Midnight's Captive(101)

Longing, pure and true, hurtled into him. It was so fierce he couldn’t turn away from it. He should have known it would happen had he dared to think of the past and what could have been.

From the time he was old enough to understand he’d be laird, he’d dreamed of the title. His father had trained him from the moment of his birth to be the kind, strong, fair laird he was expected to be.

And Malcolm had wanted it as he’d never wanted anything before.

He let his fingers trace over the scars on the right side of his face. Only once had he dared to look in a mirror. The five gnashes had slit open his cheek, part of his forehead, over his eye, and diagonally over his nose and mouth.

It was a horrible sight. Malcolm could barely stand to look at himself. It was difficult to ignore the gasps from women and children, and the pity from men when they caught sight of him.

Malcolm opened his eyes to watch the clouds drift rapidly overhead. The wind had picked up. The storm coming would be a bad one.

He sat up with a curse when he thought of Charon and Laura. Malcolm knew they had made it to the castle, but he also knew that wouldn’t stop Jason.

“Sod it all,” he growled as he jumped to his feet.

He wanted to forget all of them, but he couldn’t. Larena would never let him. And even though reception for his mobile was spotty where he was, he knew in his gut she was trying to call.

Now wasn’t the time to lose himself in the mountains. But soon, soon he would walk away from Larena and the rest of them forever.

Malcolm turned to the left and began running toward the nearest town. He’d learn what he could without going to MacLeod Castle. Then he would sit back and wait to see if he was needed.



Aiden stood outside the cottage. The few hours of darkness in the summer nights were gone, leaving the area swamped in light.

“Where is Britt?” Quinn asked as he came to stand beside Aiden after his patrol around the cottage.

Aiden glanced behind him. “Sleeping, but now that I see the structure, I’m no’ sure it’s safe that she’s inside.”

“It’s shelter,” Quinn said with a grin. “And more rain is coming.”

“Aye.” Aiden had felt it hours ago. The storm would be a bad one, too. “I guess you’ve no’ heard from Fallon or Charon?”

Quinn’s lips flattened as he gave a shake of his head. “Nay, and my patience is wearing thin. Your mother and the other Druids have made no progress in halting Wallace’s magic in Edinburgh.”

“More have died.” Aiden didn’t have to be told. It was a truth that Wallace had shoved down their throats.”

“They have. None of the magic of our Druids has any effect at all.”

“Combined, the magic of the mies is supposed to be more powerful than a drough’s.”

“Supposed to be.” Quinn crossed his arms over his chest and looked out at the rolling land and the sheep that grazed on land not farmed.

Aiden didn’t like the worry that lined his father’s face. Many times he’d seen the Warriors get out of tight spots, but he was concerned about what awaited him.

The Warriors might have gods inside them, but Jason Wallace had the upper hand. Someone was going to die in the next few hours. Of that, Aiden was sure.

It couldn’t be Britt. Not just because he had feelings for her—feelings he suspected went a lot deeper than lust—but also because she was crucial to the Warriors’ having something to combat Wallace.

“You know how important Britt is,” Aiden said as he turned his head to look at his father.

Quinn raised a brow. “Important to you?”

“Important to the Warriors.” He swallowed, then admitted, “And important to me. Verra important to me.”

“Do you love her?”

Aiden hooked his thumbs in the front pocket of his jeans and considered his father’s words. “I think I began to fall in love with her the first moment I saw her.”

They were silent for several moments before Quinn dropped his arms and said, “You want me to keep her safe over you.”

“Without a doubt.”

“You’re my son,” Quinn said, his voice hoarse with emotion.

Aiden faced his father and grinned. “You’d ask the same of Fallon or Lucan in regards to Mum.”

Quinn blinked several times, his throat working as he finally swallowed. “Damn, lad, but I’m proud to call you my son.”

“So you’ll keep watch over her?”

“I give you my word.”

Only then could Aiden relax. All the Warriors would have looked after Britt without having to be asked, but now he had made his feelings known. Britt would be carefully protected, just as any wife in the castle was.