“Ye’re never a liability,” he said fiercely.
She hummed, going contemplatively quiet for a beat. “Even though I was set on stayin’, I spotted him after ye left. If I stayed, I wouldnae have had a fightin’ chance without ye around. So I left.”
“Ye daenae have to run anymore,” he promised her, increasing their speed as the ground slowly leveled out. “I kent that leavin’ ye there was wrong. The whole time I was out, me gut was tellin’ me that I needed to get to ye. I will always be by yer side from now on.”
“That’s a big responsibility,” Amelia muttered, the tips of her ears going pink. There was the hint of a smile in her voice, though. And, at the very edges, there was hope.
“Ye must ken by now that ye’re anythin’ but just a responsibility to me, Amelia.”
She inhaled sharply, going rigid for a split second. Then, her body relaxed, and she sighed. The quiet was its own answer, as close as she’d get to agreeing with him without forcing him to argue his point.
That will come, though. As soon as she’s patched up once more.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Amelia’s body was light in Darragh’s arms but solid and so very alive. She leaned against him as he carried her through the corridor. Though she’d tried to insist she could walk to her chambers from the healer’s room, he wasn’t apt to allow it.
And Isla seemed to approve of the action.
“Ye say ye’re nae in pain, but I can still feel ye tremblin’,” he said as he took the turn that would lead them to her wing of the castle.
She laughed against his shoulder, a soft and free sound. “It’s nae just the pain, ye ken.”
There was an undercurrent of anticipation there. And, though she didn’t deny the ache, he could see now that the way she moved, the way her breathing was quickening as they got closer to her private quarters, had nothing to do with pain. It hadeverything to do with him. His proximity and the resulting tension were the culprits.
He chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. “Ye’re goin’ to continue to surprise me for the rest of days, arenae ye?”
Another giggle burst forth, and she buried her face in his shoulder. There was an incredulous quality to the way she shook. It was relief, too.
She cannae believe she’s allowin’ this. She wouldnae have even last week.
Without putting her down, Darragh opened the door to her chambers and carried her over the threshold. Then, using the heel of his boot, he knocked the latch into place. Cloaked in privacy, the heat between them built at a much faster pace.
As he slowly lowered her to the floor, Amelia studied him. The lantern light played upon her face, casting soft shadows over the curve of her cheek. Her hands lingering on his shoulders, she tilted her head just so.
“What,” he began, swallowing hard as he was flooded with the desire tokeep, “must I do to make certain ye daenae run away from me again?”
It seemed she wasn’t expecting him to speak, as her eyes grew wide and she stood up a bit straighter. Then, a blush began tospread from the bridge of her nose down to her neck. A sly little smile fixed itself to her lips, and she averted her eyes.
Ach, her smile. Such a bonnie thing when she’s flustered.
“I am a stray,” she murmured after a moment. Her gaze flicked up to his, open and truly inviting for the first time since he’d rescued her from that tower.
“Nay if ye daenae wish to be,” he said with a hint of humor, lifting her chin with his forefinger. The amusement faded slowly, replaced by something much deeper. “Stay,” he said, a question and a plea all at once. “Takemename.”
She gasped audibly. Then, she giggled, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. Her hand lingered there, her touch a warm, soft pressure. He leaned into it, allowing himself the indulgence.
“Me golden wolf,” she whispered, trying out the words for the first time.
His own breath caught; something about the name that had been handed to him through violence said with such reverence was earth-shattering. The air between them was thick with so many things they hadn’t yet spoken. He’d never been one to talk, but her presence made him want to open up in brand new ways.
“Stay, Amelia,” he said, his voice quieter now. It was as close to desperation as he’d ever get. “I’ll stop the world for ye if ye ask. All ye have to do is stay.”
* * *
The words stole all of Amelia’s functions. For a moment, she couldn’t do anything but remind herself that this moment was real. She wasn’t going to run anymore.
Her hand drifted from his temple down to his neck. Absentmindedly, she rubbed at his skin, unable to give him an answer with words. Her thumb found a spot of tension, and she pressed upon it, working it away with gentle care.
