Her heart beating hard, Rowen rushed out of the keep as Alec spun to face her, his stunned expression making her stop only feet away from him.
Another query dying upon her lips when he closed the distance between them in two strides and enveloped her in a fierce embrace, aye, so tight she could hardly breathe.
“By God, woman…” was all he murmured against her ear before he released her so suddenly that Rowen stumbled backwards, though he caught her arm to keep her from falling.
His grip punishing as he stared at her anew as if he couldn’t believe she stood in front of him, while Rowen nervously clutched her cloak with one hand as commotion reigned around them.
Horses whinnying and men shouting that some villagers were approaching the castle gates.
Guards atop the ramparts yelling down to Alec that they hadn’t yet sighted any sails, Rowen looking at him in confusion.
“Villagers, Alec? Sails?”
As if her queries had roused him to speak, he uttered a low oath and drew her with him toward the keep, where he pushed her none too gently inside the door, out of the way of several grim-faced warriors hastening toward the great hall.
“One of my men told me you had ridden from the castle?—”
“No, it was Gaira!” she blurted, understanding now why Alec had looked so astonished upon seeing her. “She’s gone tae tell my father about Errol tae make him stop any more attempts tae harm you?—”
“Och, wife, you sent your lady’s maid out alone into the night! Are you mad?”
Rowen felt her face flush hot at how harshly he’d spoken to her, which made her bristle and lift her chin. “I said I would go, but Gaira thought it would only make things worse between us. She wants tae help us! How else will you ever believe that I dinna want you dead? When I heard you’d ridden out with your men because of some trouble, I wanted tae warn you! I thought mayhap Errol?—”
“Not your brother, but Orkney raiders,” Alec cut her off, glancing beyond the open doorway as an uproar carried to them from the direction of the castle gates. “They attacked and burned the village, murdering some of the men and abducting seven poor lasses?—”
“Oh, Alec, no…” Rowen said in shock, following his gaze to where a snow-white horse was led into the bailey with a cloaked figure hugging the animal’s neck and weeping piteously. “Och…that’s Gaira.”
Alec had already released Rowen to lunge out the door, and she wasn’t far behind him.
Her heart in her throat to see Gaira in such a state as one of Alec’s warriors lifted her to the ground, her weeping becoming a wail when she spied Rowen.
“Ah, sweeting, I wanted so badly tae help you and the laird, truly! I hid in the trees when I saw his men riding after me and then I set out again…b-but the snow was so deep and I heard wolves howling from the hills. I turned around and rode back as fast as I could—God help me! I’m so sorry—so sorry…”
Now Rowen felt weak-kneed to have endangered Gaira, and Alec’s grim expression only heightened her regret.
Yet before she could utter a heartfelt apology, two wagons rumbled into the bailey filled with weeping women and children and with their men walking alongside, some of them limping while others bore bandaged wounds.
Gaira still wept, too, Rowen wrapping her arm around Gaira’s narrow waist to support her as they walked together toward the keep.
“Aye, take her tae her room,” came Alec’s somber voice behind her. “See that she’s settled and then come downstairs straightaway tae help in the great hall. You can see our kinsmen need us this night.”
Our kinsmen. For the first time, Rowen felt she belonged with the Mackays, Alec’s words giving her hope that he believed as much, too.
Yet when she glanced over her shoulder, he was already helping the villagers climb out of the wagons while Rowen marveled that he still showed such stamina after waking only hours ago from Simeon’s powerful potion.
“He’s a good man,” Gaira murmured as if reading Rowen’s thoughts, her eyes red-rimmed though she had ceased to weep. “Och, sweeting, as soon as you can…tell him you love him. Nothing else will help the two of you as much, I promise you.”
Rowen didn’t answer, but the faster beat of her heart as she assisted Gaira toward the tower steps made her certain, indeed, that she had fallen in love with Alec Mackay.
Seeing him safe and standing so tall and handsome when she had pushed open the door to the keep an astounding moment of truth for her…and then when he had embraced her so fiercely?—
“Aye, I can see it in your face that you believe he loves you, too,” came Gaira’s weary aside to draw Rowen’s gaze to hers. “Dinna waste another moment on thinking the worst of each other—och, what has happened tae the villagers? I saw flames tae the north?—”
“I will tell you when you’re warm and settled, come.”
Gaira didn’t say anything more, but whispered her thanks as she leaned against Rowen for support, the rumble of more wagons and fresh outcries of sorrow following them up the steps.
* * *
