Highland Destiny (34 page)

"You are with child!" he accused her.

Her eyes were wide when she looked back at Liam. He knew.

"Don't tell him, please," she pleaded. Mackenzie bit her lip, unable to meet his gaze, so like his brother's. "He deserves not to know."

Liam gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding.

Mackenzie knew that Connor was going to be angry enough about her leaving him, that he didn't need to know she was pregnant. He'd be so angry about putting herself in danger, let alone with their child. She sighed and she nudged her mount forward. Liam's hand on her arm stunned her. She stopped and swung back to him, her eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Wait."

She did.

Liam's blue eyes were boring into hers. What did he want?

Her hands tightened on the reins, and Mackenzie tried to be patient. Finally, unable to take the gaze that was so like Connor's, she demanded, "What?"

He took in a breath as if he was going to ask her something, but he exhaled slowly instead. After a short pause he sarcastically asked her, "What will your betrothed say when he finds you are with child, and it is not his?"

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"Wait, that's not what I meant."

Mackenzie didn't bother to hide her irritation. "Then what did you mean, Liam? You've already made your opinion of me clear more than once, this is no different."

"Did you...are you..." he was struggling for words. Under different circumstances, Mackenzie might have found it endearing. "Are you really everything my brother believes you to be?" He looked uncomfortable in asking, as if he was admitting some great embarrassment.

She thawed a little. "Yes. And even if you never trust me or believe anything that I've said, believe that I love your brother with everything I am. Everything I am doing now, Liam, is for Connor. Remember that. And keep him away as long as possible." She turned before he could stop her again, and without a backward glance, urged her horse forward.

Once she had ridden down the gently sloping hill, the trees encroached on her as if their branches were outstretched hands coming for Mackenzie. She was frightened of riding alone, and once she was in the thickest part of the woods where daylight barely filtered through the canopy, she was frightened of the dark. For someone who had grown up in the sparse desert of Las Vegas, the dark, cool green forest was intimidating. Knowing that it was snowing only scared her more; she didn't like the idea of snow unless she had a hot 335

With only the soft snuffling of the horse, and her thoughts for company, Mackenzie thought over her last night with Connor. It had of course been wonderful, and awful. Seeing his disappointed face when she'd lied and told him she wasn't pregnant was heart wrenching. All she'd wanted to do was to make love all night long, but she'd had to fake a period so he wouldn't catch on. Luckily, like most guys, he hadn't wanted any details, so she was able to just smile when he mentioned trying for a "wee bairn" after her flux. If it broke her heart to lie to him, then leaving him would rip it out, stomp on it, crush it, and pulverize her tender heart.

She'd been riding for almost a whole day now, and she ought to be able to see the castle soon enough, providing that Liam hadn't given her wrong directions on purpose, letting her wander around the woods until she starved, or froze, or was eaten by wolves.

Soon she was able to see a dim light coming from ahead.

Once the trees broke, and she was able to clearly see the land in front of her, she gasped. Apparently, the snow had fallen much thicker and faster than she'd imagined; the trees must have sheltered her from the brunt of the snowfall. There was easily six inches of fresh powder covering the normally soft green ground. And it was still falling. Mackenzie pulled her wool cloak closer around herself and pressed on.

Connor glared at his brother. "What do you mean she slipped away?" he demanded. They were downstairs in his private solar, where Connor preferred to conduct most of his business.

"I'm not sure, Connor, she just was behind me one minute and the next she wasn't. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" The words made little sense to Connor. He should have gone with them, but the chance for them to reconcile the competitive streak was too tempting. His anger at Liam for not keeping a closer eye on her was tempered only by his fear for Mackenzie. "She's not familiar with our lands, she must be lost, and so scared." Connor's gut clenched with the idea of Mackenzie alone and afraid in the cold. He glanced out the window at the rapidly falling snow.

The snows had come late this season, and it looked as if nature was trying to make up for it.

He was on his feet in an instant. Liam's hand stopped him as he headed for the door.

"Ye canna go out in that," Liam indicated the increasing snow.

"If she is out there, how do ye think she will fare? We may be accustomed to this, but she isn't." Connor's voice took on a strained quality. "She'll be dead before sunrise." His voice broke slightly on the word dead.

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"And what? That makes it alright that she is missing in a snowstorm?! Liam, I am surprised at your callousness. This isn't like you. There is a woman out there, in the snow, lost and alone, and you want me to wait idly by until she comes prancing home? What is in your mind?"

"Aye, of course, Connor, you're right. Let's get the men and I'll show you where we were when I noticed she was missing."

While they were on their way to the stables, Connor felt something was wrong. Liam's explanation was lacking, and his behavior was unlike his normal self. Why would he lie about Mackenzie's disappearance? It made no sense.

Something was niggling in the back of his head, but he couldn't figure it out. Connor mounted his destrier, and glanced automatically toward the stall where Mackenzie's horse should have been. Snow White, she'd named her, for the fairy tale character. The princess who had a wicked queen after her, who tricked her into eating a poisoned apple, and then fell into a deep sleep...the Campbell! He didn't understand why the story made him connect the two, but it did.

"She's gone to him," he breathed.

Connor had barely voiced the words, but he watched as Liam's back stiffened in response. Liam was in on it! "And you kenned it!" Connor accused Liam.

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"Aye."

Connor's anger made him see red. "Did you think that I wouldn't figure it out?" He was almost yelling now, and had to work to modulate his voice. "Why Liam? You ken I'm in love with her. She's my wife, and whether you understand what that means or not, she's your sister now. How could ye do this?"

"It was what she wanted." Liam was interrupted by Connor.

"And that makes it alright? You know better, Liam. So she tricked you into helping her? Why wouldn't ye come to me?

Why would you do this? Why?"

"She's no' good for you Connor. Can't you see the hold she's got on you? It's unnatural. And if she's in league with the Campbell, all that will happen is that our clan will fall. For the good of the clan, Connor, you ken that. We were raised to put the clan first. Ever since you abducted that
woman
," he sneered the word, "you've gone soft. She has you believin'

her lies."

"She has a name. It is Mackenzie. And I have done nothing wrong. What happened to you Liam?" Connor sadly shook his head back and forth. "You are my brother. You are supposed to support me no matter what, or who, my choice is."

Connor saw the pain in his brother's eyes, but all Liam said was, "We can't go after her. She should be at the Campbell's keep by now. We can't go now."

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"He's going to kill her, Liam. And you just hand-delivered her to his door."

"You don't know that is what he has planned for her.

That's what she wants you to believe. And you have believed everything she has told you. All the lies..." Connor cut him off again.

"She hasn't lied to me Liam."

"Are you so certain? She lied when she told you that she wasn't with child."

Connor sucked in a sharp gasp. "What?"

"She is pregnant, Connor, and she has gone off to our enemy with your child in her belly. That is an unforgivable lie.

What will the Campbell do with a MacRae babe?"

"You're lying!" But Connor could see that he wasn't.

"We need to form a plan of attack, but not for rescue. We need to kill the Campbell. Now I say we continue with our original plan. We shall get the MacDonalds and the MacLeods to help, and storm the Campbell's keep. He won't be able to withstand such a force."

"You have this all worked out I see." Connor sounded calm, but inside he was fuming.

Liam shrugged.

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"We will deal with that if it arises."

"So, you are willing to let my wife, my
pregnant
wife, die at the hands of our enemy, while we wait for help to arrive?"

Connor knew he sounded incredulous, but didn't care. This was an asinine plan, and Liam was better than this.

"I have already spoken with the MacLeods, and they will help. The MacDonalds have said any enemy of the Campbell's is their ally. It is done. We should wait a day or two and then amass our men. It will be simple."

"I am ashamed of ye, brother." His words found their mark and Liam stiffened.

"While you might be happy to rush in after your woman, I prefer to wait for reinforcements. My plan is sound, Connor, and no matter how angry you are, you must see that. And if you refuse to see my way, then think about it like this; if she is who you say she is, mayhap it is a good thing to have her there. She can do what she was brought here to do. And if those magicians were telling the truth, then they will protect her." He sounded so smug. It rankled to hear his brother speak so dismissively of the woman he loved.

"If she dies, Liam, I'll never forgive you." Connor's eyes burned with the sincerity of his words.

He turned and stalked out of the stable. Ignoring the blinding snow, he strode to the castle and threw open the door. Once in his room, he grabbed the whisky from the 341

Mackenzie's ring. The ring he'd placed on her finger the day they'd been married was sitting on a piece of paper, glinting in the firelight. Gently he picked up her ring, and placed it on his smallest finger. He opened the note she'd left him and with each word, his grip tightened until he'd crushed the parchment. Crumpling it into a ball, he tossed it across the room too. She couldn't even take the ring? What game was she playing at? Her logic was beyond him. Usually he understood her motivations, but this? Leaving someone who loved her for someone who only wanted to kill her? What was in her head?

His anger at Mackenzie slowly cooled and it was all he could do to not rush out and snatch her up. But he had to think, he had to plan. His stomach was tense with worry for her. The idea of the Campbell, his most hated enemy hurting her, touching her, with his hands on her body...Connor saw red.

He couldn't let Mackenzie sacrifice herself, that much was evident. But he didn't think he could wait until his brother's 342

There had to be something he could do. Connor slammed his fist down on the dresser so hard that the glasses and the whisky decanter rattled. He stared morosely down at his hand splayed on the dresser. Her camera and the music device were sitting there as well. He glared at them a while longer as a plan began to form. Staring at the items on the dresser and seeing nothing, he began to plot.

* * * *

Mackenzie had been closed in her room for several days when the wizards finally showed up. The only contact she'd had with anyone had been a servant who never spoke and who barely met her eyes.

When she had first arrived at Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, it had been interesting, to say the least. She had been stopped as she approached the main entrance, which had, no joke, a moat! When the guards had heard her call out her name "Isabella Stewart," they had immediately called for their master, and the Campbell himself had greeted her. He sounded cordial enough, but she knew better. Behind that carefully cultivated facade, lay the black heart of a man going mad in his thirst for power.

When she finally met him in the flesh, and she saw his cold face, lit up with excitement that his wayward bride had finally arrived, there was no doubt left in her mind that he was the man of her dreams, so to speak. Ripped from her nightmares, she balked at the thought of willingly entering his castle.

Mackenzie squared her shoulders and urged Snow White forward.

The Campbell had been the picture of hospitality, until he escorted her to her chambers. Upon entering her room, he had rounded on her and his face had lost any traces of its former friendliness. Here was the face of her nightmares; cold, empty. What had she gotten herself into? His words chilled her.

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