Warrior's Moon

talking to the rag doll Shona had made her when Marjory was a baby. She lifted the doll to Vegar and said something that Shona could not hear.

But it caused Vegar to look uncomfortable, and that brought a bit of a smile to Shona’s face. She was shocked beyond believing when the dour warrior kissed the doll on its raggedy mop of a head and pretended to feed it.

Audrey laughed lightly and Thomas said something, but Vegar did not seem annoyed.

Or as unirritated as the man had ever seemed in their brief acquaintance.

“I am glad to see our children and their Uncle Vegar getting along so well,” Caelis said with a smile in his voice.

Shona stopped in their progress toward the main table and stared up at him. “Uncle?”

“He is mate to your heart-sister. That would make him uncle, but he is also the closest I have to a brother.”

“What about Darren?” she asked, naming Caelis’s younger brother.

Sadness and anger emanated off of Caelis. “He died much like Jon did, on an assignment for Uven for which Darren had neither the experience nor training.”

“Is that when you began to question Uven’s ways?”

“I began to doubt our laird’s omniscience when you left our clan.”

Shona accepted the claim without comment, starting forward again. She noted that the warriors they passed were careful not to brush against her.

“You marked me with your scent again, didn’t you?” she asked across the mating bond.

A rich chuckle sounded in her head though his face remained impassive. “Most of these soldiers are human and have no idea you wear my scent.”

“Why are they so careful not to touch me then?”

“Because I am a formidable warrior and anyone looking at us recognizes you are mine.”

“I don’t even wear the MacLeod colors, much less a sign proclaiming me yours.” She still wore her English clothes, but Caelis walked so close, there could be no doubt they were connected in some way.

“I am all the sign these men need.”

“Arrogant,” she said aloud as they reached the table.

This time, his laughter was out loud and for some reason both the Sinclair and Vegar joined in. Thomas smiled, too, like he was holding back mirth.

She glared at them all, but turned a smile on Abigail and Audrey. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Abigail’s smile was kind. “You look well rested.”

“I am. Thank you.” She looked Audrey over critically. “You slept last night.” Shona was glad. She’d been worried her friend might lay awake in nervous anticipation of the mating ceremony to come.

“I did.” Audrey gave a look toward Vegar that was not difficult to interpret.

Audrey might well still be a virgin, but she was no longer wholly untouched. Shona was deeply grateful the experience had so obviously been a positive one.

She could almost look with favor upon the cantankerous Ean warrior because of it.

“Are you still angry with Da?” Eadan asked as Caelis helped Shona to sit before joining her on the long bench.

“No, sweeting. I am not.”

“Daddy says no puddings every night,” Marjory announced unhappily.

“You are sweet enough to do just fine without dessert every night.”

Marjory sighed, but nodded. “I likes it here better than home, anyways.”

“That is good, because this is our home now.”

“Here?” Marjory asked with a dubious look around the great hall.

Caelis leaned across the table and tugged Marjory’s braid. “Nay, mo breagha. Our home is to the south. Your mama meant Scotland.”

“Isn’t England in the south?” Eadan asked.

Marjory’s eyes narrowed. “I do not want to ride horses for days and days and days anymore.”

“The ride to the MacLeod holding is not so long as to England,” Caelis promised.

It was long enough, and he would learn that children Marjory’s age did not make a discernable distinction between a couple of days shy of a single sennight and two full weeks. Anything over a day was going to earn her disfavor.

“We are going to the island,” Eadan said to his sister. “We’ll have to ride horses for that.”

“How did you know about that?” Shona asked.

Had her son had another of his dreams?

“You said so. Our family is on the island.” Eadan looked at her as if he was worried she’d forgotten.

Shona found herself laughing. “I did say so. You are right.”

“We will leave for Balmoral Island tomorrow morn,” Caelis informed the Sinclair laird.

“We will go with you,” a big, dangerous-looking man who sat beside the laird’s daughter Ciara said.

Ciara looked at her husband with question. “I thought we were not making our monthly trip to the island until the new moon.”

“I have a mind to get to know Vegar’s English mate and the woman who would tame the MacLeod.”

“He is not laird yet,” Shona pointed out, but ’twas clear these fierce warriors saw Caelis’s place in the clan as foreordained.

“You doubt he will be?” the dark-haired warrior asked.

“Nay.”

The man nodded his approval of her agreement.

Ciara made a very unladylike sound of amusement. “Lady Heronshire, this is my husband, Eirik.”

“He is prince of the Ean,” Caelis said to Shona in her head.

Shona stood enough to give a half curtsy to the Chrechte royal. “It is an honor to meet you.”

The prince’s eyes narrowed. “There is no mockery in your scent.”

“Nor should there be.”

Eirik’s gaze flicked to Caelis. “The mating link has formed already?”

“It began six years ago,” Caelis affirmed.

Eirik’s nod was both approving and thoughtful this time. “Ciara said your former laird kept you from your true mate.”

“My own idiocy and misplaced loyalty did that.”

Shona had wanted nothing more than for the man to admit his culpability, but she did not enjoy the self- recrimination in his tone in the least little bit.

Patting his thigh, she said, “We have found our way back to each other and that is what matters.”

“I think certain members of the MacLeod will see things differently.”

Confusion washed over Shona. Was the prince warning of the opposition she would face returning to her former clan as the mate of a Faol?

“He is speaking of the Chrechte among the clan. A true mate is sacred and the fact that Uven withheld you from me gives me unquestionable right to challenge him as pack leader and laird.”

Casting a sidelong glance at the man she’d promised to marry, Shona considered his words. “My return to the Highlands was fortuitous, it would seem.”

“Aye, fortuitous indeed,” Prince Eirik agreed.

Ciara nodded, her expression the peaceful one Shona identified with spiritual counselors who truly sought to bring those who followed them closer to their Creator. “It is imperative that Uven be deposed as laird over the MacLeod and we thought we had found the answer in Caelis.”

“But?” Shona prompted, having heard the hesitation in the celi di’s voice.

“While the Scottish king will not involve himself in a clan matter so long as the one challenging for right to