Highland Wolf Pact (22 page)

“Is it fatal?” she gasped, hands already moving on Darrow’s belly, searching for the wound. So much blood. So very much blood.

“What d’ye care?” Raife looked at her, his blue eyes clouded, dark. His gaze raked her and Sibyl looked down, seeing the ruin of her wedding dress, now soaking up Darrow’s blood.

“Bring ’im inside,” Donal ordered his men. “And take yer laird’s body to the tombs. We’ll be planning a funeral.”

Laina sobbed over Darrow’s body. She refused to let him go when the men brought a carrying litter to take him inside.

“Where’re ye going?” Raife grabbed Sibyl’s arm when she went to follow, yanking her back to face him.

“To help!” she cried, trying to shake him loose, but he was too strong. “Raife! Let me go!”

Beside them, the men were putting Alistair’s body on another litter. His head was still at their feet, a sight that turned Sibyl’s stomach. She avoided looking down, meeting Raife’s eyes. She had never seen that look in them before, so dark, so…

“He’s the man ye want.” Raife glanced down, letting go of her arm long enough to grab Alistair’s head by the hair. She found herself face to face with her betrothed, his face still retaining that same wide-eyed look he’d worn when Darrow lopped off his head. “Here’s yer prize. Take it. It’s yers. Ye earned it.”

The crowd around her gasped as Raife tossed the man’s head at Sibyl.

And she caught it.

It was a reflex action from years of playing ball with the boys in the yard, and Sibyl watched, aghast, as the man she loved left her there, sinking to her knees in the middle of the empty field wearing a bloody wedding dress and holding the head of a man she had once promised to marry in her lap. Raife left her. He left her. The pain that seared through her middle was far worse than any sword he could have used to run her through.

Sibyl threw her head back and howled. 

* * * *

“He still will’na see ye.” Laina shook her head sadly as Sibyl asked, for the hundredth time, if Raife had asked about her. “But he’ll come ’round. He’s jus’… well. Wulvers are stubborn.”

“Some of us more’n others!” Darrow called from across the room, attempting to sit up.

“Oh no you don’t!” Sibyl rushed over, pushing him back into bed, checking his bandage, seeing blood blooming there. “Speaking of stubborn. Stay in bed, will you, please?”

“Even wulvers need t’heal, Darrow.” Laina agreed, climbing into bed with her husband and pushing him back onto the mattress. “What’m I gonna hafta do t’keep ye in bed, hm?”

“Lemme think on that…” Darrow grinned, wrapping an arm around Laina’s waist and pulling her in for a kiss. It was a sight that both delighted Sibyl and hurt her heart.

“Keep him in bed,” Sibyl warned, taking Darrow’s tray and carrying it toward the door.

“Oh, aye.” Laina giggled as she kissed her husband down onto the mattress.

“No strenuous movements!” Sibyl warned, backing out of the door, still carrying the tray.

“Tell me stupid, stubborn brother I wanna see him!” Darrow called.

“Lemme take that, banrighinn.” Kirstin frowned, stopping Sibyl in the hallway to relieve her of the tray. “Ye should’na be carrying a tray like a servant.”

Banrighinn—that was the Gaelic word for “queen.” Kirstin—who had come without being asked to help nurse Darrow back to health—had taken to calling Sibyl banrighinn, even though Raife had never marked her, hadn’t claimed her in front of the pact. Kirstin was as sure as Laina that the man would come around. Sibyl wasn’t so sure. But being called any variation of “queen,” no matter the language, was taking some getting used to.

“It keeps me busy,” Sibyl argued as she handed over the tray. Darrow had eaten stew and half a loaf of bread—his appetite was definitely back.

She was still surprised that Darrow had survived his wound, but somehow Alistair had managed to miss most of his major organs. And the ones he had hit had healed themselves miraculously fast, in true wulver fashion. Alistair, however, had not managed to survive his wounds, and wouldn’t have, even if he’d been a wulver. Sibyl had been sure Alistair’s death would start a war between the wulvers and the clan, but so many people had seen the despicable thing their laird had done, word quickly spread.

Donal had been declared laird before Alistair’s body was laid to rest.

“Donal was askin after ye,” Kirstin told her, unable to hide the small smile on her lips. Kirstin had taken a bit of a shine to the man. Even Sibyl, lost in her old world, had noticed.

Kirstin looked at Sibyl with sympathetic eyes. Everyone knew she was in love with Raife—and everyone knew the man refused to speak to her. She had tried, several times, to reason with him, but he simply looked at her with those sad, blue eyes, and walked away. He managed to escape her and whatever she had to say, even if it meant mounting his horse and riding away.

There was nothing more she could do, Sibyl had decided. So she tried to keep herself busy. She did her best to help heal Darrow, who couldn’t travel for at least another few days. The other wulvers had returned to the mountain—Raife had sent them home to let the women wulvers know what had happened—but Darrow, Raife and Laina had stayed behind.

Donal welcomed them graciously into his home and offered them all a room and food for as long as they required. He had been very kind, as always, a marked difference from his brother, and the way he conducted himself as laird had been the exact opposite as well. When Sibyl had begun to sob at Alistair’s funeral—she caught Raife’s eye during the proceedings and couldn’t get the image of him throwing Alistair’s head at her—Donal had offered his shoulder.

“Thank you, Kirstin.” Sibyl smiled at the young woman, making her way down the hall, heading to the stairs. “Is he in the chancery?”

“Aye.” Kirstin carried the tray down beside her and they parted ways at the bottom of the stairs, Kirstin going left toward the kitchen, Sibyl right, toward Donal’s chancery.

The place had been Alistair’s chancery just a short time ago. It was the place she had first met her betrothed, she remembered, as she knocked on the door.

“Come in!” Donal called.

Sibyl opened the door, peeking inside to see him sitting at a wide, oak desk, studying a piece of paper in his hand.

“Lady Blackthorne!” He smiled as she came in, leaving the door open as she approached the desk. “I was jus’ askin’ Kirstin t’find ye.”

“She found me.” She smiled, sitting down in a chair opposite him, the fabric cool on the backs of her legs. She had borrowed a plaid from one of the kitchen maids, even though Donal had given her back her dowry, which consisted of an entire English wardrobe fit for a viscountess. She couldn’t go back to wearing velvet and satin, she decided, no matter how much the ladies’ maids Donal had hired to tend her encouraged her to do so.

“I’ve had word.” Donal glanced down at the paper in his hand, squinting at it.

“Goodness, that was fast.” Sibyl’s heart thudded hard in her chest. She had asked him to send a letter as soon as humanly possible, and Donal had agreed.

“I sent a wulver messenger.”

“Ah.” Sibyl nodded. So, faster than humanly possible, then. “And what word?”

“Tis good news.” Donal handed the letter over and she saw that it was written in English. “King Henry will continue to honor the wolf pact.”

“And Alistair’s plan?” Sibyl glanced over the letter and saw the king’s seal, making it official.

“Twas all ’is own.” Donal shook his head sadly. “King Henry knew naught of it.”

“I’m sorry, Donal.” She reached out and touched his hand across the desk, squeezing gently. “If I could have saved him too…”

“He brought it on himself, lass.” Donal sighed, leaning back in his chair and rubbing a hand over his tired eyes. “Me brother was always… a problem.”

“At least the wulvers are safe.” She gave her own sigh of relief, sitting back in her chair. “And clan MacFalon is safe.”

“Aye, although King Henry writes that, as new laird of clan MacFalon, I need t’find meself an English bride,” Donal said, cocking his head at her. “Or he’ll find one for me.”

“Is that so?” Sibyl swallowed, meeting his eyes over the big desk.

“I wondered, lass…” He cleared his throat, cheeks turning slightly pink, and Sibyl knew what he was going to ask. She thought of what she might say to perhaps avert the direction he was headed, but could think of nothing.

Instead, she sat, struck dumb, just staring at him.

“I wondered if ye might consider havin’ me?” Donal got the question out, going on, continuing to talk, as if by talking he might stave off her inevitable rejection. “I know ye do’na love me. But that could come, with time. We have everythin’ in place already, I jus’ thought…”

“A marriage of convenience?”

“Aye.” He shrugged helplessly. “It does seem logical and convenient.”

“I wish my heart would listen to logic.” She looked down at her hands, her lower lip trembling as she thought of Raife. It was hard to get him out of her mind, even when she was trying to keep herself busy. “I keep trying to tell it… to stop loving him…”

Her tears overflowed. There was something about this man’s presence that made her feel safe, letting her emotions surface. She looked at him, wondering what life would be like here, if she were to take him up on his offer. What else did she have to do, after all? Raife would not have her, and she had been ruined for anything or anyone else. What did it matter where she lived, how she spent the rest of her days, if she couldn’t be with the man she loved?

But she couldn’t do that to this kind-hearted man. He deserved to be loved, really loved, the way she loved Raife. She remembered the way Kirstin had smiled when she mentioned the man’s name and wondered at it. Did Donal not know or see the girl’s affection? She thought of telling him but held her tongue. She was in no mood to be matchmaker.

“I’m sorry.” Sibyl swallowed, trying to swallow her tears, but they stuck in her throat. She sobbed into her hands, shaking her head, and she felt his hand on her shoulder.

“Och, lass… I’m sorry… I did’na mean…”

“No, it’s not your fault!” She accepted a handkerchief, wiping at her face. “You have been so kind, so generous. I wish I could say yes, but my heart belongs to one man. One… stubborn… awful… horrible… wolf… man…”

She wailed, wishing she could disappear altogether. It was so horribly humiliating, to love someone so much, and have them completely ignore your existence.

“Aye, he’s broken yer heart, hasn’t he, lass?” Donal lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“Into so many pieces I will never put them together again,” she whispered. “I wish he would just talk to me. Or at least listen…”

He nodded, glancing over her shoulder, then back into her eyes.

“What would ye say ta the man?” Donal asked softly.

“That I love him.” She twisted the handkerchief in her hands. “That I only did what I did because I love him. Because I wanted to keep him safe.”

“I understand.” Donal gave a long, deep sigh.

“I wish he did.” Sibyl half-stood, ready to go. She wanted to go hide in her room, bury her face in a pillow and sob the rest of the day away. But there were potatoes to peel in the kitchen. And linens to change on the beds. Anything to keep her hands, and her mind, busy.

“Ask ’im.” Donal nudged her gently.

“I cannot!” She handed him his handkerchief. “He will not give me the time of day.”

“Mayhaps he has a few minutes now?” He glanced over her shoulder again and Sibyl frowned, turning her head in that direction.

The sight of Raife standing in the doorway made her heart drop to her knees. His face was a mask, unreadable, but his eyes were as blue and expressive as ever. He had heard her, that much was clear. But had he listened? Did he care?

“Raife?” she whispered, using the chair to hold herself up, because her knees turned wobbly.

“Ye asked t’see me?” Raife turned his gaze to Donal, ignoring Sibyl.

“Aye, I did.” Donal waved him in with a sigh. “Come in.”

“I was just leaving.” Sibyl lowered her head and moved to sidestep him as Raife came into the room. She had just decided that running up to her room and burying her face in a pillow to sob for the rest of the day was exactly what she was going to do.

“Och!” Donal rolled his eyes, throwing up his hands. “Nay,
I
was jus’ leavin’!”

It happened so fast. One minute, Donal was standing there, the next, he was on the other side of the door, and a key was turning in the lock.

Raife frowned, reaching for the door handle, turning it. But it wouldn’t budge.

“Unless ye plan on breakin’ down me door, ye’ll be workin’ this out between ye!” Donal called through the thick, solid wood door. “I’m tired of havin’ t’comfort that poor girl’s tears on me shoulder.”

Raife scowled at Sibyl, as if her tears were her own fault, and Donal’s comfort was too.

“I jus’ have one more thing ta say afore I go,” Donal called, clearing his throat. “Son, if’n ye do’na want her—”

“Go!” Raife snapped at the closed, locked door. “Leave us!”

They both heard Donal chuckle and then there was silence.