Page 20 of Wolf Heir
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Aisling hurried to the kitchen, hoping she wouldn’t be too late to arrive to do her duty after watching the sword play between the clans and annoy Cook. Cook was always on everyone’s case when they didn’t show up early to prepare the meals.
Her mother caught up with Aisling, but she didn’t need the delay. “I’m late, Mother. I need to get to the kitchen.”
“I will talk to you on the way there. I canna believe Coinneach is here.”
“I dinna want to talk about it, " Aisling said, repeating her mother’s often-repeated words. If her mother couldn’t tell her what was bothering her about Coinneach, Aisling would continue to see him as she pleased. She adored him, and she knew he loved her. She reminded herself they would be mated in a fortnight, with or without her mother’s consent.
“There are things you canna be privy to.”
“You have told me that many times before.” Aisling was tired of hearing it.
Her mother hurried after her. “I’m serious. It’s dangerous for you, me, and Coinneach, too.”
Aisling stopped. “Tell me why.”
Tears filled her mother’s eyes. “I…we’ll have to talk about this privately, away from here.”
“You’ll tell me?”
“Aye, after the meal.”
She hugged her mom. “That's good. I’ll see you after the meal then. We can go to the meadow and speak.”
“Aye.”
Aisling was glad her mother would finally tell her what was bothering her. She just hoped it wasn’t as dire as her mother thought it was.
She hurried into the kitchen, where everyone was busy cooking various dishes for the chief, the rest of the clan, and his guests.
Cook said to her, “That man of yours bested Aodhan. No one has ever done so, though he used some strange maneuver to do it.”
Aisling was so surprised to hear admiration in the Cook’s voice, not to mention she was shocked that she knew Aisling had been seeing Coinneach.
“Dinna be so surprised that everyone knows you are smitten with him.”
Everyone?
“Och, everyone gossips whenever you have gone to the meadow.”
“He is braw,” Aisling admitted.
“Aye. Anyone choosing to fight Aodhan is either touched in the head or extremely brave. Because he won the battle, I believe he has the courage of an alpha wolf. Did you see that Viking sword he carries? Of course you have.”
Aisling smiled, thinking back to when she’d saved Coinneach’s life. But she never let on that he was anything but agreat warrior and didn’t want him to tell anyone she had killed the Viking to protect him.
Aisling stirred the pot of fish stew while Cook chastened others in the kitchen who were dawdling while listening to their conversation. Aisling felt her position had somewhat been elevated for the first time since she’d worked for Cook.
Of course, one mistake could change everything in an instant. But for now, Aisling was walking on the moon.
“All right, just this once, I’ll let you serve the table where—what is his name?”
“Coinneach.”
“Where Coinneach is sitting. For Aodhan to ask him to sit with him is a great honor. And serving him his meal is also so dinna spill or drop anything,” Cook said.
“Aye, Cook.” Aisling was beyond excited and hid her enthusiasm so she wouldn’t make a fool of herself.
