Page 45 (1/2)

Euphe to draw his sword She would never call herself a MacAlister again, never wear the plaid she had violated, and never coain

Quinlan expected his laird to turn to the east, as they were now parallel to his fortress, and was therefore taken by surprise when he stopped instead

"Connor?" he asked as he pulled up beside hier until after you've seen your wife I know you feel you've abandoned her, but she'll understand you didn't have any choice She loves you," he added with a nod "Quit staring at the ground and look at me"

"Look down," Connor snapped

He humored his laird and did just that Then he let out a low expletive "There are fresh tracks"

"Four horses… no, five," Connor altered "They're going slow, in a single line Who…"

"How many did Aeden tell us came back with Raen?"

"Three," Connor answered He jerked upright then "The bastard's mother could be on her way home now Pity, I would have liked to talk to her"

"You'd end up killing her," Quinlan said

Connor shook his head "No, death would be too kind I want her to suffer for as many years as she has left"

"If it's Raen's burial party, ould they take the opposite path? They have to know they're going the wrong way"

"I don't know"

"The tracks are fresh enough for us to catch up with them in little time at all We should knohere they're headed, shouldn't we?"

Connor nodded "We'll follow the tracks, but only for a few et to Brenna"

"I know you do I'd start practicing," he said as they once again goaded theirwhat?" Connor shouted

"Telling her you love her"

Connor rode on ahead and cut through a section of the forest to shorten the distance to the rise above the slope ahead so that he could see how far away Eupheh the trees, he dismounted and ran ahead to watch the procession below

Quinlan caught up with hi, narrow ht, and Raen was draped over the last horse in the line as they moved forward

Connor's attention was drawn to the trees So had moved, he was sure of it He waited, and a few e of the flat, a figure stepped out fronized MacNare at once Stunned and enraged, they watched Euphemia dismount and run forward to embrace her ally

They kneho the traitor was

He rode to the Kincaids' at a neckbreaking pace, and when he reached the courtyard, he swung down fro inside

He took the stairs two at a tiet to the balcony, frantic now to see for hi sentry outside her rooed inside

He kneas acting like a madman; he couldn't help it He needed to tell her how sorry he was that he hadn't been there to protect her If she didn't forgive hio on

He reached the center of the roo by the ith Jamie And then he came to a dead stop

No one could have prepared hientle little wife had been beaten so severely, he couldn't understand how she had survived She looked as though she'd been cornered by a wild beast Her face was blotched with purple bruises, one arers, and there were claw marks everywhere

But she had survived Connor repeated those words twice inside his h to speak to her

She wasn't dead She wouldn't be standing if she were dead

"No, I'm not dead," Brenna said, and only then did he realize he'd spoken his thought aloud

On her way out, Ja I gave her so it She seeet her into bed"

Connor walked closer to Brenna so he could catch her in tihten her He knew he looked god-awful There ar paint on his face and ar fury in his eyes he was helpless to conceal

He wanted her to coet near hiain after what he had done to her While he had been defending a useless piece of land, she had been left alone to defend herself against his predators

"Do you want me to wash the war paint off? I know you don't like it," he said, his voice gruff with e to tell you, Connor"

"Get into bed first"

"Ja in my drink to make me sleep She told me I won't wake up until toet into bed…"

"All right"

She didn't move "Raen fell out the "

"I know he did, love"

"I didn't push him I didn't mean to stab him either He fell back on his blade, and if he hadn't been holding my wrist down to the floor, it wouldn't have happened I was trying to cut his hand so he would move it away from my mouth and I could scream for help Please believe et off me"

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you"

"What would you have done?"

"Thrown him out thefor you"

Confused by what he'd just told her, she shook her head The movement made her dizzy "I have more to tell you before I sleep I tried to honor and respect yourfor me to come between you and your family She's part of your past, and I kno iain as long as I' to hate oing to hide him for me Your mother told h, and I' of her to think I would ever sub Let h she hadn't heard hiive me I don't want her to anyway I don't like her You have to decide which of us isof me to make such a demand, but I…"

"Brenna…"

"No, I have to explain," she cried out "I can see how angry you are, and I…"

She was struggling to stay awake, as the potion Ja her sway even now, and she could barely concentrate on what she was telling hiently lifted her into his arms and held her close She had fallen asleep He leaned down and kissed her forehead He didn't ainst him

Jamie returned to the room to sit with Brenna The torment she saw in Connor's face made her want to weep for him "She needs her rest, Connor Put her in bed now"

He wouldn'twhile to convince hi to be fine