Page 63 of Alec

There’s no reason for us to fight anymore. You have no power over me. You haven’t since you died. You’ll never be able to hurt me again, even in my memories.

Olivia knew then what she had to do—what she had put off for far too long—because she would never stop thinking of her until she did.

“I forgive you for what you did to me, Mother,” she said. “Rest in peace.”

The fantasy of Mae began to turn dark and shrink down, disappearing into a puddle of ash that collapsed in on itself before it disappeared.

For a moment Olivia thought she might cry, but no, she had shed the last of her tears over the past. She didn’t need the love of a mother who had never wanted her. From now on she was going to get on with her life, and fight for the love of the man who did. She continued on into the garrison hall, where several guards bowed to her.

“Is he in his chamber?” she asked them, and when they nodded she smiled. “Thank you.”

“My lady, he’s...” One of the guards grimaced as another elbowed him in the side. “She should ken,” he told the other man before he said to her, “Our war master, he’s in a black mood. ’Tisnae a good time to disturb him.”

“I’m the reason he’s moody,” Olivia assured him. “I’ll take care of it.”

The men grinned at her as she set off down the passage that led to Alec’s quarters. For the first time she realized that it stood at the very front of the men’s rooms, and not in the tower, where the man in charge of the garrison should have been quartered. Alec never set himself above his brothers, even in his duty. She wondered if he’d taken the spot so he would be the first one an infiltrator would find.

He would die for them—but will he live for me?

Olivia stopped in front of Alec’s door and considered barging in, but that might only make the situation worse. Instead, she knocked and waited.

Alec yanked open the door, clearly ready to order her away, but then he stepped back and cleared his throat. “How may I serve, my lady?”

“You can’t. You’re not my servant.” Rather than let him slam the door in her face, she brushed past him and walked to the hearth, which was almost burned out. Crouching to add some wood shavings onto the coals, she blew on them until they caught fire, and then began to build a teepee of thin kindling sticks over it.

“Stop.” He brought over a bucket with wood splits and thumped it down next to her. When she didn’t, he told her, “I ken how to build a fire, Mistress Gibson.”

“The guys warned me how obnoxious you’d be, and boy, were they right. They like me, by the way.” Once the flames had flared enough she added two splits over the kindling, bracing them at an angle.

“You shouldnae come here alone,” Alec muttered. “’Tisnae permitted.”

“Now you’re going to stick to the rules.” She then stood and turned to face him, making him step back again. “Apparently you’ve forgotten that we’ve had dream sex as well as the real thing in the stables. You know, before we defeated the ice beetles and saved everyone?”

Alec’s shoulders stiffened, but he said nothing.

“Remember how both times that very wild, hot, crazy silent sex nearly wrecked both of us?” She huffed out a sigh. “Do you want me to show you where the bruises were on my bottom and breasts before the spell trap healed them? Or the little scar you left when you bit me on my–”

“’Tisnae seemly to speak of such,” he said, his voice tight, but he still wouldn’t look at her. “We’re no’ married. I owe you naught.”

“No, you don’t,” she said with all the patience she had left. “We can agree that I was more than willing. We didn’t make any promises to each other. What I don’t understand is why you’re hiding from me now. Are you ashamed of having sex with me?”

“You deserve better than me, lass,” Alec said, moving away from her.

Olivia couldn’t believe it. He was talking as if she were the gorgeous one, and he was unworthy of her. Had he lost his mind?

We’re the same.

From the first moment they met Alec had recognized her suffering as being equal to his own. Later, when she’d told him about her childhood, and how Mae locked away and abused her, he had comforted her, but he’d already known it would be bad, too—she hadn’t shocked him. Surely he could see that she would understand whatever had been done to him.

She would have to drag it out of him. If she didn’t, they would never have a chance.

“I deserve better than you, huh? Who would you suggest I seduce next?” she asked, turning her back on him and wandering around the room. “Ava is married to Tasgall, and I’m not a home wrecker, so the laird is off-limits. I think Rory is in love with someone else, and he’s super-sized, which doesn’t really appeal to me. I guess even though I’m like other women now I still think of myself as small. Anyway, Farlan seems nice enough, and he’s a little less gigantic than Darro. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind–”

Before she could get out the last words Alec strode over, seized her shoulders and made her face him. “Dinnae tease me with such, Olivia. I’m no’ made of ice.”

“That’s not what the maids say,” she countered. “Why do you think I’d want anyone else, Alec? I chose you as my lover in the stables. In my dreams, too. You’re the one for me.”

His expression darkened. “You didnae ken if we’d survive the MacBren.”