Plead Forgiveness: Betrayed Twice (Loyalty Series) (19 page)

Ella had tried to
outmaneuver the numerous English scouring the countryside, unfortunately the
clear blue sky and warm morning sunlight left her more visible and vulnerable.
She sighed, realizing that her defeat was inevitable and only a heartbeat away.

 Righ battled
his fatigue, but could not continue. After reining in the spirited animal, she
vaulted to the ground, and then removed the cumbersome saddle. She stroked his
head then took the bit from his mouth. “You have served me well, my friend, but
I will not put you in danger. You have the choice of returning to the Macleods
or claiming your freedom. Thank you, Righ.” She slapped his backside, and then
watched him take off into the woods.

She quickly hid
her bow and empty quiver in the base of an old yew tree as tears streamed down
her face, remembering the men who gifted it to her last eve.  

After concealing
the saddle and reins under a bush, she ran to a group of towering pine trees
that would serve as temporary refuge. She scrambled up, and then waited for the
inevitable.

Although she ached
for Gavin, he and his clan were better off without her. Baron Greystone’s men
would soon discover her whereabouts.  At least she had a reprieve from
facing Gavin when he learned the truth about his wife.  She could not bear
to see his loving eyes fill with hatred.

The sounds of
horses interrupted her thoughts, and within moments, a handful of Baron
Montgomery soldiers looked up at her perched in the tree. She tried to climb
further up, but one man leapt onto a lower limb from his horse and yanked her
down. Branches scratched her face and neck before she hit the ground with a
mighty blow that expelled all the air from her lungs. She gasped for breath as
the vile man grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to her feet.

“You give me any
trouble, I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll not soon forget.”

Another man came
forward with rope in his hands and laughed, “I’ll tie the wench to ensure she
gives us nae trouble on the way to the ship.”

They tied her
hands behind her back and looped additional rope around her neck. They then
forced her to walk behind their mounts.

“A wench on a
leash is a fine sight indeed.”

Ella asked, “Where
are you taking me?”

“Shut your mouth,
whore. You open it again and I’ll. . .” He trailed off when she lowered her
eyes.

She remained
quiet, but listened intently. Apparently, Baron Montgomery awaited her arrival
on nearby ship, anchored off the coast of Mackenzie land.

Ella heard the
 
whispering waves crashing against
the shore an hour later. She gasped at the sight of the rowboats gliding from
the anchored ship. Noticing Baron Montgomery seated in the first boat, she
cringed as a flash of wild grief and intense loneliness ripped through her.

The men around her
dismounted and pulled her through the woody terrain that outlined the beach. A
short jump, two ell in length, is all that separated them from the beach. One
by one, each man jumped down to the beach. Ella remained rooted to the ground
and alongside the man who held the rope tied to her neck.

On the beach, one of the foul soldiers called out, “Might as well
untie her hands, but throw down her leash first.” His comment ended with an
evil snicker.

 Ella winced
as the man facing her back roughly untied her hands. He then threw the end of
the rope secured around her neck to his comrade, who eagerly waited to yank her
over the edge.

Suddenly, the man
behind her let out a short gasp. Turning quickly, she saw him fall to his
knees. When he crashed face down into the dirt, Ella’s eyes widened at the
sight of two arrows protruding from his back.

With haste, she
grabbed the dagger from his hand and sliced through the rope around her neck.
The man below jerked hard on the rope, only to fall on his backside an instant
later.

One of her captors
jumped up and grabbed her ankle, and then pulled her foot from beneath her.
When she hit the earthen floor, the dagger flew from her hands. Ignoring the
weapon, she frantically clawed at the ground as the soldier yanked her from the
small cliff. Before going over the edge, she looked and saw Arth racing towards
her, baring his teeth.

Once Ella made
contact with the sandy ground, the burly man spun her around, and then raised
his fist. The feral sound of a snarling beast rippled through the air. Her eyes
darted upwards at the precise moment Arth lunged from the cliff and onto her
attacker. The massive weight of the large animal tumbled both her and the
soldier to the ground. She then witnessed how truly ferocious and supremely
wolf Arth was when protecting someone he loved.

His deadly teeth
sank into the flesh of her attacker’s neck, quickly cutting off the man’s
pain-filled cries. With his jaws locked on the soldier’s throat, the faithful
animal then shook his blood-covered muzzle from side to side, finishing the
kill.

Unaware of the
droplets of blood hitting her face, Ella scrambling to her knees to watch the
brutal death. The unmistakable sound of someone unsheathing a sword drew her
attention. When she turned, she saw a soldier running with his weapon raised
high in the air. He intended to strike down the animal she loved, the one who
had savagely killed his comrade.

“NAE,” Ella
screamed, springing to her feet. She lunged toward the threat, grabbing his
forearms to prevent the downward plunge of the sword. The man suddenly toppled
over, and for a brief moment, Ella believed her strength felled him. She then
realized Arth had unintentionally slammed into her back while trying to attack
the soldier. The powerful impact sent them all to the ground, and instantly the
animal’s jaws sank into the exposed throat of the soldier. Without a shred of
fear, Ella held his arms above his head and away from Arth. Aiding the beast in
his kill sent exhilaration coursing through her body. The joy in the shared
victory made her feel safe and wanted. 
At least Arth loves me.

Her thoughts
drastically change as she struggled to her knees. Gazing out over the long
stretch of beach, the shock of discovery hit her full force.

Macleod warriors
leapt the short distance off the cliff, pouring onto the beach below and
brutally attacking Baron Montgomery’s men. She first spotted Nicholas and
Osgood slaying the English, one right after the other. While searching for
Gavin, she glimpsed a large, but unfamiliar Macleod warrior fighting a few
paces away.  He limped slightly, she noticed, and then her jaw dropped.
  
My God, it is Ualan. He is here, fighting alongside the
Macleods.

The blackguard
surrounded Ella as they surveyed, with absolute faith and utter satisfaction,
Gavin battling Baron Montgomery a short distance away. In contrast and with
immeasurable trepidation, Ella watched, riveted by her husband’s confident,
deft movements as he fought the deadly adversary.

 Instead of
parrying, Gavin evaded Baron Montgomery’s attack with quick diagonal or side
steps, while simultaneously studying his opponent’s aggressive moves.

Hearing Roger’s
heavy breathing, Ella realized that Gavin’s patient method of combat gave him
the advantage. Yet, despite his excursion, Baron Montgomery continued to attack
with ruthless determination.

The sound of metal
on metal soon rang out each time Gavin or Baron Montgomery parried the other’s
blade, signifying the change in battle tactics. Ella discovered why her husband
was so widely feared. The savage glint in his eye coupled with the speed,
dexterity, and strength of each rigorous move would inspire terror in any man.
After parrying, Gavin countered with a series of quick, but powerful horizontal
cuts, effectively sending Baron Montgomery into a defensive retreat.

Realizing his
danger of losing, Baron Montgomery resorted to treachery in hopes of gaining
the upper hand. He used the pretense of stumbling, and then threw a handful of
sand at his opponent.

When Ella saw her
husband, completely disoriented, wiping his eyes to clear his vision, she
instantly leapt to her feet and tried to rush to his defense.

Seeing her intent,
Edric wrapped his arm around her waist, effectively halting her efforts.

Ella’s cries
fueled the fire raging inside Gavin, unfortunately, his blurred vision forced
him to act in defense. Hearing the hiss of a sword cutting through the air, he
bounded backwards, and then felt a slight gust of wind as Roger’s blade
narrowly missed his face.

Baron Montgomery
took advantage of Laird Macleod’s blinding state by striking blow after blow,
and then with the flick of his wrist, sent his opponent’s sword flying through
the air, landing with a splash in the water.

Although risky,
Gavin allowed himself to be disarmed, which gave him the needed time to wash
the residue from his eyes. With his vision clear, he quickly saw Baron
Montgomery open himself up, showing confidence that he believed he won the
battle.

Gavin ducked under
the diagonal slash of Roger’s sword, and then grabbed his dagger and throwing
axe. He lunged forward, remaining in close proximity to his enemy. By doing
this, Baron Montgomery could not fully wield his sword.

Roger backed away
in defense, parrying the mighty laird’s continuous swings of the dagger and
axe. Sweat rolled down his face, and he began gasping for breath. His feet felt
heavy in the sand, and he knew one wrong move would result in death.

Images of Ella and
Paen swam through Gavin’s mind as he attacked Baron Montgomery. Knowing the
pain this man had inflicted on his wife and brother, he became mindless to all
but his wrath.

Roger suddenly
leapt backwards, and with the distance that gained him, he thrust sword toward
his opponent’s midsection. Time slowed as he watched Macleod’s axe deflect his
blade, and then to his horror, a dagger sliced through his forearm. His eyes
widened at the sight of his sword and decapitated right hand fall to the sandy
beach. He dropped to his knees in immense pain.

Trying to staunch
the bleeding with his other hand, Baron Montgomery looked up at Gavin and spat,
“You may kill me, but your death will follow shortly thereafter. I have over
fifty men on that ship, and they will kill you as well as that bastard brother
of yours. Paen always was a coward-”

The highland laird
abruptly ended Baron Montgomery’s tirade by grabbing his hair and moving to the
side to give him a clear view of the ocean.

Gavin roared, “Are
ye speaking of that ship, and that brother?”

While blood seeped
from his severed hand, Roger took in the sight of Paen and other Macleod
warriors aboard his ship. They threw some of his men overboard, others they
tied to the mast.  The moment before his life ended, he saw soul wrenching
defeat.

Gavin plunged his
dagger into Roger’s heart, fulfilling the vow he made to Ella. Turning away
from Baron Montgomery’s lifeless body, Gavin searched for his wife. He found
her surrounded by his men, kneeling beside Arth with blood and tears running
down her beautiful face. Dropping his weapons, he went to her.

Ella stood on
shaky legs, and then limped towards him, unaware that he knew the truth.

Fear glistened in
her eyes as she hobbled over to him. 
Dear God, does she nae ken how
much I love her, how much I need her.

He embraced her,
crushing her to his chest. With his eyes closed, he laid his cheek atop her
head, and inhaled her familiar scent. 
She is where she belongs, safe
and in my arms.

“Isabel,” he whispered.

“You know,” she
cried, pulling away to look into his eyes. “You know that I am Isabel
Mackenzie?”

He brushed the
hair from her face then stated, “Ye are Isabel Macleod, my wife.”

Like at waterfall,
tears fell from her eyes as he continued, “Ye were the victim of Baron
Greystone’s revenge against yer father, and ye were nae responsible for yer
mother’s death.”

She bowed and
shook her head, but Gavin lifted her chin and added, “Trust me when I say that
ye were nae to blame. And that I love ye, will always love ye, little one. How
could ye ever-”

“You still love
me?”

His features
suddenly turned serious. “My love for ye is beyond measure and without equal. I
refuse to live without my wife. Ye are mine, as I am yours, now and always.”

Ella wrapped her arms
around him and cried, “I love you . . . love you so much.” Shielded by his
body, enveloped in his warmth, she stood spellbound by the magnitude of his
love, and her love for him.

Gavin called out
to his men. “Tell Alex Mackenzie that his daughter is safe and will arrive
shortly.”

“Nae! He . . I . .
.” Panic laced her voice.

“He loves ye,”
Gavin affirmed, then cupped her innocent face. “He loves ye, and has been
deceived for eight years believing ye were dead. He dinna write that missive.”

“You know about .
. .”

“Aye, my love, I
ken everything,” he paused, assessed her fragile emotional state, and then
decided to reveal the miraculous discovery he had recently learned. “Ella, yer
Aunt Eleanor and Uncle James are alive.”