Dougal led a dozen or so of his men through the clearing, forming a semicircle around them.
Alex’s eyes narrowed at the implied threat, but he felt a vague inkling of trouble. “Don’t interfere, MacDonald. You’re outnumbered.” He indicated his own score of warriors, waiting for his signal to careen down the hill. “Surrender now and you won’t have to die.”
Something in Dougal’s expression bothered him. He looked too confident, like a man holding an unbeatable hand. Alex’s uneasiness spread. Dougal wouldn’t challenge him like this unless he was damn sure of the outcome.
“It’s not I who will be surrendering, MacLeod. You see, I need but one person to defeat you.”
Alex stilled.No. He couldn’t…
Dougal turned, motioning for someone to step forward.
Out of the darkness from behind the trees, the tiny familiar form broke into view. Meg. Spitting-fire angry with a knife pressed to her throat by one of Dougal’s men. Vaguely, he was aware of Jamie and the other men behind her, bound, their wrists tied with rope.
The ground shifted under his feet as the memories collided with the present.Not again.
“Alex, don’t listen to him. He won’t kill me, it’s just a trick—”
“Shut up!” Dougal shouted, striking her hard across her cheek with the back of his hand. Meg’s head rolled with the blow.
Alex let out a strangled sound and leapt forward to attack—stopping only when he saw MacDonald’s man press the knife deeper against Meg’s neck.
A red haze clouded his vision. He forced himself to breathe, forced his pulse to slow. He needed his mind to clear, he had to think. His gaze fixed on Meg, but out of the corner of his eye, Alex noticed that Jamie and Robbie had also leapt to Meg’s defense.
“Stay out of this, Campbell,” Dougal warned.
Alex couldn’t speak. Icy fear gripped his throat. He was staring at the knife.
“Well? It’s your decision,” Dougal said, gloating.
Just like four years ago,Alex thought. Dougal had recreated the scene for maximum effect. Would it be Meg who was gulleted before him this time?
Alex was trained to lead. To make decisions. To make the hard decisions.
Just not this decision.
Could he surrender, saving her life, knowing that in doing so, he’d be forced to sacrifice so many others who were depending on him?
Alex eyed the castle guardsmen on shore who were fast approaching their boats. There wasn’t much time. If they reached the boats, he’d fail. Patrick and the twobirlinnsof his men would be too far outnumbered in a battle on water with both the men from the castle and the new recruits. The Lowlanders would return to the castle with reinforcements, and Neil would be storming into a death trap.
He made his decision.
He lifted his claymore and swung it in a wide circle, the signal for his men on land and at sea to attack. They obeyed, their trust in him absolute. With a fierce battle cry of “Hold fast!” the men surrounding him rode off, thundering down on the unsuspecting castle guardsmen loading onto the boats. Leaving Alex alone to fight Dougal and his dozen warriors.
The battle to take Stornoway Castle had begun. Without Alex.
Meg dared not breathe.
As the piercing scream of the MacLeod war cry rang in her ears, she knew that any breath might well be her last. Not that she was ready to die. She prayed that Alex had a few more tricks up his sleeve.
She was so proud of him. She knew what this decision had cost him, but it also proved the man he had become. A leader willing to do what was necessary for the protection of his people, no matter the personal cost. Never had she been more certain that this was the man she wanted to help lead her clan.
Dougal’s stunned expression indicated that Alex’s defiance had surprised him.
“Apparently, I overestimated the chit’s worth to you,” Dougal snapped.
“It’s not her you want,” Alex replied calmly. “It’s me. I’ll surrender, but not until I am assured that Mistress Mackinnon is safe. Allow Campbell to take her away and I’ll go with you.”
“No!” Meg gasped, understanding exactly what he was doing. Dougal wouldn’t take him anywhere. Alex was bargaining his life for Meg’s.
