Page 51 of Wolf Pack

Alasdair looked sharply at his brother.

Hans smiled at him, then frowned again. “She and her kin fled a certain death from her kind. She was responsible for their safety on a long and perilous journey when two of the five of them were but children. She would do anything to protect them, dinna you see?”

Alasdair rubbed his whiskered chin. “I know that.” The problem was that he felt it was his fault for not keeping his promise to turn the men and keep her and her cousins safe.

“Mayhap you should wait until morn to speak with her.”

“Nay. You think I willna hold my temper when speaking with her?” Even now, as Alasdair neared the crofters’ home, he wasn’t as irritated. All he had to see was the loch in the meadow and think of the naked Icelander who made him want her like no other lass had ever done, and he felt the anger melting away.

“You are still furious with her.” Then Hans shook his head. “I know you.” He sighed. “After we learned the two of you were at the loch last night, I spread the word that everyone must use the one in the south. ‘Tis closer to the keep anyway.”

“Good.” Alasdair let out his breath. “I will watch my words with her. But I’m no’ pleased with their actions this eve, and I canna guarantee that I willna”—Alasdair ground his teeth—“Iwill try to keep my temper.” He didn’t want his people to turn against her.

“Aye,” Hans said.

“Go back to the keep and watch things for me, will you? It willna be long before everyone knows what happened, and I need you to quell the unrest if our people believe the lass was at fault for shifting and biting the brothers.”

Isobel was responsible for the attack because Alasdair suspected Conall wouldn’t have done it alone.

“Aye. I will see you in the morn unless there’s trouble before then.” Hans turned his horse around and rode back toward the keep.

Alasdair charged ahead, wanting to get this over with and hoping he could keep his temper in check. He didn’t remember a time when he felt he was losing so much control over his pack.

14

“You should have taken your weapons and forced them to release Libby,” Agnes said to Isobel, wringing her hands, a worried frown creasing her forehead. “I know you had every right to do what you did, but you have to remember you’re no’—”

“One of you? A little lass of six is so threatening that the brothers can scare her to death?” Isobel was furious, and she knew Alasdair would give her hell now. “And with all this talk of how they kill Vikings whenever they find them, I couldna risk them killing her.”

“Aye. But if you go around biting and turning humans?—”

“Scots,” Isobel said.

“Anyone,” Agnes said, “without Alasdair’s permission, he will have words with you.”

“He’s coming,” Dawy warned, watching out the window.

Libby and Drummond were in bed again, Conall sitting with them until they fell asleep.

“I had to do it.” Isobel knew they would probably be thrown off the land now, but she felt with all her heart that she’d had nochoice. Just like she’d had no choice but to take her family across the ocean for weeks on end and put them in so much danger.

Staying with the clan could have been their death sentence anyway. As much as people had talked about them being outsiders and traitors, she had been certain the chieftain would have ended their lives in Iceland.

“One of the men pulling guard duty with me said that Cleary and his brother were trying to learn who we were. Where we were from. He said we were so fair-haired; he was afraid that Vikings had infiltrated the clan, and Alasdair was unaware of the danger we posed to him and your people.”

Agnes listened, not interrupting her.

“I take full responsibility for what I’ve done. Conall went along with it because he knew I couldna manage two men alone. He should not be punished for my actions.”

Conall said, “Nay, Isobel. I also did it to protect my siblings. If you had not done it yourself, I would have.”

“I fear he will make you leave here,” Agnes said, worried. She ran her hands through her hair, her voice trembling with concern. She glanced at the floor where the younger children had finally fallen asleep on the fur-covered straw beds. She was worried, her eyes darting between the sleeping figures of the two young children and Isobel standing in front of her.

Isobel knew she wouldn’t want to part with Libby and Drummond. Agnes loved them like they were her own children, which she’d never been able to have. The idea of leaving and being separated from them made her heart ache.

"I know," Isobel replied softly, her eyes lingering on the sleeping children. "I don't want them to have to leave here either."

Agnes reached out and placed a comforting hand on Isobel's shoulder. "I love them like they were my own," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I never thought I could feel like amother, but they've filled that void in me. I dinna want to see you go.” Tears filled her eyes.

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