her, and it showed in his tender touch, in the way he looked into her eyes as he took her beneath him, in the way he saw to her pleasure first.
But now he was lying lifeless, and Sorcha thought she might expire right alongside him. “Ye’re finally mine, Alec MacQuarrie. Doona do this ta me.”
A knock sounded at the door as it opened just a crack.
“Are you all right, lass?” Lord Blodswell’s voice crept around the door.
“Please help me!” Sorcha cried as she scurried to the foot of the bed, retrieved the counterpane, and covered Alec with it.
“Are you decent, Mrs. MacQuarrie?” Lord Kettering’s disembodied voice asked from the corridor.
She glanced down at her own nakedness. She was quite indecent, now that he mentioned it. She snatched her chemise from the floor and threw it over her head. “Aye.”
Modesty be damned, there was no time to wait for her to be properly attired. Something was wrong with her husband.
Blodswell and Kettering tumbled into the room, one right after the other. She could have sworn she saw a concerned Lycan or two hovering behind them. But Lord Blodswell kicked the door shut and she heard a loud curse from beyond the closed portal.
“Meddling Lycans,” Kettering mumbled, as he brushed a lock of hair from his face. Another loud yelp sounded from the corridor. “However, it sounds as though your wife has them well under control.”
Blodswell chuckled. “Lightning does have its uses, outside of storm building.”
How could they laugh? “I doona ken what ye think is so amusing. Where is Elspeth?” Sorcha demanded. “Ye have ta get Elspeth ta heal him!” Hot tears tracked down her face, and she dashed them away with her fingertips.
“None of this is amusing, lass,” Blodswell informed her, the grin leaving his face as soon as he realized how upset she truly was.
“Well, the fact that your wife just shocked the trousers off Eynsford was particularly satisfying,” Kettering said with a wide smile.
“James,” Blodswell chastised and gestured with his head toward Sorcha.
“Not to worry, lass.” Kettering stepped toward her. “Lady Eynsford must have known this was going to happen. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have insisted we all stay here.”
Blodswell pointed to Alec who lay prone in the bed.
“What happened?”
“What did ye do to him, lass?” Kettering asked, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Blodswell punched him in the arm, which knocked the grin from his face but not the teasing tone from his voice.
Heat crept up Sorcha’s face. Alec was naked, and she was wearing nothing more than her chemise. What on earth did they think she’d done to him? Havers! She hadn’t hurt him, had she? She hadn’t really done this to him?
“It’s all right,” one of them soothed from across the room.
“You didn’t harm him.” She was too embarrassed to look up and see which one had spoken.
“Is he dead? He willna wake.” They must have heard the quiver in her voice because they both finally approached the bed and looked at her sympathetically.
“He was dead prior to today, lass,” Blodswell reminded her. Then he reached out and put a crooked finger under Alec’s nose. He held it there for a moment and then looked back at Kettering. “Just as we suspected.”
“Indeed?” Kettering’s blue eyes widened in surprise.
Havers! This was awful. “Oh, Alec,” Sorcha moaned and crawled back onto the bed and lay her face against her husband’s chest. But then she felt it. His chest rose and fell.
She sat up on her hands and knees and looked at him.
“Alec?” she asked. Then she addressed the interlopers. “Is he breathin’?” She put her own finger under his nose and felt his hot breath against her skin and gasped.
“Something like that,” Kettering muttered.
Alec groaned from beside her on the bed. “When I remember how to breathe and talk at the same time, the two of you will be thrashed,” he said quietly, gasping the words out.
“Alec?” Sorcha cried. “Alec, please tell me I dinna harm ye.”
His hand reached out to squeeze hers. “Sorch, if you didn’t, I’ll give you ample opportunity to try it again later,” he said. He finally opened his eyes and looked at his onetime mentors who stood staring at him, both of them obviously holding back hysterical laughter.
Kettering even coughed into his closed fist. “Wonder if I looked just as pathetic when my heart started to beat.”
Alec narrowed his eyes at the pair. “The two of you look awfully satisfied with yourselves.”
“This from the man who said he’d never be