Dougal MacDonald repulsed her; the very idea of marriage to him was repugnant. They both knew she’d agreed only under duress, but Meg suspected that Dougal enjoyed toying with her. Taking sadistic pleasure in manipulating her to his bidding, in watching her panic as he’d held the blade to Robbie’s neck, in making sure she knew that she was his prisoner and that he was in control. Meg thought of Alex’s imprisonment all those years ago in a MacDonald dungeon at the hand of this man and couldn’t imagine what he’d been forced to endure.
It gave her insight into the rage that drove Alex. Dougal MacDonald was a man to inspire vengeance. Anger could be a great motivator, as Meg had learned. It was anger that had propelled her over miles of rugged terrain without complaint.
They’d camped last night in the woods well south of Stornoway. Meg had been too frightened and anxious to sleep, though she soon wished she had. Today had been a nightmare. They’d walked for hours, skirting well clear of the MacLeods as they headed north just past Stornoway to a rocky ridge above the northernmost section of the harbor. They’d stopped, finally, but it would not be for long.
Since their capture, Dougal had kept her separated from the others and well guarded, leaving her no opportunity to escape. He knew as well as she did that even if Jamie or the others could have escaped, they would not leave her behind.
Sitting on a rock, resting her aching feet, Meg wanted to weep with exhaustion and frustration. She swept a strand of hair from her face, feeling the dirt and grime of the long day sitting on her skin. But she knew that it would get much worse before this day was done.
As soon as Alex appeared below, Dougal would make his move. Using her.
Meg would never have told Dougal anything that might put Alex in jeopardy. And he must have guessed as much, because he focused his persuasion on Jamie—this time using her as the pawn. Meg begged Jamie not to say anything. Dougal wouldn’t kill her, not until he’d married her. But when he’d held the blade to her throat, Jamie had told him what he knew—which, thankfully, wasn’t much. She was glad that they were not privy to all of Alex’s plans. Though when Dougal realized he’d lost his attempt to take Alex at sea, it had forced him to use her as his sword.
By coming to Lewis, Meg had unintentionally given Dougal the very opportunity he’d been waiting for. Meg knew as well as he did what had happened to Alex’s cousins and how much Alex blamed himself for their deaths. Dougal would give Alex another chance to surrender, this time with her as his bait.
She would be the cause of Alex’s death. For even if Alex surrendered, thereby saving her life, Dougal no doubt intended to kill him. Alex would know that, too, but it wouldn’t stop him. And it wasn’t just Alex’s life at stake. If Alex didn’t do his part, Neil MacLeod would be walking into a death trap at the castle.
Because of her, the entire rebellion could fail.
Chapter 25
Alex and his warriors approached Stornoway harbor from the south, keeping as close to the tree line as possible to avoid detection. As they neared the crags bordering the northernmost section of the inner harbor, he signaled for his men to halt and ready themselves for battle. From this vantage point, he had a direct line of sight to the sea-gate of Stornoway Castle and of the harbor below it.
He kept vigilant watch of his surroundings, wary not only of an attack, but also of keeping an eye out for the return of Robbie and the other men he’d sent with Meg. They should be back at any time, and he would need them. There was no cause for concern…yet. But all the same, Alex would be relieved when they returned and confirmed that Meg was safely ensconced at Dunakin.
Meg. God, how he missed her. Her coming to him on Lewis had changed so much. With no secrets left between them, the distraction that had plagued him since he’d departed Edinburgh had lifted. Now he could focus his full attention on the battle, knowing that the woman he loved was waiting for him.
When his work was done.
The battle he’d been waiting for was finally upon him. Justice would be theirs. For his kin. Both living and dead.
He felt excitement rushing through his blood as it always did before a fight. This was when he was at his best, when clarity of thought and unity of purpose drowned out everything else around him. The challenge invigorated him. Each battle was a test not just of strength, but of strategy and cunning. Of courage and of honor.
Today was the culmination of years of training and months of preparation. Their plan was simple, as the best usually were. Simplicity minimized the opportunities for something to go wrong. But timing was everything.
It was a three-pronged attack. At sea, trying to capture the supply ship, as they’d originally intended, would take too many men. They knew this now because of the information Meg had brought them. Instead, they hoped to delay it—and eventually, if they were successful, prevent the ship from landing at all.
Twobirlinnsof sixteen MacLeod clansmen stood ready just offshore, awaiting his signal to attack the supply ship as it entered the outer harbor. Alex’s guardsman Patrick MacGregor would do his best to keep the ship busy while the land phase of their attack began. Except for his brother, there was no man Alex trusted more than the fearsome MacGregor.
Alex had handpicked a small force of men that he would lead in the attack against the castle guards coming out to meet the ships. They would be outnumbered, but it was nothing they hadn’t faced before. At the same time, Neil and his men would lay siege to the castle, hoping to hit it hard when it was not as heavily defended. In doing so, Neil would be leaving his flank vulnerable. If anything went wrong, and the guardsmen were able to return to the castle too soon or with more men, Neil and his men would be trapped. To complicate matters, they also had to watch for Dougal trying to outflank Patrick at sea.
The MacLeods’ strength would be significantly divided, but they would have the element of surprise. It would be enough.
Alex scanned the sea again. It was near dark, but he could just make out the white of a sail in the distance. He ordered his men to wait for his signal. He kept his gaze focused on the castle. Waiting. Any minute…
The sea-gate to Stornoway Castle opened.
Every inch of his body was trained on the small stretch of land between the castle and the harbor, where the sixty or so men had begun to descend the stairs of the sea-gate and march toward the four waiting galleys. There wasn’t much time; Alex and his men had to attack before the Lowlanders could embark in their ships. He raised his claymore, ready to give the signal that would send his men galloping down the hill toward the unsuspecting soldiers.
This was it. The moment he’d been waiting for was upon him. It was time to put his demons where they belonged, in the past. And win the day for the MacLeods of Lewis.
The sound of stomping hooves from behind stilled his hand. He was just about to proceed anyway and lower his hand when a voice rang out.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Alex recognized the voice and then the face that halted not twenty feet behind him. Dougal MacDonald. The rush of hatred hit him hard, but he would not allow it to interfere with the task at hand. He cast his gaze down to the soldiers making their way toward the boat. Nothing looked amiss. But he knew Dougal well enough to know that he was up to something. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t work. Alex was no longer a boy of eighteen.
He would not be defeated. Perhaps it was fitting that his nemesis should arrive to witness this moment.
