“I’ll do whatever it takes to save her.”
Ewan nodded. “Aye, I know it. Stay with her. I’ll go belowstairs to see to the supplies. ’Twill be a long night, Alaric. It could last for days.”
“She nursed me through my worse,” Alaric said quietly. “I can do no less for her. She has no one. We are her family now. ’Tis our duty to see to her needs just as we would any other member of our clan.”
Ewan hesitated only a moment before nodding again. “I owe her a great debt for your life and now for my son. My debt will only grow if she sees Mairin through the delivery of our child. I can do no less than see to her every need.”
Relief coursed through Alaric’s blood. The last thing he wanted was to be in constant conflict with his brother. Keeley was important to him and even if any future between them was doomed, he would still do everything in his power to care for her.
Once Ewan departed the chamber, Alaric returned his attention to Keeley, who lay limply on the bed, quiet now and still.
He eased down beside her and smoothed his hand over her side and up to her neck. She turned into his caress, her flesh dry and hot. Even her lips were hot and cracked against his palm.
She burrowed under him and then entwined her legs with his as if seeking every bit of his body heat.
“Cold,” she murmured. “So cold.”
Cupping the back of her head in his palm, he drew her into his neck and kissed her temple. “I know, love. I know you’re cold. I’ll care for you, I swear it. Even when you curse me with every breath, I won’t waver.”
She sighed against his flesh, and it sent a shiver down his spine. Then she kissed him, her mouth hot and erotic against his pulse. His entire body tightened as she stirred restlessly against him.
The top of her leg rubbed enticingly over the juncture of his legs, and he cursed low and hard when his cock swelled in response.
“I love the way you taste,” she rasped out against his neck.
As if testing the veracity of her words, her tongue swept out and she licked against the thudding pulse that bumped even harder as her mouth closed wet and hot over the flesh of his neck.
Before he could extricate himself from her hold, she rose up and fused her mouth to his, so sweet and fiery that he couldn’t breathe. He didn’t want to move, so caught up in the feel of her, the smell of her.
Lusty and demanding. Hot, open-mouthed kisses that shattered every bit of his control. Surely God was testing him in this moment. He could feel the fires of hell licking at his ankles as he briefly contemplated sliding between her legs and giving them what they both so desperately wanted.
Not only would Ewan shortly return, but he simply wouldn’t allow himself to take advantage of Keeley in a reduced state of awareness.
Keeley was about climb atop him and continue to kiss him senseless when Ewan returned to the chamber bearing two pails of water and several rags.
“You’ll need to disrobe her and only use a light sheet as a covering. Nothing that will trap the heat within her body or create more.”
Alaric scowled.
“I’ll look away,” Ewan muttered. “You forget I’m a man very devoted to my wife. I have no desire to see another woman’s body.”
As soon as Ewan began busying himself with dampening the clothes in the basin across the room, Alaric set about removing Keeley’s gown—an act she was not happy about and determined to fight him at every turn.
“Nay!” she cried.
Tears thickened in her throat, making her already-hoarse voice all the more husky.
“Please, ’tis not seemly. You should not do this. ’Tis wrong!”
Her hands batted outward, connecting with Alaric’s cheekbone. It stung, but she was as weak as a kitten and didn’t pack much of a punch. Thank goodness.
“Shh, lass. I’m not going to hurt you. I swear it. Be at ease. ’Tis Alaric, your warrior.”
When he continued to ease the dress over her shoulders she began weeping. Silent tears slid seamlessly down her cheeks. There was resignation in her posture as if she’d given up fighting off her unknown demon.
“ ’Tis my home,” she said brokenly. “You can’t turn me away from my home. I did nothing.”
Alaric’s rage knew no bounds. He realized now that she was reliving her treatment by the hands of Laird McDonald and her subsequent banishment from the McDonald clan.
He wanted to march over and kill the whole lot of them.
“Jesu, what happened to her?” Ewan demanded quietly.
“She has had all manner of injustice heaped upon her,” Alaric said in a tight voice. “If ’tis up to me, the debt owed to her will be repaid.”
“Alaric …” Ewan trailed off and stared up at his brother while he rung out a series of cloths. He stopped and dropped the last over the edge of the pail. “Don’t make her fall in love with you. ’Twould be cruel. She feels for you. Any fool can see that. Don’t encourage her in this foolishness. It will only hurt her later when you marry another. If you care at all for her, you’ll spare her that devastation and humiliation.”
“You ask the impossible, Ewan. I can’t … I can’t just give her up because it’s the right thing to do. Of course it’s the right thing to do. I have no desire to hurt either woman even if I have no knowledge of Rionna McDonald. I would visit no shame on either of the women.”
“This can’t end well,” Ewan said softly. “Whether for you or Rionna or Keeley. Someone will be hurt unless you end it here and now.”
“Could you let go of Mairin? If the king came to you tomorrow and told you that she would be given in marriage to another man to seal an alliance with the throne of Scotland, would you simply say aye and accept that you could never have her?”
“That’s a ridiculous comparison.”
“I’ve not pushed aside my duty. I only know that as long as I have her, I refuse to pretend I’m not filled with gladness as soon as she comes into a room. I’m not going to waste a single second, so that when it comes time for us to part, we’ll have a lifetime of memories to hold us into our old age.”
“Fool,” Ewan bit out. “Stay away from her. Make a clean break before you become too involved. ’Tis the best way.”
Alaric smiled sadly. “ ’Tis too late to tell me not to become too involved.”
“Tread lightly then. We cannot afford to anger Gregor McDonald. Nay, he isn’t the strongest of allies, but he’s key in our quest to ally ourselves with the neighboring clan.”
“ ’Tis Gregor who is better not to anger me,” Alaric hissed. “He has a lot to pay for on his deathbed. I’d like to hasten him to it for his treatment of Keeley.”
Keeley began to moan and toss again, fretting in incoherent phrases and babbling nonsense. Ewan tossed Alaric one of the cool cloths and Alaric applied it over her forehead.
She quieted for a moment, but when Alaric placed the second cloth over her neck, she began to shiver violently.
“C-C-Cold, Alaric. Please. I don’t want to be cold.”
“Shhh, love, I’m here,” he crooned.
“Do you want me to stay?” Ewan asked.
Alaric shook his head. “Nay, Mairin will wonder why you are up. If I have need of water for the tub or snow, I’ll call for Gannon and Cormac.”
Ewan squeezed his shoulder and then let himself out of the chamber. Alaric returned his attention to bathing Keeley.