Midnight's Captive(17)

“Some people are meant to search for happiness forever. Some are destined to never find it.”

“You think you’re one of those destined to never find it.”

It wasn’t a question, so he didn’t feel the need to answer.

“That’s sad,” she whispered, and dropped her hand.

He hated how he missed her touch. She rarely got too near him. Perhaps, inwardly, she knew the monster he was and tried her best to stay clear.

But those few times they touched had been … heaven. Maybe that was just because Laura was a good person. Possibly it was because he sought something he could never have.

Not even the women he took to his bed helped him. And he’d stopped sleeping with them months ago. He still bought them dinner, still flirted, but he knew it was a waste of time to look in their direction.

If the Warriors at MacLeod Castle taught him anything, it was that if there was a spark of hope for his future, it was with a Druid.

Not only was there not one anywhere near him, but he wasn’t sure he could trust one enough to get close. For all he knew, the Druid could come from Jason Wallace.

What a fucking mess my world has become.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Laura asked, breaking into his thoughts.

He nodded. “I’m following the directions. Though I’ve never visited Dreagan before, I’d heard it was notoriously difficult to find.”

“Why? You’d think a distillery would want to be found to sell more product.”

“Dreagan is no’ like other companies. They like to keep to themselves. That could be part of the allure of why their scotch is so prized.”

Charon slowed the car and turned off the dual carriage road onto a narrow road. There was room for only one car at a time, which wasn’t uncommon in Scotland, but there weren’t any pull-offs to allow a car to pass either.

“Well, I’ve seen a lot of the Highlands while I’ve been here, but this is a first,” Laura said as she leaned forward to gaze out her passenger window.

“Aye,” Charon agreed.

The road took them between two mountains that rose on either side of them like stone giants. Most roads were over mountains or on them, but not between them. The glen was narrow, the forest plentiful, which made it appear as if they were driving through a tunnel.

Charon drove slowly through the winding road. There wasn’t much to see but trees and the rocky slopes of the mountains. It wasn’t until he turned one tight corner that he caught something out of the corner of his eye.

When he looked, he found a man standing on the slope of the mountain, watching them. He was camouflaged well enough that a mortal would never see him. But then again, Charon was not mortal.

“Well, they know we’re here.”

“What?” Laura asked and turned her head to him. Her wealth of dark hair moved sensuously against her. Her brow puckered over her soft green eyes. “Why do you say that?”

“I saw a man.”

“A man. So?” she said with a shrug.

It wasn’t as if Charon could tell her it was an ancient tactic, one he’d employed on numerous occasions. “The man was hidden. He’ll report what he’s seen to whoever is in charge.”

She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “You did say they liked their privacy.”

“Aye.”

They remained silent the rest of the drive until one last curve and the trees opened up. Charon heard Laura’s gasp, and even he had to admit he was taken aback by the sheer beauty.

Dreagan sprawled between mountains, the valley wide and expansive. On one side, white dots of sheep flecked the brilliant green pastures, and on the other, cattle grazed leisurely.

Farther back, Charon’s Warrior sight allowed him to see a hint of another building, one he assumed was a residence by how they tried to hide it with the distillery buildings and gardens.

He parked the car and did a quick look around. There were people moving about doing their daily work, but it was the few men he saw posted about the land that told him Dreagan kept things secure.

But how secure against a Warrior?

He gave Laura a nod and they exited the car together. Charon looked over his shoulder in time to see a glimpse of a man leaving the forest, the same man he’d seen watching them.

A quick look at his watch showed they were ten minutes early. Charon would like to roam around on his own, but he doubted he’d be given that opportunity.

The tinkle of water could be heard, and he knew if he looked behind one of the buildings, he’d find a stream.

“Hello,” said a woman as she came toward them.

Laura returned her smile. “Hello.”

The woman stopped in front of Charon’s Mercedes and clasped her hands before her. “You must be Charon Bruce.”