J.
Neil must have read something in his expression. “What’s the matter?”
Alex had already started to run for his horse. “I have to go.”
Meg woke with a strange heaviness crushing her skull. She opened her eyes and quickly closed them again. Bright sunlight filtered through a small window, flooding the room with light and splitting her head in two. Wincing against the offending sun, she made a sound of pain.
Her hand was immediately enfolded in a strong grasp, and she felt the warm, calming presence of someone at her side. The same strong presence she’d felt in her dreams. The same strong presence that had called her back while she floated on the calming sea.
“Thank God you’re awake.”
Alex,she realized. Why did his voice sound so strange? Raw, almost desperate. She frowned. What was he doing here? He’d promised to go to Neil. Jamie had sworn not to send for him.
More cautiously this time, she opened her eyes. It wasn’t a dream. He was there, at her side, so golden, so radiantly handsome that it was almost difficult to look at him. She blinked and looked again. Actually, he looked as though he’d gone through hell and back. His eyes were bloodshot, he looked exhausted beyond measure, and his face was strained and bruised with barely healed cuts—
Her eyes snapped open.
“Oh God, Alex, you’re hurt!” she exclaimed. She tried to sit up, only to slump back down on the bed when her head exploded in pain. She fought the swift kick of nausea.
“Shhh,” he said gently, pressing a damp cloth on her forehead. “I’m fine. A few cuts and bruises, nothing more. Don’t try to sit up.”
“But why are you here? Why aren’t you with your men? What’s happened?”
He smoothed her hair over the top of her head and rubbed tiny circles at her temples, immediately soothing the pressure in her head.
“It’s all over.”
“What!” She shot up, only to crumple back onto her pillow again. Perhaps he was right. Lying down seemed a good idea. “But when? How?”
“Stornoway Castle is ours. The battle went much as planned. Without reinforcements, the castle fell within two days.”
She scanned his face, taking in every inch of him, noticing every cut on his beloved face. Aside from needing sleep and a shave, he looked well enough. “And you are not hurt? Truly?”
“Barely a scratch,” he assured her, stroking her cheek with the back of his finger.
Meg sank back into the pillow, relaxed. “I’m so proud of you. I know how much this means to you.”
“Aye, but it’s nothing compared to what you mean to me.”
Meg tried to smile, but a sudden burst of pain caused her to grimace. “I’m sorry, I seem to have a horrible headache.”
He pressed a soft, soothing kiss on her temple. “I’m not surprised. You’ve been ill.” His voice dropped. “Very ill.”
“I don’t feel ill. Except for the headache.” She wrinkled her nose. “And perhaps a little hungry.”
“The fever only broke last night. You’ve been unconscious for four days.”
“Four days!” That took her aback; she must have been worse than she realized. She glanced over at the plaid strewn across the bench before the fire. And this was obviously where he’d spent every minute of those four days. No wonder he looked so tired.
He bowed his head on her hand. “Oh God, Meg. I didn’t think…” He lifted his head and looked at her fiercely. “I thought I was going to lose you. Twice.” There was an undertone in his voice that hinted at something far more serious that she’d realized. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. You should have told me you were bleeding. How could you not let them send for me?” His voice thickened. “I was so damn scared. You’d lost so much blood, and when the wound festered you didn’t have the strength to fight the fever.”
Seeing how distraught he was, Meg felt a strong pang of guilt for what she’d put him through. She’d known she was ill, but not deathly so. His hair had slid forward across his eyes, shielding his gaze from her view. She reached out and tucked it behind his ear. The look in his eyes humbled her. Never would she doubt this man’s love for her. She fit her hand around the curve of his whiskered jaw. “I’m sorry. But I knew you would not leave otherwise—”
“Damn right I would not have left,” he said gruffly. “Don’t you understand what you mean to me? You are everything. Never doubt that. My place is with you, only you.”
The emotion in his voice tugged at her heart. She understood exactly what he meant, because she felt the same. Contrite, she slid her arms around the back of his neck. “And you are everything to me.”
He sank into her, his mouth covering hers with a groan. He kissed her with such hunger that she soon forgot all about the pain in her head. Her body softened, warming under his solid masculine strength. She opened her mouth and his tongue found hers, deepening the kiss. She felt the force of his fear for her in the raw desperation of his kiss. A kiss she returned with all the emotion she’d been holding inside while he battled for his clan. She grabbed his shoulders. He was so strong and hard, and she loved him desperately. The power of their passion swept over her, sending a shudder of desire rippling through her.
