Accalia, Brother,” Dunbar sputtered, trying to spin a tale that would get him out of trouble.

Baldur didn’t shift. He didn’t bother to waste any words on his brother. A traitor was always a traitor.

Baldur tore into Dunbar as a wolf, targeting his throat, and killing him instantly. His brother had been willing to sacrifice their kin for the sake of power, and he could never be trusted again. Erik understood that, but at the same time, he knew it had to weigh heavy on Baldur’s mind.

The aunt sobbed. Her nephew licked her hand and Accalia hugged her. “Come, I must get you to safety.”

Erik could smell Accalia’s concern and didn’t want to leave her alone.

“Aye. Are you sure you want to fight, Cameron?” Getting her emotions under control, Davina wiped away the tears on her cheeks. “You could protect Accalia and me.”

He shifted. “I’ll fight with the men.” Determined to battle with the brigands, he shifted back into his wolf.

The men led Accalia and her aunt to Accalia’s chamber and when they opened the door, the men there were ready to take them down, but smiled to see it was Erik and Accalia and the others in their party.

The three other men with Erik retrieved the bodies and pulled them toward the secret wall.

Erik explained the situation, telling them Dunbar was dead, and who the two wolves were. Then Accalia said, “We’ll no’ stay in the tunnels. If some of their men learn of it, they will hunt us down. My aunt and I will travel as wolves to the camp.”

Erik didn’t want them traveling alone but needed every man he could muster. Still, he said, “Logan?—”

“Nay,” Accalia said sharply, her brow furrowed. “You will need every man to help you fight. My aunt and I will be fine.”

“We will be,” her aunt said, then hugged her nephew and Baldur. She warmly embraced Erik, pleasing him to no end. “Take care.” Then she went behind the bed into the secret tunnel.

Accalia hugged and kissed Erik. “May the gods be with you.”

“And also with you.” He kissed her soundly back, not wanting to let her go. But he did, and she disappeared behind the wall with her aunt. His focus had to be on freeing her people, but he thought of Accalia, her aunt, and their safety.

Four men helped lug the dead guard and Dunbar’s body into the tunnel, then returned to help Erik and the others fight the battle they were faced with next.

Now Erik had to finish what he had begun and prayed that Accalia and her aunt would safely return to their camp.