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Racing through the underbrush and hurtling over the boulders, he pushed forward, ever ready to draw his sword. Damon skidded to a stop the moment he came to a clearing. He scanned the open area that was littered with wildflowers. The silvery light of the moon gave everything, from the flowers to the trees, the same white shimmery glow.
Damon stopped and dropped to his knees. He tilted his head to listen. The sharp hoot from the owl broke the symphony of crickets. There was no doubt in Damon’s mind that he was getting close. The hair on the back of his neck rose as he whipped his head around.
Through the veil of night, Damon noticed the outline of a man hiding behind a fallen tree. A smile stretched across his lips. As he plotted how to attack, Damon paused. Through the woods, he spied a flicker of light.
A homestead? In the middle of nowhere? This is odd.
Holding his ground, Damon watched Joseph slip away from the tree and make a beeline for the small house. Inching closer, making sure he didn’t cause any suspicion, Damon moved to the tree trunk and glanced over the top.
With wide eyes, he noticed Joseph glancing around, scanning for danger. From what Damon could assess, the house was no more than a few yards away. There was a small patch of land fenced off with three horses. Damon exhaled as he watched the door of the house open.
Light poured out from the house giving him a clear shot of Joseph’s face. A part of him wanted to bolt from his hiding place and tackle Joseph. His muscles twitched, eager to pounce, but a small voice in the back of his head told him to pause.
Frustrated, Damon waited as he heard the woman in the doorway. “What are ye doin’ here at this time?”
“Are ye goin’ to let me in or nae?” Joseph scolded. To Damon’s surprise, the woman stepped aside, giving Joseph entrance into the house.
Well, this is a turn of events.
* * *
“Will ye come to bed?” Conner asked as Olivia paced the length of the bedroom fiddling with the loose strands of her hair. She couldn’t help but glance out the window every so often. The pressure in her chest was too much for her to handle. It felt as if her whole world had shifted.
“Olivia,” Conner’s voice caused her to jump. She never expected to find him so close to her. He stretched his hands out and rubbed her arms as if to keep her warm. “I swear, we will find him.”
“What if ye daenae, though?”
“Dae ye doubt my men’s skills of huntin’ and trackin’?” Conner asked as he dipped his head to try and catch her eye.
“Nay,” Olivia said, finally looking on Conner’s face. “But I worry.”
“I ken ye dae,” Conner said as he tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and tried to flash a smile. “But ye cannae let it steal yer sleep.”
“I’m scared,” Olivia finally admitted.
“My love, I am right here,” Conner said as he curled his arms around her body and held her close to him. The heat of Conner’s body seeped into the darkest corners of Olivia’s body and mind. There was no doubt she was comforted by Conner’s embrace. After all, he encompassed her with his strength and she knew there was no place she would rather be than right there, in his arms.
“I’ll nae let anyone harm ye,” he said. With Olivia’s ear pressed against his chest, she heard the beating of his heart, soft and steady.
“Ye believe me, dae ye nae?”
“Of course I dae,” Olivia said.
“Then ye must trust that nay one will be able to get in here. I’ll kill anyone that bursts through those doors threatenin’ to take ye from me.”
Olivia gave a nod. Although she was safe in Conner’s embrace she knew there was nothing that would be able to ease her mind. Each time she closed her eyes, she saw Joseph’s beady eyes glaring at her with malice and ill intentions. Little bumps rose over her skin causing her to shiver.
“Come, let us go to bed. Ye need to sleep. And I swear to ye, I’ll nae go anywhere. I’ll be right here next to ye all night.”
Olivia stole one last glimpse out the window. Her heart drummed wildly in her chest as the silver moonlight blanketed the courtyard. Conner slipped his hand from her waist to her wrist and lured her to the bed.
“Lay wit’ me,” Conner said, pushing Olivia’s hand to his chest. He stared up at her as she slipped between his legs. Gently pulling her hand away, she ran her fingers through his hair and forced herself to smile.
“We’ve both had a very long day,” Conner said. “Let us put aside those troubles, even if it is just for a little while.”
“Conner,” Olivia said as Conner pulled her to him and crushed his lips to hers. The gentleness of his tongue coaxing her mouth open made her head swim. Olivia wanted nothing more than to give herself to him, but her mind was troubled.
“Shhh,” Conner mumbled as his lips brushed against her neck. Tucking one hand under head, Conner curled his free hand around her waist and lowered her onto the mattress. Olivia shifted to the pillows as Conner kissed her and crawled over her.
