Heart Of A Highland Warrior (27 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

T
AVIS STEPPED BACK
. “You know? How?” She had been with him and the hybrid within hours of each other.

“I haven’t had sex with anyone but you.”

“But I thought…” Tavis’s heartbeat pounded in his ears. “You mean it’s mine? For certain, it’s mine?”

She nodded, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“I’m going to be a father?” He couldn’t breathe. He looked at Anna’s stomach, flat and lean. His bairn was in there. His throat tightened, and his eyes began to sting.

“I need to go.” He climbed on the horse and rode hard for the woods. When he reached the thick trees, he stopped and dismounted. He walked to a large oak tree out of Anna’s sight and sat down. He put his head in his hands and cried. For his family, for the son he
’d
never known, and for the child he would know. For finding Faelan again. And Anna. He felt a prickle across his shoulders. Someone was watching him. He jumped up, thinking Anna had followed him, and then swiped a thumb over his eyes so she didn’t see his tears. But she didn’t appear. “Who’s there?”

No one answered, but a bush moved. Frowning, he started toward it, and then he heard something behind him. He turned and saw Faelan.

“Tavis. What are you doing here?”

“Just thinking.”

Faelan frowned. “You all right?”

“Aye.”

“You don’t look it. I saw Anna back there. She told me you
’d
come this way. She had the same look.”

“The bairn’s mine.”

“She’s certain?”

“She was never with the hybrid. I don’t know what to do.”

A smile broke across Faelan’s face, and it reminded Tavis of when they were lads. “We’re going to be fathers. Both of us.” He grabbed Tavis in a hug, and Tavis wondered what having one child who would be more than a century younger than his sibling would do to the family tree.

When they got back to the house, everyone was searching for Matilda. “She wanted me to give her a cooking lesson, of all things,” Coira said. “But she didn’t show up.”

“She probably forgot,” Shay said. “She gets distracted easily.”

“Distracted?” Nina said. “She’s insane. Ask Jamie about Matilda and the Secret Service. I swear I’m going to put her in a home.”

Cody walked into the room and sighed. “What’s she done now?”

“We can’t find her,” Nina said.

“She was inside the secret passage in my room before,” Tavis said. “She was looking for the cat. She was worried about him.”

“I’m afraid something is wrong,” Coira said. “The cat is here. She’s always got that cat with her. And I didn’t pay it any mind, but she’s been asking a lot of questions about the time vault.”

Bree frowned. “She asked me too. She wanted to know what it was like inside. If I felt anything. And she was asking Tavis about it. You don’t think…”

Shay closed her eyes. “Oh God.”

Several of the warriors split up to search the castle and grounds, just in case she had gotten lost. Cody, Faelan, Shay, and Nina went to Bree and Faelan’s house so they could check the chapel cellar. Tavis went with them since he needed to return the time vault now that they had the key.

“Make sure she’s not in it first,” Shay said.

“Or make sure that she is,” Cody said.

Shay smacked his arm. “Cody!”

“My car isn’t here,” Nina said. “She shouldn’t be driving.”

“Matilda shouldn’t be doing a lot of things she does,” Cody said. “Her recklessness is going to get us all killed.”

“Calm down.” Shay patted his arm. “I’m sure she’s just being typical Matilda.”

“You’re a saint to put up with her,” Cody said to Nina.

“If she doesn’t settle down, I’ll be meeting Saint Peter ahead of schedule.”

“This brings back memories,” Tavis said as they entered the cellar. This time, they had battery-powered flashlights which were a damned sight better than lanterns.

Shay stepped into the dark cellar. “Tavis, you’re a brave man.”

“Heavens, yes,” Nina agreed. “I can’t imagine coming down here and climbing into a box knowing you were going to sleep for so long.”

“He is brave.” Faelan thumped him on the back. “He’s been watching out for me for as long as I can remember.”

“Someone had to,” Tavis said. “It’s there.” He pointed his light at the time vault.

“Look at that.” Shay moved closer and touched the wood. “It’s beautiful. And to think they’re intended to hold something so ugly. If the demons I’ve seen are any indication, you and Faelan are the best looking things to come out of one of these.”

“It’s closed,” Cody said, examining the lid.

“That was a thump,” Faelan said. “Quick, open it.”

The vault wasn’t locked, so the lid could be lifted, but it was heavy. Faelan and Tavis opened it, and Matilda popped up like a jack-in-the-box. “Oh my God,” she gasped. Her hair was wild, eyes round, and she was panting.

“What the hell are you doing?” Cody yelled.

“Calm down, Cody,” Shay said. “Matilda, what the hell are you doing? You could have suffocated in there.”

The men helped her out. She clutched at Faelan and Tavis for support.

Cody was furious. “Dammit, Matilda.”

“I wanted to see what it was like to lie inside one. Research for my book. I didn’t mean for the lid to close. I had a block of wood to stop it, but it fell. It was so dark. But I felt everything. I remember every terrifying moment.” She patted her face. “Do I look any younger?”

Nina stomped her foot. “You don’t look any younger, Matilda! You look like something your damned cat spit up.”

“The cat. He’s probably worried about me,” Matilda said.

“He probably knocked the block of wood out from under the lid,” Cody muttered.

Nina looked exasperated. “Matilda, you have to stop exploring like this. You’re driving us all crazy.”

“I am?”

“Why do you think Jamie’s avoiding the castle?”

“He’s busy,” Matilda said. “I think he still has a few loose ends to tie up from our little adventure. Her name is Sam.”

“He’s staying clear of you,” Nina said.

“What did she do to Jamie?” Tavis asked.

“What hasn’t she done to him?” Cody said. “She drugged him and carted him off in a wheelbarrow.” He grinned. “That was kind of funny. This latest disaster involved an assassination attempt on the president with the cat and Matilda loose in the White House. Jamie’s not speaking to Matilda at the moment.”

“It was just a little adventure,” Matilda said. “The Secret Service could take some lessons from you warriors.”

“Secret Service! Bloody hell.” Cody held up his hands. “If you don’t stop these little adventures, I’ll stick you in the time vault again before Tavis sends it back.”

Matilda turned a scornful eye on Cody. “Cody MacBain, I’m practically your aunt. Show some respect.”

Bloody woman. No wonder the cat was avoiding her.

Anna heard voices in the kitchen. She stood out of sight, trying to decide whether to go in.

“I wish I
’d
been there,” Brodie said.

“It wasn’t funny, but if you
’d
seen her pop out of there,” Shay said. “She looked just like a jack-in-the-box with her red hair and too much makeup. I thought Cody would choke her.”

“Where is she now?” Bree asked.

“Sleeping,” Shay said. “She still thinks the time vault did something to her.”

“I hope it took some of the sass out of her,” Bree said.

“Not too much,” Brodie said. “She’s growing on me.”

Anna stepped into the room, and everyone looked up.

“Anna.” Guilt was written all over Bree’s face.

Brodie was closer to the door. He walked over and patted Anna awkwardly on the arm. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

He looked at her stomach again. “So can we talk about the baby now?”

“Brodie!” Bree frowned at him.

“If she’s pregnant, she’s pregnant. We’re all thinking about it. It’s the elephant in the room.”

“Don’t you have someplace to be?” Bree asked.

Brodie shook his head. “No.”

“Then find someplace,” Shay said. “We need to have a little girl talk.”

“That rules you out,” Bree said. “Too many muscles.”

“That’s discrimination. You know I love babies.” He frowned and patted Anna’s arm again, then walked to the door. Anna wished she could go with him. She had a good idea what the girl talk would be about. She
’d
been avoiding Bree and Shay since Bree’s shocking revelation for just that reason. They would want to help. The men were easier, for the most part. They just looked awkward and scurried away. Except for nosy Brodie.

“And don’t listen,” Bree called as he left. “I know you’ve been avoiding me, Anna, and I don’t blame you. But we have to talk about it.”

“I’ve been avoiding everyone,” Anna said. “Not just you. I needed time to think.”

“I’m so sorry for blurting it out like that,” Bree said. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s OK. Well, telling me in private would have been preferable, but you didn’t mean any harm.” She frowned. “But are you sure? It’s just been a few days.”

“As sure as I can be. That’s how I knew I was pregnant.”

Anna let out a heavy sigh.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Shay asked.

No. Yes. “I don’t know what to think, much less what to say. I don’t want a baby.”

“What about…” Bree glanced at Shay. “The father?”

“I think Tavis is as shocked as I am,” Anna said.

“It’s Tavis’s?” Bree’s face lit.

“I figured everyone knew,” Anna said.

“Anyone can see how things are between you, but Tavis told Faelan what happened in the dungeon with the other prisoner. How do you know who’s the father?”

“They took me to him, but he didn’t do anything.” Anna kept her face blank. She
’d
promised not to say anything. She didn’t go back on her promises.

“Then why did they take you to him?” Bree asked. “I thought it was a breeding program.”

“I guess he didn’t feel like playing stud.” Anna felt her face warm from the lie.

“I don’t mean to pry,” Shay said, “but what exactly happened with Tavis? I don’t mean…that, but the other stuff.”

Anna hadn’t talked to anyone about it. She saw the sympathy on their faces, and something inside her crumbled. Her eyes misted, and she started doing the whole girly thing that she hated. She spilled it all, everything except about the hybrid.

“Tavis didn’t have a choice,” Anna said. “The guard would have done it himself. And it wouldn’t have been pleasant.”

“So it was pleasant?” Bree asked.

“Not pleasant, but…not as bad as if the guard had done it. He would have killed me. And Tavis.”

“Tavis saved you,” Shay said.

“I’m surprised he could even perform,” Bree said.

“He was too,” Anna said. “That’s what bothers him, that he enjoyed it.”

“I can see why it would,” Shay said.

“He couldn’t help it,” Anna said. “He
’d
been locked in that time vault and hadn’t had sex in a long time.”

Bree and Shay shared a smile.

“What?”

“You’re defending him.”

“I’m not. It’s just the truth.”

“How do you feel about him?” Shay asked.

“I don’t know what I feel. We were close in the dungeon. We thought we would die. He was so hurt. If you could have seen what they did to him…”

“Do you love him?” Shay asked.

“How could I love him?”

“He’s gorgeous. You connected in the dungeon. That kind of intense atmosphere can tell you more about a person in two days than you could learn about them in two months.”

“I don’t want to marry and have a family.”

“You don’t have to marry him,” Bree said. “Though it’s best for the child if the mother and father are together.”

“Tavis and I haven’t even had a chance to talk about it. He’s upset. He saw me riding bareback and thought I was trying to lose the baby.”

“Were you?” Shay asked.

“No.” Anna’s hands clenched. What if she had been subconsciously? “I thought I saw someone in the woods, and I was in a hurry to check it out.”

“He knows you weren’t trying to hurt the baby now?” Shay asked.

“Yes, but he found out it’s his baby. He was stunned. He thought I
’d
been with the hybrid too. He rode off, and I haven’t seen him since.”