Celtic Fury (35 page)

Brielle nodded, not sure how to answer. The man had killed her brother after all, but if he hadn’t, Ruiri would be dead, instead. Ruiri had explained how Rod had Ruiri cornered with a cross bow that left him, the most experienced of warriors, without an escape. Roderick was her brother…but Ruiri was her love and true mate. All that mattered now was that she was with him.

A tortured moan from Liam brought Brielle out of her thoughts. She checked Liam and found him to be sleeping. Finally Brielle said to Shawn, “Once my brother is laid to rest I never want to set foot in that place again.” 

Ruiri squeezed her shoulders gently and he said, “Will ye’ come home with me, then?” 

Without taking time to even ponder the question, Brielle answered, “Aye.” 

Rory hugged her from behind and said, “My ho
me is yer’ home from now on.” 

Brielle covered his arms with her own hands. Rubbing her cheek against his strong forearm, she murmured, “Thank you for giving me a new home…a home that is beside ye’.” 

He kissed her hair and said, “Bri, I need ye’ beside me always.” 

Tears welled up in her eyes and she just nodded. She once again, said a silent prayer of thanks for Ruiri’s love and safe return.

She and Rory stayed up with Liam well into the night. It was nearly morning when Rory noticed Brielle was sleeping in her chair. He roused his father and he whispered, “I am taking Brielle to bed. She is exhausted. Liam has fared well. He has been resting comfortable for several hours now and I do believe his fever is less.”

“Alright son, I will take a turn to keep watch over Liam. I am glad ye got her out of that dreadful place, despite what has happened to Liam. She was sure to perish there, Ruiri.”

“Aye, it if weren’t for the MacDougal, I would surely be where Roderick lies tonight. He had a crossbow knocked at close range of my heart, Da. I owe the MacDougal for saving my life.”

Caleb nodded pensively.

“I suppose ye’ will be pressed back into service with him, but now at least ye’ will not be his prisoner. Go, lad, take yer’ girl to bed. The poor little thing has been through so much. She wore herself out with worry before ye’ came back. I couldna’ stay angry with her. Her heart was so broken for thinking she had lost ye’.” Rory looked at his father.

“She…tried to protect me.” 

“I know, son. I hoped like hell ye’ realized the truth. I think I hadn’t seen ye’ that angry in a very long time.” Rory cracked a smile.

“If we weren’t in imminent danger, I would have paddled her behind before her entire clan. I am going to put her to bed, now da.” 

Caleb nodded in agreement. Rory lifted Brielle in his arms. She naturally wrapped her arms around his neck and she mumbled, “Na
y
, I must stay with Liam…”

“Shhhh,
S
weeting, my da will stay and watch him for a while. I want ye
’
to sleep for a little while.” 

             
Brielle was so tired she never finished the next sentence. Rory carried her across the hall to the chamber they had shared prior. He didn’t bother undressing her. He just tucked her into the bed and curled up beside her. It was so good to feel her in his arms again. It was like a dream come true to hold her, for even he had a niggling fear that he had lost her forever. Holding her warm little body against his, lulled Rory to relax and he rested with her, catching some blessed sleep for a couple of hours.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Morning seemed to come quickly. Rory roused as daylight filtered into the room through the window. Brielle was already awake beside him. Her fathomless lilac eyes gazed at him. Rory saw the sad look in her eyes. He t
ouched her cheek and he asked,
“Weren’t ye’ able to sleep, Sweetheart?” 

“I slept some, Ruiri…I just want to see to Liam.”

Rory kissed her and rose with her. He was worried about her. She was strangely pale and when he had kissed her, her lips felt unnaturally cool. He knew she had suffered so much and she still had to deal with the loss of a brother despite that brother’s cruelness to her. Rory decided to not press her too harshly. She needed time and gratefully, now time he could give her. Rory could also tell that she bore the weight of Liam’s condition heavily, as he himself did. Taking her hand, he decided to face it with her. They went to see how Liam was faring this morning and Rory again felt how cool Brielle’s touch was as she placed her hand so trustingly into his. Upon entering the room, they found Liam awake. Caleb was undressing the wound to check it for infection. Brielle went to Liam and kneeling next to him, she took his hand. As cool as her hand was as hot as Liam’s hand still was.

“I am so sorry, Liam. Can ye’ forgive me?” 

“Och!  Lassie, t’was not yer’ fault.”

“Does it hurt very much?”  

Liam laughed weakly. “Aye, lass, it hurts like hell, but I am glad it landed where it had. Had I but turned just a hair, the blasted arrow would have been stuck straight in my arse…think of how much worse that would have been
,”
he said trying to make her laugh. Instead, her eyes filled with tears. She said, “Oh, Liam…”

“Come now, lass, I will be alright. T’will take more than a pointed prick to bring me down
,”
he said cheekily. “Besides, how many men get to say they took an arrow to save a beautiful woman?  I’d do it again to save my brother from loosin’ ye’. OUCH! Old man! Have a care
,”
he complained as Caleb pressed the wound.

“Just be still, Li, I need to see if there is infection.” 

“Well dunna press it like that. It hasna’ closed enough for me not to hurt.”  Brielle stood up suddenly, looking stricken and she hurried from the room. Rory watched her go and wondered at her response. She hadn’t been squeamish before about wounds. She had cared for Liam as the wound still wept with his blood and last eve, she had cleansed his own cut without so much as a flinch. But here, she had looked as if she was going to be ill. Caleb met Rory’s eyes and Rory shrugged. With a smirk, Caleb said, “Ye’ best see to yer’ woman, Ruiri. I am nearly done here.” 

“It is not like her to react so. She has tended wounds in the last days and not been plussed by them. I think she looked like she was going to retch.”

Turning his eye back to his task, Caleb said, “I am sure she is. Lots of lassies get sick in the morning.” 

“Da, what are ye’ sayin’?”

Liam laughed through his pain. “Aye my Glynna sicked up many morns with both my girls. Not so much with my sons.”  

Shawn grinned and added, “And my gal did most every day for the first three months or so. Ye’ get used to it, Brother.” 

Rory looked like a dullard as he tried to let their words sink in. “Ye’ mean…my Brielle…is…that I am….” 

His brothers and father just smiled. Shock registered on Rory’s face. And then as if he had been hit with a club, he suddenly leapt to his feet and ran after Brielle. It was then he remembered that twice she had tried to tell him something. He was afraid to let himself believe it.

Rory found Brielle in the guarderobe, kneeling before it. The door was still open. She was indeed retching. Rory stood behind her and rubbed her back, gently holding her hair away from her face.

“Ruiri…go away…I dunna want ye’ to see me like this.” 

But he would have none of it. He held her shoulders through the next wave and softly pressed his big hand to her forehead, holding her head up as the nausea ebbed. He helped her up when it had passed. She was shaking. He drew her against his chest and he said, “Ah, Sweetheart, ye’ will be alright. Come sit down with me.” 

He took her back to their chambers and he sat her down on the bed. He brought her a mug of cool water and washed her face with a cold cloth.

“There, Sweetheart. Are ye’ better?”

She nodded, not wanting to meet his eyes.

“Do ye’ want to tell me, now?” 

She nodded again. Rory knelt before her, taking her hands in his and she raised her gaze to his.

Ye’ know. I can see it in your eyes.

Aye…but a man likes to hear it from his wife, won’t ye’ please tell me?

Then finally speaking the words out loud, Brielle said, “I think I may be with child.”

“Yes, I am quite sure that you are, too. Oh, Sweetheart, what a beautiful thing.”

“Ye’ arena’ angry?”

“Angry? Why would I be?”

“Because
,
we haven’t spoken o
ur vows in church yet. I dunna’
wish to bring further dishonor to yer’ clan.” 

“Our clan…Ye have not brought any dishonor to our clan. Aye, we are Catholic, by Christian Rite, but we are long tied to the ancients, Love. I hold the ancient rites sacred. Ye’ are my wife by those vows.” 

Rory rose and took her into his arms. Burying his face into her hair he stated, “My beauty is giving me a wee one. Ye’ have completed me. I love ye’ so much.” 

She relaxed
now
in his arms and she too felt complete. He felt her press her cheek to his chest. Feeling the strength of his arms around her relaxed and settled her. The solid beat of his heart lulled her as they now needed no words in those moments that were just theirs. Rory’s heart welled with overwhelming love. He held her in his arms and said a silent prayer of thanksgiving for her safe return to him. He was sorry she had lost her brother, but in light of her news, Rory was relieved in a way, that Roderick Campbell was dead. He was certain that her brother would have harmed their child, once he learned of its existence.

Aye, he threatened to.
Rory kissed her hair and said, “Ye are safe now, my love. Our babe is safe.” 

Thank ye’ for coming for me. I felt like I was dying without ye’, Ruiri.
Rory held her tighter at those thoughts, which he heard as clearly as if they were spoken from her lips. He said, “I couldna’ let that happen. I felt yer’ spirit dy
ing. I was sore afraid for ye’.
When MacDougal was holding me against my will, I felt so helpless. Caitlyn kept coming to me in my dreams and telling me to hurry. She told me to trust ye’, no matter what I would have been told.” 

Brielle looked up at him. His eyes were filled with unshed tears. Her strong warrior was moved visibly.

“That’s why ye’ didna’ believe me when I claimed not to…”

“I felt yer’ love, no matter what yer’ pretty lying lips were trying to tell me.” 

“It felt like yer’ anger was real, though, Ruiri.” 

He laughed, despite the tears that threatened to spill at any moment. “Make no mistake, Gabrielle, it was indeed real. I hope to never hear those terrible words again, for lies or no, they are words to cut a man to the depths of his soul. Oh, Aye, I was furious with ye’. I wanted to take ye’ over my knee and paddle that beautiful little arse of yers until it was red and throbbing.” 

A horrified little squeak left her throat. He grinned down at her.

“Ye’ wouldna’ have done such a thing to me.” 

“Oh, trust me, I would have and gladly so.” 

She tried to push out of his arms but he grabbed her all the tighter, holding her against his chest. He murmured, “I think I would have ended up being the most punished.” 

Brielle looked up at him, not understanding what he meant. Seeing her confusion, he drew her hand to the front of his kilt and he pressed it to the thick rising bulge there.
             

“See Brielle, just imagining that beautiful bum of yers
’
turned up under my hand makes me hard. I think if I had turned ye’ over my knee, I would have been in pain from having punished ye’.” 

“Oh
,”
she gasped in understanding, but she did not pull her hand away. Instead, she rubbed it over the place he had guided her hand to and she said, “Mmm, that thought is rather delicious.” 

Rory swallowed hard.

“But…ye’ were just ill. Can we…can ye’…”

“Once I pass the sickness, I am instantly better, it seems. It willna’ come upon me again today. And aye, we can.”

She took his hand and led him
back
to the bed. Her greedy fingers were anxious to help him out of his kilt, teasingly brushing his thigh, as if she would let her hand rest beneath the neat pleats of his plaid.

“I want to make love, Ruiri.”

“Aye
,”
he
was all he could say
, his voice husky with desire. He felt her fingers deftly unfastening his belt and the folds of his kilt quickly came undone. He kicked free of it, wanting so much to feel her flesh in contact with his. He groaned as he was released, rising hard to full length only to have her mouth brush over his throbbing shaft, no more than whispering a tease to him. She giggled at his sound of desire. Her hand encased him, stroking up and down the length of it. He sighed at the warmth of her touch. She watched his eyes, seeing them darken with desire. His pupils had gone wide
;
there was only a thin rim of gold around them. She saw his larynx move downward and she heard him say softly, “Take off yer’ clothes, please. I need to see ye’ and feel ye’.”  She released his shaft and stepped away from the bed.