The Bewitching Twin, page 18
He laughed to himself. He was planning a future with Aliss and it felt so very right. He turned on his side and looked at the pillow where Aliss rested her head. In a very short time, he had grown accustomed to having her there beside him. He would not want to sleep without her and would not want to wake without her there.
He threw off the blanket, pulled on his shirt, his plaid, and his sandals, and hurried out of the room. He would go to Aliss and wait for her no matter how long it took.
Rogan entered the cottage quietly though Aliss turned her head and acknowledged him with a nod as he closed the door. He took a seat in a wooden chair near the fireplace and settled in to wait for his wife.
He was snoring in no time.
Aliss heard the familiar sound and smiled as she bathed Teresa’s forehead with a cool cloth. The fever lingered though it raged no more and she was certain that in a couple of hours it would be gone completely.
She dipped the cloth in the bowl of water to rinse the heat from it and caught the sight of her husband, legs stretched out, arms folded across his chest and his head lolled to the side, sound asleep.
She smiled as she recalled his earlier gift. In his haste to offer her a token to prove his love, he had plucked a flower out by the roots. His thoughtfulness had touched her heart and the exposed roots made her think of their own love that had been carelessly uprooted and discarded without care.
Should she give him a chance in his quest to prove his love? Or was he simply doing it to keep what meant more to him—the isle.
Aliss returned her attention to Teresa. Finally, three hours before dawn, her fever vanished and she rested comfortably.
Anna’s entrance stirred Rogan awake but did not surprise Aliss. She knew her helper would arrive early to relieve her even though she had insisted Anna’s help was not necessary.
“I could not sleep any longer,” Anna said once at Aliss’s side. “How is Teresa?”
“The fever is finally gone and she sleeps.”
“Then I will stay with her while you go sleep yourself.”
Aliss did not argue. She was tired. She stood and stretched and winced at the ache in her neck and shoulders.
Her husband’s strong hands were suddenly there massaging the sore muscles.
“Let’s go home to bed so that I can tend your aches,” he whispered.
He eased her into the crook of his arm and she went willingly, her tense muscles insisting she capitulate and her body warning her she was headed for trouble. Even worn out from the long night, she felt the flutter of passion beginning to stir. It always did when he touched her.
They walked in silence to the keep and up to their bedchamber.
She changed into her night shift and slipped into bed beside him, thinking she should tell him she was tired and wanted to sleep.
But as soon as she stretched out, he gently turned her on her stomach, straddled her hips, and went to work on her sore neck and shoulder muscles. His fingers worked magic, kneading, squeezing, forcing her aches away, and she did not protest.
She let him have his way.
His thumbs worked in circles at the base of her neck and she moaned from the relief he brought her. He expanded to her shoulders, urging the taut muscles to relax with strong manipulation. They surrendered one by one and he moved down her back, attacking every tight muscle he discovered.
His hips swayed along with his movements and she found her passion stirring little by little as he eased himself down over her bottom, his hands massaging up and down her spine.
He nestled between her legs fully aroused and yet he made not a move to make love to her. He simply continued massaging her with his powerful hands until her body was completely limp and pliable and thoroughly aroused.
She was ready for him.
It would be easy once she turned over to guide him into her. She was more than moist, she was saturated with desire for him. He would claim her nipples with his mouth and send her into a fast and furious climax then bring her to climax again along with himself.
But while her body ached with desire, her heart ached for love.
He slipped off her.
She quickly turned on her side, curling her legs up, fisting her hands to her chest in an effort to protect her aching heart. Her breath caught for a moment, anticipating he would turn and wrap his arms around her.
When he didn’t she relaxed enough to finally drift off to sleep, though not before a single tear slipped down from the corner of her eye.
Chapter 26
“Aliss!” “You sound anxious, Anna, is something wrong?” Aliss asked, stepping out of her cottage.
“You are needed on the shore.”
“Let me get my basket.”
“No, you must hurry,” Anna said, shoving her away from the cottage door. “I will bring your basket to you.”
Aliss turned and wound her way through the woods, her pace swift. A scenario of possible accidents played in her mind while doubts nudged their way in. The more thought she gave to it, the more she felt she had been duped.
Anna normally would have followed her, healing basket in hand. But she had all but chased her away from the cottage.
Curiosity kept her going, and once out of the woods and onto the shore she stopped short.
Rogan paced beside a blanket spread out a few feet from the water’s edge. A basket overflowed with bread and cheese, goblets and a small cask of wine, and colorful wildflowers minus their roots lay mingled among them.
He stopped once he caught sight of her and waved her to him with a smile.
A tickle of delight stirred her heart. He had prepared a secret rendezvous for them and she eagerly joined him.
He held his hand out to her and helped her to sit.
“The last few days have been busy for us both and I haven’t gotten to spend time with you. I thought I should remedy that.”
That he made the time for her, even though there was so much to be done, pleased her. Of course, there was that little voice, possibly Fiona’s, reminding her that his actions were all a ruse to make her believe he loved her.
But a bargain was a bargain. He had six months to prove his love, and at this rate, there might be a good chance he would be victorious.
Again, she heard her sister’s warning ring clear in her head. Ultimately, however, the choice remained hers.
He poured them wine and she stretched her legs out in front of her and drank not only the wine but the beauty of the sea rolling lazily onto shore. The sky could not have been any brighter, the water any bluer, the sun any brighter, and the feeling of peace any more profound in her heart. This was a perfect day, a perfect setting, and she intended to enjoy it.
“I am glad you whisked me away,” she said.
“We both needed it. I miss being with you and you alone.”
“You attempt to woo me?”
“Is it working?”
She laughed. “A wolf that woos.”
“I can howl.” He grinned and she blushed.
They feasted on bread, cheese, wine, and conversation.
He impressed her with his attentiveness and his leisurely nature. He was not in a hurry to end their interlude. On the contrary, he seemed to want the afternoon to lazily roll by.
She saw no reason to object. It gave her the opportunity to discover if her husband’s motive was sincere—to prove his love for her.
“I should alert you that Giann is in the area,” he said.
“Is she? Why?”
“She feels safe with the clan and goes where we go. She has helped us several times. She actually was the one who advised me that you would heal my people.”
Her mouth fell open. “You never told me that.”
Rogan placed his goblet aside and reached for her hand.
She snatched it away.
“I want to be honest with you—”
“That would be a change. You told me you had heard of my skills as a healer.”
“From Giann.”
Her eyes suddenly rounded. “Did you also know of the prophecy?”
“I learned of it only recently.”
“How recently?”
“After we wed,” he said adamantly.
“You spoke with Giann after we wed? Why?”
“Is that a cloud in the distance?” he asked, shading his eyes from the blazing sun.
“There is not a cloud in the sky and even if a thunderstorm burst overhead we would remain here until you answered me.”
He reluctantly obliged her. “I wanted to know if you were my destiny.”
“Her answer?”
“She told me that your destiny was written before your birth.”
“I want to speak with her.”
“You already have,” he said.
Her brow knitted. “I have never spoken with her.”
“The day we found you in the forest. Giann had summoned you.”
Aliss jumped to her feet. “I have had enough of this woman’s interference in my life. Her prediction has caused my sister and me nothing but grief since we were born.”
“What happened at your birth?”
“Giann arranged for our abduction.”
“She must have had a good reason,” he said.
“You defend her?”
“She sees the future with an accuracy that astonishes me. Therefore, she must have seen danger for you and your sister.”
“So we were told. We were kept safe until the prophecy could be fulfilled, averting the destruction of the clans.”
“That was all of it?”
“As far as I know. That is why I want to speak with her, to once and for all settle this nonsense.”
“Careful, Aliss,” he warned. “Giann is a powerful woman whom you don’t wish to offend.”
“She has offended me and she owes me answers and I will have them,” she insisted. “Where do I find her?”
“She will find you.”
“She had best do that or I will make certain I find her.”
Aliss made certain to scan the edge of the woods that surrounded the village for the next few days. She looked for the green glow that had frightened her on more than one occasion. Thus far, she had seen nothing, but she would not forsake her vigil. She would keep at it until she finally met with Giann.
It seemed that the truth was beginning to reveal itself, starting with Giann. Now it was time she finally addressed the issue of this isle. It had been a thorn in the side for both her brother Raynor and brother-in-law Tarr, though it was never clearly explained why.
Her impression had been that the abandoned isle lay unclaimed until Raynor and Tarr came along. Why the interest in it, she did not know. It certainly wasn’t a strategic piece of land. The only other possibility was that it actually belonged to one of the clans. If so, why leave it vacant all these years?
Aliss walked through the village in the early afternoon looking for Rogan. She hoped to ask him about the isle. She found him helping to raise freshly cut timbers for the walls of the storehouse.
Her eyes rested on his bare chest, where droplets of perspiration clung to him and glistened in the sun. He was a fine specimen of a man. His muscled arms strained under the weight of the split log he carried with another man. His leg muscles also showed the strain of the tremendous weight but he kept his pace and in no time had the log deposited in place.
He snatched his shirt off the ground and used it to wipe the sweat from his face then drank greedily from the bucket of water provided for the men. He was a chieftain, but when he worked with his clansmen he was one of them. You could see the pride on their faces when they glanced at their leader, and suddenly she also felt pride for her husband.
He was a good man. She had acknowledged that often enough. If only she could reconcile his betrayal; it was not an easy adjustment. The hurt over his deception would rear its ugly head when least expected. Just when she thought she had gotten past the pain, because of his endless and thoughtful attempts to reconcile them, there it was, stabbing at her again. Would she ever get over the hurt?
She took a breath. Was she marching forward into the enemy camp? Or did she march into the arms of love?
“You search for me?” Rogan asked with a smile.
“I thought a stroll might do us good, though you might prefer a spot under a shady tree.”
“Do you mind?”
“Not at all.”
They made their way to a favorite spot under the large oak tree. Aliss crossed her legs beneath the deep blue skirt she wore and left the ties of her tan blouse open, needing a reprieve from the heat of the day.
“Everyone prospers here,” she said. “It is a good place.”
Rogan nodded and wiped again at his perspiring brow with his shirt. “That it is. It will provide abundantly for the clan.”
“How did you come to know the beauty and bounty of this land?”
Silence greeted her query but she waited with patience.
“My father brought me here as a lad.”
“He was familiar with the isle?”
“He knew the area well, because he was always searching for land that would provide adequately for his clan.”
A solid answer she could not dispute. Why then did she believe there was more to what he told her?
She decided bluntness was the best course of attack. “Is that why you wanted the land? Because your father made you familiar with it?”
“It is a good piece of land.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“Why the curiosity?” he asked.
“I want to know the reason why you ransomed me for this land.”
“You weren’t curious before when I once intended to explain.”
“I am now,” she said.
He stood. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It does to me,” she said, jumping up.
He grabbed her chin. “What should matter to you is how much I love you.”
He kissed her then, hard and quick, a surprise attack that stunned and left her speechless. And with the desire to taste more of him. Why did she continue to desire him when she felt so betrayed? She should have more sense than that and keep her mind focused.
She watched him walk away, shirt in hand, the sweat on his back glistening in the sun, and admired his narrow waist and the confidence of his gait. Her fingers drifted to her pulsating lips and his kiss. It had left her—
“Damn,” she whispered. He had never answered her question.
Chapter 27
Aliss woke to the forlorn wailing of a horn. Shaking off sleep, she realized that the horn announced the arrival of a ship. She jumped out of bed and dressed quickly in a blue skirt and white blouse. She twisted her red hair into a knot and fastened it to the back of her head with two bone combs. Loose strands broke free at her neck as she rushed from the room, slipping on her sandals as she went.
Was it friend or foe arriving?
She had mentioned to Fiona that she preferred to have no visits from family for at least a couple of weeks. And since she had lost track of time, she imagined it had been that or possibly more since the Wolf clan had arrived on the Isle of Non.
Aliss looked around in search of her husband. Not finding him in the great hall, she hurried outside where several women were herding the children together.
“Are we in danger of attack?” she asked Tara, who balanced a smiling Daniel on her hip.
“No, we gather the children to see the arriving ship.”
“Who visits?” Aliss asked with relief.
“We think your family, since it is the ship that brought your sister to you.”
Aliss was not certain how she felt about her family’s arrival. She had wanted to handle this matter on her own. She had struck a bargain with Rogan, and it was between them. She needed no interference from anyone.
She marched through the woods, almost ready to tell whoever had arrived to turn around and go home. She exited the woods determined to do so, but then she saw her brother Raynor, so handsome, tall, and proud standing on the shore speaking with Rogan.
She recalled how serendipitous their first meeting had been. Then, she had not known he was her brother or that he searched for his twin sisters. She had healed him back to health after he had temporarily lost his sight during a battle with Tarr and his men.
Through his efforts everyone had been reunited and enemies had become friends. He was a good man and she had missed him.
Once past the rocky terrain, she ran full speed while yelling out his name.
He grinned wide and threw his arms out to welcome her.
He picked her up and swung her around before they hugged.
“I have missed you, Aliss,” Raynor said.
“And I you, brother.” She looked past his shoulder. “Who else has come with you?”
“No one.”
She wrinkled her brow. “Fiona? Mother?”
“They both would have joined me if—”
“Fiona is all right?”
“She is fine, just very large and very cranky. Mother is at her beck and call and refuses to leave her side, and—”
“You ran away,” Aliss said, laughing.
Raynor grabbed her hand. “I had to, please forgive me. Fiona told me you wanted no visits for a while but it has been so long, and I was so desperate. Don’t make me go back, I beg you.”
Aliss laughed at her brother’s pleading. “They do not know you came here?”
“Tarr and Father do and they wished, nay they prayed, I would take them with me.”
“Just wait until you return,” she said, her laughter bubbling over.
“I was hoping I could stay a while, quite a while, perhaps until Fiona delivers the baby?”
“I will be going to deliver her babe.”
Raynor nodded. “And if I return with you, she will ignore me—”
“And the fact that you ran away?”
“Exactly.”
“You are welcome to stay,” she said. She noticed that Raynor looked past her, glaring. She turned to see Rogan watching them from only a few feet away. He looked ever the wolf warrior, his own hair a mane of light and dark, his eyes blazing, his lips more of a snarl than a smile and his stance territorial.
