Page 39 of A Wolf's Bargain
“Very well,” he said. “You’ll go as far as the castle. And you’ll stay there until the fighting is over, and I come for you myself. No heroics, no running off to rescue any lost lambs. Understand? You stay behind those walls.”
Cora nodded, wiping tears from her cheeks. She leaned up on her toes and kissed him, soft and sweet. They embraced a moment more, separating when a hard knock at the door shattered the quiet.
Cathall entered, a grim smile on his face. “If you’re done, Cillian? We’ve begun preparations already. With any luck, we’ll be on the road in two hours.”
Cora’s cheeks went red. Cillian wondered if she hadn’t realized that people could hear their argument. It was a good thing Cathall interrupted them. Given more time, Cillian might have convinced his wife to make amends in more exciting ways.
“Good lad,” he said, adjusting the wolf’s skin around his neck. “Let’s get to work.”
CILLIAN WATCHED HISwife as they rode toward her father’s castle. She’d been quiet for most of the ride. It wasn’t hard to puzzle out why. His brave mate—she’d packed their belongings up quickly and efficiently without a word of complaint. She’d watched with a blank expression as their tent was torn down and the canvas stowed away for travel. She’d even walked around with food and water for the men as they worked.
She’d done it all with clear eyes and willing hands.
But Cillian knew his wife. Knew what to look for. No one else would have noticed the way her breath hitched when his war table—only ever a large slab of wood on a stump—was chopped into pieces and cleared away. They wouldn’t have seen how her hands trembled ever so slightly when she glanced around the camp from atop her horse.
He noticed.
He’d left her in peace during the journey through Ossory, but as they drew closer to her father’s castle, he watched her more closely. When the walls of the castle came into view, Cillian guided Crow to walk next to Cora’s mare. She stared ahead, her brows drawn together.
“Are you well, wife?”
At first, she said nothing. When she glanced at him, it was as though she hadn’t even noticed him beside her.
“It’s just strange, that’s all.”
“What’s strange?”
“The last time I made this journey, I was so happy to see those walls.” A small, rueful smile spread on her lips. “I hoped my father could save me from you.”
“From my dashing good looks? My charm? Perish the thought, love.”
Cora snorted, shaking her head. “Must you always joke? I would have thought someone called ‘The Wolf King’ would bemore serious.” She deepened her voice on his moniker, a teasing light in her eyes.
“Ah, see, that’s a common mistake. Wolves are actually quite playful in the wild. You ought to see the pups chase each other about, trying to nip at each other’s tails. And yes, I’ll bloody well joke all day long if it keeps a smile on your face.”
She smiled, as he’d known she would, but it only lasted until she looked back toward the distant castle.
“It feels different. Like I’ve never seen it before. Is that strange? I know it’s the same. It’s the same stone. The same people. Why does it feel so different?”
“Because you’re different. You’re not the same as you were when you left here.”
Cora pursed her lips together in thought. “I suppose that’s true. I’ve changed, so it seems impossible that everything else hasn’t.”
“It was the same for me the first time I returned toClann Abhaileafter joining an outside pack. It’d only been two years, but... somehow, everything had changed. It wasn’t my home anymore.”
Cora sighed and tucked an escaped strand of hair behind her ear. “No, it’s not, is it?”
Cillian reached between them to grab her hand. He kissed her knuckles softly and said, “Your home’s with me now,Mo ghrá. No matter where we go.”
Finally, the sadness faded from her eyes, and she kissed his hand in return.
THEIR HORSES CARRIEDthem through the gates of her father’s castle a short while later. Lord Kilkenny himself waited in the courtyard to meet them, and Cora all but leapt off her horse to embrace him.
Kilkenny’s men eyed the luchthonn company warily, but Cillian ignored them. This time, when one of the young stable hands approached him, he handed Crow’s reins off easily.
He approached Cora and her father, waiting for them to separate before he spoke. Cillian reached out a hand in greeting. “We came as soon as your letter arrived. What news?”
Lord Kilkenny clasped his arm and patted his shoulder. “Thank you for your haste. Please, see to your men first. We can discuss everything once you’re settled.”