Lured to the Night (The Brotherhood Series Book 4) (14 page)

Chapter 12

No one questioned Lachlan’s presence in Isla’s bedchamber. He had expected Douglas to offer some objection, but the old man appeared more subdued since their return from the burial chamber. Although Douglas wasn’t kin, he treated Isla like a daughter and Lachlan suspected he used his jovial manner to hide his anxiety over her peculiar condition.

Lachlan closed the wooden shutters on the windows and drew the heavy drapes as Isla instructed. He turned to face her, his chest tight with a strange sense of foreboding that he tried to dismiss.

“Do you remain in here until the sun sets?” he asked, curious to know of her daily habits. Whilst being confined to her room would not seem such a hardship he imagined the comfortable space would begin to feel more like a prison.

“No.” She sank her hands into the bowl of water and wrung out the linen cloth. “There are a few rooms that remain in the shadows and Douglas knows to keep the shutters closed.”

She took the cloth and wiped her face and neck in slow, soothing strokes. Astounded that such a simple ritual could rouse his desire, he shuffled uncomfortably. Now was not the time to think about his needs.

“I suspect your routine differs in that you sleep during the day and attend to your duties in the evening,” he said in an attempt to distract his mind.

She turned to him and chuckled. “I have not slept for the three years. It is a consequence of the affliction.”

Lachlan shook his head fearing he had misheard. “You don’t sleep? But how can that be?”

“There are many things I cannot explain.” She dried her hands and came over to him. “But with any luck, my troubles will soon be over.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “I’ll stay here with you. For however long it takes.” Watching her writhing in pain would be just as torturous for him, but pacing the floor in some other part of the castle, oblivious to her plight, would drive him to the brink of insanity.

She smiled, although the expression of pleasure failed to reach her eyes. “But should you not go home and see your father? Will he not miss your company?”

His father insisted he spend time at Castle Craig. Bridges must be built, friendships rekindled, Ewan Carrick had argued. “Our fathers were firm friends. He would want me to remain here, to care for you and assist you in your hour of need.”

“He has always been a generous man.”

“Too generous,” Lachlan said with a snort. He took a lock of her hair and let it fall through his fingers. “The man has lost all concept of what is needed to manage his estate. His mind has been preoccupied of late.”

She raised her chin in acknowledgement but did not ask questions or pry into his private affairs. “An estate of that size is a huge responsibility for a man of his growing years.” Breaking free of his embrace, she moved to the bed and brushed the wrinkles out of the coverlet. “Will Boyd continue to take care of things when you return to Edinburgh?”

Lachlan frowned. Surely she did not think he could leave her after all that had occurred. She was his — his love, his life, his destiny.

“Why would you assume I’m to return to Edinburgh?”

She gave an odd chuckle though it lacked any hint of amusement. “I am not naive enough to think that what happened between us changes anything. I understand you have experience in such matters and view intimate relations a little differently.”

He opened his mouth to speak but snapped it shut. Frustration flared. “Do not speak for me, Isla,” he said trying to control the anger her comment had roused, too. “Do not presume to know what I am thinking or feeling.”

“I’m just saying that I have no expectations—”

“Well, you damn well should,” he snapped, throwing his hands in the air. “You should expect everything I have to give.” He turned away from her, paced back and forth, muttered to himself as he tried to banish the thought that perhaps she did not want him.

To lose her once had almost killed him. To lose her again after having experienced utter bliss—

The stabbing pain in chest forced him to inhale sharply.

“Why are you so annoyed with me?” Her words penetrated his addled mind. “Please, Lachlan. Stand still for a moment before your marching snaps a board. It is just that I do not want you to feel obligated—”

“Obligated?” He stopped abruptly, dragged his palm down his face before turning to look at her. “I have spent my whole life wanting you. The sense of longing is so painful it keeps me awake at night. As a young man, I lived for the day when you would be mine. I thought you felt the same way.”

“I do.” She grabbed his hands. “Please believe me, I do.”

A desperate need to touch her more intimately took hold. Isla would always be his weakness. He reached for her, devoured her mouth with an urgency he could not control. She wrapped her arms around him, pressed her body against his until it felt as though they were one. He angled his head to deepen the kiss, their tongues thrusting wildly, their breathless pants evidence of their heightened arousal.

“Tell me you want me.” He could hear insecurity in his voice as he rained kisses along her jaw.

“I do,” she panted. “I want everything you have to give and more.”

He claimed her mouth again as they shuffled back towards the bed. Control slipped away. The strength to rein in his desire had left him, too.

Isla’s hands moved frantically over his arms and chest before she tugged on her skirt and hiked it up to reveal soft, creamy thighs. “I need you, Lachlan. I need you now. I cannot wait.”

Bloody hell!

He fiddled with the buttons on his trousers to free his swollen cock. In a matter of seconds, he was moving inside her. The quick, hard thrusts were the only way to ease their anxieties. Sharp nails gripped his buttocks, urging him to keep the pace.

It didn’t matter that they were still fully clothed. Buried deep inside her body was the only place he felt at peace.

“Don’t wait for me,” she whispered against his neck. “Know that I give myself to you unconditionally. Know that my love for you is constant.”

His cock was not the only part of his body to swell and burst. His heart soared as her tender words penetrated his mind. He pumped harder as she continued to whisper words of encouragement.

“You’re mine, Isla. Let me hear you say it is true.” A feeling of intense euphoria overwhelmed him; the power of his release was beyond glorious.

“I’m yours, Lachlan,” she said gripping him tight. “For now. For always.”

Sated beyond anything he had ever felt before, he collapsed on top of her. “Forgive me. Next time, I will devote all efforts to your pleasure.”

She caressed his buttocks, gave a sweet hum of pleasure when he pushed a little deeper. If only they could have more time together. If she were his wife, he would spend hours lavishing her with attention.

A light rap on the door startled him. He was suddenly grateful that their joining had only lasted mere minutes.

“Just give me a moment,” Isla called.

Lachlan fought the urge to scramble from the bed. Instead, he withdrew slowly, filling her once again so that he could watch her eyes glaze over.

“I need to get up,” she chastised, batting his arm. Yet her moan of surrender when he repeated the motion suggested she was in no hurry to move.

“Have no fear, love. I’m quickly losing the ability to torment you.” He knew he could soon rouse the enthusiasm to continue had there not been more pressing matters to be addressed.

With a groan of disappointment, he rolled onto his back. Noting the smirk on her face as she straightened her dress and brushed her fingers through her hair, he felt a rush of masculine pride for her dishevelled condition.

Her gaze drifted over his languid form sprawled out on the bed. “I suggest you button your trousers, else someone will see much more of you than they wish.” She moistened her lips as her gaze lingered where most women would not dare to look. “At the moment, it does not appear as impressive.”

He chuckled as he jumped to his feet and tidied his clothing.

Isla straightened her back and opened the door.

“Forgive the intrusion.” Ivana’s voice held a hint of embarrassment. “But you asked me to bring the cure to your room. I thought I would stay with you during the healing process.”

Isla glanced back over her shoulder and with a flick of the eyes gestured to the crumpled coverlet on the bed. Lachlan tugged at the corners and then sat down on the edge.

“Please come in.” Isla stepped back. “We were just discussing the cure. Lachlan wishes to remain here, too, although I’m not certain if he means to wait with Douglas downstairs.”

Lachlan stood. “I’ll stay here, in the room, if you’ve no objection.”

Isla gave a weak smile. “No. It will bring me comfort to know you are here with me.”

“I’ve told Leo he should keep Douglas company,” Ivana said. “For a man who is so honest in his observations, he is adept at masking his inner feelings in the presence of others. I fear he will not be as controlled if left to his own devices. Besides, they now share a mutual love of whisky, which I’m sure will keep them both entertained for hours.”

Isla closed the door to her chamber. “Is it simply a case of drinking a tonic?”

Ivana’s lips curled down though she tried to disguise it. “No. You must puncture your vein and drink your own blood. With others, it seems that to wait five minutes before drinking the elixir causes the least amount of pain.”

An icy chill travelled over him at the thought of witnessing her sharp fangs protruding awkwardly from her gum. He clenched his teeth as he imagined her crying out in pain.

“How much will I need to drink?” Isla screwed up her nose.

Ivana touched Isla affectionately on the arm. “A little more than a mouthful should suffice. I suggest you wait five minutes before drinking the potion. Then you must lie down in the most comfortable place possible.”

Isla nodded. “I shall lie on the bed.”

“We’ll need water, Lachlan,” Ivana said, “to bathe her forehead and a clean pitcher full for her to drink.”

Lachlan inclined his head. “I shall see to it at once.”

As he left the room, he closed the door behind him. It afforded him the opportunity to express the fear clawing away inside. Pressing his palms flat against the wall, he hung his head, closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.

He could not lose her now.

As soon as Lachlan left the room, Isla clutched Ivana’s arm. “I’m ready now. I do not want him to see me drink my own blood. I cannot bear to look into his eyes and say goodbye.”

“It will not be goodbye.” Ivana stroked her cheek. “You love him. That much is clear. But I understand your motives for wanting to detach from all emotion.”

Her heart suddenly lurched at the thought of leaving him alone. “Wait,” she said as she rushed to the door to peer along the corridor. She would tell him she loved him. He would hear it from her lips. But Lachlan had already made his way downstairs, and she could not risk going to search for him. Returning to the room, she said solemnly, “I’m ready now.”

“Are you sure you do not want to wait?”

Isla nodded. “I’m sure.” Without another word, she concentrated on forcing her fangs from their sheath. When fully extended, she pierced the skin at her wrist, felt a sharp sting as the points of her teeth punctured the vein.

“A mouthful is all that is needed.”

It surprised her to find that she found the taste of her blood soothing. Indeed, it worked to calm her spirit. “How will I know when to drink the potion?” She licked the wound, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“I will count silently. You should use the time to clear your thoughts.” Ivana produced a small brown bottle from inside the bodice of her dress. “Forgive me. But it is the only place I could carry it without fear of me falling and breaking the bottle.” Ivana removed the cork stopper. “I must start counting.”

Five minutes felt like a lifetime. Isla tried to empty her mind of all thoughts as Ivana had suggested, but her head was full of images of Lachlan. The memories of the times they had spent together in their youth were precious to her. The memory of their joining would sustain her in the afterlife if that should be her fate.

“Are you ready?” Ivana held out the bottle: the magical mixture that would give her another chance of living a normal life.

Isla sucked in a breath and nodded. “Thank Douglas for everything he has done for me. He has been like a father to me these last few years. Tell Lachlan I love him. I will always love him. His happiness is more important to me than anything.”

Ivana nodded. “I will tell them, and we will all be here waiting for you once you are cleansed.”

Struggling to steady her trembling fingers, Isla took the bottle. She raised it in a toast. “To freedom,” she said before drinking it down.

She didn’t really know what to expect. Ivana took the bottle from her hand and stared at her pensively, as though at any moment an ear-piercing shriek would burst from her lips and she would fall to the floor in a fit.

“You should lie down,” Ivana said, the furrow between her brows deepening. “It can come upon you quickly, catch you unawares.”