Time Masters Book One; The Call (An Urban Fantasy, Time Travel Romance) (64 page)

His lips touched hers, leaving no doubt in either of their minds as to the truth of his words. In that moment, during that single, breathless kiss, the Weapons Master and the Maiden recognized each other.

And neither the bonding couple, nor the company hiding a small distance away, not even Tomy noticed the roses bursting into bloom.

Only Kitty took in the entire scene and watched not only the odd glow which seemed to generate around the kissing pair, but also stared in rapt awe as the roses around them bloomed row after row after row…

The Joining

A man will leave his father and mother

And be united to his wife, and the two will

Become one fl
esh.
So they are no longer

Two, but one.
Th
erefore what God
has

Joined together, let man not separate.

Mark 10:7-9

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“Shona.”

Her father’s voice tugged at her consciousness, pulling her from a breathless wonderland of sensation. She slowly realized the physical contact of the kiss was now broken. The sensational impact, however, was still vibrantly alive.

S
he couldn’t bring forth the eff
ort to turn her head in her father’s direction, though she knew he stood somewhere behind her waiting for a response.
Hazily she wondered why he off
ered no protest to her recent action as she’d half expected him to. But she was still too lost between the recent moment and two very separate realizations.

First, the little boy in her dreams had indeed grown up. Grown into the man who often skirted the ou
ter reaches of her thoughts.
Th
e man who
meant protection, life and love.
The man now holding her as if they’d never been separated by years and lost realities.

Secondl
y? Kitty had not raved about fi
rst kisses in vain.

She looke
d up into Dallan’s eyes, now fi
rmly planted on something, someone, behind her. “My father,” she managed to whisper.

Dallan narrowed his eyes slightly and held her tighter. “Aye, Flower, I ken who he i
s.” He lowered his gaze and off
ered her a tender look. “And I ken he’s come to fetch ye, no?”

She nodded, not knowing what to say or even think
,
her mind still half drowned in unfamiliar pleasure. She watched Dallan’s jaw tighten and the small twitch she’d seen displayed in the library yesterday begin its dance. She
quickly fi
led the physical action away: twitch equals concern or trouble. At the moment, she sensed a little of both.

“Shona,” her father said again. “We have to go home now.”

 
Dallan un-wrapped her from his arms and stood slowly, never taking his eyes from her father. He took one of her hands and pulled her up as well, maneuvering her so she was backed against his chest, his hands on her shoulders, his face bent next to her ear. “I dinna wish to let ye go Flower.” His deep voice reached down into her heart to yank away any thoughts of leaving she might have left. “But I wilna disobey yer father either. Yer not mine yet. I canna let ye go against his wishes.”

 
She smiled at his words. He knew she didn’t want to go. He also knew what they just shared told her to stay.

Wait a minute, what did he say? “Yer not mine… yet?”

 
He gave her shoulders a light squeeze and whispered, “Nay, Flower. Not yet. Soon, I hope.”

She took his hands from her shoulders and turned to face him. “What do you mean?”

Dallan glanced to her father, then back, ca
pturing her easily with a fi
erce gaze. He took her by the arms and pulled her against his tall frame.
“I came to fi
nd ye, to tell ye…” He lowered his face to hers. “…
to
take ye home with me, lass. Back to yer own kind.”

“I do not understand you. If all you say is true, how does any of it make me belong to you?”

He closed the distance between them and kissed her gently. Shona’s knees gave way and he had to hold her up. When she opened her eyes he was smiling.

“Ye’ll go back as my wife, lass, or not at all.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. By the time she gathered her senses he had turned her around again and was leading her by the hand toward her father. They had barely reached him when her mouth decided to start working again.

“What!” She spun on Dallan. “Wife? What do you mean
wife?”

 
Evan jumped slightly, startled by his daughter’s abrupt voice. He squinted at Dallan. “Wife?”

Dallan ignored him and looked right into her eyes, his voice stern. “Wife.”

“Wife!” Shona squeaked.

“
Wieeefe
!” Rang out in a deep male voice from somewhere behind Evan. He turned but no one was there. When he glanced back to Shona and Dallan, the latter was giving a large hedge twenty yards away a dirty look, sucking air through his nose.

Dallan turned his gaze from the hedge and back on Evan. “She’s not safe.”

Evan straightened himself and cautiously looked over his shoulder in the direction of the hedge. “None of us are.”

“I can protect her.”

“I do
n’t doubt it!”

“Let me take her.”

“She’s still my responsibility. And until I understand all of this better, she’ll stay with me.”

Shona glanced between Dallan and her father. “Will one of you kindly explain to me what is going on?”

The two men had locked gazes, Dallan still holding one of her hands.

She watched them battle each other in a heated stare for
a moment before one of them fi
nally spoke.

“Ye ken why I’m here, d’ye no?”

“I have a pretty good idea.”

Dallan off
ered the hand he held to the man in front of him. Evan took it and pulled Shona away from the Scot.

“Dad, please. What is going on?” Shona pleaded.

Evan never took his eyes from Dallan’s. “I’ll explain on the way home, sweetheart. Go to the car. I have to speak with this gentleman a moment.” Shona hesitated, her own confusion warring with the fact that no one was going to explain things to her anytime soon. Her earlier annoyance with the situation surged anew. “Why does no one care to tell me what is going on? All I would like to know is if I am crazy or not. Is that really too
much to ask?” Th
e sharp sarcasm in her voice was hard to miss.

Dallan threw her an understanding yet stern look. “I ken what ye go thr
ough, lass. Och, I’m still suff
ering through it myself.” His look softened, reaching out to her.
Trust me
,
Flower
.
‘Tis no longer safe for ye.
Yer father
knows that. He also knows he canna protect ye for verra much longer. He’ll ha’ to release ye soon. He’ll ha’ to let me take you.

She took a step back, her hand pulling out of her father’s.
Th
is is all
real isn’t it?

Aye, lassie, neither of us can deny that fact any longer. Too much has
happened to both of us. Too much has passed between us, no?

She said nothing, unable to speak with her voice or her heart, too stunned at the moment to even think.

Yer not crazy, lass.
Go with yer Da. Let him take ye home. I’ll come for ye
later. I promise.

She slowly backed down the path a few steps in stunned silence, her mind and heart both tangled in a confusing jumble of thought and emotion. She stopped herself as the earlier knowledge of his identity began to hit full force and then walked to where Dallan stood. She looked up into his eyes and searched him with her heart. At last, she let go a moan made up of equal parts rapture and defeat. “You
grew up,” was all she could off
er.

He hooked a fi
nger under her chin and stroked a cheek with his thumb. “Aye, lass, as did you.” He looked a
way for a brief moment as if fi
ghting with a troublesome thought. When he gave
his gaze back to her it was fi
lled with an all-too-familiar longing. “Go now. I’ll come for ye later.”

 
She forgot how hard it was to leave him. Belatedly she remembered what she was to give him, reached into the back pocket of her jeans, pulled out the white envelope and handed it to him.

He took it without taking his eyes from hers and placed the envelope into his shirt pocket. That done, he nodded for her to leave.

Very reluctantly, she did.

Shona knew she would have
the answers she wanted soon. Th
e question now was how badly did she want them?

* * *

Dallan stood, arms crossed over his chest, Evan Whittard helplessly trapped in his penetrating stare, when the rest of the company emerged from behind their earlier concealment.

Kwaku marched up to the Weapons Master chuckling lightly. “De Maiden, she is willing now, yes?”

Dallan never let up on the piercing glare encompassing his latest victim. “Ye well ken she
isna
, ye bloody heathen.”

Kwaku merely laughed and spun around to face Kitty and Tomy’s own concealment. He grinned and began a purposeful stride down another path.

John, Lany and Angus approached slowly, all eyes on Evan who still stood chained by Dallan’s stare.

“Eaton?” Lany began as he studied Evan. “Whittard looks sort of glassy eyed.”

John took in Dallan’s fi
erce gaze and smiled. “Dallan’s fully bonded, Lany.”

Lany let loose a huge grin followed by a whistle.

John continued to smile as he approached the Weapons Master. “Dallan, loosen your hold a little. You’re stronger now. You’ve taken some of the Maiden’s attributes already. You’ll have to let Kwaku and Zara tell you about a few things before we retrieve her.”

Dallan rested his weight on his right foot and released Evan from the mental hold he’d ensnared him in.

Evan’s entire body fell into a slouc
h as he shook off the after-eff
ects of Dallan’s stare. “What happened?”

“Wow,” Lany began, still studying him. “Dallan can almost lure. And he hasn’t even been joined yet.”

“Preliminary bonding, Lany.” John explained as he stepped over to Evan. “You know why we’re here, sir?”

Evan shook himself again and
looked at each man, his eyes fi
nally coming to rest on Dallan. “Tell me you can keep her safe. Promise me.”

Dallan held his
body erect
, proud, and instantly captured Evan again.

“Easy, Dallan,” John reminded him.

“Ye ken why I’m here, sir. Ye also ken I wilna harm the lass. She’s to be mine, whether ye want it or not. Ye canna change that fact anymore than I can.” He loosened his hold and stepped to where Evan stood. “I’ll take care o’ her and keep her safe. I promise.” He ex
tended his hand to Evan. “And you
were right, she liked the wee blossoms.”

“Shona loves flowers, any kind of fl
ower.” He stared at Dallan’s hand with a delayed sort of uncertainty and swallowed. “She doesn’t like sudden loud noises. They scare her. She was always afraid of thunderstorms and hates sirens. She can’t stand the sight of blood… and well…” He looked up into Dallan’s eyes. “She’
s a terrible cook.”

 
Dallan’s fi
rm expression never left his face. “She’ll do as she is. Name yer price.”

“Price?” Evan choked out.

Lany hurriedly looked over at Angus. “Price?”

Angus grinned. “Dallan’s being fair
wi
’ him, Master Lany, granting him his rights as her father. He’s bargaining for a bride price.
‘Tis customary.
Let the lad
do
it his way.”

Evan stood in stunned silence, not quite comprehending what Dallan was after.

“D’ye wish gold, land or both? For if ye do, I canna pay it. If however, ye wish the price of honor, trust and duty, then yer in luck.” Dallan grinned. “I just happen to ha’ some o’ that with me.”