Untamed Highlander

EIGHT

Hayden listened to Fallon as he explained the plan with half an ear. He’d heard it all in the great hall. Besides, Hayden’s attention was on Isla, or the lack of said female. Why hadn’t she and the women come into the bailey with the others?

Were the women treating her kindly? And why the hell did he even care?

“Shite,” he murmured.

Logan looked over at him, his hazel eyes seeing too much. “Something wrong?”

Hayden blew out a breath. “Nothing I cannot handle.”

Night was taking the sky, turning the world dark — and for some, dangerous. Hayden unleashed his god long enough to light the torches around the bailey. Though the Warriors didn’t need the light, the women did.

He glanced down at his hand to find his skin and claws red. At one time the sight had frightened him, but he’d gotten used to it soon enough. With barely a thought, Hayden tamped down his god until his skin had returned to normal and his claws disappeared.

“Galen is going to find the Druids,” Fallon said to them. “We need another Warrior. Who wants to accompany him?”

Hayden needed to get away from Isla before he did something unwise, like kiss her. Which he could not do. She was a drough. Evil to the core.

He opened his mouth, ready to tell Fallon he would go, but another voice beat him to it.

“I’ll do it,” Logan said.

Fallon acknowledged Logan with a brisk nod. “Logan and Galen will set off at dawn.”

Hayden snapped his mouth shut and stopped Logan when he would have walked away. “Why are you going?”

Logan shrugged, but wouldn’t meet Hayden’s gaze. “They needed another Warrior.”

“Aye, and there are plenty of us who could have gone.”

Logan slapped Hayden on the back, a too-bright smile on his face. “Never fear, my friend. I’ll return soon enough. You willna have time to miss me for verra long.”

Hayden threw up his hands in exasperation as Logan walked away to speak to Galen. Logan never took anything seriously. Everything was one big jest to him.

Although Hayden had noticed a decided lack of laughter lately with Logan. It wasn’t obvious to those who didn’t really know him, but he and Hayden were as close as brothers.

They knew each other’s secrets. Or at least Hayden knew most of Logan’s secrets. There had always been a part of Logan that he kept to himself. Not that Hayden could fault him. Sometimes secrets were best kept hidden. Even from oneself.

Logan was always ready for a fight, as any Warrior was. But the eagerness in which he volunteered, the obvious need he had to get away from the castle, surprised and worried Hayden.

Something was wrong with his friend, and with Logan leaving, Hayden couldn’t help him.

Quinn walked up beside Hayden. “I expected you to volunteer to go with Galen.”

“I was, but Logan wanted to go. He needs some time away from the castle.”

Quinn raised a dark brow, clearly not believing Hayden. “The women are going to try and convince Isla to stay permanently. Is that going to be a problem?”

“You mean am I going to kill her?” Hayden asked. He didn’t know whether to be annoyed or impressed that they bothered to ask him. In the end, he was irritated.

“Aye.”

Hayden glanced at Logan to find his friend watching him. Could he refrain from killing Isla? That would be much easier than not kissing her. “I willna harm her unless she tries to hurt someone else.”

“Fair enough.” Quinn crossed his arms over his chest. “Isla may be our only hope of stopping Deirdre.”

“I have no doubt Isla can tell us things about Deirdre we doona know, but you are asking all of us to trust a drough.”

Quinn thought that over as he stared into the darkening sky. “Aye, we are. Need I remind you that she was turned against her will?”

“Or she’s just a verra good liar.”

Quinn laughed then and dropped his arms. “There’s nothing I can say that will ease your discomfort of having her here. You’ve trusted me and my brothers before. Trust us now, Hayden.”

“I do.” Hayden replied without hesitation. The MacLeods had proven themselves time and again. There was no reason not to trust them.

The castle door opened and five women moved onto the castle steps, the torches lighting them in a red-orange glow. All but Isla descended to the bailey.

“Three hundred years without a woman in this castle,” Quinn said. “I thought Lucan had gone daft when he brought Cara inside. I was the foolish one. How much difference a woman makes to a man’s life.”

“Women complicate things,” Hayden said, unable to take his gaze from Isla. Even in her too-big gown she drew his gaze. Her ice-blue eyes looked not at the people in the bailey, but to the distance. He wondered what she was thinking.

Quinn just shook his head with a smile. “Whenever you find that one woman you cannot live without, then you can tell me how she causes difficulties.”

Hayden didn’t have any illusions about finding such a woman. He wasn’t dense enough to allow himself to have feelings for a female, not while he was immortal. Why would he do that to himself or to her? It was unnecessary.

Everyone grew quiet as Isla closed her eyes. Wind began to move though the bailey with more force than normal, whipping through the torches causing the flames to spurt. The gusts swirled and coiled around Isla, causing her black locks to lift away from her and float on the breeze. The breeze caught the fabric of her gown and molded it to her body.

Hayden tried to swallow past the lump of desire that welled inside him at the sight of Isla’s breasts and small waist. He saw her nipples pucker and bead in the wind, straining against the gown. His cock swelled and thickened, and he was eager to cup those breasts himself, to feel their weight as he buried himself deep inside her.

He was so involved in his body’s reaction to her that it took a moment to realize it was magic he felt swirling around him. And not just any magic — Isla’s. He’d never felt magic so enthralling, so erotic. He swayed and glanced around to see if anyone else was as affected, but it seemed he was the only one.

Her hands turned, palms up as she slowly lifted her arms out to her sides. Hayden started toward her, fearful that she would hurt them all with her magic. But a hand on his arm halted him. He looked to find Quinn holding him.

“She’s helping us. Remember?” Quinn reminded him.

It took everything Hayden had to remain in place, to not jerk Isla out of the bailey to stop her magic and to kiss her. Quinn removed his hand, but Lucan had moved to Hayden’s other side.

Hayden already had one home destroyed, he didn’t want that to happen to another. He only wanted to protect those he considered his family, but they refused to see past the allure Isla brought. But if she harmed any of them, Hayden would destroy her regardless of the way his body yearned for her.

Isla’s hands continued upward until her palms faced together over her head. The wind swirled around her angrily. Magic, her magic, invaded everything.

It was heady and dangerous, and Hayden hated to admit how much he enjoyed the feel of it. He’d felt magic before, but nothing as strong and seductive as Isla’s.

There was a loud boom with the vanishing of the wind, and they saw the magic, nothing but a dull light in a small ring, shoot from Isla’s hands straight up over them high in the sky. The ring ballooned out covering the castle and even the village only to disappear into the ground.

Isla licked her lips and focused her eyes on those around her. “The castle and village are now shielded with my magic. Deirdre knows where the castle is located. She will send others to try and find it. They won’t be able to see it, but they’ll know it’s here.”

“So we’re safe from other Warriors and wyrran?” Marcail asked.

“For as long as I am here, and as long as my magic is strong, the shield will last,” Isla said. “To Deirdre’s eyes, the castle, and all its occupants, will have disappeared. If you walk out of the shield, you will be spotted.”

“Won’t she know you helped us?” Lucan asked.

A niggle of worry moved in Hayden’s gut when Isla glanced away from Lucan.

“Aye.” Her voice was calm. Too calm.

She was troubled, and Hayden knew she had every right to be. He looked at Quinn. “You’ve gotten your wish, but I wonder just how much more Deirdre will bring to us now that we have her greatest weapon.”

“We doona plan to find out,” Quinn replied. “We’re hoping one of the artifacts will be able to sever that link between Isla and Deirdre.”

So that’s what they told Isla to gain her cooperation. Hope was a powerful sentiment, and one that could conquer almost anything.

The urge to protect Isla once again assaulted Hayden. What was wrong with him? She didn’t need protection. She was a drough with more magic than any Druid at the castle. If anything, Hayden needed to guard everyone else.

“You’re playing with fire,” Hayden told Quinn. “What do you think will happen when none of the artifacts help to break the bond?”

“And what if it does?” Quinn sighed and looked around the bailey. “We have something to fight for, Hayden, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure everyone here is safe. Taking risks is part of this game, and though I’d rather not, sometimes there isn’t a choice.”

Hayden knew that all too well. He found himself turning to Isla once more. To his surprise she was staring at him. Her face gave nothing away, but in the depths of her ice-blue eyes, he saw pain … and hope.