She was beaming as she cradled her round belly.
“In the spring. Drakolt stole me—us—last summer because he needed an heir and knew we were Mates. I became pregnant right away.”
“In apublicceremony,” Roxanna cut in, her arm around my waist. “’Twas barbaric.”
“’Twas romantic,” Sorcha shot right back.
“I heard ‘twas erotic,” murmured shy Effie with a wink, and I pulled her into a hug.
“I am so glad you are all well,” I told them. “You are Mated.”
Effie jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the three fierce males who sat scowling atop their horses.
“To brothers. Drakolt is the Bladesedge chief. Roxanna is Mated to Varkaan, twin to my Mate Korvak.”
“Oh, we havestoriesfor you, little sister,” Roxanna announced with a happy sigh, squeezing me. “But first, let us get you to safety. When Father showed up unexpectedly in our village and told us you had been stolen by our enemy, we began to plan.”
“I think Drakolt will be disappointed to not have a battle,” Sorcha confessed with a smile, “but we are all pleased you escaped on your own.”
Shaking my head, I opened my mouth to set them straight, but fierce Roxanna snorted.
“Imagine, that bastard thinking he could steal you away as retaliation for what Father did to him.” Her expression turned sympathetic. “Was it horrible, Lillian? Whatever he forced you to do? Nay, do not answer, ‘tis behind you now.”
But I grabbed her hand and pulled it away from its grip at my waist, turning to face them all head-on.
“Who told you such lies? I have not been mistreated.”
Sorcha frowned. “Father told us the Bloodfire chief was his prisoner for the winter, and when he escaped, he took you as a hostage. His men could not stop the bastard from bringing you through the veil as his captive.”
To my surprise, I felt laughter bubbling in my chest.
“Then I was a very eager captive, indeed!”
My sister’s brows went up as Effie smiled.
“I know how that is. So your father . . ..”
“Has been greatly misinformed.” Taking a deep breath, I straightened my shoulders and dropped my sister’s hands, limping to face the row of males on horseback, just as a fourth figure joined them.
He looked the same as I’d always remembered—strong, dauntless, unwilling to show emotion—although he did not wear his favorite cloak any longer. Instead of doing something so caring as lowering himself from his horse to embrace me, my father stared imperiously down at me.
And I remembered all the things Kragorn had said about him, the way he took advantage of me and used me.
So I kept my jaw and my gaze hard as I greeted him with a neutral tone.
“Father.”
He held out his hand. “Come here, girl. You’ll ride with me and we’ll return you to your old life.”
I raised a brow. “I have a horse, Father, but I do not wish to go with you.”
“We’ll go back to Tarbert Keep at the full moon,” he continued, as if I hadn’t spoken. “No one will find out what you’ve been subjected to these last weeks. You will return to your life of caring for me, and we will not allow rumors to spread.”
Unable to help myself, half in awe of his audacity, I stared at him, my eyebrows arched high.
“Rumors?”
He sniffed and flipped his hand in irritation.
