head back into Micheil’s face, aiming for his rat-like, narrow nose. His howl of pain was satisfying, for a moment, until Anndra turned to grab her.
‘Nay,’ the stranger said, walking closer and holding his sword up. ‘Lundie said I get my pick this time. And I picked her.’
Now he reached out and took her arm, pulling her away from the others. From their expressions, it would not be that simple. The stranger stared at her even while he spoke to the men.
‘Lundie? Did ye no’ give me my choice?’
‘Aye.’ A man she’d not seen before walked his horse forward from the shadows. ‘If ye want to waste it on a piece of tail, fine though she may be, go on wi’ ye then.’
Lundie looked at the other men and nodded, ordering them away. When they’d taken off running, he looked at the stranger and then tilted his head in her direction.
‘Ye ken the problems it’ll cause, dinna ye?’ Then, this Lundie let his gaze move over her from her feet to her head, pausing at her belly and her breasts. She tugged the edges of torn cloth closer to cover her flesh. ‘’Twould be easier if ye just took her now and were done wi’ her.’
The stranger walked up to her, lifting her chin even as she trembled. For some reason, she suspected any dirty fighting moves would be familiar to him. He’d wanted her away before and mayhap he would allow it now?
‘Oh, I will take her,’ he whispered just before his mouth touched her and told her the answer without words.
Fia was not prepared for the onslaught of sensations caused by this man’s kiss. Oh, it was nothing like any kiss she’d received before. Those had been innocent. Those had been hesitant. This, this was searing and possessive. It was not long before she realised he had no plans to let her go.
He slid his hand into her hair, tangling his fingers in it and holding her mouth to his. Pressing with his tongue, he sought an opening and soon found it when she tried to speak. For a moment, just the slightest bit of time passing, she forgot her situation. She forgot herself and could only feel the growing heat pulsing through her.
For a moment. Then everything crashed down on her as she remembered. So, she bit him. He yelled but he pulled himself away as she’d wanted him to do.
‘Damn ye!’ he said, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.
‘A problem, I tell ye,’ Lundie called out. Another whistle made them both look towards the keep. ‘Take her or leave her, but do it now. We ride!’ Lundie turned his horse and rode off.
‘I pray you, please let me go,’ she said, trying to step away from him. ‘My friend needs help there.’ She nodded to where Anice yet lay unconscious.
Without waiting for his reply, she slowly backed away and moved towards Anice. The sounds of the fighting were less but now the clamour rose in the direction of the keep. Warriors were coming.
‘Go. Now. Away from here,’ she said, knowing those words had been his own to her. She ran towards Anice only to be caught by the large man called Anndra who’d returned unnoticed. He wrapped his beefy arm around her waist and spun her to face the other man.
‘If ye keep losing her, I think I wi’ keep her for meself.’
Any thought that she would be released fled as the stranger strode across the clearing. His gaze was hard now with no sign of the desire that she’d seen there before. And no sign of relenting and letting her go.
‘This is the way ye do it,’ Anndra said quietly behind her.
Before she could turn around, her head exploded in pain and the whole village around her went black.
* * *
Niall cursed under his breath as the lass crumpled under the blow. Anndra held on to her and smiled grimly at him. Niall ran to his horse and mounted, riding to the two and reaching down to grab her and pull her over his legs.
As another whistle sounded, he understood there was little time left to do anything but get away. Taking her or leaving her was no longer a choice he could make, so he turned his horse and rode off to the west. He, Anndra and Lundie followed one path that would lead them across a stream, destroying their scent and their trail.
He tried to ignore the woman in his lap. Niall had to hold her in place there so she would not slip off. Riding with her dead weight was difficult but had to be done. From the feel of her body, she was alive though not awake. His true trouble would begin when she woke.
Lundie had said this would cause problems? Oh, aye, it already had and would continue to do so until he found a way to get rid of her. One woman in a gang of men was not a good thing. A glance at Anndra and he knew claim of her being his prize would only last so long and then go out of control.
They crossed the fields quickly, followed the stream away from Glenlui and into the deep thickness of the forest, always heading north and west. Their travel slowed with the full dark after the sun set, but Lundie picked his way along the rough path in the light of the rising moon. The lass had not stirred at all as they crossed the miles leading away from her village. When Lundie called a halt, Niall slowed at his side.
‘Ye shoulda left her behind,’ he said, spitting into the dirt. His words were low enough that Anndra could not hear.
‘Anndra had other plans for her,’ he admitted part of the truth.
‘There is a soft spot in ye that will be yer death, Iain.’
Niall could not disagree about either of Lundie’s suppositions. But, for so long, he’d been someone other than himself and, for the first time in that long time, his action to protect her felt like the man he used to be. A nobleman. Yet, Lundie was correct—acting like the nobleman he’d been raised to be would get him killed on this mission.
He watched as Lundie climbed down and tied his horse near a grassy patch off the path. Lundie ordered Anndra to the stream for water and then he walked to Niall’s horse and reached up to take her. She did not react at all as he handed her down and then tied his own horse to graze. Niall pulled a rolled blanket from under his saddle and opened it on a dry area of ground. Lundie laid the woman on it and then lit a torch so they could see to setting up their meagre camp.
Her hair had come free from her braid and lay around her like a crown, gold strands in the brown reflecting the torch’s light. Niall fought the urge to sift through its silkiness with his fingers and concentrated on his true task—check the back of her head where Anndra clubbed her. His hand came away with fresh blood.
Lundie walked to him and handed him the flask in his other hand. Niall took a deep swallow and passed it back. He waited on the man’s words.
‘A fortnight.’
‘A fortnight?’ he asked.
‘I’ll give ye a fortnight wi’ her. If she’s still alive then, ye find a way to rid yerself of her or I will.’ Lundie met his gaze until Niall nodded, accepting the message given. ‘Anndra’s bringing water. Clean her up and get some rest. I will take the first watch.’
Everything was accomplished in a short time and, soon enough, the lass’s head was bandaged and her gown tied together with some strips of cloth from her shift. Niall settled behind her still form as Lundie
