Highland Tigress (Tiger Series) (12 page)

“It seems dreadful for her though.”

“You think I will not suit her?” Deaglan enquired.

“I have no idea. I have yet to meet her myself. Oh, this is ridiculous! What if she isn’t pleasing to look at? What if she is malformed in some way? What if she is spoiled and has a bad nature?”

Deaglan laughed softly. “Cara. You do not understand our ways. I will be unaware of her faults. I will love her. I will not be able to help myself. Just as you love Liam.” He raised his brow. “Do you not find him too big? His hair is rather wild you ken. He scowls more than he smiles and he demands that his way is the only way and he is never wrong. How then can you love him as you do?”

Cara blushed as she understood his point. “I just think it is a bit like arranging a marriage before the child has been born. I want her to be happy.”

Deaglan took her small hand in his larger one. “Cara, I will spend my life making sure that she is nothing but happy.”

Cara smiled sheepishly at him. She knew he was a man of honor and if anyone could be trusted with her child he could. She nodded and began to eat again. Cara’s stomach began to roll and she rushed from the room. She ran to the back entrance and emptied her stomach. She turned to find Liam behind her. He gently lifted her in his arms and carried her to their chamber.

He helped her undress and laid her in their bed. He kissed her tenderly and began to move away.

“Liam?”

He shook his head. “Cara love, yer not well. If ye think I’ll be forcing’ myself upon ye tonight yer wrong. Ye need to rest more’n I need to love ye, which is a lot.” He smiled and sat on the bed beside her. “I want ye well. I know the bairn is givin’ ye trouble. I want ye to let Mili take things in hand for a while.”

“Nay Liam. I am the Lady here and I should do my duty.”

“Not if it means yer health.”

“I’ll be fine Liam. Women have bairns all the time and ye ken it well. I can’t be lazing about when I have a duty to you and the people here.”

12

Deaglan watched Cara rush through the hall. She seemed to never slow down. She was pale and thin. Her eyes had dark smudges under them. He was worried. He stalked to where Liam stood, also watching Cara.

Deaglan scowled as Liam turned and made his way out of the hall. He stayed in the hall and continues to watch Cara. When she slowly made her way up the stairs he stood and followed her. He was thankful he had been so diligent when her steps faltered and she stumbled. He caught hr before she fell and carried her to her chamber. Mili met them before they reached the door.

“Get Liam.”

She nodded and hurried to find the Laird.

“Nay Deaglan, don’t bother Liam with this. It was a spell. I am sure it is normal. I’m fine now. I have too much to do to lie in bed.”

“I’m not as it is! I ran my father’s house. How can things be so different here? I can’t do a thing right. I try so hard, but I can’t seem to do anything right.” A sob escaped her throat and Deaglan gathered her in his arms.

An enraged snarl erupted from the door way as Liam stalked in. He ripped Cara from Deaglan’s arms and hissed at him. Deaglan rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Liam, I don’t want yer mate. She almost fell down the stairs. She needs to rest and she was upset. I comforted her. That is all.”

Liam narrowed his eyes and ran his eyes over Cara. Her pain and weakness called to his protective nature. He took a deep breath knowing Deaglan spoke the truth.

Cara was too tired to fight them. She slumped weakly against the pillows. Mili brought in a steaming bowl of soup and handed it over to Liam.

“Make her eat the soup and keep her in that bed! She looks like the walking dead and I’m afraid she’ll drop at any minute. If ye can’t see that this is all too much for the wee lass then yer as blind as ye are big! Yer expectin’ too much of the poor thing and I have had my fill of it. I am taking back over until she is well again.”

With that she left the room. Liam stood frowning at her back. Did everyone think he was forcing the responsibilities upon Cara? He looked down at her tiny frame. Maybe he had made her believe it too.

“Cara. Lass, I don’t expect ye to take everything on yer wee shoulders. Mili is here to help ye. You are to oversee it all, not work yerself sick. Now I want ye to let Mili handle things for a while. Then you are to oversee things without over doing. Now eat this or she’ll have both our hides.”

Cara pushed herself up and took a bite of the warm soup. It soothed her quickly and she was soon too drowsy to stay awake. She curled up beneath the blankets and went to sleep.

When Cara awoke Liam encouraged her to change. She hadn’t done so in a week or more and it felt wonderful. She ran for miles with the men at her back. She felt the strength of her cat infusing her body with renewed energy. A scent floated to her on the breeze and she stopped abruptly. Wolf. She smelled wolf. Terror engulfed her as she began to turn, but then a small sound caught her ear. She cautiously made her way toward the sound, aware all the time of the men fanning out around her. She heard it again closer and continued. When Cara found what she hunted she was utterly confused.

She nudged the tiny creature with her nose and was delighted to hear it growl at her. She felt joy flow through her. She looked up to find Liam staring at her.

Liam changed and began to run with the others, but noticed Cara was not with him. He turned and found her standing gloriously naked holding the squirming baby in her arms. A pack of wolves ran through the trees on Darren’s heels. Liam knew he would never reach her in time. She would be killed and all because she wouldn’t leave that worthless pup.

He watched in horror as Darren passed her and stopped. They all turned and ran to her knowing it would be too late.

Darren saw Cara standing in the glade holding the tiny wolf child. He’d saved the child from Ramsey’s band of perverted men. Ramsey had recruited a small force and was roaming the highlands spreading his poison. Darren had saved this child, but had to leave her in order to draw the men away, now Cara was in danger too. Was this his choice? No there could be no choice here. He sent Cara his thoughts and she refused.

“Leave her Cara. Your life is more important!”

“Nay, I cannot!”

Darren didn’t wait for her to argue further. He sent the only alternative he could think of and she nodded vigorously. She climbed onto his back and held on to his thick fur. Darren ran as fast as he could, but he could feel the wolves gaining ground behind him. Just when he knew they would overtake him Liam, Deaglan, Balor, Euan, and Evan met him and faced the wolves as he and Cara escaped. They made it to the castle and Cara quickly made her way inside. She still didn’t feel comfortable in only her skin.

It didn’t take long for the others to enter the gates. Liam’s dark moon was apparent from a distance and Darren felt pity for Cara.

“Nay. That child is more than that. She will prove to be very important. Ramsey wanted her too badly for her to mean nothing. Regardless, she is a bairn. She needs our protection.”

Liam shook his head and stalked into the castle.

Cara waited nervously for Liam to come to her. What would he do to her? The tiny bundle in her arms began to cry and Cara began to sing quietly to her.

That is how Liam found her. He watched as she rocked and crooned to the bairn. How could she care for a creature so unlike herself? Then he saw the pink foot sticking out of the blanket and realized the child wasn’t so very different. Cara looked up then and found Liam watching her. Liam saw the fear in her eyes before he smelled it and he was ashamed.

“Aye lass, I can see it. Well, she needs protection and care until we know where she belongs.” He rubbed his forehead. “I fear it’ll hurt ye though when she goes.”

Cara nodded. “I ken it will be hard Liam, but I just couldn’t leave her there to die.”

“Cara,” he took a deep breath, “ye did what none of the rest of us had the courage to do. It was brave and right. I love ye for it. You saved the life of a wee lass that may be very important someday. I was angry with ye for riskin’ yer self, but yer right to have done it and I am ashamed that I did not.”

Cara ran to him. He pulled her close and kissed her upturned mouth. The little wolf growled and kicked and Liam chuckled as he rubbed her tiny head.

13

Three weeks later

James McKenzie entered the Hall of McNeal Castle. He was the first wolf to ever be welcomed here and he felt a stirring of pride and apprehension. McNeal Castle was finer than his own. It was clean and well kept too. His own home had been neglected for so long he feared it would take years to clean and repair it all. His admiration was cut short by a huge hand slapping his back.

Caught off guard James stumbled. He looked up expecting the men to jeer at him for being weak, but found only Liam’s repentant face.

“I’m sorry McKenzie. I didn’t mean to catch unaware. ‘Tis good to see ye. ‘Tis quite a stir yer visit is makin’ too.”

James smiled. “Thank ye for the invitation.”

Liam looked thoughtful for a moment. “I admit there is a reason for it. A few weeks ago Darren, with Cara’s help, rescued an infant. She is of your kind and we felt it would be best to return her to you. We named her Courage because she has been growling at me from the start, even when I’m my tiger. She has no fear and she needs more than we can give her. It will hurt Cara to give her up, but she can see that the lass needs to be with her own kind.”

James nodded, interested. He’d heard of several children being stolen lately and he knew Ramsey was behind it. They had hunted him, but could find no trace except the occasional dead body. He was like a ghost.

Cara entered then carrying the tiny child and James almost lost his breath. He felt his heart leap for joy as Cara neared and tears ran unchecked down his bronze cheeks.

Cara gasped at his reaction and Liam smiled broadly. “Darren said this lass would be of great importance, and now I see why.”