Part 16 (1/2)
Chapter Sixteen.
”Ye will never put yerself at risk again!” Devon thundered as he slammed the door to our chamber closed behind him, startling me.
This is not the welcome that I had been antic.i.p.ating.
”They were going to kill you, Devon!” I yelled back, shaking now as I thought of what might have happened. I dropped the brush that I was clutching in my hand, and it clattered to the floor. I had been getting ready to go find Devon, hoping to welcome him home.
”I told ye tae stay here, and despite Brennan's stupidity, that's exactly what I expected ye tae do. Ye should have stayed here, nay matter what happened,” his voice was more controlled now, but still ringing with anger.
”I only did what I had to do to make sure that you returned in one piece,” I explained, angry now that he was being so arrogant and controlling. ”It did work, Devon,” I goaded, secretly proud that I had successfully accomplished the risky scheme that had led to his safe release.
”Aye, it did work, but when I think of what might have happened tae ye, of what ye withstood in his chamber...” he trailed off unable to find the correct words to express his anger.
”I'm fine,” I a.s.sured him, reaching up and stroking his jaw line, relis.h.i.+ng the feel of him, so warm and thankfully so alive. Stubble dusted his face and felt p.r.i.c.kly beneath my fingers. I liked how he felt, and being unshaven lent him a particularly dangerous look that set my heart alight.
My touch melted his resolve to fight, and I watched as his eyes softened.
”Promise me that ye willna do something sae stupid again?” he asked, eyes questioning me as they glowered down at me.
”No,” I whispered, defying him.
Devon exhaled slowly, seeking to regain his composure. ”Ye'll be the death of me, woman,” he mumbled, shaking his head from side to side.
”I'd do it again in a heart beat,” I vowed, pressing him to further exasperation.
”Could ye just once listen tae me when I ask ye tae do something?” he asked, stroking my hair back from my face and securing it behind my ear.
”Maybe someday I'll try that,” I smiled up at him, teasing him as I leaned into his touch. ”Let me look at you,” I said now, concerned as I looked up at the myriad of cuts and bruises that marred his beautiful face. The Camerons had not been kind.
”I'm fine la.s.s. Doona fash over me,” he said, brus.h.i.+ng my hands away and nuzzling my neck.
”No, Devon. I need this. I need to see for myself that you're alright.”
He straightened up begrudgingly, and allowed my fingers to explore him. I traced a nasty gash on his cheekbone ever so lightly and my heart tore, thinking of what he had endured.
He reached up and took my hand, then led me silently over to the bed. He settled himself in the center and pulled me onto his lap so that I was facing him; my legs intimately straddling his waist as we sat facing each other.
I traced the cuts on his face and skimmed my fingers over his split bottom lip, heart aching to think of the horrors that he had suffered as a prisoner of the Cameron's. Devon had closed his eyes and he sat still as a statue, allowing me to take stock of his wounds.
I raised his hands to mine and gasped when I saw his mangled, bloodied knuckles. I brought the backs of his hands to my lips and kissed his broken knuckles, aching to take away his pain. Tears streamed down my face and I kissed the tattered but still intact braided red twine that encircled his ring finger.
”What did they do to you?” I whispered, needing to know, needing to share his pain.
Startling me, Devon's chest shook with laughter. My eyes flashed up to his.
”They didna do that, la.s.s,” he said, eyes meeting mine. ”I did that tae myself when I found Brennan this morning.”
”You what?” I asked incredulously, shocked.
”I beat him within an inch of his life. Only spared his life because of Leti.”
”I agree that he needed punished, but was that really necessary?” I asked, terrified of Leti's reaction to this turn of events.
”He disobeyed me,” Devon said sternly. ”And tae make matters worse, not only did he disobey me, but he also put ye in danger.”
”But did you really need to beat him?” I asked, stunned by Devon's brutality.
”h.e.l.l yes, I did!” Devon exclaimed. He was agitated now, and his temper flared. ”It is unacceptable for one of my men, best friend or no tae disobey me. And the fact that he neglected yer safety was reason enough for me tae show no mercy in his punishment!”
He looked away now, breathing heavily as he fought to regain his control.
”I thought I'd never see you again,” I whispered, changing the subject away from Brennan. I reached up and slipped my hand under his s.h.i.+rt, it had fallen open at the neck. I placed my hand on top of his heart, relis.h.i.+ng the warmth of his skin. ”I was so scared, Devon.”
His eyes were hooded now, his expression softer.
”I thought the same, Kate. When I was in that cell at the Camerons, my thoughts of ye are what kept me living. I thought of how I wanted tae touch ye, tae kiss ye...”
The pain in his voice struck me, and I captured his face in my hands, and carefully brought his lips to mine. I kissed him tenderly, being careful not to break open his split lip.
”I'm sorry, Kate,” he said, catching me by surprise as the anger faded from his face.
I knew that he was still displeased at the risk that I had taken, but for whatever reason, he was softening.
”I doona approve of how ye put yerself in danger, but what is done is done. Come here, la.s.s,” he said pulling me closer. ”I've missed ye.”
It felt good to hold him, to know that he had returned to me all in one piece. He rested his cheek on top of my head, kissing my hair. I found his embrace calming, rea.s.suring, and allowed my body to melt into him, bathing in the sense of security that he provided. He breathed out slowly and squeezed me gently, drawing slightly away from me so that he could look into my face.
”I'll not beg for yer forgiveness, but I will try to explain to ye my reasons for acting the way that I do,” he said, drawing further away from me and raking his hand through his hair, as he did when he was unsure of how to begin a conversation. ”Well,” he began, ”To be completely honest, I've never had a woman that was mine, completely mine, bound tae me as ye are, Kate. I've told ye that I've been with other women, but it's not the same.”
The thought of him being with other women always bothered me. It was a fact that I tried to forget about, and when I couldn't get it out of my mind, it made my blood boil with jealousy. I felt the sensation of calm leave my body and it was once again replaced by tension and a twinge of anger.
”When I was with those women, I had no claim on them. They filled a need that I had, but there was no connection, no expectation other than the needs of my body. It was never my duty tae protect them, tae see tae their safety because they were not mine.” He looked over at me, intensity in his eyes. ”With you, Kate, it's different. Yer mine. My wife. And when I see ye taking such a great risk, even if it was tae save my sorry a.s.s, I canna bear it,” his stare was intense, serious.
I reached out a hand and covered his hands with mine. To hear him speak of me in this possessive way made me feel good, wanted. My warrior was showing me a vulnerable side, yet vowing that he would not share me with others and staking his claim to me as his woman.
”I never thought, never believed that I would have a wife. My life as a warrior doesna particularly lend itself tae having a woman to care for and I never thought that Collin would force me into marriage. But now that I have ye, I want all of ye. I want tae wrap ye up and keep ye for myself,” he smiled ever so slightly, embarra.s.sed by this admission. ”The anger that I felt today was maddening, worse than any rage that I've ever felt on the battlefield. I wanted tae kill Brennan. And at the same time I have missed ye sae much and I wanted tae grab ye and hold ye and kiss ye....” he trailed off, trying to express his conflicting emotions.
”Do ye understand me Kate?” he spoke firmly, yet implored me to acknowledge the claim that he was staking upon me.
”Yes, I understand but I want you to know that I acted in the manner that I did because I felt that there was no other choice,” I said, with sincerity. ”I didn't want to defy you, to put myself at risk, but I felt that it was the only way that we could be together again. I couldn't bear the thought of living without you.”
”It was mighty braw what ye did last night,” he said, now with the hint of a proud smile on his face.
”I only did what I had to to get you back,” I whispered, voice trembling now as the reminder crossed my mind that this could have turned out vastly different. What if I had not been able to secure his release?
”Thank ye,” he smiled a lopsided smile that melted my heart, taking hold of my hand with his own and raking the hair back out of his face again with his other hand. ”Thank ye for risking yerself tae get me back.”