“I love you both.” They nodded as one, neither of them speaking. But she could see the unspoken words in their eyes.
She turned to Marc and held out her hand. He took it in his much larger one, wrapping his fingers around hers and holding it securely. It would always be like that.
Marc would always put himself between her and danger, keeping her safe.
Now she would do the same for him.
“I love you more than anything else in the world.” She cupped his jaw with her free hand, loving the rough feel of the stubble against her palm. Marc was so vital, so alive.
“Are you ready to go home, my love?” He turned his face to kiss her palm as he wrapped his free arm around her waist.
“I’m already home,” she whispered.
A brilliant light flashed through the room. Kathryn gasped, turning toward Logan and Tienan, desperate for one final glimpse of them. They both raised their hands in a silent salute.
Then they were gone.
Huge sobs erupted from her as she doubled over in pain. They were truly gone.
Marc pulled her into his arms, almost crushing her in his embrace. She let the tears flow freely then for the first time in her life. She cried for her painful childhood. She cried for the world she’d left behind. But mostly, she cried for the loss of the only two friends she’d ever known in her world.
“I don’t understand,” he said when her tears finally subsided. He released her, shoving her hair from her face, his actions almost rough. “Why didn’t you go with them?”
She looked at his beloved face and offered him a smile. “Because you belong here and I belong with you.”
The door to the bedroom banged against the wall as it was shoved open and Jarek burst inside. He gave a cry of gladness as he rushed toward them, pulling first his brother and then her into his arms. It took her a moment to make out his words. She froze as she realized that Jarek had known of Marc’s intentions to leave with her.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” he murmured over and over. All she could do was hug him back, knowing that Marc was by her side and she was standing where she was meant to be.
Chapter Fifteen
Marc lay on his side, his elbow bent and his face propped on his palm. Kathryn slept beside him, her lips slightly parted. Every now and then she would emit a slight snore. He smiled at the soft sound.
The covers were tucked under her arms as she lay on her side facing him, her legs curled slightly. There were dark circles beneath her eyes but they would disappear once she started sleeping and eating on a regular basis. He planned to take very good care of Kathryn, coddling her until he felt she was back to peak health. These past days and weeks before he’d met her had obviously taken their toll.
He hadn’t slept much last night, had been almost too afraid to shut his eyes, fearing that it all had been a dream. Instead, he’d been content to hold Kathryn in his arms through the dark hours of the night until the dawn.
The entire castle had been in an uproar last evening. Once they’d realized that Kathryn had stayed, a spontaneous celebration had broken out below in the great hall.
The people were thrilled that another tapestry bride would live among them. Add to that the fact that Kathryn was a great healer with a touch of magic and they couldn’t contain their joy. Their voices, raised in song and cheer, had rung through the stone castle for several hours.
But the joy had been tempered by the fact that Logan and Tienan were gone. Jarek and Christina had spent a short time with them before retiring below. Neither Marc nor Kathryn had joined the celebration. He knew that she was hurting at the loss of her friends.
Instead, he’d stripped her naked and tucked her into bed before removing his own clothing and crawling in beside her. He’d held her as she shed copious tears, each one a knife thrust to his heart.
Reaching out, he traced a long strand of reddish hair that fell over her creamy white shoulder and onto her collarbone. He ran his finger across the delicate bone, once again marveling at her resilience and strength. To give up all one had ever known for love was an amazing thing and he would spend the rest of his life making sure that she never regretted it. Her love was a gift he would cherish every day of his life.
“Hey.” Her soft voice drifted over his skin like the lightest of touches.
He raised his gaze from her collarbone to her face. She blinked and smothered a yawn as she watched him. Her eyes were soft and warm, still filled with sleep. The cover shifted slightly, giving him a glimpse of a firm, white breast. His body tightened as his cock twitched to life. Last night had been about comfort. This morning, he wanted to claim her with his body. He wanted to pleasure her until she cried out her release.
Taking a calming breath, he slowly released it. There was time for that later. Right now she was awake and would need reassuring. “Good morning.” Sadness descended over her features as she sat up beside him, tugging the furs to cover her nakedness. “It really happened then. They’re gone.” His gut clenched. Did she regret her choice? He didn’t think he could bear it if she did. “Yes. They’re gone.”
She nodded, her green eyes luminous with unshed tears. She was so pale, her few freckles stood out on her heart-shaped face. Sighing, she rubbed her fingers over the thick fur on the bed. Marc’s skin prickled as if it were his skin she stroked.
“Are you sorry I stayed?”
“Never!” He sat up beside her. “How can you even ask that?” She shrugged and glanced away. Reaching out, he cupped her jaw, tipping her chin upward until she was looking at him again. “Don’t ever be afraid to ask me anything, Kathryn.” He caressed the side of her jaw with his thumb. Her skin was so soft and smooth. “You are my heart and that will never change, no matter how many years we both live.”
She searched his face. He wasn’t sure what she was seeking but she seemed to find it there. “I love you too.”
Unable to bear the separation between them, he pulled her into his arms. Burying his face in her neck, he breathed in her essence. Her words seemed to heal a rift in his heart and soul that had been there for more years than he could remember. He was no longer alone. For as long as he lived, Kathryn would be by his side. His woman.
She flattened her hands on his chest, pushing him away. “Lie back.” He did as she asked, stretching out on the mattress with her seated above him. In the morning light, she resembled a nymph from legend with her long red hair twining around her body and her green eyes alight with pleasure. Her nipples peeked out from between strands of hair and he couldn’t resist stroking them with his thumbs.
Moaning, she arched back, thrusting her breasts toward him. The motion brought the moist, damp folds of her sex down on his rock-hard cock. Marc rumbled with pleasure. If he shifted her the slightest bit, he could easily slide inside her waiting heat.
He wanted her to do it.
“Take me inside you. Claim me as your own,” he urged, tugging gently on her nipples. Other than that, he remained motionless. He wanted her to do it.
Heat pulsed through Kathryn’s body. It felt strange, yet right to wake up with Marc propped up in bed beside her, watching her. For a second, she’d wondered if it had all been a dream but reality had quickly descended. Tienan and Logan were gone and she might never know what became of them. She could only pray for their safety and hope that they found some peace and happiness in the world they’d chosen.
But she’d made her choice and she didn’t regret it. Couldn’t regret it. Not with Marc beside her. She was glad that the tapestry, along with the encouragement of her friends, had given her the courage to take what she wanted.