Chapter Three
Leaves crunched underfootas Moira led Brodie away from the keep, her red hair escaping her braid as if it had a mind of its own. They walked through the field where the battle had taken place, arriving at a clearing, surrounded by ancient pines.
“Here,” Moira whispered, stepping into the open space. She looked around for the enemy and realized Brodie was doing the same.
Finally, Brodie nodded. “Aye, perfect for quiet.”
“Quiet isn’t what I need!” Moira exclaimed, pacing with pent-up frustration. “I should be training alongside our clans!” How could he not understand her need to be part of the defense?
She clenched her fists, tensing up with duty instilled by her family and McAfee lineage.
Brodie stepped closer, offering silent support. “Ye are a warrior, Moira. Yer family knows this—’tis the enemy who should fear being unaware. Ye’ve trained for years to become as strong a swordswoman as ye are. No one thinks ye are less than what ye are.”
His words sought to ease her worries without dismissing them, grounding her in the face of uncertainty.
“What use is a warrior who can’t wield her sword when it matters most?” Moira asked, seeking solace in his gaze. Surely, he would understand that as a warrior himself.
“When the time is right, yer little band of warriors will attack again. Strength lies in knowing when to draw your bladeand when to wait. Ye did good at the last battle by taking the Stewart’s army unawares.” Brodie replied, closing the gap between them. “If ye try the same thing again, it will be expected. Yer time will come. And when it does, nothing will be able to stand against ye.”
“I’ve not always been certain of me place in this world,” he admitted quietly, the words weaving a new layer into their bond. “I’m the son of a laird, but I’m the third son, and only the seventh son will inherit. I need to make me own way.”
Moira watched him and saw something raw and unguarded in his eyes, a side of Brodie few had seen.
“Growing up among brothers who wielded claymores effortlessly, I fought with them, but I always felt that I wasn’t strong enough,” he said, bending a fallen twig. “It took years to discover different kinds of strength.”
Moira had a hard time believing anyone could beat this man. He was like a rock, carved from a Highland mountain. “Is that why ye lurk in shadows, McClain?” Moira teased, but her heart filled with respect for him.
“Perhaps I know when to bide me time,” Brodie replied with a half-smile before stepping closer. “And you? Are ye an eagle, ready to swoop down on your prey?”
“A wolf,” she said boldly. “Loyal to her pack and ready to defend it.” As she grinned at Brodie, she was struck by his handsomeness. Perhaps that was why she was drawn to him so completely.
“A fine match we make—a serpent and a wolf,” Brodie chuckled.
“But the serpent must be swift to keep pace,” Moira challenged.
“You underestimate the cunning of the serpent,” he retorted playfully. “He may surprise ye with his speed.” His arm moved quickly, pulling her to him and looking down at her.
All at once there was nothing in Moira’s world but Brodie.
His eyes, dark and intense, held her gaze captive. In that moment, the world fell away, and all that existed was the space between them, charged with an electric current that set Moira’s heart racing.
Brodie’s hand, calloused from years of wielding a sword, gently cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing the delicate line of her jaw. Moira’s breath caught in her throat as he leaned in closer, his forehead resting against hers.
“Moira,” he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. “I’ve fought it for so long, but I can no longer deny what me heart desires.”
She trembled in his embrace, her own feelings threatening to overwhelm her. “Brodie, I…”
He laid a gentle finger across her lips, silencing her for just a moment. Then he lowered his head and brushed his lips lightly across hers before finally just leaning in and capturing her mouth with his.
Moira melted into Brodie’s kiss, her lips parting beneath his as a soft moan escaped her throat. His strong arms encircled her, pulling her flush against his hard body as the kiss deepened, becoming more urgent, more demanding.
Moira threaded her fingers through Brodie’s thick, dark hair, holding him to her as if she feared he might disappear like a figment of her imagination.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Brodie rested his forehead against hers once more, his eyes closed as he savored the feel of her in his arms at last. “I have wanted to do that for so long,” he murmured roughly. “But I never dared hope…”
“I never dared hope either,” Moira whispered, her voice trembling with the depth of her feelings. “I thought me duty to the clan would always keep us apart.”
Brodie’s hand slid down to the small of her back, holding her close as if he couldn’t bear even an inch of space between them. “I would have waited forever for you, Moira.”
