“Och, I’m afraid ‘tis impossible.” Adlin shook his head ruefully. “My horse isnae built for such weight.”
“Then I’ll walk fast,” I countered, drinking some water. “I’m in good enough shape.”
“Good enough willnae do it.” Even though Tavish scowled as he rolled the furs, I didn’t miss how he eyed me discreetly in a way that told me he was trying not to outright stare at the shape of my body beneath my dress. “You would need longer legs and a warrior’s build if you had any hopes of keeping up even at a run, never mind a walk, and you have neither.”
“Then it’s settled,” Adlin said, back to being merry as he brought over the horses that had been grazing in a patch of grass. “You willnae walk, run, or ride with me but with Tavish, and as Grant suggested, ‘tis best we make haste.”
“I agree we should keep moving.” Shoving the water and food in my satchel, I shook my head and frowned as Tavish doused the fire. “But nothing is settled.”
Refusing to ride with him, I strode into the woodland, moments from using a spell of deception to slow them down, but was snatched off my feet and plunked down in front of Tavish before I could utter a word. Frowning at his audacity, I shot a few choice words at him and shifted forward, doing my best to put distance between us.
“Och, lass,” he muttered, wrapping a strong arm around me and pulling me back until I was settled firmly between his muscular thighs. “’Twill harm the horse if you ride like that the whole way.”
Swallowing hard, I tensed and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to ignore the heat surging under my skin at his proximity. We had certainly shared a sexual attraction in my last life,but this,this was a different thing altogether now I was half dragon. More primal and wild and nearly impossible to rein in, but I managed it with magic...barely.
“If I didnae know better, I would have thought ye knew just where ye were going,” Tavish murmured. His brogue was thick and his voice rough in my ear as if he were fighting the same response to me as we started through woodland that was, in fact, very familiar.
“I was going north,” I managed. “Toward my sisters, as requested.”
“Or mayhap,” he theorized, tightening his arm just enough to let me know he didn’t intend to let me escape him again. “North toward the Sutherlands.”
“I guess we’ll never know,” I cut back, trying to remain indignant when every bone in my vulnerable body wanted to melt back against him.
“Nay, because ye’ll go nowhere but MacLeod Castle,” he rumbled. “Right here on this horse, where ye will stay until I have honored my king’s wishes.”
We said little after that but rode in relative silence beside Adlin, doing our best not to draw attention to ourselves, given times were more turbulent than ever. Yet all the while I was painfully aware of Tavish at my back, despite marveling at being in my homeland in the appropriate era at last, reunited with the man I loved and nearly married had we not been torn apart.
I had followed his thoughts last night with far too much ease as he recalled our time together as children, when he first shifted, and all those precious moments afterward. Remembered how impressive his black dragon with sky blue eyes had looked to me at that age, despite all his awkwardness, when he first protected me from a boar.
Then I recalled all the years following as his dragon grew right along with his human half, both equally impressive in stature. Too many times to count, I wished I could be like him and we could share that crucial connection he was denied because I’d only ever be human. How I had longed to look into his eyes when I shifted for the first time. Longed to soar alongside him in the sky. Hunt with him in dragon form. Have offspring that had two dragon parents, not just one. Be there with him,forhim, in both forms, but it was never to be.
He always claimed it didn’t matter because he loved me just as I was. However, deep down, I knew it must have mattered to him, just as it did to me.
And now that it could be,we could be, it was impossible.
Yet despite knowing I should try to flee now while I still could, it felt as impossible as the night before. Not just because I was locked securely in his strong arms, but because my dragon had become far too aware of his, and she simply wouldn't allow it.
At least not right now.
Undoubtedly, thanks to Adlin’s magical protection, we traveled without incident until we were nearly to MacLeod territory before trouble found us. Adlin and Tavish must have sensed it ahead of time because Tavish steered his horse closer to Adlin’s, swung down, and gave the wizard a look. “Hide her the best you can whilst I deal with this.”
I nearly admitted I knew how to fight because Tavish himself had taught me in another life, but I bit my tongue andwaited, tensing as Adlin chanted, hiding us from prying eyes. Meanwhile, Tavish freed his Viking sword and crept through the forest. While I knew he was an excellent warrior, that didn’t stop my anxiety from spiking when three men appeared ahead wearing Sutherland colors.
Yet Tavish was ready for them and caught them unaware when he whipped a dagger straight into the jugular vein of the largest man, eliminating the greatest threat, and then rushed the other two. Swinging the great Viking sword, he fought both at once with impressive skill, spinning and dodging until he got by one and drove his blade through the man’s gut.
My heart leapt into my throat when that killing blow gave the other guy just enough time to get by his defenses, and he was able to nick Tavish’s shoulder. Seemingly unaffected by the wound, no doubt because of his rushing adrenaline and need to protect me, Tavish kept quiet when I knew he wanted to roar in rage, and silently, lethally engaged the man, doing his best not to draw attention from others in the area.
In fact, he went at him so hard and with such focused and furious precision the man didn’t stand a chance as Tavish drove him back in an impressive display of swordsmanship.
Yet as he did, I became aware of something else that made everything inside me go on high alert, but I couldn't quite place what it was. Some sort of movement through the forest. When their swords crashed together so hard the Viking blade emitted not just sparks but enough magically charged energy to rip the blades from the men and fling them apart.
Not missing a beat, they battled hand-to-hand, ending up on the ground fighting, as my sole focus remained on whatever barreled through the woodland toward them. Whatever it was, it was moving fast and straight at Tavish, who now straddled his opponent, finally managing to yank a dagger from his boot and drive it through the side of his enemy’s neck.
Panicked because I knew whatever it was would harm him before he saw it coming, I saw red and put Tavish’s life before all else, doing the only thing I could at that moment.
“Nay,” Adlin roared, but it was far too late.
The damage was already done.
