Page 119 of Claimed Highland Brides

She froze, unable to believe her ears. “Delwyn?”

“Yes.”

She turned in his arms and looked up into his face, disbelieving.

“What…? How…?”

“I’ll explain it all to you later, my love, but for now I need you to stay here, close to Goraidh. Can you do that?”

She frowned, wondering who Goraidh might be only to turn and see a vastly bearded gentleman standing beside Delwyn as if he’d materialized from the night. She let out a quickly cut-off squeak, startling slightly. Delwyn grinned. “He can be very quiet. Don’t worry, he’ll protect you.” With that, he tossed Jamesina towards Goraidh and disappeared back into the fray.

There were shouts, growling, the occasional high-pitched scream. The horses were upset but not panicked. It was all very smoothly done even as Goraidh pushed her to the ground and stood over her with a staff.

She felt the uncommon urge to laugh.

Delwyn is here. It’s going to be alright. I can trust him.

An interminable time later, the fighting died down and there were three people in the midst of the circle, who were tied up. Their companions lay dead on the ground, including the man with the gruff voice. Goraidh gestured for her to get to her feet and escorted her to the others. Daividh caught sight of her and broke off from the whispered conversation he was having with Delwyn to give her a tight hug.

“’Tis good t’see ye again Sister,” he murmured before stepping back and examining her critically. “Are ye hurt?”

She shook her head. “No really.”

He touched her cheek with affection before his attention returned to the captured men. “None o’ them is Neacel. Was he wi’ ye? Did he escape?”

“I dinnae see their faces but I heard them talking. They said Neacel would be upset if I was deid so I dinnae think he was wi’ us.”

Both men whipped around to stare at her with angry eyes. “I beg yer pardon?” Delwyn shouted at the same time that Daividh said, “What did ye say?”

She grinned at them.

“What do you mean, if you were dead? Were you hurt in some way?” Delwyn demanded with fear for her in his voice.

Her hand went to her belly. “No. But…well, they had me tied upside doon on my horse. It wasnae comfortable. I vomited a few times.”

Delwyn took an angry step towards the remaining men, sghian dhu raised. Daividh put out a hand to stop him. “Not yet. We mun’ find Neacel. They’re our on’y way tae do tha’.”

Delwyn breathed in and out like bellows a few times but he understood the logic enough to know that it was true. If they did not deal with Neacel now, they might find themselves in this situation again.

“I think they were heading towards him,” she piped up. “I suppose we can just follow the path?”

Daividh blinked at her a few times and then narrowed his eyes. He turned to one of his men. “Fetch the scout.” The man nodded, taking off.

Daividh sent the man ahead to see if he could track the camp. Then he got down on his haunches to face the captured men, knife in hand. “Now, ye’re going tae tell me wha’ I want tae ken or yer own mothers wilnae recognize ye when I’m done.”

Jamesina shivered at the coldness in his voice, thankful that it had never been directed at her. Her eyes sought her husband, standing in the circle surrounding the prisoners. Their gazes locked and then he was stepping away from the men and heading in her direction. They met in the middle and he put his arms around her, squeezing tight. She closed her eyes and relaxed, feeling safe once again.

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