Highlander The Demon Lord Read online

  He pulled his mouth away from hers, resting his brow to hers. “I will not last long if you continue to touch me like that.”

  Her brow scrunched. “We did it more than once on our wedding night. Can we not do that now? I saw when Cyra left that it was still night. We have time,”—she paused as if hit by a sudden thought— “unless you do not wish—”

  “I will always wish to make love to you,” he said and slipped over her.

  Make love.

  Adara smiled, hearing those words and spread her legs welcoming him home.

  “Wrap your legs around me,” he urged, and she did. He groaned as he entered her. “Good Lord, you are so wet for me.”

  “I want you inside me so very badly,” she whispered and raised her hips urging him deeper inside her.

  He groaned again as he sank deeper and deeper, loving the feel of her slick, tight sheath, realizing how much he had missed the feel of her, and he let her know it. “I have missed being inside you, feeling you wrap around me, squeezing me tight.”

  That he had missed her, thought about her, pleased her beyond belief and she let him know with a tight squeeze, and he groaned again.

  He slipped his hand between their bodies to tease her little nub that already throbbed with desire and with only a couple of strokes had her groans filling the cottage.

  “Warrick,” she sighed, though it sounded more like she begged.

  It was not long before they moved as one, building toward a climax that would shatter them both in a million shards of pleasure before bringing them back together again.

  Warrick caught his wife’s roar of pleasure with his lips as she climaxed beneath him and when he followed shortly afterwards, it was a clap of thunder that muffled his roar.

  Warrick made sure not to remain collapsed on his wife, conscious of the bairn growing inside her. He rolled off her onto his side and wanting her as close as he could get her, lifted her to lay against him. He was more than pleased when she draped her arm over his waist, her leg over his, and rested her head on his chest, snuggling ever closer around him.

  She was where she belonged, would always belong… in his arms.

  “Is morning far off?” she asked when her breathing calmed.

  “A few hours.”

  She looked up at him. “Good we have time to make love once or twice more.” Was that a smile she saw? She could not be sure, the fire the only light in the room.

  “You cannot get enough of me, wife?” he asked, having failed to catch the smile that rushed to his mouth, though he stifled it soon after. He could not let that happen again. It was enough his petite, wisp of a wife had blasted past the shield to his heart and firmly ensconced herself there.

  “I fear I will never get enough of you husband, but it is one fear I do not mind having.” She rested her head on his chest again only this time she positioned it so she could look at him as they spoke, hoping to catch him smile.

  “You have more courage than fear, Adara, or you would have never released Maia.”

  “That was foolishness not courage.”

  “Courage and foolishness often go hand in hand. Tell me what happened.”

  With every word, from taking the food and the knife from the kitchen to cutting the woman free, guilt weighed more heavily on Adara.

  “My warriors will be changing the way they patrol,” Warrick said annoyed they had failed to catch his wife, but admiring her strategy.

  “It was when we stopped to rest and she had continued to tell me how evil you were that I realized the mistake I had made.”

  “You do not think me evil?” he asked, wondering how she could think any other way.

  “No, I do not think you are evil,” she said, running her finger along his cheek and over his lips, and smiled. “Tenacious and confident definitely. Impatient and demanding, absolutely. Kind and caring, I believe so.”

  There it was again, the lifting at the corners of his mouth, even more so this time than the last… an almost smile. She said nothing about it, but she was determined to see a wide smile light his face.

  Warrick had to catch another smile and it annoyed him, more so that the smiles were trying to escape more frequently and the Demon Lord simply did not smile.

  “Did she admit she killed Jaynce?” he asked, forcing his wife to continue explaining.

  “That was the odd thing. She claimed she did not kill her, but she admitted someone else in her group did.”

  “Group?”

  Adara nodded. “That was what she said—group—and that I was to join them and tell them all I knew about the devil, though once she saw I carried your child everything changed.”

  Warrick hugged her closer, feeling the shiver that raced through her and tucked the blanket more tightly around them.

  “She accused me of carrying the devil’s spawn and if she had known my fate, she would have killed me when she had first met me. She also told me that she would make my death swift since I made her time here bearable.” She blinked back a tear. “She intended to cut our bairn out of me in hopes it was a son and you would know she took his life.”

  Rage rose up in Warrick and he wished he had been the one to kill the woman, for having put his wife through such torment.

  “How did you manage to take her life?” he asked, wanting to make sure the woman was dead and would no longer be of any harm to his family.

  “I remembered what Espy had told me about fear, to never let fear freeze me, to do what I had to do to survive, her words to me before she freed me from your dungeon. The words that helped me survive my journey here.”

  “It would seem I owe Espy much.”

  “I can say with confidence and not a bit of foolishness that Espy is a good friend.”

  “That we agree on,” he said. “Now tell anything else Maia may have said that might help me discover why she attempted to kill me and my family.”

  Adara wrinkled her brow. “There were a few things she told me that did not quite make sense. She told me that it was not only that I carried your bairn that I needed to die, but because of all the stories she told me.” She shook her head slowly. “She also did not understand why I never questioned being moved from family to family so often. I do not know why she would say that. I simply was not wanted.”

  Her words stabbed at his heart. He imagined her a small bairn settled in with a family she thought loved her only to be uprooted and given to another family who did the same thing to her. Until finally, she came to believe no one wanted her.

  He wanted her and he intended to keep her… forever.

  He did give pause to Maia’s words and it caused him to worry. If Adara had been moved from family to family often, then there might be a reason for it. The one reason that seemed the most likely would be that someone was attempting to keep her hidden, but why? If so, could that mean she was in danger?

  Adara yawned and stretched her body against his.

  “You need to sleep. We leave shortly after first light. I need to return to the two clans that are far too close to warring.”

  Adara had forgotten about that and felt even more guilt for what she had done. “Your warriors can escort me home if you need to leave.”

  “No,” he said with a resounding finality. “I will see you safely home where you will stay put.”

  “I know my word probably does not mean much to you now, but I will do as you say.”

  “I believe you will,” Warrick said and was pleased to see Adara smile and shocked when she slipped her body over his.

  “If you are to leave me for a few days, then I think you should see me well satisfied.”

  Warrick almost smiled again, but caught himself, especially when his wife wiggled herself over him, teasing his manhood to life, not that it took much for him to grow hard. He wondered where the timid, fearful woman he had wed had gone to, but then she had not been timid on their wedding night, a bit hesitant at first but not as the night went on. She had seemed eager and it had led him to believ
e that she was no virgin, though he thought he had felt a bit of resistance at one point after entering her, but she had thrust her hips up and the barrier he thought he felt had disappeared. The blood on the sheets the next morning confirmed what he had suspected. She had been a virgin.

  As much as he would have loved for her to ride him, he could see that fatigue haunted her and by the way she tried not to wince when she moved her arms or stretched her legs, he would guess her muscles were sore from her fight with Maia and the walk here.

  He reached out, his hand going to her waist, and lifted her off him in one easy swoop and placed her beneath him on the bed, then slipped over her.

  “This will be a quick one, mo ghaol, though I would prefer otherwise. You need rest.”

  My love. He called her my love. No one had ever mentioned the word love to her, not ever.

  She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him from the depths of her heart. It was enough to set them both on fire and it was quick as Warrick said it would be, but not because she needed rest, but because they both grew far too excited to make it last any length of time.

  “Time to get up, wife,” Warrick said.

  Adara mumbled and turned to snuggle next to her husband’s warm body only to find he was not there in bed with her. She sat up abruptly and was disappointed to see him standing near the fireplace almost fully dressed.

  “I need to get the men ready to leave and you need to dress and eat before we go. I will send Cyra to help you.”

  “You snuck out of bed.”

  The disappointment on her face touched his heart. She wanted him there beside her and that made a world of difference to Warrick.

  “I did. If I had not done so we would be late taking our leave this morning.”

  Adara was about to agree with him when her stomach roiled terribly and her face turned ghostly white. She jumped out of bed and headed for the bucket Cyra kept in the corner.

  Warrick saw her need and hurried to fetch it for her, forcing her with a slight yank of her arm to sit on the chair, and held the bucket in front of her. There was nothing in her stomach to discard and she dry heaved.

  When she finished, Warrick soaked a cloth in a bucket of water and hunched down in front of her to wipe her face, his own stomach knotting and roiling for what she had gone through.

  “I thought this had past,” he said, her face far too pale to his liking.

  “It comes and goes. I have spoken to Cyra and she tells me the same as Espy. It may stay with me the whole time or suddenly disappear. I hope it suddenly disappears. Cyra did give me a brew that helped some.”

  “I will go fetch her so she can prepare it for you.” He went to stand and she reached out to grab his arm. He hunched down again. “You are feeling ill again?”

  She shook her head. “I want you to help me into my nightdress. I do not want to be sitting here naked when Cyra enters.”

  “I like you as you are, but then your naked body is for my eyes alone,” he said and kissed her cheek before standing and fetching her nightdress and helping her into it. He kissed her check again before he went to the door.

  “Warrick,” she said and he stopped and turned, worry on his face that she might be ill again. But she had worry of her own. “Fear has already started to grow in me and will worsen if I must wait to be told my punishment for disobeying you. Please tell me now, what I must suffer, and rightfully so, then fear will not haunt me endlessly.” At least she hoped it would not, but then that would depend on the punishment.

  Warrick stared at her, saying not a word. She wondered if he had yet to decide her punishment, though she hoped otherwise. She needed to know so that she could prepare herself, though she wondered if she already knew it. He had told all in the village that if anyone helped Maia they would join her on the other stake.

  His silence fell heavy around her and she wished he would speak.

  Warrick turned and opened the door and Adara thought he would leave without telling her, then he turned back, his dark eyes settling on her blue ones.

  “You have suffered enough in my dungeon and now carrying my bairn, I will see you suffer no more. But make no mistake, Adara, I will not feel the same if you betray me again.”

  He walked out of the cottage and stood outside, staring in the distance. He had rules for all that were meant to be obeyed. His wife had deserved to be punished, but every time he felt the scars his guards had left upon her soft flesh or felt her crooked fingers brush over him, he was reminded of all she had wrongly suffered. And he could not bring himself to make her suffer even more. She was naïve in many ways and such innocence brought with it mistakes. He had promised her he would keep her safe and that even meant keeping her safe from herself.

  One of his warriors approached him.

  “The search has begun,” the warrior said.

  Warrick nodded and the warrior took his leave. He had seen on Adara’s face, heard in her quivering voice that she barely could believe that she had killed Maia.

  The problem… no body had been found.

  Chapter 20

  “Do you believe me?” Adara asked shocked to learn that Maia’s body had not been found. How could that be? She did not understand. She had thought the woman dead. While the news surprised her what disturbed her the most was that Warrick might not believe her. “I speak the truth.”

  “No blood. No sign of an altercation was found,” Warrick said.

  “I do not understand.” Adara shook her head. “How could that be?”

  “Two explanations. Her friends found her and took her, leaving nothing behind to show they had been there or you freed her to go her way and told a tale to protect yourself.” He felt her sink with a tremble against him and he closed his strong arms tighter around her as he directed his horse toward home.

  Adara fell silent as she had done through the years when accused of a falsehood. She had learned it had mattered little to plead her innocence, people believed what they wanted to believe. But this was her husband and it mattered to her what he believed. Silence would do her no good this time.

  She looked into his dark eyes. “I admit I am a fool for what I did, but I am no liar, Warrick.”

  A tremble continued to run through her, but it was one born of the courage it had taken her to defend herself, and he was pleased that she had chosen strength over fear.

  “I agree, wife, you can be foolish, but you are no liar,” Warrick said.

  His response brought a smile of relief to her face and eased her quiver.

  “I believe her cohorts were probably on your trail and came across her and since they took her body, it leads me to believe she may still have been alive.”

  Adara shook her head again. “She was bleeding from her mouth, the knife was deep in her chest, she could barely speak.” She continued shaking her head.

  “It was good you did not wait to make sure she was dead. You would have been caught and it would be your body discovered there.”

  A shudder ran through Adara and she cuddled closer against her husband.

  “Sometimes wounds appear worse than they are and some that appear minor turn deadly. Maia may be alive or she may not be, but we do know that there is a group of people out to see us harm and I expect you to pay heed to that warning, take no chances, and obey my word.” When he was met with silence from Adara, he said, “You need to think on that?”

  “What if—”

  “There are no what ifs, wife.”

  Adara hurried to speak before he could stop her. “What if you are in need of help?”

  “You think to come to my rescue?” His tone not only betrayed his shock, but so did his wide eyes.

  “Of course, you are my husband.”

  She was doing what she felt would be her duty, nothing more. Why did he want more from her?

  “I need no rescue, no protecting. You will not put yourself in harm’s way for me,” he ordered.

  Adara could not hold her words back. “I cannot give my word
on that.”

  Warrick looked ready to unleash his anger on her when one of his warriors approached.

  “A message from Roark.”

  Warrick nodded for the warrior to continue.

  “You are needed immediately. It cannot wait.”

  “Send Benet to me,” Warrick ordered and when the warrior rode off, he looked to his wife. “My warriors will see you home safely. You are gaining courage, wife, use it wisely.” He kissed her gently. Then motioned to nearby warriors.

  Everything happened so fast, Adara barely had a chance to kiss her husband’s cheek and whisper, “Stay safe, husband.” Before she found herself lifted off his horse and placed on a horse with one of Warrick’s older warriors.

  “My wife is in your care, Benet, see her home safe,” Warrick ordered.

  “You have no worries my lord, my lady will be safe,” Benet assured him.

  Adara did not get a chance to watch her husband ride off. Benet turned away from Warrick and rode off with ten of Warrick’s warriors following along with them. As the distance grew between her and her husband, so did the ache in her heart. She missed him already.

  Six days. It had been six days since Adara returned to MacVarish keep and six days since Warrick had been gone. He sent word through a messenger, letting her know that his return home would be delayed. He offered no explanation, but she assumed the matter between the two clans was what kept him. Each day she had gone outside and stood in the front of the keep and looked to the distance, hoping to see him leading his warriors home.

  She had continued to miss him. How much she missed him stunned her. There seemed to be this ache in her that she simply could not console. Somehow Warrick had become a part of her and she felt a piece of herself missing since he was not there. His absence had her giving thought to the prospect that she had lost her heart to him and was falling in love with him. But how could she know for sure when love was so foreign to her?

  She shook her head at her jumbled thoughts. If love was this confusing, how could anyone know if they were truly in love? There was only one thing left for her to do. She would surrender her misgivings to her heart and fate, and leave it in their hands.