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Mara tucked the blanket around Trey. “You rest. We have a wedding to attend.”
They all marched out of the room before Reeve and Tara.
Trey called out to Reeve just as the couple reached the door. Reeve nodded to Tara to wait in the hall, then he turned and walked over to his brother.
“I know nothing about what is going on with you and Tara. I just want to know that you’re sure about this,” Trey said.
“As sure as I am that the true king will claim the throne of Scotland.”
Trey stuck his hand out. “Then let me be the first to congratulate you.”
Reeve took his hand with a firm grip. “That means a lot to me.”
“We’ll talk later. Go get married.”
Reeve was out the door and hurrying Tara down the stairs. Her father was pacing around the tables and looked ready to explode when he caught sight of them.
“Let’s be done with this now,” Carnoth said.
Mara once again hurried everyone into place, and Reeve reached out and took hold of Tara’s hand and smiled. She bravely forced a smile, though fear dulled her lavender-colored eyes.
There was no point trying to reassure her. She would see for herself soon enough that nothing would happen to him. The cleric started with a rush of words and finished with a hasty blessing, then stepped aside as if he feared something would happen if he remained too close to Reeve.
It seemed that everyone waited, staring at him with apprehension. He ignored them all and took Tara in his arms and kissed her. It took a moment for her to return the kiss, but she did. When it finished, she glared at him, her hand patting his cheeks.
“I’m still alive,” Reeve said, grinning.
“You’ll be dead by morning,” Carnoth spat. “And then I’ll be taking my daughter with me.”
“You acknowledge that Tara is my wife?” Reeve asked.
“I stood here and watched you exchange vows, you fool.”
“You may have watched, but you’re the fool if you didn’t realize that once she wed me, she became part of the MacAlpin clan. If anything should happen to me before morning, Tara remains with the clan; she no longer belongs to you. She is and shall remain a MacAlpin. So take your men and leave. You are no longer welcome here.”
Carnoth’s face flushed bright red, and he sputtered when he spoke. “Tara is my daughter.”
Reeve stepped right up to within inches of his glowing red face. “Tara may be your daughter, but she is nowmy wife, part ofmy clan. You no longer have a say in her life.”
“I thought your clan fought for the true king to take the throne,” Carnoth said. “If you had but let her wed the fool king, he would be dead by now.”
“Are you telling me that you arranged for Tara to wed the king in hopes that he would die?” Reeve asked, his anger rising.
“The selfish bastard is bleeding me dry,” Carnoth yelled.
“Watch your mouth in my home,” Mara scolded harshly.
Carnoth was so livid, he looked as if he would snort smoke from his nostrils. “King Kenneth demands more and more of my money. I thought my daughter could be the solution to many problems.”
“He planned to kill her,” Reeve said, disgusted.
“The consequence of battle,” Carnoth said without an ounce of regret.
His callous remark infuriated Reeve, but what drove him over the edge was turning to see tears in his wife’s eyes. She had suspected as much, but hearing her father announce that he knowingly and without regret had planned to send her to her death must have torn at her heart.
Reeve threw his arms out from his sides, fisted his hands, leaned his head back, and let loose with such a spine-chilling roar that everyone in the room took a step back. He reached out and grabbed Carnoth by the throat, dragging him across a table, sending tankards and food flying. He slammed him down atop another table, the wood groaning and Carnoth’s head cracking a pitcher of ale. Reeve roared again and, with two hands, grabbed the man and sent him flying over the last table in the long row. He then hurried over to grab him off the floor and start the process all over again.
No one interfered, not even Carnoth’s men, but that was because MacAlpin warriors prevented any of them from moving. Finally, Reeve slapped the man down on a table, his body bouncing from the force, and pressed his nose to Carnoth’s.
