A tic working along his jaw, he stared again at the devastation…and the huddled women and children who had appeared out of the darkness.
All of them silent, their faces as stricken as the young man who gazed now in abject despair at the waves beating against the rocky shore.
Alec had no words to comfort him, the fate his bride-to-be would suffer a terrible one, indeed.
Instead, he turned his horse around to head back to the castle while the village men began to seek out their families—God help them all, a horrendous night.
Regret weighed heavily upon him that he and his warriors hadn’t arrived sooner, but by the time his guards atop the ramparts had seen the flames, the worst of the damage had been done.
The raiders’ birlinns shoved off the beach and rowing back out to deep water, another glance at the dark expanse of ocean showing no sign at all of any sails in spite of the bright moonlight?—
“Laird!Laird!”
The rider reining in his horse too late and nearly careening into him, Alec cursed under his breath at his warrior’s recklessness and demanded, “What is it, man?”
“Your wife, Laird Mackay! The gates were left open for your return and she rode out before we could stop her?—”
“By God, did anyone ride after her?”
“Aye, but her white mare blended into the snow and they lost sight of her?—”
“No, no,no!” Alec didn’t wait for the man to say anything else as he kicked his horse into a gallop, shouting to him over his shoulder, “Ride tae my father’s fortress—tell him what’s happened here and that we need more men.Go!”
His heartbeat pounding in his ears, Alec didn’t waste another glance behind him to see if the rest of his warriors were following him, his every thought riveted upon Rowen.
His emotions flipping wildly from fury to disbelief that she would ride out alone into the night—och, but had she not proved her foolhardiness before?
She was heading south to her own father’s fortress, she had to be! Either because she wanted no more of their marriage or she intended to press Errol to increase his efforts to see Alec dead, just as he had railed earlier at Gaira.
Damn him for a fool, how Rowen must truly hate him!
That wretched thought caused so deep a stab at Alec’s heart that his breath felt jammed in his chest as he urged the powerful gelding into a harder gallop.
He could see that the castle gates were still yawning open. Did his men have no sense of the ever-looming threat from the Sutherlands and now Orkney raiders?
He wanted so wildly to go after Rowen, but what good would that do him? She was too far to the south now for him to catch up with her, so let her ride back to her accursed family.
What did he care, anyway? He didn’t love her, she didn’t love him, their marriage nothing but a debacle from the moment she had nearly led him off a cliff!
Still though, her womanly scent clung to him…eliciting heated memories of the beauty of her naked body and her slick warmth when he’d thrust himself into her, making her gasp and moan. Yet how could he think of such carnal things when she might be in danger?
Had she taken a weapon with her? Mayhap even finding her knife that he had buried deep in his clothes chest? Anything to protect herself if she encountered a pack of wolves roaming the moonlit night—ah, God, why was he tormenting himself?
With a vehement oath, Alec rode into the bailey and dismounted, shouting commands for his men to clear the great hall of tables and benches to make room for the villagers and their families who would soon be sleeping there.
To the guards atop the ramparts, he roared for them to keep watch toward the sea for any sight of sails and what direction the raiders mayhap were heading if not back to their northern islands.
To others he shouted to alert the head cook and to send servants to the kitchen to help prepare food to warm the villagers’ bellies and give them some semblance of comfort after so terrifying a night.
Then to another guard, Alec commanded him to wake Simeon and tell him that his infirmary would soon be filled with those needing his care.
There was so much to be done that Alec felt strangely grateful as he strode toward the keep for anything to free his mind from Rowen—och, why was he deceiving himself?
Every passing moment took her further away from him, Alec wheeling around to return to his horse so he could ride out after her?—
“Alec, thank God you’re safe! What has happened?”
CHAPTER14
