Kith and Kin
Alina woke alone in her bed and burrowed hernose into the pillow that held Roark’s scent, her body stillthrumming from their night together.She yawned and stretched andluxuriated in the soft bed and warm glow of their lovemaking,remembering how he’d woken her in the first greying of dawn,trailing kisses from her shoulders to her belly and lower, plumbingher depths with his lips, his teeth, and his tongue before slippingout of her room to his own.
By the light pouring in through theeastern-facing window, she’d slept well into the morning, andcould’ve happily rolled over and slept until noon, but then she’dmiss what little time she had left with Roark, and she’d promisedCullen she’d visit the stables with him.Plus, she wanted to checkon Etain and Beasty.
Throwing off the bedcovers, she got up andsplashed cold water on her face, donned the green long tunic andapron, and made her way downstairs to the dining hall, where a fewother late stragglers were breaking their fasts.She was eating herbowl of porridge with chopped berries and thinking of the tastelessgruel onThe Roverwhen Cullen came into the hall with Roarkand Rose.
“You’re awake,” Cullen said excitedly as theyall took seats by her.“We’ve already been to the stables, LadyAlina, but I’ll still take you after you’ve finishedbreakfast.”
“Thank you, Cullen,” she said.She metRoark’s smiling eyes.“Good morning, Roark.”
He smiled, slow and easy, and melting hot.“Good morning, sleepyhead.”
Alina caught the look of pure adoration onRose’s face as she stared at Roark.She’d have to warn him to tonedown his charm.Finished with her porridge, she pushed the emptybowl aside and stood.
“Shall we?”
Cullen led the way and Roark dropped back towalk with Alina.“Niels and Grant left early this morning,” he toldher as they crossed the yard.“Laird Owen said it would take them aday to reach the port towns, another day or two to take care ofbusiness, and a day to return.”
“So,” she said, as anxious and excited to gethome as she was dreading leaving Roark.“We have three to four moredays together, at least.”
“At least,” Roark said, touching his littlefinger to hers.“It’ll depend on whenever the ship they find sails.Owen has assured me we can stay here however long that takes.”
Cullen stopped at the stables door and waitedfor them to catch up while Rose waited and circled behind Roark asthey entered.
“Etain and Beasty are over here.”Cullenpointed to two stalls next to each other.“I already checked onthem this morning, Lady Alina,” he said as Etain poked her headover the gate and whinnied.“They’ve eaten three sheafs of hay andhalf a bucket of oats each since yesterday.”
“Thank you, Cullen,” Alina said as she ranher hand down the bridge of Etain’s nose.“I can see she’s welltaken care of.”
The mare had calmed down greatly since Alinahad fled Roger’s stables, and had actually seemed to thrive on thejourney here.Alina thought of Artur, and sent a silent prayer tothebog loshadi,the horse gods of her mother’s homeland, tokeep the stallion safe and healing until Roark could go back forhim.He’d be riding Beasty and taking Etain with him on his journeyback to North Shore Keep, and intended to ride the way they’d comeand search for Artur then.
“I wish I could take you home with me,” shetold Etain.“I think you would like racing along the beach as muchas Brynja does.”
Etain snorted and shook her head up and downand Alina laughed and gave her a carrot from the bucket.Sheglanced at Roark, who was feeding Beasty at least his fourthcarrot, and caught the moonstruck expression on Rose’s face as shewatched him treat the gelding.She was of an age to be betrothed,and for the flash of a jealous moment, Alina considered she wouldmake Roark a more loving wife than Gwyneth.A sweet and gentlemother to his children.
She laid a hand over her belly, which hadgiven her no clues as to whether Roark’s seed had found purchase inher womb.Under normal circumstances, her moon flow would be dueany day.However, circumstances had been anything but normal thispast moon.As she’d told Roark, the women in her family were knownfor having tricky moon flows when under duress.She sighed anddropped her hand.Like everything else in her life, she’d have towait and see if she was pregnant.And like everything but her lovefor Roark, she had no idea how she felt about it.
“Are you all right, Ali?”Roark asked.
She shrugged.After the first haze of passionhad subsided, he’d cursed himself for spilling his seed in her, yetAlina hadn’t been upset at all.She still wasn’t.She knew it wasfoolhardy of her, of both of them, to remain as casual aboutimpregnating her as they’d been, yet she also knew her family wouldstill love her and accept her, no matter what.Something Roarkcouldn’t say about his.
“This way, Lady Alina,” Cullen said, pullingon her sleeve.“My colt, Damon, is over here.”
Alina turned from Roark's furrowed brow andfollowed Cullen to a stall with a gorgeous black colt in it.“Oh,Cullen,” she said, “he really is a handsome animal.”She held outher hand near the colt’s head, and when he didn’t spook or shyaway, she held his halter with one hand and petted the bridge ofhis nose with the other.“He seems friendly enough,” she teasedCullen as the colt nickered and pressed his nose into her hand.“Despite his name.”
Cullen grinned and handed Alina a carrot.“Heis,” he said, “if he likes a person.”The colt took the carrot fromAlina, blowing softly into her hand.“He sure likes you, LadyAlina.”
“There isn’t a horse or a cat in this worldthat doesn’t like Lady Alina,” Roark said.“Or that she doesn’tlike back.”
Cullen's green eyes grew wide.“Is that true,lady?”
“Please, call me Alina,” she told the lad.“And yes, it’s true, for the most part.There are few animals Idon’t like, though horses and cats are my favorites.”She gaveRoark a quick grin.“Along with stags and goats.”
“What’s your favorite animal, Roark?”Roseasked.
Roark grinned at Alina.“Owls,” he said, andturned his grin on Rose, which really wasn’t fair to the poor girl,who practically swooned.“Curious owls who constantly ask why.”
“I thought owls asked who?”Cullen said.
