“I did. But the ring had gone missing, and I was sent back to my own time. That’s when I found out I was carrying Bren’s child. I would have doneanythingto get back to him…”
She paused and glanced at Willa. “I know how crazy this must all sound…”
Willa shook her head. “No. Not crazy at all. So that’s when Drust went to take the ring back from Mored?”
“Yes. From what Bren says, the two of them fought, and fell down through a hole in a cavern. He thought they must both be dead, especially when the rest of the cave started collapsing around him. It turns out they are both very much alive.”
“And Bren was able to use the ring to bring you back?”
“Yes”, Faith whispered, wiping at tears with the back of her hand. “And now you’re here too, I have a sister! And if the next prophecy is right, there will be one more of us soon.”
“There’s another prophecy?”
“Yes. Dirc, he’s the sorcerer, found it only recently. It basically says that all three Mac Coinnach brothers will find their true mates, and all will have a first born son. So far, it seems to be holding true.”
Willa held her breath for a long moment. Would she really have a son? If it was written in aprophecy,meant to be, Drust could hardly stop it from happening, could he?
“Now there’s only Eian, the youngest brother”, Faith continued. “He’s been away almost as long as Drust, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he comes home with a woman.”
She sat up suddenly. “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m being so rude! You’ve been travelling all day and you probably want a bath before dinner… and then we have a wedding to plan!”
***
A short time later, Willa sank gratefully into the hot water of her bath while Faith went off to find an army of seamstresses who could sew a wedding gown in a matter of days, even though Willa had insisted she could wear one of the two gowns she already had.
So much had happened in such a short space of time… and her mind was spinning. She truly hoped that life would be a bit more… boring… for a while. As she washed the road dust from her skin and hair, she found herself longing for Drust. He was in her thoughts constantly. She wanted him here… touching her, kissing her. Her hips arched at the memory of his lips on hers, hungry and demanding. Needing. There was something achingly vulnerable in the way he kissed, as if he wanted so very much to be loved and needed, but wasn’t sure he deserved to be. But then… then he would quickly become lost to the passion that he’d kept reined in for far too long, and there was no holding him back. Oh, yes, making love to Drust Mac Coinnach was more than she could ever have imagined.
There was a knock at the door, and Willa jumped. She had been so lost in her thoughts, it took a moment to even remember where she was. Before she could even gather her wits enough to answer, Faith came into the room. Her cheery smile and the aura of happiness that surrounded her instantly brightened the room. No wonder Bren was so taken with her.
“Good news! Everything will be ready by the day after tomorrow. I just need to have you measured this afternoon. Drust wanted to marry youtoday, but I told him he had to wait so you could at least have a real wedding. So…you have less than two days left to be a single woman.” Her grin turned teasing. “Any last-minute doubts?”
Willa smiled. “No”, she said with all the bone-deep conviction she felt. She loved Drust with all of her heart. She hungered for his body, and she wanted to spend the rest of her life learning every little thing about him.
Washed, measured, and dressed in fresh clothes, Willa made her way to the Hall for her first dinner at Creagmor. When Drust saw her approach the table, he stood and came forward to offer her his hand. His eyes never leaving her face, he led her to her seat.
“You look beautiful”, he whispered near her ear, and she was fairly certain she blushed. Oh yes, this life was going to be everything she had dreamed. Faith took the seat next to her, and Bren sat across from his wife, so that he could talk to Drust.
“Yer settling back in all right, brother?” Bren asked.
“Aye. It’s good to be home. “Thank you”, he said with a rueful smile, “for not selling all of my things right away.”
“Aye, yer welcome”, Bren teased back in an easy manner that made light of what they had both just gone through. “I was verra busy and didna have the time.”
“Tell me about Eian. Where is he, exactly?”
“West of here, somewhere, I imagine.” Bren leaned back in his chair and took a swallow of his ale. “But really, he could be anywhere by now.”
Drust picked up his own mug and raised his eyebrows at his brother.
“After… we lost ye”, Bren continued, “Eian got it into his head that there was a way to go back in time, and pull ye forward just before ye fought Mored in that cave. He’d heard talk of a powerful charm that could bend time. I think he heard it from a gypsy lass he was tupping… I dinna remember. But anyway, he went to see if there was any truth to it.”
Drust frowned. “But if he found it… and it worked… then I never will have met Willa, and ye might no’ have Faith back. He shouldna be messing with such things!”
“Aye… and I would never have let him go if I believed such a charm exists, or that he would find it. The gypsies speak of all kinds of charms and magic that they ken nothing about. Eian needed to blow off some steam. I thought it would do him good, to get away for awhile. I thought he would search for a time, then give up and come home.” He set his cup of ale down on the table with a thud. “That was before we found the documents. Three sons to be born of three sons. Six men to usher in an age of peace and prosperity. I think Eian had to go searching not for a charm, but for his mate.”
***
Later that night, Willa tossed and turned on the huge bed, her eyes seldom leaving the heavy oak door, which she had left unbolted. Was he not going to come to her? Or was he really going to wait until their wedding night to take her again? Was she bold enough to go to him? Maybe, but she wasn’t sure she could find his chamber without getting lost in the maze of corridors. Finally, there was the faint sound of the latch lifting, and her heart began to race in anticipation.
