Page 77 of The Warrior's Innocent Captive

She slipped into the last pew and rested her head in her hands, fighting the tears which threatened to spill.

She’d done what she’d once thought was impossible. She’d found out what had motivated Erik to keep her hidden from Katherine. She’d forgiven him, or rather, she’d come to the realisation that there was nothing to forgive. Everything he’d done had been to protect an innocent life. He was the honourable and brave man with whom she had fallen in love. There had been no betrayal, only a man forced to act in an impossible situation.

She should be celebrating and yet a rock had settled between her ribs.

She loved him just as much as she ever had. Perhaps more, now that she knew about the lengths he’d undertaken to save his niece.

She clenched her fingers together tightly.

She’d told him she loved him and he hadn’t said it back.

They’d been together for most of the evening and he still hadn’t said it.

Had she just lost him for a second time?

Chapter Nineteen

‘There you are.’

Linota didn’t know how much time had passed since she’d stepped into the chapel, but from the look on Katherine’s face it had been a while.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I just needed...’

‘I wasn’t worried. I know in the past I have been over-protective, but you’ve proven time and again that you can take care of yourself. I only...wait, have you been crying?’ Katherine slipped on to the pew next to her and rested a hand on her arm.

‘A little,’ Linota confessed.

‘Do you want to talk to me about what’s upset you?’

Linota took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ‘I love Erik.’

‘Ah,’ said Katherine, squeezing her arm gently. ‘I see.’

‘Do you?’

‘I suspected as much, but I wasn’t sure. You haven’t spoken about your time with him. I thought at first you were too hurt by his betrayal, but now I know I was wrong.’

‘Are you angry?’

Katherine laughed gently. ‘If you had told me that when I first found out he was deliberately keeping you away from me, I would have killed him with my bare hands. Now... I understand him a little better so I would like to know if he feels the same way about you.’

‘I don’t think he does.’

Katherine tilted her head to one side. ‘Why do you think that?’

‘He’s had plenty of time to tell me so, but he hasn’t.’

‘Perhaps he doesn’t feel that he’s worthy of your love.’

Linota straightened. ‘He is worthy.’

Katherine smiled. ‘I’m not saying that he isn’t, only that perhaps that’s how he feels. Jarin has told me things about their shared father. He was a hideously vile man. I’ve no doubt he took great delight in making Erik feel he was worth less than dirt.’

The evening had been such a maelstrom of emotions that Linota didn’t know what to think, but if he still believed, after everything that had passed between them, that he wasn’t worthy of her love then she needed to tell him. She had to risk her own humiliation just to make sure he knew.

She stood abruptly. ‘I need to see Erik.’

‘Yes, that’s probably for the best. Only Braedan’s looking for you right now. Can we go and see him first? You know what he’s like. If we don’t go and see him, he’s bound to think we’ve been abducted and he’ll have the entire fortress searching for us.’

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