Page 35 of Wolf Pack

“Alasdair, are you going to sleep your life away?” Hans was asking him, and Alasdair opened his eyes and glanced around his chamber, realizing that the sun was already streaming through one of the narrow windows. “We worried you were ill. Are you feeling all right?”

Alasdair didn’t even know what Isobel and her kin looked like while wearing their wolf coats. The dream he’d had of her was already fading, yet he recalled vividly what she had looked like. The dreams he’d had of her before? Those had come true. Would these also?

Well, not about how they had met. Or that he had to take her as a mate. Even Elene could be a good choice for a mate. She had a real infinity for children and sewing. Though Isobel was really good with the children also.

She was protective and eager to show her fighting and hunting skills. For her to take charge of a group of children and a slave and cross the dangerous ocean to hopefully find a safe home for them when they were moving into the enemies’ territory? She was remarkable.

He had hopelessly fallen for her.

“Conall said Isobel was at the loch guarding you,” Hans said as Alasdair hurried to dress.

Alasdair sighed. He hadn’t thought that news would get out. The air was heavy with unspoken tension as Alasdair's head shook with the weight of realization. “She wanted to swim in the loch.”

“Aye. Conall bathed this morning. You came into the keep late, later than usual last eve. I was afraid I would have to send men out after you. That some harm might have come to you,” Hans said.

Hans smiled as they headed down the winding stairs to the great hall to break their fast, appearing as though he didn’t believe anything of the sort.

“Did you?” Alasdair hadn’t considered that, but it would be protocol to check up on him if he were late in returning for the night when he’d been alone. Or so he’d thought at the time.

“Aye. Just Rory and me though.”

Alasdair shook his head, realizing how they knew he had been swimming at the loch by the croft. They probably wanted to see if he was going to visit Isobel instead of coming to the keep. "Rory and I stumbled upon your little escapade, and we didn't want to interrupt, so we left you two alone," Alasdair explained.

"Rory and I saw the reason for your delay and decided to leave you two alone. It was a struggle to convince Rory not to make a scene and alert you of our presence."

“After I swam?” Alasdair asked.

“Aye.”

He shook his head again. He couldn’t believe his brothers had arrived at the loch, too. They had to have been downwind of him and Isobel and said nary a word of it to him—until now.

“If you are no’ interested in the lass, I would be willing to mate her. Most of the members of the pack would, to be sure. Rory’s tongue was hanging out the rest of the eve.”

Alasdair laughed.

“’Tis true. He will deny it, but what I say is true. Did you want to change the seating arrangements when we break our fast this morn?”

“Why?” Alasdair asked, suspecting he knew what his brother was getting at.

“So she can sit beside you? She can be your personal guard.”

“Nay.” Alasdair wouldn’t mind beingherpersonal guard and protecting her sweet body all night long. But he knew if he had her sit beside him, the word would circulate throughout the pack that he had already selected her to be his mate when he needed to get to know her better first.

Besides, she would be staying with Dawy and Agnes, though he would devise a plan to ensure she spent more time at the castle.

10

Isobel helped make breakfast for Agnes and Dawy after Libby gathered eggs and Drummond milked the cow, but when she heard a couple of riders approach the croft, she grew concerned.

Everybody stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction of the sound of the riders. Isobel grabbed her sword and hurried over to the window. Conall was right behind her, his heart beating as rapidly as hers.

Then she frowned. Hans arrived at the croft, pulling a horse behind him, and she wondered what was wrong. Was she needed to help pull guard duty?

“He wants you.” Conall set his sword aside.

“Hans?”

“Alasdair.”

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