Highland Tigress (Tiger Series) (3 page)

“Aye, Laird McNeal. Ye’ve come just in time to help us celebrate the marriage of my daughter,” he said watching Liam closely. He’d seen the look on the Laird’s face when he’d seen Cara in her window. This man had sworn to protect her before her birth and somehow he seemed to know she was the same lass. Lauchlan shook his head at the absurdity of the thought and continued.

“Cara will marry on the morrow.” Lauchlan continued still watching Liam. At the name Liam’s men exchanged puzzled looks. It had been well known that Laird Kingston had married only once and lost his wife and child at the birth. His heir was a nephew and a fine warrior. From where had this lass come?

Darren reached out with his mind to search Lauchlan’s. the answers were all there. He shot a look at Liam to see if he too had found this intriguing piece of information.

“Cara.” The name was a sigh from Liam’s lips. “Cara is yer daughter ye say? Red of hair is she then?” Liam lifted his brow. “Reminds me of another lass who was lost to us many years ago.”

Darren held his tongue. Few had the strength of mind that he possessed and he knew Liam would not appreciate his interruption. Liam would discern the truth soon enough. Best to keep his strength a secret for now. Deaglan looked at him questioningly though and he nodded slightly. Deaglan stiffened and frowned darkly.

“Aye, as well she should too.” Lauchlan spoke softly. Liam felt hope blossom in his chest like a flower in spring and Lauchlan continued. “There is much we will talk of this night. Much that has been too long held at bay.”

“I cannot speak of it here,” Lauchlan insisted noticing several McKenzie men nearby. “We will speak after we dine. Would you like to bathe first?”

A young woman hurried to be of service, but her progress was slow. Lauchlan smiled reassuringly at the lass and nodded. When she drew near Liam saw the horrible bruises that marred her young flesh, some were several days old and some were fresh, and smelled the stench that covered her and felt his dread increase. Her skin held an odd pallor under the bruises and he felt that her death would soon be upon them. He had seen women like this before and the memory of their anguish before death stirred his heart.

“Yes, my Laird?”

“Alice, these lads have traveled far and require our hospitality,” at his words a look of horror crossed her face. “Alice, they require baths and they will dine with us. Make the arrangements. Get some of the other girls to see to the baths if you wish.”

“Thank ye, my Laird.” Her relief was apparent. “I fear I would nay be adequate to see to their needs tonight.”

“No need, lass,” Liam spoke. “The water is all we need. We’ll not linger in our baths. We just seek to wash away the dust before we dine.” Then he looked her in the eye and compelled her to trust in him. “You have no need to fear us. Not all men get pleasure from the pain of others. Rest easy Lass.”

“As you say then.” Alice turned disbelieving and led the men to a small bathing room. Liam was astonished by her strength of mind. She hadn’t even thought to trust him. Her mistreatment had been so severe that she had closed her mind to everyone without even knowing it.

“Aye she will. ‘Tis the wedding or he’s vowed to kill us all. I heard it from his own lips not an hour ago. He means to have her. I fear for the lass. That man is evil. He is poison to any woman. He is the vilest of all the creatures from hell.” She shuttered and barely stayed on her feet. Liam felt it was more from fever than fear.

“That he is, was it he who struck ye then?” This from Euan. He detested the mistreatment of females. He and Evan had lived through the torture of their mother and the murder of their father at the age of seven and then had to watch as she lost her mind due to the loss of their father. They both felt the crawling need to kill and they wanted Ramsey McKenzie.

“Aye,” she said and blushed. “He said I could not please him well enough. I think it is more that he enjoys the suffering of others.”

Evan clenched his fists and tried to control his beast. “Stay clear of him Lass.”

“That I will try to do, but I fear he has done me in as it is. ‘Tis death to be near him. Death is better than his touch though, I think I would prefer it.”

Alice left them to bathe.

“He had killed the young Alice,” Euan stated plainly, his words little more than a low growl.

“That he has and she doesn’t yet know it, I fear her anguish has just begun too. ‘twould be kinder to slit her throat before we leave here.” Deaglan put in.

“There has to be a way to save her from his evil. We cannay just leave her here to die like that, Liam. We must tell someone. Something could be done to ease her pain at least,” Balor pleaded. He had seen a woman slowly die of McKenzie’s poison and he did not wish it on another. Her insides slowly rotting away as his evil ate at her from the inside.

“There is no time, lads. She will not last long any way, if he keeps at her. Her suffering will be short. We cannot arouse any suspicion.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I feel for the lass, and I ken what she will face if she lives for long, but I will not put Cara at risk to save her.”

The men nodded their agreement, however reluctantly and made short work of their baths.

After refusing the service of several voluptuous wenches the men bathed, dressed, and made their way to the hall to dine. They would be able to assess the situation better from there and later they would be able to plan what they needed to do.

“Use all your wits tonight lads. Gather all the information ye can. I feel we’ll need it to escape this place before mornin’.” Liam instructed.

The men nodded before they left. Only Darren met Liam’s eyes.

“Some one here knows of Eva. I have felt him searching us out. He is not one of Lauchlan’s men,” which meant he was a wolf and with McKenzie.

Liam nodded his understanding and said, “Do as ye must. I trust in your strength, both in arm and mind. I will follow yer council in this. If you can be led to trust in his information then I will trust in it as well.”

Darren was touched by Liam’s faith in him. Few knew that Eva was Darren’s mate, but Liam knew and he respected Darren’s need to seek her out. Eva was Liam’s sister so it was hard for him to turn her protection over to another, but that was what he was doing now. Darren knew that if he failed he would earn Liam’s disappointment and fury and he knew he would deserve them both.

“I will find her Liam. I will or I will give my life in the effort.”

Liam clapped him on the back then. “Och, I ken it well, Darren. Else wise I would not have trusted you to the task.”

They made their way slowly to the Hall and took their seats. Each man found a place that he felt was most advantageous for him to gain information. Euan and Evan sat together as they often did. They were stronger together and each possessed strengths that were strengthened by the other’s. They were seldom far apart.

Deaglan and Balor sat together. Balors jolly demeanor offset the severity of Deaglan’s. It was usually thought, by others, that Deaglan was simply annoyed by his cheerful friend and generally overlooked.

Darren made his way to the far end of the table so he could view all of the hall. He began to softly touch the minds of those around him until he felt someone reach for him. He scowled, but allowed the contact.

“You seek a young tigress? I know of a captive. I will assist you if you agree to assist me. What say you?”

The wolf was not as powerful as Darren and he felt he should not show his strength to the enemy, so he roughened the communication he sent back to the wolf’s mind.

“I will not say anything of it to you. I will meet you alone after we depart. You will be alone and in this form. I will be alone and in my other. As soon as I know we are alone I will change and we will talk.”

“I will agree to your terms then. I will also give this to you in good faith. Lady Cara will be taken from her room tonight. Ramsey does not intend to marry her unless she is proven to hold the answers he seeks. You must take her from here before that happens of she will die as young Alice will soon do. Ramsey is poison to women.”

Their connection was severed and Darren slowly scanned the room for his informant and saw the lady Cara standing in the doorway.

4

Cara entered the hall just as their guests were being seated. She examined each of them now.

Two sat together and joined in a lively conversation with some of her father’s men. They were very similar in looks and build and Cara assumed they were twins. Both men had bright red hair, almost orange. Both were well built and tall, but leaner than most highland men.

Another had dark red hair, almost the color of her own and it was oddly sprinkled with black. This man was huge of build and he sat quietly as if observing everyone in the hall. His stony face did not offer a smile to the wench who offered him drink, but his eyes were ever moving and sad. Cara could see the sadness even from a distance. It was as if he searched for someone in every face and was continually disappointed when he could not find them.

The next man was also very large of build, but carried a jolly appearance that seemed odd in a warrior. His hair was dark, but she saw a flash of white near his ear and assumed he was older than the others. He was quick to laugh and his laugh filled the hall with a light hearted feeling. There had been little laughter in the past few days.

The warrior who had followed the leader was huge of build as well, but he also possessed a thoughtful quality that made her feel he already knew the strengths and weaknesses of each person at the table. She felt strangely that he was the most dangerous of them all and she feared him instantly. As if he sensed her watching him he turned his dark head and focused his strange eyes on her. She shivered as they almost glowed red in the torchlight. He narrowed his eyes on her and she felt her confusion in her mind and strangely she didn’t feel that it was her own. She stared at this strange warrior for a long moment. She felt her mind calm as if he wanted to reassure her, but it only made her fear him more. She shook her head and looked away. She turned her attention to her father, but felt him watching her.

Darren sat frozen in his seat. Why would Lady Cara fear him, and why wouldn’t she accept his assurances that he would not harm her? He felt helpless. He knew that he appeared fierce and many feared him. It was an advantage for an enemy to fear you, but he did not like it coming from this wee lass. She was Liam’s mate and he was mate to Liam’s sister. How could they live in harmony if she would not trust him? It could cause her harm. He would see to it that she would come to trust in him as Liam did.

Cara sought out the leader and when she found him she almost melted. He sat with her father so she figured him to be of a high rank. She observed the easy way he conversed with her father even though he was watchful and, she knew, ready to fight if the need arose. His hair was still damp from his bath and again held at his nape. His enormous claymore rested at his side. Her heart again fluttered as if it wanted to be free of her chest. How could she sit and eat with this man who affected her this way? Then he looked up.

Liam watched the beauty who walked toward him. His heart sped up instantly. She had tamed her flaming hair into a sleek braid down her back. Her skin was so pale and flawless that Liam would have sworn she was an angel. Her eyes glowed green in the dim light and Liam knew it was partly because her cat was beginning to awaken. Then he allowed his gaze to drop lower. What he saw had him shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

The creamy swell of her breasts was barely visible over the neckline of her jade dress. They were round and high and Liam ached to fill his palms with their soft weight. His eyes moved lower to her tiny waist and nicely flared hips. She was a wee lass though. He doubted the top of her bonnie head would reach past his chest. He again found her eyes and his mind again screamed, MATE. He’d found her and she was to be married on the morrow. He could not allow it of course. He would be the only man to call her wife.