A Highland Werewolf Wedding - By Terry Spear Page 0,93
gravel drive. Lanterns at the castle entryway cast light that shimmered off the wet silver metal. Heart thumping erratically, she paused for a fraction of a minute, so stupefied to see the car sitting there that she didn’t recognize it as hers. When realization dawned, she whipped around and headed for the stairs in the tower.
She couldn’t be more excited. She was certain the battle between the clans would be averted with just that one gesture of appeasement.
“Wait, lass,” Oran commanded, hurrying after her. “Where are you going?”
“To get my car. All my belongings. I have to make sure it’s all there.”
“We can’t open the gates,” Oran said, as he followed her down the stairs while the other men remained watchful on top of the wall walk. “No’ until they’re opened come morn.”
Ignoring him, she finally reached the gates and stood there staring at them as if they’d just magically open. She turned to scowl at Oran. “I want my rental car and my belongings. They’ve left it here as I asked, as they should have. They probably figured I wouldn’t talk with Robert until he met my demands.”
“Perhaps.” Oran folded his arms across his broad chest, his brow lifting. “Perhaps not. The car will be here when Ian gives the word that we can open the gates to retrieve it in the morn.”
“At least call him on your cell phone and let him know it’s here. That he doesn’t need to go to war over this.”
“Lass, unless the castle is on fire, we dinna disturb our laird in the middle of the night. Especially not since he picked a mate.”
“Fine. I’ll wake Cearnach. He’s next in command, right?”
Oran’s mouth kicked up at the corner a bit. “If Ian isn’t here, aye.”
“He isn’t. He’s indisposed.” She stormed back toward the keep as fast as she could manage. She imagined her rental car vanishing before she was able to return for it, just like before.
Oran chuckled. “Cearnach has his hands full.”
“But will she be returning when she wakes him?” one of the men hollered from the top of the wall walk, humor lacing his words.
Elaine snorted. Cearnach would want to see if his stuff had been returned as much as she did hers.
Annoyed with Oran, Elaine hurried to the stairs to Cearnach’s bedchamber. When she reached his door, she opened, then closed it. She heard nothing but his quiet breathing and knew he was still sound asleep, never aware that she’d left him alone in the first place. She rushed around the bed to his side and yanked open the curtains.
His eyes popped open, and he grabbed a sword sheathed beside the bed that she had not noticed before.
Eyes wide, Elaine quickly moved back out of the path of the Highland warrior, afraid he wasn’t awake enough to realize she wasn’t a threat to him. “It’s just me, Cearnach,” she said in a rush.
“Lass, what are you doing out of bed?” Then he frowned. “Flynn hasn’t been bothering you, has he?”
“No. I heard the dogs barking and then wolves howling and went to see what the matter was. The McKinleys and Kilpatricks were prowling through your woods in wolf form.”
“Ah, that’s the trouble.” He sheathed his sword and reached out to snag her hand.
Before she could dodge away from his quick action, knowing just where this would lead if she didn’t, he had her by the wrist, stopping her, his mouth curved up, warning her that she shouldn’t have awakened him. He pulled her into bed with him. “You’re freezing. You shouldn’t have been running around the bailey without being more properly dressed. I’ll warm you up.”
He tugged off one of her boots and then the other.
“They brought my car back,” she said, trying to free herself, but he was all muscled arms and legs and body, claiming her as he pulled the covers over them. Yet she thought if he knew the importance of why she wanted to leave the bed and wanted him to go with her, he’d agree and help retrieve her car. Surely.
“Even your nose is cold, lass,” he said, kissing it.
So much for him being interested in the return of her car.
“Cearnach,” she said sharply, trying to get him to pay attention to her. “My rental car—”
“Will be there in the morning if you have come to tell me they delivered it and it is beyond our gate, which is closed for now. It won’t be opened without Ian’s approval, and he would not give it