Page 73 of The Highlander Who Loved Me

“Aye, lass, I have ye. Ye’re safe here with me.”

She went limp in his arms. “It was horrible.”

“Ah, love.”

“Real, so real,” she muttered. Her voice was a hoarse whisper and he had to strain to hear it. “There were scores of men. Giant, faceless men, brandishing swords. They were chasing me through the forest. I could hear them trampling behind me as I ran, getting closer and closer. My lungs were bursting, but I couldn’t get away. No matter which way I turned, they found me, they followed me. I tripped and fell and suddenly they were standing there in a circle, glaring down at me.

“They sneered and laughed amongst themselves and encouraged their leader to take me. He threw himself on top of me while the others held me down. I could feel the fear clutching at my throat. I tried to scream fer help, but there was no sound when I opened my mouth.

“I bucked and twisted and somehow freed one of my hands. I beat the brute against his shoulders, even pulled his hair so hard his head fell back, but nothing could move him off me. He tore at my gown, ripping away the fabric.”

James smoothed his hand tenderly over her damp hair, trying to stop her trembling. “Shh,’twas only a bad dream.”

“Aye, a dream. An evil, wretched nightmare.” She shuddered and gripped the edges of the fur blanket so tightly the tips of her fingers turned white. “I dinnae like being afraid. Awake or asleep.”

Her vulnerability struck a chord inside him. He wondered at the demons that plagued her, that disturbed her rest. Though the attack had happened years ago, she still suffered the effects.

As did he.

“The fear is real, but only in yer mind.” Cradling her in his arms, James continued stroking her hair. He wished he could do something more to ease her fright, but knew this was a battle she must wage on her own.

Davina’s hands slipped around his waist. James felt her sigh of relief and gradually her trembling ceased and her breathing slowed. He pulled his sword within easy reach, resting his back against the hard rock. The small fire he had built still burned low, the flames casting shadows that flickered and danced across the wall.

She stayed burrowed against him for the longest time. It seemed such a simple thing, but the act brought them both a strong measure of contentment. Maybe because the intimacy of the moment had nothing to do with sex, but everything to do with love and trust.

“Do ye think anyone at the castle has noticed that we are missing?” Davina asked, breaking the silence.

“I’m uncertain, though I imagine they’ll realize that ye aren’t there long before they know I’m away.”

She turned her head up and frowned at him. “What?”

“It’s not unusual fer me to be off on my own fer hours at a time,” James explained. “But my mother will be wondering what has happened to her favorite holiday guest when she doesn’t see ye all morning.”

The confusion in Davina’s eyes faded, replaced by a curious light. “How do ye think she’ll react when she learns we wish to be married? Will she approve?”

James brightened. “She’ll be very happy, though I suspect not one bit surprised when we tell her. The McKenna, too. After all, it was his idea that ye wed one of his sons.”

Davina groaned. “I have a feeling that yer father is going to take great pleasure in reminding us of that in the years to come.”

“Aye, he’ll not let it go unsaid.”

“Well, ye did tell him that ye had no interest in me,” Davina said.

“And ye said that ye’d never wed,” James countered, his lip quirking in amusement.

“Och, yer mother will have to protect us from the worst of yer father’s gloating,” Davina joked.

“We can count upon her to aid us,” James agreed with a smile. It was good to see the color returning to Davina’s cheeks and the sparkle of wit in her eyes, proof that the terrors of her nightmare had faded.

“I willnae mind a bit of teasing if it means I am yer wife. ’Tis a price I am more than willing to pay,” she said.

“Shall we move to a keep far away, so we only need face my father once or twice every few years?” James teased, kissing her temple softly.

“Nay! We shall live at Torridon Keep, which is a journey of only a fortnight from McKenna Castle. Far enough to give us the privacy we need, yet close enough to allow fer visits with yer family.”

“Occasional visits,” James amended with a laugh.

Relief swept over him. This fanciful talk of their future was a welcome respite from their sobering situation. It made him cherish life all the more, made him more determined that they would not only survive, they would flourish.

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