Chapter Ten
Every morning after that, Alyssa walked wherever she wanted to walk after visiting Bonnie and before having lunch with her friends. She knew she shouldn’t be defying her husband, but she just didn’t care anymore. She needed walks alone for her mental health, and she was going to get them.
It was over a month later, and the trees were still beautiful when Alyssa saw a stag in the clearing just on the other side of the woods from the village. She knew stags were dangerous during mating season, which it was, so she quietly walked back toward the woods, turning to keep her eyes on the animal frequently.
Just as she was almost past the woods, she looked over her shoulder to see the stag run at her. She took her sword from her scabbard, and held it up, knowing she couldn’t outrun the creature. She wanted to cover her head and hide, but she knew she had to stand tall and kill him if she could, though she hated the idea of killing the magnificent creature coming toward her.
The animal was just a few feet away from her, when a man wearing the McClain plaid, pushed her out of the way, and killed the stag with his own sword.
He turned to look at her, as she lay on the ground, trying to decide if she’d really hurt her ankle, or if it had just gotten a little twisted when she fell. When she saw it was the man who Kendrick had asked to guard her, she was immediately furious.
“Why are you following me?”
“I am Murray. Tis me job to be certain ye are safe, lass.”
“Did Kendrick tell you to follow me every day?”
“Aye.” He reached a hand down to help her to her feet, and she wanted to swat it away, but she wasn’t certain she could stand on her own.
Her left ankle buckled when she tried to put wait on it, and Murray caught her before she fell. He swept her up in his arms and carried her back to the village. She refused to speak to him as he carried her back, into the keep, and deposited her in the parlor with Holli, who looked at her curiously.
“Are you hurt?”
Alyssa frowned, nodding at her foot. “Someone pushed me down.”
Murray looked like he wanted to throttle her, but instead of doing so, he said, “I’ll get the old laird.”
As soon as he was gone, Holli shook her head. “What did you do?”
Alyssa took a deep breath and confessed to all the walks she’d been taking for well over a month. “I haven’t had any trouble at all,” she said. “But then this morning, right after I got out of the woods, there was a stag in the middle of the field. I turned and went back for cover into the woods, and when I realized the stag was after me, I pulled my sword out and stood my ground.”
Holli looked horrified, but she nodded. “And then?”
“Then that Murray freak comes out of nowhere, and knocks me down, killing the stag with his sword. I was going to do that! And when I fell, thanks to him, I hurt my ankle, and I can’t put any weight on it.”
“Where did he come from?” Holli asked, afraid she already knew the answer.
“He’s been guarding me on every walk I’ve taken, and I’m not super happy about it. Doesn’t Kendrick trust me?”
“I’m not getting in the middle of this one.” Holli shook her head. “Sounds like you both messed up to me.”
Alyssa looked away from her friend as she sat on the silly bench beside her, wishing she could get up and walk back toher cottage. Or hide somewhere. It really didn’t matter at the moment.
Gavin and Beth came into the keep a few minutes later, heading straight for Alyssa. When he frowned at her, Alyssa sighed. “I need time to think!”
“Aye,” Gavin said as he sat on a footstool by her. He picked up her foot and placed it on one knee, where his hands hovered just above it. “Tis broken. You could have hurt the bairn! No more walks without a guard!” With his words, he quickly healed her ankle, and she immediately felt relieved of the pain.
After the pain was gone, she thought about what he’d said. “Bairn? I’m ready to push the man in the stupid lake, and you tell me I’m pregnant?”
Alyssa got to her feet and started pacing back and forth in the parlor. “I’m not sure I ever want to see him again.” But she wanted the baby with everything inside her, and she could have risked it. She sighed, sitting back down, and forcing her mind to get practical.
When Kendrick walked into the keep mere moments later, she glared at him. “I don’t want your guards and I’m raising this baby to be strong and independent!”
Kendrick walked straight to her. “Is she healed?”
“Aye. She is healed.” Gavin looked at his grandson and seemed to be fighting a grin.
Kendrick grabbed Alyssa’s hand and pulled her to her feet without another word. He dragged her across the village and all the way back to the cottage they shared, ignoring the strange looks coming from all around them. “Ye could have died! And me bairn would have died with you!”
