‘And what purpose was there in killing my bride? Gilla was an innocent.’
She didn’t know what to say to that. Innocent people died in battle all the time. But her foster father was not cruel in that way. She had seen him spare men’s lives before. It was not usual for him to threaten a woman, and she had no answer for him.
‘Did you love Gilla?’ she asked quietly. Not that it mattered, but she wondered whether he grieved for her still.
‘We were friends.’ He sat beside her and admitted, ‘I didn’t love her, but we could have made a good marriage between us.’
It should not have made a difference, but she felt a slight sense of relief. As soon as the thought struck her, she pushed it away. Why should it matter if he was in love with his bride? Alarr was her captor and her enemy. He intended to murder the man who had given her a home and a family. She owed him nothing at all.
But she could not deny that he had spared her life and her virtue. It was difficult to reconcile the two sides to the man. And perhaps it was too late to change his mind.
‘I should go back,’ she murmured. ‘The others will be waiting for me.’
‘Let them wait.’ He caught her hand, tracing the centre of her palm with his thumb. The caress reached beneath her defences, unravelling her senses.
‘You will allow me to leave,’ she said quietly. ‘Because you are a man of honour.’
‘Am I?’ He reached out to caress her hair, sliding his hand down her spine. ‘Because right now, all I want is your body beneath mine.’
A flame of desire took hold, drawing her beneath his spell. She could not deny the raw physical attraction she felt, but she gathered the shreds of her willpower and stepped back.
‘Goodbye, Alarr,’ she murmured. For a long moment, she stared at him, wondering if he could ever reconsider his revenge.
And then she walked away from him.
‘I never thought you would let her go.’ Rurik stood beside Alarr as Breanne rode away with the soldiers.
‘I’m not letting her go.’ He didn’t trust Feann’s guards at all. They had not found her until Styr had allowed her to send word to Killcobar. Had they ever intended to search for her? He was beginning to have his doubts, since Styr’s settlement was only a day’s journey away. It would not have been difficult to find her. Their negligence didn’t seem right, and Alarr intended to follow them in secret—not only for his own purpose, but also to ensure that she was protected.
‘You want to track them.’ Rurik’s gaze was knowing, and he crossed his arms.
Alarr didn’t deny it. He wanted to ensure that Breanne made it safely home again, and if that meant following at a swift pace, so be it. ‘I don’t trust them.’
‘You wouldn’t trust any man with Breanne.’
‘Especially not soldiers who would wait so long to search for her. And I have not forgotten what I came here to do.’
That prompted a pained expression from Rurik. ‘Feann isn’t at Killcobar. You heard him say it. We have no reason to pursue Breanne.’
‘We don’t know for certain whether Feann is there.’ He didn’t trust their claims, and it was better to discover the truth for himself. ‘Even if he is not, I think we should go and gather information. You were wanting to learn about your mother. I want to know about Feann’s defences.’
‘We might be recognised,’ Rurik said. ‘It’s dangerous.’
His brother was right, but he still believed it was best to gather information. Someone might have the answers he sought.
‘That may be true,’ he said. ‘But we can say truthfully that you have come in search of answers about your mother. And we may learn more about Feann while we are there.’
Rurik seemed to consider it. ‘Has Breanne talked sense into you, then?’
‘About killing Feann? No. But I agree that we should learn why he went to Maerr.’ He stared out at the horizon to the riders that were no longer visible. Would Breanne be safe while he trailed them? It struck him as strange that the guards had barely questioned what had happened to her. Had Alarr been in their place, he would have demanded answers about how Breanne had been stolen away. He would have spent time ensuring that she was not injured—and never would he have allowed her to go off alone with a man who claimed to be her master.
‘When do you want to go to Killcobar?’ Rurik asked. ‘And do you want escorts?’
Alarr thought about it and shook his head. ‘Not at first. It would make us too conspicuous. Better to travel alone and let others believe we are searching for your family.’ Only Feann and a handful of men might recognise them. And none of the tribe knew Rurik, since he was not at the wedding.
‘I want to leave as soon as our belongings are prepared.’ It was a risk to go alone, but he also understood Styr’s reluctance to endanger his tribe. Perhaps the leader might be willing to visit Killcobar with his men, a few days from now.
He shielded his eyes against the sun, knowing it had been a mistake to let her go. Then he turned back to his brother. ‘We are going to find our answers. No matter how long it takes.’
‘And when Feann returns? Do you still intend to sacrifice your life for his? All to avenge a man who never cared about either one of us?’
‘It’s not only about our father. The king and his men slaughtered Gilla and her family. It was an act of war, and I intend to avenge our family’s honour. The other tribes need to know that if they dare to attack, our retribution will be
