"With good reason." Torr checked the mare over to ensure she hadn't injured herself in that mad dash. She seemed fine and calm now.
"Rosie reminds me of my mare, Ginger," Cat said. "You'll be kind to her, aye?"
"Of course. I simply want you to ride with me so you'll be safe." 'Haps his overprotectiveness was rearing its head, but he could not relax if Cat rode the fretful mare.
"Very well. If 'tis no trouble. Is Hercules strong enough to carry both of us?"
Torr quirked a brow at her ridiculous question and glanced at his massive, muscular warhorse. "Does he nay appear strong?"
She grinned playfully. "He does, indeed."
Trying his best to ignore her tremendous appeal, Torr lifted her onto the bedroll behind his saddle, which served as a pillion cushion, then mounted in front of her. He led the mare beside them. He feared if Cat held her lead, the mare might grow frightened again and drag her off.
"Hold on tight, for the wolf may return," he said. "Hercules could spin around and try to trample it."
"Aye." As her arms encircled his waist, Torr realized this riding arrangement would be more challenging than he'd thought. She pressed her voluptuous breasts against his back and embraced him, or at least that's what it felt like. The sweetest feeling on earth.
He shook his head to clear it. Mayhap she was simply holding on tight, as he'd suggested. She flattened her hands on his abdomen, making him yearn for her to touch him in more places, much lower.
Hercules was trotting along at a rapid pace beneath them when Cat caressed Torr's stomach. He glanced down to see her hand turn into a fist. Was she trying to stop herself? He ground his teeth to keep from moaning.
As they rode on, he yearned for her touch, anticipating when she might stroke him again.
***
WILONA RACED THROUGHthe bracken and into the wood, the branches ripping at her fur. The shifting bore down on her again. She leapt, twisting and turning, and landed behind a boulder just as she burst into her human form.
Naked, she crouched, gasping for breath. She peered out from her hiding place, glad she did not see Torr following her.
What in Hades was happening? She couldn't hold the animal form as long as she wanted. In the past, she could remain an animal all day if she wished. Now, the shift was limited to an hour or less each time. Horribly inconvenient and alarming. If her form had altered while Torr was chasing her on the horse, he would've trampled and killed her.
She had not bothered to transform Alpin for this excursion.
Mayhap he was draining her power. She had not considered that.
Anyway, she had to think of another solution, a different way to stop those two from finding Brodie's ladylove.
Wilona scowled. The two were growing ever closer to Kincreag Castle, and they might find Brodie's former betrothed within the next day or two. Which put them one step closer to breaking the curse.
Aside from that, she'd seen Torr kissing the wench. 'Twas why Wilona had chosen the wolf form and chased her horse, hoping 'twould fling her onto the rocks and break her silly neck.
Wilona gritted her teeth at having her plans ruined again. But she would have another opportunity. She grinned, imagining which beast she might transform into next.
***
IN THE NEARBY VILLAGEtavern, Alpin lounged at a small table, drinking ale and scrutinizing each man who wandered in, trying to determine which he might hire to do his bidding.
Wilona was resting in the room they'd rented above stairs. She'd returned out of sorts and furious a couple of hours ago. She'd been unsuccessful in frightening Brodie's sister's mare and curtailing their quest.
Wilona and Alpin had agreed they must stop those two by any means necessary without killing Torr... as of yet. Wilona wanted to use Torr to lure Gavin out first, and Alpin relished that idea.
Two brawny young men who looked especially unscrupulous strode into the tavern, catching Alpin's attention. Probably brothers. Shaggy, tangled brown hair brushed their broad shoulders, and unkempt beards hid the lower parts of their faces. They wore dirty, moth-eaten plaids, and their leather boots exhibited several holes.
Smirking and thinking how Torr would never know who was behind this, Alpin stood and approached the table the men had claimed. "Are you two looking for work?" Alpin asked.
His hand darting beneath his worn doublet, no doubt toward a dirk, the stockier of the two outlaws scowled. "What kind of work?" he snapped.
"Our horses were stolen by a highwayman and his wench," Alpin said. "If you can recover them, I'll pay you well."
