Aliss was certain there would be no more illnesses. She also made sure to teach Anna how to determine which plants were poisonous. That she held the teaching session out under the bright afternoon sun where the women wandered by and sat to join them was no accident.
Aliss visited with those who were still recovering, confident now that they would be well in no time. James was growing stronger every day and would soon be completely healed. The herb garden flourished and she taught Anna the properties of the different plants and mixtures to aid in specific healings.
The days rolled by, and one by one, the people healed nicely. No more grew ill and Margaret’s black bread continued to be in demand.
Summer was in full bloom. Children ran in play, healthy babies were delivered, gardens flourished along with the people. The Wolf clan was doing well.
It was time for Aliss to return home.
Chapter 15
Rogan knew the time approached. Soon Aliss would ask him to take her home. She had fulfilled her part of the bargain and now it was time for him to fulfill his. That, however, he was not going to be able to do, and when she discovered why, he wondered if she would forgive him.
He sat at the table in front of the hearth wondering what he would do. He had not counted on Aliss and her bewitching ways.
He had waited as the days passed and the people grew well. Waited for the time she demanded to be returned home.
He had also noticed that she kept her distance from him after discovering the cause of the illness. She no longer stood close to him, reached out to take his hand, seek out a kiss, or rest her head on his shoulder. She distanced herself from him day after day, moving further and further away until it felt as if she had already departed.
He rubbed his head. This was not going as he had planned. It had seemed so easy when he had first made preparations—and now? Now Aliss was no longer a means to an end. She was a woman who intrigued him, excited him and soothed him.
Damn, but he was in trouble. He leaned his head back and groaned.
“What is wrong? Do you not feel well?” Aliss asked, dropping her basket by the door and anxiously hurrying over to him to feel his forehead. “You are warm.”
“I am fine,” he argued.
“I will fix you a brew.”
She walked away from him and he reached out and snagged her around the waist, drawing her to him to rest his head on her chest.
“You keep your distance from me. Why?”
He could hear her heart beat slow then fast then slow and fast again, and he hugged her waist.
“I am not sure.”
Honesty again. It speared his heart for he was not being honest with her.
“I miss touching you, kissing you.” Honest words from him and spoken from the heart. When he looked up at her, her green eyes had softened and her arms drifted around him.
“I am confused.”
“Have I done that to you?” he asked, concerned, reaching out to grasp her arm and slip his hand down until his fingers locked with hers. He brought them to his lips and kissed them.
“You make me feel—”
“Cared for?”
He felt her shiver and he stood, wrapping his arms around her.
She pushed him away and took a step back. “You know I leave soon.”
“So was our bargain.”
“It is still so.”
“If you still want it so,” he said.
“It can be no other way.”
“Why?”
“My work—”
“Is an excuse,” he said.
“It is important.”
“Above all else?”
“I thought you understood.”
“I understand more than you realize.”
She shook her head. “Do not make this hard for me.”
“Kiss me,” he demanded.
“No!”
“Why?”
She turned her head and he pounced on her, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Tell me why.”
She closed her eyes. “Because I am afraid I will not want to stop. Please. Please let me go.”
“You will simply walk away?” he asked as if he did not believe her.
“What choice do I have?” She stepped around him and hurried out of the cottage.
That she would soon leave Rogan had weighed heavily on her mind. She had never expected to admire the Wolf. He was a courageous warrior, but even more, he was a man who cared deeply for his people and protected them however he could. He was also a man who had loved a woman, lost her, and was not afraid to love again.
She drifted along the edge of the woods, the sun near to setting and the warm night air whispering across her face like a lover’s kiss.
Her hand went to her lips and she thought about the kisses she had shared with Rogan.
“How do you feel when you kiss him?”
She smiled at her sister’s familiar voice in her head. Leave it to Fiona to remind her of how important a kiss was. How could she ignore how she felt when Rogan kissed her? It was like he weaved a magical spell around her and entranced her.