“Dúghlas raised me.” Liam embraced the man who nowadays was more of a good friend than a father figure. “He is much like my own da.”
“And ye, my own son.” Dúghlas clasped him on the shoulder, then pulled back and continued admiring Shannon. “Ye must be weary, druidess. The moment I knew ye had arrived, I had our lassies see to yer chamber and a bath. Ye should rest a wee bit, then dine with us.”
“A bath doesn’t sound half bad,” she admitted. “Or a little rest.”
“Then off with ye, and might we drink well together later this eve,” Dúghlas boomed, laughing. “’Twill be a night of celebration and good food for our new druidess! Until then,” he winked at both Cian and Liam before looking at Shannon again, “ye’re in very good hands.”
Liam flinched and offered his disgruntled brother a weak shrug when Dúghlas rallied forth three of the most comely lasses about, all of which Liam had bedded. Two of which Cian had flirted with in his time.
“You know, Dúghlas,” Madison piped up, swooping in just in time. “I think maybe for this first night, Shannon might be more comfortable with me seeing to her needs.” She shot the lasses a look that kept their eyes firmly off of Cian, but that didn’t stop them from eyeing Liam. “I would like them standing by outside the room in case I need them, though.”
That, naturally, kept them out of trouble. Or, more pointedly, based on the look Madison shot Liam, kepthimout of trouble. He wasn’t sure whether to be offended or grateful. As it were, romance and devotion weren’t part of the prophecy to save Ireland. Despite Cian and Declán falling in love, none of them were ultimately supposed to end up with their lasses.
So why did he feel so guilty at that look?
“I fear I should have warned Madison about the lasses here,” Cian grumbled after the women vanished above stairs.
Liam frowned and waved over ale. “What about them?”
“Ye know full well what,” Cian replied as Dúghlas chuckled. “They are more forward than most.” He shook his head. “I cannot imagine that will bode well for ye, brother. ‘Twill only make ye and Shannon’s way more difficult.”
“Well, it should not.” Liam nodded his thanks and smiled when a comely lass delivered three ales and batted her lashes at him. “I no more belong to Shannon than she does me. I will keep her by my side as we see things through, but she wants commitment no more than I.”
“But ye’re craving a coupling with her at the very least, me lad.” Dúghlas grinned, not missing a thing. “I do not need to possess magic to see that clearly enough.”
He shrugged. “Can ye blame me?”
“Not a wee bit. She’s a rare beauty.” His gaze grew a little too knowing for Liam’s taste. “I am not sure I have ever seen ye act so tender with a lass as ye did with her out in the courtyard.”
“’Twasdifferent for ye,” Cian agreed.
“I but assisted her when she was ill,” Liam grunted.
“’Twas more than that.” His brother gave him a look he didn’t much like. “And there is undoubtedly a good reason for it. Something ye should know about yer last life.”
As it happened, what Cian proceeded to tell him was the last thing he wanted to hear.
Chapter Seven
“DID YOU REALLY need to make them follow us up here?” Shannon muttered when Madison gave the three pretty women who prepared her chamber a little wave and closed the door behind them. “I don’t care if they’ve slept with Liam.”
