Surely, she should not be so eager. Not that propriety mattered one way or the other. She spent too much time hiding her deafness, she had not subterfuge leftover to mask this newfound need. And no stomach for doing so either.
With that truth resounding in her conscience, she sat up and looked around her. No sign of Talorc. Again relief assailed her. The flap was down on the tent, but morning light filtered in from the outside. It looked like the cool light of early dawn. Knowing her laird, he would expect to return to their journey north soon.
She pulled back the fur covering her and reached for her shift, but stopped and wrinkled her nose. She smelled like him.
It wasn’t just her cheeks that blushed, but her whole body, as renewed embarrassment flooded her. She could only hope his soldiers would not notice the fragrance of lovemaking over the stench of horses and their own sweat.
She would give her entire stash of spices she had brought with her for a stream to wash in right now. Not because she disliked the scent of Talorc’s seed on her, which caused yet another surge of shame. She should find it offensive rather than oddly satisfying, shouldn’t she?
However, regardless of her odd reaction to the situation, she hardly wanted everyone else to know what she had been doing with her new husband the night before.
She felt the vibration of heavy steps outside the tent and dove for the fur. She’d barely covered herself when the tent flap flipped back and Talorc scowled at her. “So, you are awake.”
Familiar dread sank in her stomach like a lodestone. She had missed something. Again. “Were you calling me? I just woke.”
The scowl diminished a tiny bit. “If you wish to eat before we break camp, you need to do so now.”
“I would rather wash.”
“There is no time.” He looked like that fact pleased him for some reason.
“I smell um . . .”
“Like me.”
“Yes.”
“It is as it should be.”
“You truly are uncivilized, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” He actually smiled, clearly unperturbed by the question.
At least she had not insulted him. Sometimes she spoke without thought, and she hadn’t meant to offend. She herself was not sure whether she was appalled or charmed by her husband’s primal views.
“Do you wish me to bring your food to you in here?”
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll get dressed right now.” Well, as soon as he left to give her some privacy.
He showed no signs of doing so, however.
“I do not wish to dress in front of an open tent flap.”
He let it fall closed behind him, moving fully inside the tent.
Nonplussed, she stared at him. “You wish me to dress in front of you.”
“Do you know how to fasten your pleats already?”
“Um . . . no?”
He shrugged as if that was the only answer she needed.
She managed to get her shift and blouse on under the fur before climbing out to allow him to help her with the plaid. It was hard to get on in the small confines of the tent, but she managed it—with his help. When she was dressed and about to leave the tent, he put his hand on her arm.
She looked back at him over her shoulder.
“I will see all of you. Soon.”
She didn’t reply, just scrambled from the tent.
She rode her own horse this morning, a beautiful white mare his stallion seemed to have a fondness for. Talorc kept her horse positioned between his and Niall’s for the long morning ride. When they stopped to water the horses and eat again, the sun was high in the sky. Summer days were long and she had no doubt they would spend most of the light riding.
While they kept a fast pace, it was not as blurring a speed as the day before. Abigail was glad. She was a good rider, but she would have been nervous riding so fast without his strong arm around her to keep her planted on the horse’s back.
Their break was short and she forced herself to climb back onto her mare without complaint. She would not add to Talorc’s belief she was weak.
They had been riding for an hour when he grabbed her reins and forced her to meet his eyes. “Agree, wife.”
“Of course,” she said, before she could think better of it.
“I will tell you when it is safe to speak again.”
Ah, he had instructed her silence.
She nodded.
“Good.” He nodded. “You are a unique woman.”
Because she spoke little unless in a direct conversation of someone else’s making? It was a trait by necessity only. She would spend more time talking if she could trust herself not to betray her secret doing so. As it was, her silence at the wrong time was damning enough.
They stopped to water the horses again but did not dismount, just like the day before. This time, she noted no one spoke though. The warriors were all alert, and Talorc looked grimmer than usual.
She met Niall’s eyes and asked a question with her own.
“Enemy territory,” he mouthed.
Her eyes widened. It had not occurred to her that they would have to cross enemy territory to get to Sinclair land. She did not remember mention of her stepfather’s soldiers having to do so when they escorted Emily to the Highlands nearly three years ago.
Suddenly, Talorc was there and she was being swept from her horse to his. She landed against his chest with a silent gasp.
He looked down at her with a fierce expression, as if prepared for her to argue the change. She simply let herself go limp against him and closed her eyes for sleep.
She wasn’t a warrior, and if he was going to give her an unexpected opportunity for a nap on this bone-jarring ride, she was going to take it.
She sensed his surprise but ignored it as his arm wrapped her close and secure against him. She was asleep a moment later.
Bemused, Talorc held his sleeping wife to him.
He was not sure what had prompted him to put her on his horse with him. She’d been tired, but his action had been an instinctive reaction to the silent exchange between his wife and his warrior at the water.
Talorc had had no idea that he and his wolf would become so possessive with a wife—particularly an English one. He had not reacted thus with Emily, but then three years ago, he had had no intention of marrying the Englishwoman sent to him by order of their kings.
That must be the difference this time. Abigail was indisputably his wife, not a woman he
Yes, that must be it.
She moved in her sleep but made no sound. Not that it would matter now. They were in safer territory now and would be until midday tomorrow when they would cross Donegal’s holding. Donegal’s people were not Talorc’s enemies, but the other clan was not happy at the king’s edict to cede the disputed boundary land to him.
“She is surprising.”
Talorc felt a growl build in his chest at Niall’s words, but he merely grunted in reply to Niall’s comment.
There was no reason for the jealousy burning inside him. Niall had a mate, though the youth seemed oblivious to the connection between them. Humans could be funny about the natural way of things.
Regardless, Niall would never be untrue to his mate, even if the scarred Chrechte warrior never lay true
