Highlander's Beautiful Liar A Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Historical Novel - Adamina Young Page 0,48

kill his wife, and he wasn’t about to let that stand.

16

Shock kept Cora where she was until she looked down at her hands. They were covered in blood from Alec’s wound, and her stomach twisted. What if he didn’t return? What if whoever shot those arrows attacked him and he was too weak from blood loss to defend himself?

She couldn’t lose him.

Taking a deep breath, she scrambled to her feet and tried to follow behind him. There was an eerie silence in the wood. No sounds of an attacker and nothing from Alec. Even the birds weren’t singing, but maybe the sound of her own heart pounding was drowning everything out.

What if he was already dead?

Trying to hold back her sobs, she kept moving forward as she searched for him. Finally, when she couldn’t take it anymore, she called out his name. Softly at first until the panic overtook her.

“Cora!”

It was an angry growl as she neared a grouping of bushes, and she nearly wept with relief when he stepped out. “I told ye to stay put!”

“I thought something had happened to you. Oh, we have to get you back. You’re still bleeding.” Maybe it was adrenaline, but she found the strength to rip her skirts and wrap his wound. “You can send someone out for the archer later.”

“He’s long gone.” Alec’s eyes blazed with anger as he looked around. “Aye, we need to get ye back, and then ye arena going anywhere without a guard.”

“You think the arrow was meant for me?” Twisting the fabric, she knotted it tightly.

“I promised to protect ye. I wilnae let anything happen to ye.”

Forcing a smile, she nodded. “Come. We need to see the healer.”

There was a flurry of activity when they returned. Alec, a little weak, still managed to bark out orders before she could convince him to see the healer. Even then, he was still ordering patrols throughout the forest.

Afterward, when he was supposed to be resting, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. “Alec, what are you doing? Please,” she pleaded.

Her husband ignored her. “Kane?” he asked Jamie. “Do ye think that he was capable of something like this?”

“No.” Jamie shook his head emphatically. “He may not have liked ye in the beginning, but he respects ye now. I think he realizes that he would not be ready to take over, and he respects Duncan’s line. He wouldna do anything to hurt Cora.”

“Jamie, surely this can wait until morning,” Cora tried again.

“Someone else, then. I have not won over all of the MacKays just yet.”

Jamie shook his head. “There might be some discontent among them, but no one hates ye enough to go after Cora.”

“Stop!” Cora shouted as she jumped up. “Am I invisible here or am I mistress of this keep? Jamie, leave us. You can return in two hours.”

Both men gaped at her, and she took a deep breath and pointed to the bed. “You will lay back down or I will tie you down. I am asking for nothing more than two hours for you to rest and ensure that the wound is not worse than we think. Please.”

“Cora,” Alec started.

“Jamie, could you please get me some rope,” she interrupted pleasantly, “and perhaps a couple of men to help me? Even wounded, I think he could overpower me.”

Jamie grinned. “I think we could do that.”

“Enough,” Alec growled. “Look, I am getting in the bed. Two hours though, and then I will make a statement at dinner. Jamie, leave us.”

Unable to breathe easy until Alec was in the bed, she waited until Jamie was gone and hurriedly closed the door behind him. When her husband was settled in the bed, she nearly lost it as she checked the bandage on his arm. “You are still bleeding, so I will need to change this soon, and we will have to monitor you for fever. Your healer is excellent. I could not have sewn you up better myself.”

“Cora.” His voice was soft and caressed her, and she couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her face. Nestled against the pillows, he reached out and pulled her against him. “Doona cry, my sweet. I wilnae let anyone hurt ye.”

Hurt her. He didn’t even seem to fathom the idea that this might be because of her. “Alec,” she whispered. “Alec, I don’t think the person was trying to kill me.”

“Ye are right. I could have been the target,” he acknowledged. “But ’tis more likely ye. Take ye