Shona felt drawn to the stone, the urge to touch it so strong, her hand lifted toward them before she forced it back to her side. With great effort, she held herself back, careful to keep thoughts of how much she wanted to touch it far from the forefront of her mind. She did not understand this need, but she would not give in and mar her friend’s special moment.
The gifts of the sacred stone require sacrifice on the part of the one blessed by them, but destiny cannot be denied.
—CIARA OF THE SINCLAIR
A great cheer went up, echoing off the stone walls of the cave, resounding with both triumph and happiness.
As a child, Shona had witnessed a wedding in her clan that received the same joyful response. She remembered thinking one day she would marry her warrior and the whole clan would rejoice. Even then, the only groom her mind could conjure was the young boy Caelis, only a few years older but a world ahead by a child’s standards.
Laird Sinclair stepped forward, a black fur over his forearm, and offered it to Vegar. “For your mating.”
Caelis moved away from Shona and only then did she realize he also had something in his hands. “That your mating may begin as it will continue, acknowledged by me and all Chrechte among the MacLeod.” Her mate offered Vegar and Audrey plaids in the colors of the MacLeod.
The other soldiers wearing those colors came forward, all dropping to a single knee and placing their right fists over their hearts.
“We will protect your mating and mate with our lives as is right among our kind,” Caelis said in tones far more like his
“Aye,” the kneeling soldiers said as one.
Emotion overwhelmed Shona, but she had her own gift to offer. She approached the newly mated couple and offered the silver hairbrush she’d brought among the few belongings she’d deemed absolutely necessary when she had fled the barony. “May you both find joy in your service to one another.”
Vegar accepted the hairbrush, the tender glance he gave Audrey saying he knew exactly who was supposed to be offering the act of service. Then she handed Audrey a satchel filled with herbs and remedies. “May you care for your husband and children to come, healing scrapes as well as hearts.”
Audrey’s eyes overflowed with tears. “You prepared for this, even though you could not know…”
“I knew the sister of my heart would one day take a husband and that I would be prepared to show my good wishes for that joining.”
Audrey embraced Shona, a soft sob sounding in her ear. They hugged for long moments before Shona stepped back and Thomas took her place. He offered his sister and the man by her side a butter-soft skin to cover their mating bed.
When she saw it, Audrey again started to weep, but Vegar simply muttered a heartfelt thank-you.
Afterward, everyone stayed in the chamber for the Sinclair’s youngest child’s welcome-to-life ceremony. The green stone glowed again, enveloping the child bringing forth gurgles and joy-filled baby laughter before fading.
Caelis and the other MacLeod soldiers accompanied the mated couple out of the cave. Minutes later, the howls of several wolves echoed along the underground passageways.
Caelis returned to Shona and the children shortly thereafter, looking exactly as he had upon leaving. She’d no notion if he had shifted or not.
“Part of the mating ritual?” she asked.
“For the Faol, yes.”
And Audrey was Faol, though her English friend had little true notion what that meant.
Shona merely nodded in acknowledgment, not certain she wanted details, as she would be facing her own mating ceremony at some point in the future.
Who knew Vegar even had that particular expression in his repertoire?
And the former Englishwoman spent as much time riding in Vegar’s lap as she did in her own saddle.
For some reason, both Caelis’s children found this vastly amusing and their giggles echoed through the forest as the horses galloped toward the sea.
Their party made it to shore where the boats were kept in a cave by the Sinclairs faster than he would have expected traveling with children and a newly mated pair. The sea crossing itself went quickly, with the four robust warriors to man the oars. The three women entertained and watched over Marjory and Eadan, making sure Caelis’s son especially did not go tipping over the side of the boat into the waters.
Eadan had a sense of adventure untempered by caution that made Caelis both proud and terrified at the same time.
The boy showed no more fear of the sheer drop down the unprotected side of the switchback trail they had to climb to reach the Balmoral keep than he did riding a flat forest trail, either. Caelis breathed a strong sigh of relief when they reached the top and headed toward the imposing castle on the cliff overlooking the sea.
Shona laughed a little and he turned to her. “What amuses you?”
“When I first saw the Sinclair’s keep, I had the wish but little hope that the Balmoral’s would be as well fortified and imposing.”
“It is near impenetrable.”
“I can see that. My family here, if they had a mind to, could protect Eadan from Percival’s evil intents with little effort.”
“He has no need of their protection. He has mine.” Was that still in doubt in her mind?
Shona smiled up at Caelis, her lovely green eyes sparkling with the love she’d admitted to. “I know, but surely you can see the irony?”
“I do.” Though he did not like the fact she was still thinking of others protecting their son.
“I’m not,” she said, exasperation twisting her smile.
“I said nothing.”
“Did you not?” she asked, her eyes saying otherwise.
But he truly had not. He had not thought his feelings aloud, either. He was sure of it. He had never heard of mindspeak being so much like mind reading before. The latter being a myth parents told their children about in stories before bedtime.
Their traveling party was stopped and questioned at the gate, but let through because they were with Prince Eirik. Nevertheless, a small contingent of Chrechte soldiers accompanied them to the keep and did not leave them until dismissed by the Balmoral.
Caelis had no doubts the man would be able to point them in the direction of Shona’s family. Lachlan knew his clan from the oldest Chrechte to the youngest human infant, by sight and by name. The laird not only participated in training all the soldiers, Chrechte and human alike, he spent time training with the Cahir each sennight as well.
His wife, the Lady Emily, took a personal interest in all the families of the clan, no matter their origins and encouraged friendships between her children and those of the kitchen staff as much as the highest-ranking warriors.
