Plead Forgiveness (Loyalty Series) (19 page)

Gavin felt the tension in her muscles lessen and her
body snuggle closer to his. She tucked her head under his chin, wrapped her
arms around his waist, and then let out a contented sigh before drifting off to
sleep.

Looking down at the beauty in his arms, he felt
immense pride. She never failed to surprise him with her relentless strength
and spirit. Not until she understood that their souls were safe, did she allow
herself the much-needed rest.

Sleep, little one, while I take ye to my home where
yer new life awaits.

Twilight was upon them when they came upon the
familiar loch on Macleod land a scant hour from Doran Castle.

“We have pushed the horses far enough. They need water
and a short rest. I imagine ye would like to bathe the blood that stains yer
skin afore we greet our kin?”

“Aye, Gavin,” Edric said with a broad smile. “Unlike
ye, we are still covered in English blood, but I dinna fault ye for taking the
opportunity to bathe earlier or with whom ye bathed with.”

Gavin smiled at Edric’s comment as he dismounted with
Ella still sleeping in his arms. He then walked over to a small clearing in the
woods and laid her on the plaid Paen spread for her.

When she settled on her side with her head resting on
Warin’s cloak, he looked down at the enticing picture she presented. Like a
sleeping kitten, he thought, with her knees and arms drawn into her chest.
Noticing the air had become cooler; he pulled off the plaid from his shoulder
and gently covered her.

“I will stay with her,” Paen began, “while the men
bathe and ye talk with Brom.”

Gavin expected to see one of his men on patrol duty,
and was more the eager to speak to the young warrior. Before leaving, he turned
to his brother and acknowledged, “I heard what ye said to Warin.” Pausing for a
moment, he then added, “More importantly, she heard what ye said. I thank ye.”

As he started a fire, close enough so Ella would feel
the heat, Paen said, “I dinna give my loyalty because ye wished it. I gave it
because she earned it. I have nae known a woman like her. I envy ye.”

Paen chuckled when he saw the look of surprise on
Gavin’s face. “Ye think I dinna ken ye?”

With his arms across his chest, he waited for Paen to
continue.

“Aye, I ken ye well. Ye will take her for wife as soon
as ye can and I dinna blame ye. Actually, if ye were nae intending to marry the
lass Edric, Nicholas or I would have.”

Gavin scowled at his brother’s words.

“Be at ease, brother. We ken and respect that she has
always belonged to ye.”

Paen then waved his older brother away and said, “Now
go. As we speak, it seems Brom is relaying some happy news to the others down
by the loch. More than likely, he is telling them that Gabriel has been
returned and is waiting for us at Doran.”

“Aye, I believe ye are right,” Gavin said as he took
in the scene of his men smiling and waving him over.

Even though Gavin knew what Brom would say, he was
eager to hear the words. With purposeful strides, he headed down to the loch.

“Gabriel is safe and arrived at Doran Castle earlier
this day, accompanied by a Sir James. Gabriel adamantly explained that he is a
trusted friend and shouldnae be harmed.”

Overcome with emotion, Gavin took a deep breath and
closed his eyes. Gabriel, his beloved sister’s only child, was very special to
him. His nephew had awakened something deep inside that he thought his father
had destroyed years ago.

Although the former laird had reared his sons to be
ruthless on and off the battlefield, he failed to demolish the protectiveness
they harbored for their family. Gabriel had taught Gavin how to express the
love he had kept hidden for so long.

“Aye, Brom. I thought those would be yer words.”

Brom was about to ask Laird Macleod how he knew of
Gabriel's return when suddenly Arth’s excited barks filled the air. The beast
had finished greeting Gavin’s men, then came bounding over to his true master.

Gavin had found Arth a year ago, after a boar had
killed the rest of his litter as well as a fully-grown female wolf. Arth, a wee
pup then, had hidden in the hollow of a fallen tree when Gavin and his men came
upon the carnage. The beast had been frantic to get what lay inside the tree
and had not noticed Gavin sneak up behind him. The boar was easily speared,
pulled away from the tree, and put atop a waiting horse.

Before mounting, Gavin saw the frightened wolf pup
peek out from the tree. He had noted that the adult female was an odd mix of
wolf and some unusually large breed of dog. It was then he decided to take its
offspring with him to the castle.

Gavin cared for the wolf pup with the intention of
giving him his freedom once he was able to fend for himself. Yet, as the wolf
grew, it became obvious he had inherited much from his half-breed mother. At
first glance, Arth looked like an unusually large wolf, but a keen eye would
see that his paws were slightly smaller. After a few months, Gavin tried to
free him, but the wolf dog only came back time and time again until it was clear
Arth had chosen the Macleods to be his pack.

Brom watched the very excited Arth jump on his laird,
smothering him with wet kisses, causing the normally intense man to bellow with
laughter. Aye, it was good to hear his laird so happy and see that he returned
safely. He suddenly remembered Lady Esme’s command.

“Laird Gavin, yer mother has been a bundle of nerves
this past sennight and has requested, nae, demanded, that she be told the
moment ye step foot on Macleod soil.”

Gavin, Paen and Tavish smiled, knowing how upset their
mother became when her sons were away. Lady Esme was the natural mother of
Gavin, Eva and Tavish, but Paen’s mother in heart.

Lady Esme’s strength and wisdom had held the Macleod
clan together during the reign of the former laird. She had fought for the
safety and survival of her children and their clan, knowing in her heart that
once Gavin was laird of the Macleods, their people would finally live in peace.

Gavin quickly explained all that had occurred on their
journey back to Scotland and watched the young man’s jaw drop, before adding,
“Brom, ye will wait for Tavish before heading back to the castle, and only
speak to Lady Esme and Bowen of our return. Do ye understand?”

“Aye, Laird Gavin,” he replied, then raced to his
mount with the eagerness of a child.

When Tavish finished bathing in the loch, he dressed
quickly and went to speak with Gavin. After hearing Gavin’s conversation with
Brom, he knew his brother had more detailed instructions for him. These more
trusted duties were only given to the men known throughout the clan as the
black guard. Tavish only recently had been omitted into the sacred guard, and
the pride he felt was infinite.

“Is there a reason ye dinna want the clan to ken about
our return?”

Gavin could not help smiling at youngest brother,
whose hearing was beyond any man he had ever known.

“Aye, as laird ‘tis my duty to explain to our people
why we hold a English Lady within our walls. I will tell the clan who she is
and how she became so important to us, but I trust ye with the duty to inform
our mother and Bowen. Also, see that a hot bath is waiting for Ella as well as
clean linen and clothes. Plenty of food and drink will also be needed.”

“Aye, all will be ready upon yer return.” With that
said, Tavish mounted his horse and disappeared with Brom into the darkening
night.

“Go bathe so we can be on our way,” Osgood said to
Paen as he Nicholas and Edric approached the fire. “Gabriel is safe in Doran
Castle and I am eager for whiskey and my wife. We will keep . . .” The
redheaded giant stopped abruptly and smiled when he saw who had befriended
their lass, then added, “Paen, make sure to tell our laird that he has some
competition. Yer brother felt the need, no doubt after having our wee beauty in
his arms these past hours, to take a brief swim in the freezing water.”

With a broad smile on his face, Paen headed to the
loch, and just as Osgood predicted, Gavin was indeed swimming. By the time his
older brother returned, he was already bathed, dressed and sitting on a nearby
boulder with an amused look on his face.

“Do ye have something to say?”

“Only that I was to inform ye that ye have some
competition for Lady Ella’s affection,” Paen replied with a smirk on his face.

Gavin was not amused.

“Would ye like to explain.”

“Nae.”

As Gavin dressed, he muttered something about Paen
being a royal pain in the arse, and then stomped off. He knew his brother was
teasing, but when it came to Ella, there would be no jesting about her
affection towards another.

With Paen close on his heels, he walked briskly back
to the clearing where his men spoke in hushed whispers. When they saw their
laird approach, they broke out into wide smiles, and then looked down at Ella.

Following their gaze, Gavin was shocked at what
greeted his eyes. Ella slept on her side with her arm draped over Arth,
snuggling up to the enormous beast that outweighed her by at least two stones.

Arth was feared by most of the Macleods, because all
knew he was half wolf. Sensing this fear, the animal always kept his distance.
He was only truly accepted by Gavin and the black guard. If given the chance,
however, Arth befriended quickly. Ella obviously fell into this category.

At seeing the astonished look on Gavin’s face, Edric
said, “Not only has Arth claimed her, he is as protective as ye are, Laird.
Watch.”

When Edric took a few steps in her direction, Arth
curled his lip up and bared his teeth, then let out a vicious growl. The men
smiled in anticipation for what would come next.

“Shhh puppy,” Ella whispered in her sleep as she
stroked his thick fur. “My brave and beautiful puppy.”

Gavin smiled at hearing her call his massive, not to
mention ferocious and deadly, wolf called ‘puppy’. It was obvious that Arth was
in heaven with all the attention and affection he received from his new best
friend.

When his men kept their distance, Arth nuzzled her
head and neck then licked the side of her face. She did not seem to mind the
beast’s affection, and Gavin noticed that he was extremely gentle. Being only a
year old, Arth was still rather clumsy and rough at times, but with Ella, he
was quite docile. Mayhap, sensing she was small and fragile, he thought.

Gavin shook his head at the tender scene, and then
wondered why she had just spoken with a highland burr. Assuming she was just
picking up their accent, he walked over to the pair.

Arth’s tail started to thump with excitement as he
approached. The beast continued to look back and forth, from him to Ella, as if
saying ‘Look master at what I found. Can I keep her?’

“She is mine, but ye may protect her in my absence,”
Gavin chuckled as he stroked Arth’s head.

When he lifted her slight weight into his arms, she
mumbled something about puppy coming with her and that she would carry him.

Gavin tightened his hold on Ella, and to the amusement
of his men, he said, “Aye, little one, puppy is coming with us, but I dinna
think ye will be carrying him.”

An hour later, they rode over the drawbridge and
through the gates of the Doran Castle, the Macleod stronghold. The bailey and keep
were quiet since most within had retired for the night. The guards on the
barbican and battlements waved to them as they arrived, but were completely
unaware of the woman in their laird’s arms.

Lady Esme and Bowen greeted them in the courtyard,
relief evident on their faces. Tavish stood to the side and waited to take
their mounts so the stable master did not have to be awakened.

“Thank the Lord ye are all safe,” Gavin’s mother said
as she rushed over and kissed him. She then affectionately brushed the hair
away from Ella’s face and whispered, “My sweet angel, it does my heart good to
finally look upon ye.”

Gavin knew how rare it was to see tears in his
mother’s eyes, but they were there as she gazed upon Ella.

“All is ready for Lady Ella in yer chamber.”

When Gavin did not move right away, she barked, “Get
ye going! I will greet my son and the rest of my family, then join ye to tend
to our angel.”

The men smiled at Lady Esme, who always referred to
Gavin’s guard as her family. She embraced and kissed each one.

When she came to Paen, she held his face in her hands
and said, “The son of my heart, I have missed ye.” She hugged him close, for a
long moment, then said, “Ye and the others make haste to the hall where food
and drink await.”

Paen smiled down at the woman who had raised him with
as much love as she did her other children. “Aye, Mother. I have missed ye as
well. Did Tavish explain all to ye about Ella’s injuries?”

“Aye, love, he did,” she said in a soft voice as she
put her hand on her son’s cheek. “I also know who held the whip. One was her
soulless guardian, the other was the son of the man who almost flogged ye to
death. Their demise is but a heart-beat away.”