would only lead to more pain for both of them. She was a warrior, like generations of the Éan before her. She was a princess, though she had renounced her claim to lead.
But most important, she was Chrechte and that meant she did not dismiss the gifts her nature bestowed, whatever they may be.
Barr’s return had loosened her hold on the certainty there was no hope for their future. She did not know why, but his clear willingness to fight for their mating could be met with nothing less than her own warrior’s determination.
Could it?
“Wirp was not the bowman,” she said, not sure why those were the words that tumbled from her mouth first. Perhaps they were a test. To this point, Barr had repeatedly refused to acknowledge the very real danger some in his clan posed to her.
“Why do you believe this?”
She told him.
He nodded. “I came to the same conclusion.”
“You did not say.”
“I expected you to realize it as well.”
“And maybe you did not want to give me another reason not to feel safe here.”
He shrugged. “You do not trust me to protect you.”
The concept that she should had never occurred to her. “I am my people’s protector.”
“As your mate, I am your protector.”
“And I am duty bound to protect you.”
“He won’t thank you for leaving because you believe doing so will stop whoever tried to kill him yesterday,” Verica said, showing not the slightest regret at revealing that confidence.
“You think your leaving will keep me safe?” he asked with the pure shock only a truly confident man would feel.
“It is a concern of mine, yes.”
“What exactly?”
The door opened without a knock, Earc coming inside, showing no surprise at finding his laird and Sabrine with his wife. Niall and Guaire followed closely on his heels.
The look Niall gave her left Sabrine in no doubt that Barr had shared her plans to leave with him. Guaire gave her a look that mixed compassion and censure so well, she thought he would have made a very good spiritual leader.
Earc was looking at all of them with an expression of amusement that never seemed far from his features. “Should I be concerned? This is the second time I have found my wife entertaining my friend in a bedchamber.”
Verica smacked his arm. Hard. And blushed even harder.
Barr didn’t laugh, but some of the tension in his body fell away. The thing he invited his friend to do was anatomically impossible and intensified the heat in Verica’s cheeks.
It was Sabrine’s turn to smack her mate. She did it right on the center of his chest. “Behave. You’ll have your healer’s cheeks catch fire and start smoking soon.”
“I note you are not pink-cheeked.” Niall said it with a question in his voice.
She had heard far worse among her fellow protector brethren, and not always from the males. “I am a warrior.”
“Who was as innocent as any pampered daughter on our wedding night.” Barr’s satisfaction at that fact was far too complacent.
And Sabrine didn’t know which part of that comment to take more umbrage at. “We’re not married.”
“We’re mated. You spoke vows that night. So did I.”
Niall was back to glaring. While she wasn’t looking at him, she could feel the fury directed at her from Barr’s brother.
He forgets I do not need a defender, Barr said to her across their mating link.
He hates me.
Since you plan to leave me, that should not matter. Oh, there was no small amount of anger in Barr’s growling mental voice as well.
“I will come back.” She said it out loud, wanting the others to hear her commitment as well.
She would not betray her Chrechte vows, no matter the personal risk to her for keeping them. Though, she did not know how to reconcile this with her former pledge to her people. She knew only that mating vows superseded all others, no matter what her warrior’s training dictated.
It had taken her long enough to come to terms with that fact, but she would not let herself forget it again.
She couldn’t; her love demanded she remember.
He stared at her, his eyes searching, and then seemed to realize those words were yet another vow. One she would not break.
“I will go with you.” His were just as solemn of a promise.
From the corner of her vision, she saw Niall cross his arms and nod with certain agreement. Earc made an approving noise, but neither Guaire or Verica said anything.
Sabrine had no doubt that if she looked away from Barr long enough