“Dominic?”
“Aye.” Dominic met Emelie’s gaze, and all he wanted to do was bundle his wife and the bairn she carried onto a horse and ride far away, to anywhere the unknown threat couldn’t reach them. Emelie stepped toward him until the toes of their boots brushed. She placed her hands on his chest. She could feel his heart thudding. The pace was still racing, and she didn’t know how he could breathe so smoothly.
“I think I’m more annoyed that you showed Brodie and Laurel before me. That hurt.”
“I’m sorry. I didna really think aboot it. It seemed natural to hand the parchment to Brodie first. He’s ma laird and ma brother. I canna say it should surprise me that Laurel would get it next, but aye, it should have been ye first.”
“You’re really shaken by this,” Emelie mused as she soothed her hand over his chest. “I know you didn’t want to scare me until you knew more, but not telling me aught just made my imagination run away. You still have your burr.”
“Do I? I hadnae—hadn’t—noticed.”
“I like it. I don’t like that you’re upset, but I told you, it does things to me.” Emelie winked before she kissed Dominic’s neck. They walked to the chairs placed near the empty hearth. Without either giving it any thought, Emelie sat on Dominic’s lap. She rested against him as his hand rested on her belly. A sharp kick greeted his palm. Emelie chuckled as Dominic’s hold tightened. “We’re both fine. The bairn is just saying hello to his or her da.”
“Ye’re learning, lass.” Dominic gave Emelie a wink of his own, pleased to hear her use the more informal, typical Highland address rather than “father.” He rubbed his palm over her belly as they sat together. “What do ye wish to do?”
“You’re asking my opinion?”
“Aye. As ye pointed out, this involves ye. I might disagree or suggest something else, but I would hear yer ideas and what ye want. I dinna want ye to be scared or think me too highhanded.”
“I know you don’t mean to be. And I appreciate that you want my opinion. I don’t know what to suggest other than keeping the guards and me not leaving the keep.”
“I hate that ye are being made a prisoner in yer own home. And I’m nae even comfortable with ye eating aught that’s served.”
“You think a servant would try to poison me?”
“I dinna ken what to think. I dinna want to believe they would, but I also ken someone slipped in and let the piglet out. I ken we never caught who fired the arrow or who cut down the hive. If it’s the same person—or even worse, if it’s more than one—they’re vera sly. I willna put aught past them, including figuring out how to tamper with yer food.”
“But we share a trencher at nearly every meal. I’m served from the same dishes and platters as everyone else. They would have to poison you and everyone else on the dais to get to me.”
“I dinna ken how desperate they are. Mayhap they would do that just to get to ye.”
“Dom, I can’t stay here then. If me living among your people is going to endanger everyone, then I need to leave.”
“‘Yer people’? When did they become mine again and stopped being ours?”
“When someone targeted me and brought danger to the clan, it made me an outsider all over again. They can’t leave, so I must.”
“Ye will do nay such thing, Emelie. Ye will remain here if I have to chain ye to the bed.” Dominic lightened his threat by offering her his wolfish grin. “And if I must make love to ye all day and all night to keep ye from trying to slip away, then that is the best post I’ve ever stood—or laid—or sat. Mayhap we can start right now.” Dominic playfully pulled Emelie’s skirts toward her knees, but a loud knock interrupted them.
“Go away,” Emelie called before she leaned in for a kiss from Dominic.
“Emelie?” Laurel called. “I came to check on you.”
“Damn,” Emelie hissed as she wriggled off Dominic’s lap. She hurried across the chamber, glancing down at her gown, glad that she did. She adjusted the neckline to hide the nipple peeking over the top. She pulled the door open and found Laurel appearing worried on the other side. “You shouldn’t be walking around yet.”
“I’m fine. I wanted to make sure you are. Where’s—” Laurel snapped her mouth shut as she noticed Dominic looking put out in the chair by the fire. Emelie glanced back at her husband and snickered. “You made up. That didn’t take long.”
“No quicker than you make up with Brodie,” Dominic mused. He rose from the chair and came to stand behind Emelie. He cupped her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Calmer than he had been since they received the missive, he said, “We should go back with you so we can all talk.”
“Aye. But in the solar. Rick is sleeping,” Laurel answered. She went to fetch Brodie and then met Emelie and Dominic in the upstairs solar. Laurel took Emelie’s hand. “Before you even suggest it, and I know you will because I would, too—because Idid—you’re not going anywhere, Emelie.”
“Neither of you are,” Brodie decreed. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. Laurel had the temerity to laugh. She looked back at Emelie.
“Since we don’t know for sure that the threat is just aimed at you, I told Brodie that I should go to one of our nearby keeps but not let anyone know where I’ve gone. If he hadn’t been holding Rick, he would have screamed down the roof,” Laurel explained.
“And I already told Dom that I didn’t want Emelie going anywhere when we had the wasp incident. It’s not safe for either of you to go anywhere. Dom and I can best protect you here, with our largest contingent of warriors in our most secure keep.”
“And if they harm others because I stay? I’m not convinced this is aboot Laurel.” Emelie said.
