Highland Defiance - By Sky Purington Page 0,49

nearly fast enough, he shape-shifted into his familiar.

Wide wings flapping he flew through the forest until he arrived at the Stonehenge and banked a sharp right into the cave in which they’d arrived.

Then he flew directly into the small Highland Defiance carved into the wall.

Chapter Ten

I’m going to die!

Mildred held onto the ledge, her body swinging high above the crashing waves. While thrilled to be back it hadn’t been her intention to fall to her death upon arrival. But staying in her time knowing that Adlin might somehow swipe him from her memory was terrifying.

What would it be to never have known him?

Did he really have the power to make that happen?

Obviously.

As she gripped the rock, her chest tightened. Now her family knew. Now she knew. Adlin meant so very much. And she refused to let him let her go.

A wind whipped up and blew her sideways. She cried out.

Suddenly, a huge white eagle landed above her. Before she could wonder at its beauty it vanished and Adlin appeared. With a painful grip, his hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her up as though she weighed nothing.

“Foolish,” he muttered severely as he pulled her into his arms.

“No,” she cried, holding on tight. “It’s never been foolish. None of this.”

“Every. Inch. Of. The. Way,” he ground out and crushed her against him. “Why, Mildred? Why?”

Tremors rocked her body but she held on tight. “Because I do love you. I think I always have. You’re a confusing, complex, oftentimes irritating man, but I understand that about you. Somehow I think I always have.”

“No.” He buried her head against his chest. “You barely understand a thing.”

“You don’t have everything figured out.” She wrapped her hands into his hair, small sobs breaking from her body. “I’m sick of you thinking you do. It’s presumptuous and rude.”

“Do,” he muttered, seeming to lock onto the word. “What do we have?” he asked, burying his nose in her sweet hair. “What will we have?”

“This,” she breathed, her body quieting next to his. “Is exactly what I want. You asked me earlier what I wanted. This is it, you are. How else can you explain me coming back here? I feared losing you and suddenly I returned to the Defiance.”

Adlin wrapped his arms around her tighter. Defeated but determined he said, “You’re exactly what I want as well, Mildred. It seems your magic is powerful in matters that most count, matters of the heart.”

For all she cared, time could cease to exist. Those moments minutes ago back home nearly a thousand years from now had mattered. They’d changed everything. Or had they? Tilting up her head, she brought her lips against the warm skin on his neck and breathed deeply. Spice, sweat, worry, she brought her lips against the vein throbbing in his neck.

His hand cupped the back of her neck and held tight. “Let’s have our day.”

Mildred focused on breathing. She’d do just about anything to have ‘their day.’ Carefully, she pulled back and looked up, surprised to see his eyes concerned, desperate, nearly wet. “Yes, let’s do that.”

Needy, impatient, his lips crushed hers in a kiss that outdid all kisses. If the moment never ended, she’d be fine with that. Their tongues swooped and searched, wanting the moment to never end.

Before he could, she pulled away and nodded toward the meadow. “Back that way, right?”

Tall, gorgeous, kilt once more intact, he nodded. “Aye, that way.”

The moment seemed almost surreal as she sat then jumped off the ledge. Ready to run, be free, she jolted. Highland grass swooshed around her as she ran across the meadow. When Adlin caught up, running alongside, she laughed. Late day sun seemed to follow them in a mad chase. Halfway across the small valley his arms wrapped around her and took her down.

When they landed it wasn’t jarring but soft, ready, delayed.

“Too soon, just did this,” he whispered.

He spoke of her recently loss of virginity.

“Then use your magic to make it easier,” she whispered back, desperate to unclothe.

As if the very gods heard her request the winds died and grasses stood still. Their clothes were gone and she had no hardship to face but the feeling of his warm skin against hers. His calloused, curious, weapon-roughened hand skirted over her shoulder then cupped her neck while his fervent body pinned her down.

And, as easily as his eyes met hers, the sun vanished and night appeared.

“What did you do?” she whispered.

“Nothing,” he murmured. “Time is but catching up with itself.”

Concerned but