Chapter Nine
Branwen pranced around playfully, chasing Aislin through the thick trees towering high overhead. It may have been full winter, snow falling in droves, but the pines above kept most of their needles. The branches spread out like a thick blanket covering the sky and catching much of the fresh snow. “Go get it, Bran!” Aislin threw a small twig and laughed as her clumsy pup chased it excitedly, her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth as she ran.
Due to the frigid winter weather, Aislin had begrudgingly started to wear full-length wool dresses and layers to stay warm. Though they were a hindrance while hunting or climbing, she found them more versatile than she once believed and did not mind wearing them over much, for now.
Her hunting had gone well for the day. She trapped two rabbits and shot a doe with her bow from her furthest distance ever, thanks to Alastar’s practice targets. It had been a sennight since they first made love and every night since had been even more blissful than the night before. He had shown her just how blissful sharing one’s body could be. He was a very experienced man and she knew he had been with more lassies than he could probably even remember, but that was all right with her, for she was the one who now benefited from his wondrous skills with his hands, mouth… and other parts.
She had no prior experience to Alastar, but she instinctively knew that the man was much more skilled in bed than an average man. He made her body thrum with anticipation all day as she awaited the night. And when night fell, and it was time for them to go to bed, they always went to bed together, but they seldom fell asleep until the wee hours of dawn. Alastar had dragged her wooden bed across his house and pushed it up against his own, giving them one very large bed to do all manner of blissful things to one another’s body.
Just thinking about it now made her breasts feel heavy with need. It was just before sundown and she wished to bathe before returning home. She had spent her entire day in the forest hunting, practicing with her targets and the dagger he had gifted her, playing with Branwen, and then had gone home early, before Alastar came home from warrior training, to practice her skills on the loom and start a cauldron of stew. She had been trying to learn these common domestic duties. Alastar deserved to be taken care of and she found, oddly, that she rather enjoyed it. Watching him eat a meal that she made gave her a sort of satisfaction that, only a moon ago, she would not have thought possible.
He had kept his word and never forced her to do aught she did not wish, so it was only fair that she did what she could to make his life easier. Now, she had come back to the lake before the sun fell to take a very quick bath in the in the very frigid water. She did not savor her lake baths as she had in the summer and though she usually chose to use the wooden bath in their house, tonight she longed to submerse herself in the water and bathe under the stars. She would simply have to be quick, so she did not freeze to death.
“Do you wish to bathe with me, Branwen?” she asked her hound who, so far, seemed more afraid of the water than interested. She would get as far as sticking her nose in and then run around and chase her tail. Aislin laughed at her new companion as she tugged her simple light green wool dress over her head, folding it neatly at the very edge of the lake beside her linen towel. Soap already in hand, she dove in head first, knowing well that a slow descent would only prolong the torture of the cold water licking over every inch of her body.
As she came up for breath, she let out a loud whoop as the shock of cold consumed her.
“You did not ask me if I would like to bathe with you, Lin.” She froze, keeping her body turned away from the familiar, sardonic voice. “Must I also hang my tongue out of my mouth and drool like your hound before you will invite me in?”
Taking a deep breath, she turned and covered as much of her breasts as she could. Daniel had left her alone for the most part. Aye, they saw one another often enough but ever since Alastar had knocked him senseless for his vague threats against her, Daniel had been quiet and distant.
Suddenly, she realized something. She had asked Branwen to bathe with her before undressing and getting into the lake. Daniel must have been watching her and waiting. That thought gave her chills that had nothing to do with the freezing water that now slid over her body, or the cold wind blowing against her wet hair.
“What do you want, Daniel? I thought I was alone.”
“Och. You always believe yourself to be alone,” he waved her away and stepped forward, not stopping until he reached the edge of the lake. “You are never alone, Lin.”
His low, soft voice made her snarl. Was he implying that he followed her often? Suddenly she saw Daniel as more than just a lovesick lad. He was a potential predator and she had left her weapons at home. She stood waist high in water, naked, with her garments only inches from Daniel’s boots.
He bent over and grabbed her linen towel and green dress from the ground, tisking at her long skirts. “I much prefer your shorter garments. They give a man a much better view… but not nearly as nice as this one,” he leered at her and she knew that the majority of her breasts were exposed. Squatting below the water, she made sure to cover herself from the neck down.
“What do you want?” she asked him again slowly. He did not frighten her. If he came near her, she would kick him in the bollocks so hard he would cry for his mama. “I need to get out. Tis cold in here.” She shivered and knew that if she stayed in much longer, she would risk damage to her body.
“Then get out,” he shrugged, still clutching her dress and linen drying square in his hands as he moved to lean on a nearby tree.
“Leave and then I will.” She rolled her eyes to show him she was not afraid of him.
He snorted. “And miss the view? Nay. Where is your protector of a husband?” he said with disdain and a scowl.
“I do not need my husband’s protection, Daniel. You know this. If I must get out of this lake with you here, I will. But know this. Next time I see you, I will slice your bollocks off with my dagger and feed them to the wolves.”
His eyes widened at her threat and she knew he believed her. Good. He should. “I only came to warn you about your husband. Let me say my piece and I will leave.”
She frowned at his sudden change in direction. What could he possibly have to say against Alastar, whom everyone else adored? Whatever it was, she would never believe Daniel over Alastar.
Shivering violently now, Aislin knew it was time to get out of the lake before she froze to death. “Say it.” She had no time or patience for his games.
“He wears a ready smile and speaks sweet words, but mark my words, he will tire of you and leave you broken.”
That was not at all what Aislin had expected to hear. “He did the same thing to my cousin, Elwynna, several summers ago. He spoke of forever, cried on her shoulder over the loss of his family, and made her feel as if she was truly special to him. She gave herself to him, and her heart, only to be left to pick up the pieces when he decided he was done with her. She still pines for him to this day.”
Aislin stayed silent. What Alastar had done in his past was his own business. Why should she care or worry that he had loved another lass, confided in her, and then decided he wanted to move on? Love ended every day. And yet, it felt too familiar, too close to her own unspoken fears. They had hardly known one another when they married. He seemed to fall very hard, very fast for her. She had heard him whisper he loved her a sennight ago when he thought she was sleeping and he had whispered it every night since. She had not responded, for he had not meant for her to hear. Aislin had planned to tell him about her feelings when the time was right, only the words would never leave her mouth. They were too intense. Too real. Too… forever. She had not wanted forever with him, but now it was all she could think about.
“Just be careful, Lin. Do not give him your heart. He will take what he wants from you and move on when he is done with you. He has done it a hundred times before you. And just know that when he is done with you, I will be here waiting. Because unlike your husband, I have not lain with hundreds of lassies and left trails of shattered hearts in my wake. I love you for who you are, not what you can give me.”
He tossed her dress and linen back onto the lake’s edge. He turned to walk away, then stopped, looking over his shoulder with a raised brow. “One more thing. Mayhap you should ask him about that dagger he gifted to you and how it came to be in his possession in the first place.” With those last words, he walked away into the now dark forest, leaving Aislin confused and somehow questioning herself.
Daniel had his own agenda, she knew, but he seemed to know a lot more about Alastar’s past than she did. Who was Elwynna and had he really told her of his family’s death? He had said only she and Jeoffrey knew of his pain. He had cried against her as she wiped away his tears. It had made her see a more human side of him. Not some handsome, muscular lad with straight white teeth, a smile that melted her heart… and apparently hundreds of other hearts… but a true man with scars, pain, and depth.
Had he used his past to manipulate her feelings? Did he use his sad story to gain pity from lassies and entry into their beds? He had told her she was the only lass he had ever considered marriage with. Yet, Daniel believed Alastar had also promised marriage to Elwynna. Was this another way he manipulated lassies?
Nay. She did not want to believe such things of the man she had so recently given herself to. Everything. She had relinquished it all. Daniel said not to give him her heart, but it was too late. She may not have told him she loved him yet, but that did not make the ache in her heart any less real. She needed to believe that Daniel was wrong about Alastar, and was only defending his cousin due to her prior heartache. And Aislin could identify with that. Protection of a family member ran deep, she knew better than anybody.
But what of that dagger? She had also questioned Alastar about it. It had been Àdhamh’s beloved dagger, and a fine dagger it was. Why would Àdhamh simply hand it over to Alastar? And why would Alastar then gift it to her?
Swiftly drying off and dressing when she was nearly certain that Daniel had left, she signaled Branwen to her side before heading home. Seeing a few bright stars through the mass of clouds overhead, she realized it was much later than she had planned. The moon glowed dimly and lit the world up in a hazy blue as she picked her way through the familiar path she had created from Alastar’s home to her favorite spot.
Daniel’s words continued to replay in her mind, but she refused to allow them to affect her overmuch. She may have been new to opening up to a man and having a relationship, but she knew one thing for certain. Nothing good could ever come of listening to the spiteful words of others against her husband, especially when the one who spoke them claimed to also love her. Seeing his round shaped house as she stepped out of the forest and into a clearing, Branwen stumbled ahead of her yapping wildly, alerting Alastar to their approach.
As expected, he opened the door with a wide smile and even wider arms, appearing truly happy to see his wife after a long day. That was not the face of a man who was using her, she decided. With a squeal that would have sickened her and caused her to roll her eyes not so long ago, she ran into his arms and jumped onto him, wrapping her legs around his hips and anchoring her arms around his neck.
Aye… she would speak with him about all that Daniel had said. If Elwynna existed, she was certain Alastar would have an explanation for why he had left her heartbroken… or why he had told Aislin that only she knew about his loss. She had questions, but they could wait.
She had a stew cooking that she was certain would be her best yet, which was not hard to do considering the others had been barely edible. After their evening meal, she had every intention of ravishing her husband. Mayhap after that, she could seek some answers.
***
The change in his wife over the past sennight had been drastic. She had opened up to him both emotionally and physically and he felt closer to her than ever. Their nights had been spent most pleasurably together but it was not just the pleasures of the flesh that he reveled in. It was simply the pleasure of her company. Her smile was genuine, and her laugh was infectious. Watching her learn to sew and cook had been an endearing sight and her stew had slowly been improving as she learned how long to cook the meat, how much water to add and what sort of spices worked best.
When he arrived home from warrior training that night, he had expected to see his bonny wife working on some new project, such as weaving on the loom, or mayhap if he were fortunate, he would find her bathing just as he had a few nights ago. That had proven to be a most enjoyable night. Why was she suddenly all he thought about day and night? When his best mate Jeoffrey had been reunited with Clarice after several years apart, Alastar had harassed his friend relentlessly for being such a besotted fool. Now here he was, only several moons later, guilty of the very same thing. There was no doubt that Aislin had consumed every corner of his mind.
Hearing Branwen’s usual bark of arrival, Alastar smiled to himself and thrust the door to his home open, knowing his bonny wee wife would be on the other side. But nothing ever prepared him for the smile she shined on him when she saw his face. It was like a punch to the gut every single time. He stepped outside with the most ridiculous smile he had ever worn on his face and spread his arms wide, desperate to embrace the woman who had put him under some crazed love spell.
When she flew into his arms, wrapping her legs around his hips, a feeling of elation came over him, as if they were both floating off the ground. The woman had driven him mad; there was no other explanation for this intensity he felt every time she was near.
“How is my wee wife tonight? I have missed you since we broke our fast together this morning.” He kissed her none too softly and she giggled.
“Do not tell me you could still miss me after I attempted to feed you that horrid porridge? ‘Twas awful! So thick and chewy. I swear I was still picking it out of my teeth hours later.”
He put her down with a chuckle and swatted at her backside. “Rubbish. A spot of honey, a splash of buttermilk, and several fresh berries on top made it completely edible.”
Aislin rolled her beautiful green eyes and walked toward the bubbling cauldron to inspect her stew. “Mayhap I shall try simply cooking the meat on a spit next time. That is a skill I am capable of.”
“It improves every day,” he argued, wrapping his hands around her waist from the back and looking over her shoulder. “It smells savory.”
“My mother asked why we have not been coming over for the evening meal lately,” she added with a sly smirk over her shoulder.
“Did you tell her ‘tis because your husband cannot keep his hands off you for even a moment?” His hands slid up her sides, softly cupping her breasts. “I admit I do love this wool dress on you. I can access your breasts much easier this way.”
She laughed as he dragged her away from the cauldron, tossing her onto their bed. “Your hair is wet. This means you have bathed,” he waggled his brows suggestively.
“Are you not hungry, Alastar?” she laughed and swatted his hand away as it grazed up her calf, slowly pushing her dress up with it.
“I am very hungry,” he murmured as he stuck his head under her dress. She squealed when both his hands gripped her thighs and pushed her legs apart. Her squeal transformed into a long, low moan when his tongue found its way between her thighs. This was his very favorite part of being wed, he decided; being able to sample of his wife’s desire with his mouth anytime he blasted felt like it was even better than being a young lad eating a berry tart. She tasted better than any berry tart in all of Ériu.
When her hips began to move and her fists clenched the wool sheets on the bed, he knew she was done pretending to fight him. Her breathing became irregular and small sighs of longing left her mouth as he continued to pleasure her with his mouth. “Alastar,” she whispered, writhing beneath him and he felt her tense right before she let out a muffled scream and went limp against the bed.
Leaving the warmth beneath her wool dress, he came up for air and gave her a smug smile. He felt like a cat who had just drank a bowl of warm satisfying milk. Just before he pulled his trousers down and sought his own release between her legs, the look on her face shifted from satiation to curiosity, as if she had a question for him that she was unsure of asking.
“Is something wrong, Lin?” he asked running his hands up and down her calves.
She wrinkled up her nose in thought and then asked a question he had never thought to hear his wife ask. “Who is Elwynna?”
Alastar stiffened. How had Aislin heard of Elwynna? “Why do you ask?” he replied carefully.
Now it was her turn to stiffen. She pushed her body up onto her elbows and pulled down her disheveled skirt. “Daniel found me in the lake bathing. He told me—”
“What?” Alastar roared and bounded off the bed. “That bastard dared to come near you? While bathing? Did he see you disrobe?” Fury, raw and uncontrollable, took over his mind. He was ready to storm out of this house and pummel Daniel until he begged for mercy.
She swallowed hard and frowned. “Aye, I believe so. He was hiding in the trees. I believe he has been following me.”
“I will kill him. He is dead.” Storming over to his sword propped up against the wall of his home, he gripped it by the hilt and swiftly opened the door.
“Wait!” she hollered, running after him and grabbing his wrist before he could make it out the door. “I have questions for you.”
“They can wait until I murder Daniel Mac Simon,” he growled and jerked away from her.
“Nay, they cannot! He only came to warn me!”
Alastar turned on his heels, gripped his sword’s hilt more firmly and scowled at his wife. Why was she not taking this as seriously as he was? The man was foul and dangerous to her. “Warn you about what, Aislin?” He was shouting at her now, but he could not help it. He was not angry at her, but he was frustrated, aye. Why did she not tell him of this right away? Does she not see the threat in a man who would stalk the night, watch her undress and corner her while vulnerable in the lake? Was she mad?
“He warned me about you,” she sighed, dropping her shoulders and putting out her hands to placate him. There would be no placating.
“What?” he roared again. He was so angry he could not think or speak straight. He had dealt with Daniel, or so he had thought. Aye, he and Daniel went back to the days of Elim’s war camp. He was the cousin of Elwynna and nephew to Mal Mac Rochride, who was now stirring up trouble all over Ériu for Tuathal Techtmar. But Daniel, though Alastar had never known him well, had always seemed harmless enough. In truth, Alastar still did not see the man as a threat to him, but to his wife, on the other hand? The man was becoming bolder and Alastar would bloody the bastard before he gave him a chance to violate his wife. Aislin was a strong lass, but she could not fight off a grown man. She was much too small.
“He told me you were in love with his cousin, Elwynna. That you promised her marriage and cried on her shoulder, telling her of the loss of your family.” She stopped and swallowed hard. He saw the flash of hurt in her eyes. He saw her trying very hard to trust in him and yet, he had told her that he had never considered a commitment to any other lass. So naturally, she was believing him a bloody liar right now.
“Daniel is a fool.”
“But he is not wrong?” she asked. “He told me you would use me until you got what you wanted and then leave my heart in pieces, as you did to his cousin. I do not wish to believe it. I do not believe it,” she emphasized. “Only…”
“Lin,” his voice hardened, and he strode toward her, doing his best to not lose his patience with the only person in the world who mattered to him. He did not want the first time he said this to her to be this way, under duress, but he needed her to know how fiercely he cared for her. Then, he was going to kill Daniel. Then he would come back and explain everything about Elwynna to her. He was innocent of all accusations. Elwynna knew of his family’s demise because she had been there when it happened. And aye, Elwynna mayhap hoped to wed with him, but he had never made such a promise, nor had he ever loved her in that way. Not in the way he loved his wife who stared at him now, trying so very hard to believe that he was the honest man she wished him to be. “I love you, Lin.”
She smiled at his confession, but did not look shocked to hear it. “I love you so much that it frightens me. I never thought to love a woman the way I love you but now that I do, I have nay intention of ever losing you or betraying you. I swear to you that I have answers for all your questions. But now, I have a man to kill.” Before she could argue, respond, or try to stop him, he kissed her hard and fiercely, then spun on his heels with his sword in hand and ran out of the house and into the darkness as fast as he could, feeling the rush of a well-deserved fight thrumming through his veins. He could hear Aislin yelling at him to come back but he ran so fast, her voice faded away as the distance between them grew further and further.