Page 73 of Cherished By A Highlander

He turned to face Quint and paled, the angry scowl on his face rushing a fright through him.

“This is your one and only warning. There will be no reminders, no forgiveness. Go behind my back again and I guarantee that you will not like the consequences. And since I now rule Clan MacLeish, nothing will be done without my command.”

“Aye, sir,” Nug said and hurried to close the door behind him.

Worry had Shade’s stomach churning as she hurried to her husband. “I fear that he uses you out of desperation to save his clan and cares not what happens to you because of it. I do not like this plan, Quint.”

“It has already been set in motion. There is no changing it now,” he said, running his hand down her arm in a tender caress.“Nug took it upon himself to send Rufus with a message to Lord Torrance. I can’t say I blame him since he fights for the safety and future of his clan. All we can do now is wait until we receive a response and see where we go from there.”

“What if Lord Torrance sends a troop of his own warriors with Rufus?”

“If the offer is accepted, then the warriors will have no choice but to obey my commands. If not, they can join the other prisoners in the dungeon.”

“This unsettles me. You are one man. You cannot go against a troop of men.” Shade turned away from him, shaking her head. His hand closed firmly around her arm, stopping her from putting any more distance between them, and she turned to look at him.

She expected to see a storm brewing in his blue eyes and what she saw surprised her.

Concern. Concern for her.

He inched closer to her as he eased her toward him. “I am confident this will work to my advantage.”

“And I am confident that your unquenchable thirst for revenge could harm more than appease.” She rested her hand on his chest. “Promise me that you will seek no more vengeance once you are finished with Asher. That it will be over, and we will be free to live our lives.”

“I will never be free and either will Amara until I have all the answers and that includes knowing why Asher wanted Amara dead and the monks as well. I need to know if it was only Asher or if others were involved. I need to do this, and I will.”

“What if the tentacles become never-ending? What if the cost is too high? The consequences unbearable?” she asked, forcing him to realize what his need for revenge could cost them and making him consider if it was worth it.

He had to step away from her, an ache to hold her only making things more difficult. When she wasn’t in his arms or their hands were not laced, he felt apart from her even if she was near. Holding her and her touch brought him a peace he didn’t think he ever knew. It was as though a part of him had been missing and had finally been found just as she had explained. He felt whole with Shade, and he did not want to lose that. He did not want to ever feel he had lost a part of himself again.

He rubbed the back of his neck to keep his hand from reaching out and snatching her into his arms. “Before meeting you, I was willing to give my life to see Amara revenged, to join her wherever she had gone. While I still intend to see her avenged, I do not want it to be at the cost of losing my life or losing you. I cherish you and our love, Shade, beyond anything I thought possible, and I always will.”

Shade rushed to him, throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him tight as she pressed her face against his chest. His arms settled around her just as tightly and she looked up at him. “The only thing that can part us permanently is death and I would fight death itself to keep you with me.”

“You are one brave, tenacious woman, but you will never, not ever, put yourself in harm’s way for me. You will live and survive for us both.” He kissed her softly.

“Isn’t that what Amara would expect of you?”

“Aye, she would want me to live, but with her own words she spoke of revenge.”

“She did. Revenge on the men who had taken her life, not anyone beyond that. Was her intention to keep you safe from the evil man who had robbed her of so much, fearful he would do the same to you? Please, Quint, I don’t want to lose you.”

“I must see the evil who took Amara from me die, so that it can never again cause harm to anyone.”

He kissed her and she relished the love she could feel in it and prayed that love would triumph over evil.

CHAPTER 22

“If Dru hasn’t returned by tomorrow, I am going to go search for her,” Quint said, keeping hold of his wife’s hand as they approached the edge of the woods just outside the village. “I have allowed her a few extra days past when she told me she would return, knowing Dru’s returns are often delayed. But enough time has passed for concern.”

“Then you must go and find her, for I worry over her safety,” Shade said.

“Dru may be petite, wife, but she is sly and quick and can outmaneuver most warriors and avoid capture. Besides,” —Quint wrinkled his nose— “her foul odor alone keeps everyone away from her.”

“You cannot be gone long,” Nug said, close enough to have heard him and hurried to the couple. “I expect Rufus to return any day now and I wouldn’t be surprised if more mercenaries arrived, stragglers who think to join the ones they assume are here.”

“Knowing Dru, she is probably close by. I have no doubt I will find her fast enough,” Quint assured him.

“Can I have a moment of your time, sir?” Nug asked.

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