Page 34 of When A Laird Loves A Lady
If Alex was not such a good friend,Iain would forego the MacLean hold and head directly home. He had an uneasyfeeling about stopping at Alex’s. While what Rory Mac had said about Alex wastrue—women did seem to find him irresistible—that wasn’t what was making Iainnervous. He trusted Alex, and he wasn’t worried that Marion would be untrue. Heknew her well enough now to discern she was honorable. It was Alex’s men thatmade Iain tense. They were known for their violent ways, which was helpful inwartime but not when it came to women. They were not going to be able to resiststaring at Marion with desire, andthatwas going to make him angry. Heneeded to show the men immediately that Marion belonged to him, and he’d notabide any man looking at her with lust.
These thoughts were still in Iain’shead as he led them up the winding trail to Alex’s hold. He expected toencounter guards at the main entrance to the castle grounds, but as Iain andhis kin curved around a bend, a large, loud group of men on horseback came outof the woods. All laughter and talking stopped when the men saw them.
Rory Mac brought his horse up tothe side of Iain’s as the men approached, and Angus, with Neil sitting in frontof him, came to flank Iain’s other side. The MacLeans smelled of sweat andanimal blood, and Iain could see that several of them had dead deer and rabbitsstrapped to their mounts. One man had great spiky antlers strapped to his horsealong with a satchel soaked with blood. The man had the blood of the animalsmeared under his eyes and down the bridge of his nose to show he’d made thegreatest kill of the day, and it was to this man that Iain looked.
Angus spoke in a low undertone.“That one will have the feeling of power from the kill flowing though him.”
“Aye,” Iain agreed, followingAngus’sgazeto the man Iain had already marked as trouble.
The painted man moved ahead on hisstallion and approached, the other eight slightly behind him. Iain didn’t havetime to gently wake Marion. He gave her a hard shake, and when her eyesfluttered open, he whispered in her ear. “We’re at the MacLean hold. Dunnaetalk until I say ye can.”
She stiffened in his arms, but hergaze darted to the side. She must have seen the men, because her eyes widenedand she gave a quick nod.
“Well, if it’s nae the legendaryMacLeod,” the painted warrior said with a trace of contempt.
Iain gripped the reins of hisdestrier. He didn’t like being at the disadvantage with the stranger knowinghis name. “And who are ye?”
The man grinned. “Do ye naeremember me, then, Iain?”
Iain studied the man for amoment—sparse red hair, blue eyes, and a jagged scar above his upper lip. Iainrecognizedthat scar. He’d stood over Bridgette MacLean as she’d clumsily sewn the gash inher cousin’s lip together. Alex had given it to him for disobeying an order andnearly getting ten clansmen killed rescuing him.
“Ye’ve grown, Archibald,” Iain saidto the once impulsive and impetuous boy now turned man. He was careful to keephis words void of emotion to disguise his surprise. The last time he’d seenArchibald MacLean, he’d barely come to Iain’s shoulder. The man now almostlooked Iain eye to eye.
“That happens in four years. Ye’dnae be amazed if ye’d seen me, but since I was banished from battles…”Bitterness tinged Archibald’s words.
“Ye should consider yerselffortunate,” Iain said, irritated that the man still seemed to be foolish. “Ifye were my clansman and ye disobeyed my orders in battle and nearly got my menkilled trying to rescue ye, I would have banished ye from the clan. Alex is amuch kinder laird than I am.”
“I do consider myself fortunate,”Archibald said. “And I’m nae angry with Alex, if that’s what ye think. I’mangry with myself for the battles I missed and the men that died when I ken Icould have saved them.”
“I see ye learned humility in yourtime in the stables,” Rory Mac added with a snort.
Archibald smirked at Rory Mac.“I’ve about as much humility as I remember ye having. And I dunnae speakanything but the truth. I was always one of the best warriors, even when young.Ye ken that. What I lacked was patience and forethought.”
Iain spoke before Rory Mac couldreply. Rory Mac and Archibald tended toward quick-heated anger, and Iain didnot want to break up a fight. “Are ye saying ye have learned those two things?”
Archibald grinned. “If I had naelearned those two virtues, do ye think Alex would have let me join his forcesonce more?”
“Nay,” Iain said. “I dunnae.Welcome back.”
Archibald accepted Iain’s wordswith a tilt of his head, but the man had already pointedly shifted his gaze toMarion. “I’m sorry for the loss of Catriona,” he said, his tone sincere.
“I thank ye,” Iain replied, feelinguncomfortable. It had been quite some time since he’d had to withstand thelooks of sorrow and pitying words. It used to be that his chest would tighten,but it did not now, surprising him. Maybe time was finally healing the wound,or maybe he was just learning to control the gut-wrenching reaction thatoccurred when someone reminded him that Catriona was gone.
Archibald slowly swept his gaze upand down Marion in a manner that made Iain instantly aware that the man likedwhat he saw. Iain had a sudden, intense dislike for Alex’s cousin. Angus musthave felt it, too, because he growled low in his throat.
Archibald smiled as he stared atMarion. “So who do ye have here? Is she a gift for Alex?”
“She is nae a gift for Alex,” Iainsaid through clenched teeth.
On either side of him, he saw RoryMac and Angus each touch their weapons as Marion’s hand clutched Iain’s thigh.He wanted to press his palm over her hand to reassure her that she was safe,but to show he cared might make her even more appealing to Archibald. Even as ayoung lad, he had always pursued what he thought he could not attain. Iain didnot wish to start his visit with Alex by thrashing his cousin if it could beavoided.
Archibald’s grin widened.“Excellent. I’ll take her.” He started to reach forward as if to grab Marionoff Iain’s horse, but Iain whipped out his dagger and pointed it at the man.Archibald may have grown into a man, but the heart of who he was had notchanged a bit. The only way he’d accept the truth is by having it clarifiedwith a threat.
“She’s nae a gift for anyone.” Iainglared at the man. “She’s my property, and I dunnae share what I own.”
Marion grew even tenser in Iain’sarms. Didn’t the woman know he’d not let any harm come to her?
“What’s yer name?” Archibalddemanded of her.
