Page 77 of Wolf Pack

Alasdairand his companions had killed the last batch of Vikings who continued to fight them. Some had run off, and Alasdair figured they were done with the fight, outnumbered, and wouldn’t win. Even so, they wanted to track them down and ensure they didn’t come here again and try to take Isobel and her family hostage or kill them.

But he was certain Isobel was at the croft and would be in a world of danger. He told Erik, “I’m going after Isobel—to the croft to see if she’s there.”

“Aye. We’re going after the last of the men,” Erik said.

“Good luck.”

“I’m going with you,” Hans told Alasdair.

“Lorne, go with Erik.”

“Aye.”

Then Alasdair and Hans headed out of the woods and into the bracken. A wolf suddenly darted past them. Alasdair smelled Elene. What was she doing out here? He wanted her to stay within the walls of the keep.

She woofed at them but didn’t stop. She raced to the croft, and they ran after her.

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Alasdair saw movement in the bracken nearby. He halted Hans before they took another step, worried it could be more of the Vikings. Before they reached the croft through the bracken, Conall ran to join them, stopping them. He was out of breath, panicked.

“Oh, good. I hope there are more of you though!” Connall said.

At once, Alasdair feared the worst. “Where is everyone?”

“In the croft. Isobel went inside even though Leif tried to warn her no’ to enter without alerting Olafur. She was worried about us and hoped to diffuse the situation. Olafur, cousin to our chieftain, Funi, has a sword at Libby’s throat. He just came inside through the front door. None of us were aware Vigge had sent him to the croft.”

“Then he made Agnes go to the castle to tell us to turn Isobel over. How did you get free?” Alasdair asked, thinking Olafur might have released him, but he couldn’t understand it.

“Through the back window. I…I wanted to get help.”

Alasdair’s heart was pounding furiously. “Where is Olafur in relation to the window?”

“Away from it so he can watch anyone approach. He’s standing next to the west wall in the corner. I thought his men would be all over the place. I didna think I could get far.”

“Quick thinking. We’ve got to free the others. Where is everyone else in the croft?”

“Leif is tied up and sitting on the MacEachens’ bed. Isobel was standing next to the door. He made her toss her weapons. Drummond and Dawy are sitting on the floor near the table. Dawy is tied up.”

“Aye. Let’s go. Conall, you stay here.” Alasdair worried about Elene, too.

Alasdair and Hans headed into the open between the bracken and the meadow surrounding the croft when they saw five men rushing to fight them.

Gods! He figured Erik, Lorne, and the others had taken care of the remaining Vikings.

Conall suddenly joined them as a wolf. That made sense because he didn’t have any weapons, though Alasdair still didn’t want the Vikings to injure or kill him.

Then the fight was on.

Luck wasagainst Isobel when Olafur heard the knife flying toward him, saw the reflection in a vase, and dove for the floor with Libby in his grasp. He collapsed on top of Libby, who screamed in terror.

Isobel grabbed her sword off the dirt floor, but Olafur flipped around on his back with Libby still locked in his arm, his sword at her throat. “Try that again, and she will die.”

Furious that she had missed killing Olafur, she dropped her sword when she saw a large gray wolf leap through the window.Olafur glanced at the wolf and tried to toss Libby aside so he could get to his feet and kill the wolf, but Elene leaped at his throat and ripped it out.

Then the fighting outside the croft started, and Isobel looked out the front window. “Alasdair, Hans, Conall.”

She grabbed up hersgian dubhand cut Leif’s ropes binding his wrists behind him. She was going to have him untie Dawy, but instead, he grabbed his weapons and rushed out the door. She cut the ropes on Dawy’s wrists.

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