She honestly wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take.
Deciding against making all of her dreams come true, at least her homicidal ones, Ashlyn threw the pillow at his head, ignored his sleepy grumble, and made her way back to her room. She turned the television on, found a horror movie, flopped down onto her side and stared at the wall, wondering what the hell was wrong with her until her eyelids grew heavy and she slowly closed her eyes...
CHAPTER 23
Ráth Finnéin, Ireland
933 A.D.
“Please don’t do this,” Lasarín mumbled hollowly as she watched Shayne check his sword one last time before he sheathed it and slid it into the harness on his back.
“I don’t have a choice,” Shayne said, shifting his attention to his dagger.
“Then, bring me with ye,” Lasarín said, licking her lips nervously as she watched him slide the dagger into the sheath attached to his leg.
“No,” Shayne said with a firm shake of his head.
“Why not?” Lasarín demanded even as she grabbed the small packet she’d filled with oatcakes and shoved them into the satchel she’d packed for him.
“Because it’s not safe,” Shayne said as he made his way to their bed.
“Which is why I should be going with ye,” Lasarín pointed out as she watched him reach beneath the mattress and grabthe small purse he kept hidden there and tossed it to Bécc, who didn’t look any happier about this than she was.
“That’s not an option, lass,” Shayne said, grabbing the satchel and threw it over his shoulder before he grabbed the other satchel and carefully pulled it over her shoulder, double-checking that she had everything that she was going to need.
“I need ye ta listen to me, lass,” Shayne said, cupping her face in his hands as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I need ye ta run and never look back.”
“No,” Lasarín said, her voice cracking as the first sob broke free. “I’m not leaving ye.”
“No matter what happens, I need ye ta promise me that ye won’t look for me,” Shayne said, pressing his lips against her forehead one last time before he stepped away. “I can’t do this unless I know yer safe, lass.”
“Please don’t do this!” Lasarín said, watching as his gaze flickered past her to Bécc and-
“This is for yer own good, lass,” Shayne said as she suddenly found herself pulled back against Bécc’s body as the large warrior placed a hand over her mouth and picked her up off the ground before she could do anything more than scream against his hand.
“Take good care of her,” Shayne told Bécc as his gaze lingered on her while she struggled to break free, twisting and kicking only to have Bécc tighten his hold on her.
“Give us enough time ta make it ta the woods and then take her north,” Shayne said as she struggled to break free to stop him before it was too late.
She couldn’t lose him.
Not now.
“I’ll keep her safe,” Bécc said, his voice grave as he tightened his hold on her, stopping her from doing anything more thankick him as she screamed against his hand, begging Shayne not to do this.
With a nod, Shayne looked away as frustrated tears streamed down her face while she was forced to watch him go. She wiggled, cursed, and screamed as she struggled to break free, desperate to go to him and stop him before it was too late.
He didn’t know what the king would do to him
She couldn’t let him end up like her mother.
She couldn’t let him die because of her.
She needed to tell him everything.
She needed to make him understand.
She needed to tell him that she loved him.
