"Come to bed, lady wife, so you can meet your sister on the morrow."
Inside the tent, Sorcha curled up against her husband's body, glad for the warmth on the cold night when they could have no fire. She was beginning to believe that she would not see Akira or the bairns.
She prayed she would when before first morning light, she heard men's voices and then a woman's.
Akira! Sorcha realized Ronan had already left their bedding inside the tent, and she scrambled out to see her sister.
Two men were holding torches so they could see each other in the dark. As soon as Sorcha saw Akira, her dark hair left down and braided with tassels, her dark brown eyes filled with tears, Sorcha rushed to join her, throwing herself at Akira and hugged her tight. She cried like a wee lassie. But she couldn't help it. She hadn't been able to see Akira before she ran away.
Akira was crying, too, but happy tears also and Sorcha heard a male child say, "Momma, is that…"
Sorcha turned to see Akira's eldest son, James, though he was but five summers, and just as dark-haired and dark-eyed as his mother. Sorcha leaned down to hug him. "So good to see you, James." Still hugging James, who was hugging her just as soundly back, Sorcha turned to Akira. She loved her niece and nephews—all affectionate, just like their mother. "The others?"
"Nay. I could only bring James. Are you well?"
"Oh, aye." Sorcha finally took hold of Ronan's hand as he stood smiling at them and she thought he was glad that he'd risked their safety in coming here so she could see her sister and her nephew. "Husband, this is my sister, Lady Akira, and this is Laird Ronan Daziel."
"I am pleased to meet you, Laird…"
"Ronan, if it pleases you," Ronan said.
"Ronan. I am happy to know Sorcha has found a home with you and your people. I have heard all about you, Sorcha, from Tuathal. I am so delighted you are well and…" Akira hugged her again. "You are with bairn."
Ronan said, "I will leave you ladies so that you can visit for a time."
The day was beginning to dawn.
"Thank you, Ronan. Come, we must talk." Sorcha led Akira and James into the tent and they spoke of all that had gone on in the past several weeks.
"I sent Tuathal to learn what had become of you. I knew my husband was at fault, though he denied any of it. He didna want you to return for fear I would learn the truth."
"Aye, I am so very happy." Sorcha ruffled James's hair, and he laid his head in her lap and went to sleep. "I am glad to see him."
"Someday, he will be our clan chief. He will have to travel with the men and learn to do as they do."
"And the others?"
"The boys are growing fast. Seana will be as small as us, I envision. Your husband seems to be a good man."
"He is. Oh, Akira," Sorcha said, taking her hands and squeezing them gently. "I wish you could stay with us. Away from that ogre of a husband of yours."
"He might not be the best of husbands, but this is our home, and he doesna treat the children or me ill."
"Aye, he is just into his cups more oft than not, and he is wenching all the time."
"True, but the bairns and I have a good home. And you dinna know how relieved I am that you are safe and more than happy."
Sorcha looked down at James, loving her nephew, knowing he would be the clan chief someday and would protect his mother. She hoped someday she'd have a son like him, too. But for now, she was having a daughter.
"We must go, my lady," Tuathal said. "Before the staff breaks their fast and become alarmed that you and James are gone."
"Aye." She hugged Sorcha again and woke James. "We are leaving, son."
Sorcha gave him a hug and kissed him all over his face, which had him grinning at her and giving her another hug, even harder this time. And she loved it.
"Mayhap we can see each other again."
"Aye. Later. Much later. You will have a bairn to tend to, and once that happens, you will find traveling much harder." She smiled. "I love you, Sorcha."
"Akira." Sorcha choked on the rest of her words and hugged her again.
And then Akira and her son rode off with their escort.
"I will ride with you to the border to ensure no one gives you any trouble," Tuathal said.
"My thanks," Sorcha said, "for all you have done for me."
Then they were off and this time Sorcha didn't want to stop except to allow the horses time to rest. She was driven to return home. Akira was right. Dunloch Castle was now her home. The Daziel clan members were her family. And someday she knew she'd be able to see her sister, niece, and nephews without fear.
When they reached the standing stones near the loch, Ronan stopped her and said, "One day my brother Ward thought he saw a figure near the loch, but when he searched the beach, he saw no sign of her. But I suspected the person had fled into the shadows of the forest. And there, I found her. I thank God every day that I did."
He reached over and pulled her onto his horse and kissed her thoroughly. A couple of the men in their escort chuckled.
"You dinna want to know what I thought."
"When I pinned you to the ground?" He grinned and rode the rest of the way to the castle with her across his lap.
When they arrived home, she hadn't expected to do anything except take a bath and sleep for a week.
But Elspeth had apparently sent men to spy on their return, and knew way before they arrived that they were on their way.
Elspeth had prepared a great celebration, feasting, drinking and dancing, just to welcome them home. Once Ronan helped Sorcha to the ground, Elspeth threw her arms around her. "Welcome home." Her eyes were filled with joyful tears and Sorcha realized Elspeth probably worried she would never make it back here.
She was just as teary-eyed as she hugged her new sister, and the two hurried off to the keep. A bath first, clean clothes, sleeping could wait. She glanced back at Ronan, almost forgetting him in all her excitement to be home.
He was standing with his two brothers and Fagen, all four with their arms folded across their broad chests, all of them grinning broadly.
Sorcha was truly home.
"It worked out well, I take it," Ward said as they watched the two women head inside the keep.
"Aye. I wish she could see her sister and her children more frequently, but someday I am sure it will happen."
"I thought you might slip away with the lass when we arrived home, and we wouldna see you until tomorrow morn," Ward said.
Ronan slapped his brother on the back and headed for the keep. "That may still happen, brother."
And the men all laughed.
He loved his bonny wife and he had every intention of showing her just how much, every day of their lives.
Epilogue
Elspeth assisted two other women as Sorcha and Ronan's bairn was born into the world. "She is beautiful, Sorcha," she said, resting Lena at Sorcha's breast.
"She is lovely." Sorcha smiled as Lena sucked from her breast. She was tired, but she couldn't have been any happier than she was this day.
The door opened and the women turned to see Ronan taking up the whole doorway. When he saw the bairn at Sorcha's breast, he smiled and advanced on the bed.
"A girl, Lena," Sorcha said.
"A bonny lass, just like her mother." He leaned down and kissed Sorcha on the lips and would have held the baby, but she was suckling.
He couldn't have been more proud of Sorcha. And couldn't have adored his daughter any more than he did now. He took Sorcha's hand and caressed it. "And the next one?" He still couldn't believe she had known what she was going to have.
She looked at him with an expression that said if he could carry their next bairn she was all for it.
He smiled. "Later."
"Much."
He ran his hand over Lena's dark brown hair.
"She has your hair," Sorcha said.
Lena stopped feeding and Ronan lifted her to look at her. She squinted at him. "And your green eyes. Someday, I sup
pose you will teach her how to use a dirk."
Sorcha laughed and her lovely voice was like a summer's day, warm and welcome as he cuddled the bairn in his arms. "And you will want that, too, so she can protect herself from unscrupulous men."
Ronan glanced at Sorcha, still remembering that day so long ago and glad he'd found and protected her, even though she had done a good job protecting herself.
"I will return."
Sorcha frowned. "Where are you going?"
"To show off the new member of our clan."
Elspeth patted her arm. "I will go with him and make sure the bairn comes to no harm. She will be back in your arms in no time. Rest."
Sorcha couldn't help smiling at Ronan as he swaddled the bairn in his arms, one proud da, and she couldn't have loved him any more for it.
Someday they would tell their daughter about her mother and da's magical encounter near the ancient standing stones—and how their coming together had been meant to be.
She watched as Elspeth disappeared from the chamber and hoped that she would soon have her own special encounter with a Highland love of her life.
Cheers went up below stairs and Sorcha smiled. Lena would be well loved by all, too.
About the Author
Bestselling and award-winning author Terry Spear has written over fifty paranormal romance novels and four medieval Highland historical romances. Her first werewolf romance, Heart of the Wolf, was named a 2008 Publishers Weekly’s Best Book of the Year, and her subsequent titles have garnered high praise and hit the USA Today bestseller list. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry lives in Crawford, Texas, where she is working on her next werewolf romance, continuing her new series about shapeshifting jaguars, and cougars, having fun with her young adult novels, and playing with her two Havanese puppies, Max and Tanner. For more information, please visit www.terryspear.com, or follow her on Twitter, @TerrySpear. She is also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/terry.spear. And on Wordpress at:
Terry Spear's Shifters
http://terryspear.wordpress.com/
Also by Terry Spear:
Romantic Suspense: Deadly Fortunes, In the Dead of the Night, Relative Danger, Bound by Danger
The Highlanders Series: Winning the Highlander's Heart, The Accidental Highland Hero, Highland Rake, Taming the Wild Highlander, The Viking’s Highland Lass
Other historical romances: Lady Caroline & the Egotistical Earl, A Ghost of a Chance at Love
Heart of the Wolf Series: Heart of the Wolf, Destiny of the Wolf, To Tempt the Wolf, Legend of the White Wolf, Seduced by the Wolf, Wolf Fever, Heart of the Highland Wolf, Dreaming of the Wolf, A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing, A Howl for a Highlander, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, A SEAL Wolf Christmas, Silence of the Wolf, 2014, Hero of a Highland Wolf, 2014, A Highland Wolf Christmas, 2014; A SEAL Wolf for Sale; A Silver Wolf Christmas, 2015
SEAL Wolves: To Tempt the Wolf, A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing, A SEAL Wolf Christmas; SEAL Wolf Hunting, SEAL Wolf in Too Deep (Feb 2016
Silver Bros Wolves: Destiny of the Wolf, Wolf Fever, Dreaming of the Wolf, Silence of the Wolf; A Silver Wolf Christmas (Oct 2015)
Highland Wolves: Heart of the Highland Wolf, A Howl for a Highlander, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, Hero of a Highland Wolf, A Highland Wolf Christmas
Heart of the Jaguar Series: Savage Hunger, Jaguar Fever, Jaguar Hunt, Jaguar Pride, Jaguar Christmas (Oct 2016)
Vampire romances: Killing the Bloodlust, Deadly Liaisons, Huntress for Hire, Forbidden Love
Heart of the Cougar Series: Cougar’s Mate, Call of the Cougar, Taming the Wild Cougar (Oct 2015), Covert Cougar Christmas, a novella (Dec 2015)
Terry Spear, His Wild Highland Lass
(Series: The Highlanders # 6.50)
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