Page 85 of Wedded to the Twisted Highlander
The messenger stumbled, and the moment he regained his balance, he took off down the hall, making a beeline for the front door.
“Keep an eye on which direction he goes. I want to ken where we can expect an attack. I’ll want extra men watchin’ the grounds. I’ll nae leave one corner unguarded, do ye hear me?” Thomas shouted as he glared at the men around him.
With nods, the guards left the Great Hall to carry out his orders.
Thomas moved to his chair and sat down as the weight of the world settled on his shoulders.
“Are ye sure ye ken what ye’re doin’?”
Astrid’s question rattled him to his core. He looked up to find her walking toward him, her eyes wide with worry.
“There’s nay question as to what I am goin’ to do,” he said, sitting up straighter. “I’ll nae lose ye.”
His voice rang with such conviction that it steeled his resolve.
If he never accomplished anything else in his life, he was going to save his sister without losing his wife.
“I swear it.”
28
“Ye cannae do this! He’s after me. He only wants me. I’m one person, and ye’re about to lose hundreds,” Astrid protested.
“Do ye nae ken what ye’re worth?” Thomas asked as he moved swiftly to her side.
He took her hand and pulled her closer. Just having her near gave him the strength to keep going.
“I ken that none of this would have happened if I didnae come into yer life. Olivia would still be here,” Astrid said as he cupped her face in his hand.
“But then I never would have met ye,” he whispered as he rested his forehead against hers. “And that is a horrible world to live in. Trust me, I was there. I remember. Nay, Astrid. I’ll nae give ye up. Nae for anything. I’ll save me sister—ye can count on that—and I’ll do it without havin’ to sacrifice ye.”
Astrid swallowed hard as she tried to wrap her head around the news. It felt like Laird Chalium had punched her in the gut. Yet, deep down, she knew this was how it was going to end—with her death at Laird Chalium’s hands.
She’d always known it, deep down, but a part of her had hoped that somehow, someway, she’d be able to escape her fate. The knowledge settled over her like a heavy cloak, suffocating and relentless.
“Nay, dinnae even think about it. I’ll nae put ye in harm’s way. I swore that I’d keep ye safe, and that is exactly what I plan to do,” Thomas continued, his voice still low and rough.
“But Olivia… have ye thought about what it’ll do to me if Laird Chalium kills her? We were supposed to be in the castle.”
“Aye, and then ye would have been taken.”
“Ye dinnae ken that,” Astrid fired back. “And I would hope that me husband would do everything in his power to ensure that I never crossed the threshold. So, yer argument is moot. We cannae think about what could have happened. There are a million different ways that this could have played out, but we’ve got to focus on gettin’ Olivia back.”
“Aye, without havin’ to put ye in the crosshairs. Astrid, I dinnae care how many ways ye try to convince me that it would be better to let ye go. I’m tellin’ ye now, I willnae. I cannae lose ye, do ye understand? That isnae even a thought that will cross me mind again.”
Astrid threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She wished there was a way to ease his worries. But no matter which way she tossed the dice, it always came out snake eyes.
It seemed that fate had other plans for them, and it didn’t consist of happiness or a long life.
“Ye’ve got to think this through,” she urged as she planted kiss after kiss on his cheeks, trying to distract him from his troubles. “Ye go to war wit’ Chalium and ye’re goin’ to lose people. Men and sons who should never have had to fight for me.”
“Ye’re their Lady, they’ll gladly lay down their lives for ye,” Thomas said as his hand stroked her face.
Astrid leaned into his touch, savoring the heat of his palm. “I dinnae want them to,” she whispered. “Ye need them to keep yer lands secure and safe.”
“Astrid, I willnae hear another word about this,” Thomas said through clenched teeth.
Astrid could see that she was pushing one of his buttons, but she didn’t care about the consequences. Not when someone’s life was on the line.
