Warrior's Moon

Vegar proved his intent focus when he actually helped her eat the mutton stew on the tray, then feeding her bits of the dark bread he’d brought with it. He cajoled and encouraged until she’d finished all the food.

And only then did he accompany her to Shona’s room.

Stubborn, unique man.

Audrey knocked on the guest bedchamber’s door, listening for sounds from within. She couldn’t hear any voices, only muted movement as someone approached the door. Part of her was glad that Shona was obviously alone, but another part of Audrey worried at that fact.

“Where are the children?”

“With your brother and Caelis.”

“Oh.”

Again Audrey could not decide if that was something to be grateful for, or should add to her worries about the baroness.

The door opened, the handle clutched in Shona’s hand.

Her amazingly clear green eyes widened in surprised recognition. “Audrey! Are you well? Look at you, your dress is ripped. Is that blood? Oh, my dear Audrey, I can hardly believe today was more than a dream.”

“It was real enough,” Vegar said prosaically from behind Audrey.

Shona glared at him. “I am not speaking to you.”

Audrey gasped with shock at her dear friend’s rudeness. It was so unlike the woman she’d come to know over the past five years.

Shona blushed and looked beseechingly at Audrey. “He spirited you away and…and…I am very angry with him right now.”

“Be as angry as you need to be, my lady, but what’s done is done and there will be no undoing it.” Warning chilled Vegar’s tone, his frown very much in evidence.

Audrey rolled her eyes before giving Vegar her own glare. “We have had this discussion. I have given my word.”

“You’re doubting her integrity?” Shona asked, annoyance sparking in her gaze.

“Nay.” Vegar laid his hand on Audrey’s shoulder. “You are in good hands. I will be back to collect you in an hour.”

“You are timing our visits?” Shona demanded in outrage.

“Audrey is still healing. She needs her rest.”

Audrey rolled her eyes again, but both of them ignored her.

Shona was too busy nodding a grudging agreement and Vegar was simply walking away.

Audrey sighed. She supposed she should expect nothing more, not after such a short time and the inauspicious beginning to their mating.

Besides, she had refused intimacy with the man. Whatever his own plans, he’d taken that personally and so she’d finally realized.

She made to step inside Shona’s bedchamber, but a strong hand on her shoulder stayed her. She looked up and briefly caught an intent expression on Vegar’s face before his head lowered.

His mouth covered hers briefly. “Dinna tire yourself.”

She shook her head and then nodded, her lips tingling from the kiss.

His dour face creased in a barely-there-and-gone-again smile. “You are a sweet one, my mate.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He turned and walked away again, this time disappearing around the corner that led to the stairs.

Chapter 18

The duty to pack is only overshadowed by sacred duty to a true mate, but even then one’s duty to his Chrechte brethren cannot be dismissed entirely.

—FAOL TRADITIONS

“He’s gotten over his aversion to England then,” Shona said with asperity.

Audrey turned back to her friend but was given no opportunity to reply before she was yanked into Shona’s arms for a bone-crushing hug.

“I was so worried. You cannot allow strange men to spirit you away like that, even if he is your mate. Abigail said you were well but with Vegar. You are married?” Shona pulled back and met Audrey’s gaze. “How did that happen?”

But again, Audrey had no opportunity to say because Shona squeezed her tight. “I wanted to find you and check on you myself, but Caelis said you and Vegar would be otherwise occupied. It worried me, I can tell you. I know we have not discussed these things and you were entirely innocent. Did he hurt you?”

Audrey choked out a laugh as her skin heated with another blush. “No.”

Relief covered Shona’s features.

“I am still innocent,” Audrey admitted.

Shona’s eyes went wide again and she pulled Audrey into the bedchamber before slamming the door. “Why?”

“I wanted to wait.” Feeling the pain of her healing injuries, Audrey moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “I do not feel married. You were not there to witness my vows, nor was Thomas. Vegar and I were married standing on the stairs for the sake of Heaven.”

Shona sat beside Audrey and took her hand. “How did that come about?”

“Vegar wanted to see to my wounds. He takes being mates very seriously.”

“That is good.”

“Yes, but I have a feeling it is also going to be annoying at times.”

Shona nodded, a great deal of understanding in her eyes.

“Laird Sinclair would not allow Vegar to accompany me upstairs, much less take me to his room because I am…I mean, was…an unmarried woman under his protection. Vegar refused to promise not to compromise me. He just kept saying I was his mate to see to as he saw fit.”

“He’s a very stubborn man.”

“Yes, but I am quite accustomed to dealing with stubborn.” Audrey gave Shona a significant look.

The baroness laughed as Audrey had meant her to. “You are, at that.”

“At any rate, I was sure the two men would come to blows and that was upsetting enough, but then Laird Sinclair ordered Vegar to stand down. Vegar refused, point blank. He was going to challenge the laird. I just knew it.”

“I still do not understand how you ended up married.”

“That was Vegar’s idea. He told the laird he could proclaim us man and wife if it would satisfy his civilized rules of propriety. I never knew civilized could be considered a dirty word, but the way Vegar said it…” Audrey shook her head. “So, the laird asked if I was willing to be made Vegar’s wife.”

“And you were because you didn’t want him to challenge the Sinclair.”

“Exactly.”

“Men!”

“They are very demanding, are they not?”

“Still, I think you will enjoy Vegar’s demands more than I did those of the baron.”

Audrey shuddered, remembering the haunted look in her friend’s eyes too many evenings when she said her good nights to Audrey and the children. “I am sure you are right. I enjoy his kisses very much.”

“I noticed.”

Audrey giggled, but sobered quickly enough. “I should still very much appreciate that talk you mentioned on