“Maybe he will.” And she held out much hope for the youngest MacLeod. Quinn’s problems ran deeper than Fallon’s. If Quinn wouldn’t face his, there was no chance for him.
Cara backed up a few steps from Lucan and looked around for her sword and dagger. She spotted them to her left, but when she grabbed the dagger she realized it was different from the one she had been using.
The blade was curved and the hilt was engraved with the head of a griffin. She jerked her gaze to Lucan. “You?”
“Me,” he said with a nod. His eyes held hers and she saw how deep his feelings went. “The hilt should fit your hand better.”
It did, but that’s not what made her eyes water. Lucan had made something for her, something that bound them. A Highlander did not give his symbol to a woman carelessly. Her thumb caressed the griffin head as her heart thudded in her chest. Nay, a Highlander did not give his symbol to just any woman. When he did, it was for life.
She straightened with the weapons in hand. “It’s stunning, Lucan. I shall treasure it always.”
“I have a sheath for it as well. You need to keep it on you at all times, Cara.”
She widened her stance and gave him a nod. She was ready to begin the day’s training. One moment he was Lucan standing before her with his green eyes twinkling, and the next he was a black blur coming toward her.
Cara ducked the arm she saw coming toward her and sidestepped to the left. She barely had time to get her bearings when he came at her again.
Lucan’s claws were extended, but she knew he wouldn’t harm her. It surprised her how close he got to her, his large hands inches from her face. She dodged one swipe after the other. She was hesitant to use her weapons, because even though she knew Lucan would heal, she didn’t want to hurt him.
Yet the quicker he came at her, the more she knew he was waiting for her to use them. Cara spun to the left and slapped the flat of her new dagger on his thigh before repeating it again behind his knee. She was moving away when his hand grabbed her hair.
He yanked her back against him. “Don’t worry about the second hit. It gave me time to reach you.”
“You’re so fast.” His arm was under her breasts, reminding her of their lovemaking. Her blood heated and her nipples puckered.
He kissed the side of her cheek and released her. “You kept up.”
Cara shook her head to clear her passion and faced him. “I was losing energy fast.”
“There will be more than one coming at her,” Fallon called from the steps.
She blew out a breath. Fallon was right. There would likely be several wyrran attacking her at the same time. And Warriors.
“We’ll keep the Warriors busy,” Lucan said.
The crunch of footsteps told her Fallon and Galen had moved from the steps.
“You mean we’ll try,” Galen amended. He looked over Cara’s weapons. “She’s good. How long has she been training?”
A satisfied male smile pulled at Lucan’s lips. “Just a few days.”
Fallon moved in front of Cara. “Forget it’s Lucan in front of you. Use your weapons at all times. Get as many hits as you can, but he was right. If your enemy is quicker, don’t worry about the second hit. Just make sure you get out of his reach.”
“And stay out,” Lucan added.
Cara nodded. “Let’s go again.”
This time when Lucan launched himself at her, she was ready. She used her sword and her dagger to stop several swipes of his hands. Then she used her quickness to stay just out of his reach, coming close only long enough to slap her weapon against him.
“Good,” Fallon called when she had caught Lucan three times in a row without him touching her.
She smiled up at Lucan as his eyes shone with pride. “How was that?”
“You’re getting better every day.”
She beamed. Until she saw Galen watching her with a calculating look.
“That was impressive,” Galen said. “But as we told her, there is likely to be more than one attacking her.”
Lucan raised a brow. “She’s not ready for that.”
“I need to be,” she said in her defense. “Give me a moment to rest and we can try.”
“Tomorrow.”
Fallon folded his arms over his chest and stared at Lucan. “They could attack tonight. Don’t you want Cara prepared?”
She heard Lucan mumble something beneath his breath that sounded suspiciously like he was going to rip Fallon’s head off his body.
Fallon just smiled. “You always did hate when I was right.”
“Don’t,” Lucan said, and pointed a claw at him.
Cara chuckled as the brothers glared at each other. “Lucan, please.”
He lowered his arm as the black faded from his body. “All right, but rest first.”
It didn’t matter how many times she saw him transform; it still intrigued her. She watched him walk to the steps and sit.
“May I see the dagger?”
She jerked, startled to find Fallon had moved closer to her. She held the dagger out, hilt first. “Of course.”
“Interesting.” He examined the dagger closely before testing the weight. “It’s been a long time since Lucan has made any weapons.”
“I didn’t know that. It will mean even more to me now.”
Fallon held the dagger pommel up and regarded the griffin head.
Cara wrapped her fingers around the hilt. “My feelings for your brother run deep.”
“Apparently, his do for you as well. He wouldn’t have given you the griffin if he didn’t care greatly for you.”
She took the dagger from Fallon and started to turn away when his words stopped her.
“Love can do wondrous things, Cara, but it canna stop death.”
She knew that all too well. “You’re referring to me being mortal and Lucan immortal.”
“I am,” Fallon said.
“I cannot say what tonight will bring, much less next year. No one can. All I know is that when I’m with Lucan, I’m complete. I don’t want him hurt any more than you do. I tried to leave.”
Fallon held up a hand to stop her. “I know. He went after you. He’ll always go after you. You are Lucan’s, and he is yours, regardless of what anyone wants.”
“You don’t approve.” She liked Fallon. Being with them had felt like a family, a real family. It hurt deeply to think he might not want her to be a part of Lucan’s life.
Fallon shook his head. “I like you, Cara. You’re good for Lucan. What I fear is what will become of him when you’re gone.”
She knew that Fallon meant when she was dead. There were no words she could say to ease his fears, so she turned and walked to the steps. Lucan raised a brow in question, but she shook her head. She would not tell him of her and Fallon’s conversation. Lucan was already upset that Quinn had questioned their being together.
The problem was the brothers had a right to question it. She had been Lucan’s from the first moment they kissed. Yet no matter what she knew was for the best for everyone, her heart wouldn’t allow her to follow it. Her place was with Lucan.
For now, for eternity.
Lucan wasn’t a fool. Fallon had said something to Cara that had distressed her. The vivacious smile that had graced her beautiful face moments before was gone, replaced with a thoughtful frown.
Lucan handed Cara the sheath for the dagger. “So you can keep the weapon with you always.”
His gaze watched her for a moment as she tied the sheath around her waist and slid the dagger in place. The gold griffin head shone in the sun. It felt right for her to have that part of him.
“It’s a clear day,” Galen said. “Spring is shaking loose winter’s hold.”
