Prince of Passion (4 page)

“Why didna it attack you in here?”
 

She pointed to the shutters. “Rather difficult when they’re reinforced with iron.”
 

He chuckled. “Brilliant.”

“Aye, I am,” she said with a smile.

His own grin faded.
 
“Senga, are you ready for what’s to come?
 
It willna be easy.”
 

There was no missing the way her gaze darted to the window. “Of course.”
 

He let her lie. She put on a brave front, but she had every reason to fear for her life because the Tnarg would stop at nothing to kill her.
 

“We need to leave immediately. We have precious few days to reach the gates, and the weather will slow us.”
 

She slid from the bed. “Not to mention the Tnarg.”
 

He clenched his jaw and began to dress. He was elated to find his mate, but that euphoria combined with a bone deep fear. If his other three brothers had made it to Drahcir, then the Tnarg would be relentless in trying to kill Senga. Just thinking of her dead made him feel sick to his stomach.
 

Keiran glanced up to see her slide her gown into place. She was so beautiful he could stare at her all day. Her eyes, a most unusual gray, could capture him with just one look. And the wealth of beautiful honey hair that curled to her waist made him want to tug the curls and see how many different colors he could find with the sun shining in her hair.
 

He looked down at the tattoo on his arm just before he pulled on his tunic and jerkin. He and Senga were branded to each other forever now. He barely knew anything about her, but it didn’t seem to matter. They had the rest of their lives to learn all there was to know.
 

Yet, he was anxious to begin their life together. How he wished the Tnarg would disappear and the Fae princess would release the curse. Centuries had passed, but she was never satisfied no matter how many times the Sinclairs beat the curse.
 

Keiran didn’t think he could stand to see his children leave Drahcir to search for their mates. It wasn’t right to ask them to do it, and it must be stopped. How he wasn’t sure, but he was going to see about doing it.
 

“Keiran?”
 

He looked up to see Senga standing in front of him. He pulled her into his arms, loving the way she felt against him.
 
He should have recognized her as his mate, and he might have had he not been so immersed in looking so hard.
 
“I’ve waited for you my entire life.”
 

He’d been raised as the heir and loved deeply by his family. He’d learned to lead justly and with honor, but always there was a part of him that longed to find his mate. Now that he held her in his arms, he felt complete. Truly whole.
 
There was no denying the feelings of protection and desire she inspired, but that other, unknown emotion was growing each moment they were together.

“If only we could’ve had the years in Drahcir with each other,” she said and raised her gaze to him.
 

“We’ll have years together, Senga. I’ll get us to the gates. I promise.”
 

Her brow furrowed as her head suddenly cocked to the side. “That’s odd.”
 

“What?”
 

“There are no sounds coming from below as there should be this time of morning.”
 

Keiran’s stomach knotted. Something was wrong.
 

She smoothed her hands on his chest. “The Tnarg is here, isn’t it?”
 

“Aye, but I’ll protect you.”
 

And he would – to his dying breath.
 

Chapter Four

Keiran adjusted his weapons, checking them twice before he reached for his cloak. Senga’s hands fisted, searching for warmth, though it wasn’t the chill of the chamber but fear of the Tnarg that had driven the heat from her flesh.
 
She knew how skilled Keiran was, but the creature that hunted them wasn’t just any beast.
 
It was one made of magic by the Fae.
 

She touched the dagger at her hip. It had been a parting gift from her father, one she always kept with her. It wasn’t much, but it would be something against the Tnarg.
 
“What does it look like?”
 

Keiran’s gaze snapped to hers. “The Tnarg?”
 

She nodded.
 

“It’s big and covered with thick, dark coarse hair. Its eyes are blood red. Its teeth are long and many, and its talons are sharp.
 
It’s supposedly fast, but I’ve no’ seen one in all my time searching for you, so I doona know exactly what to expect.
 
It knows we’re coming, though.”
 

She snorted. “Quite an unfair advantage.”
 

“I agree. We can no’ outrun it, and it has the strength of ten men.”
 

“We’ll never make it.”
 

He was beside her in an instant. “Every one of my ancestors made it. So will we. The Tnarg has a weakness. We just have to find it.”
 

Her heart thumped wildly when he leaned in to kiss her. A thrill shot to her stomach and spread to her sex, heating her blood. Her hands came around his neck of their own accord as the kiss deepened.
 
She was reluctant for it to end, but they could waste no more time.
 

“By the saints, I want you again,” he murmured.
 

Senga couldn’t help but smile. She had Keiran, at long last. She would have waited an eternity to hold the man she loved in her arms. And those four years had felt like four lifetimes.
 
To know they were so close to the gates, yet the weather and a magical beast lay in their path.
 

He held out his hand. “Ready?”
 

She wasn’t anywhere near ready, but if she was going to be his wife and the future queen of Drahcir, she had to have courage. She took his hand and stood beside him. “Our future awaits.”
 

One side of his mouth tilted upward. “You’re going to make a magnificent queen.”
 

“I don’t care about being queen as long as I have you.”
 

Keiran saw the truth of her words shining in her clear gray eyes. “Queen or no’, you’ll always be by my side.”
 

“That’s all I can ask for.”
 

He cupped her face and gave her a quick kiss before he pulled her from the small chamber. He unsheathed his sword and kept her behind him as he walked stealthily down the corridor to the stairs.
 
Not a sound was made below.
 
Keiran descended the stairs one slow step at a time, his sword at the ready.
 
When he reached the bottom and saw the main dining room he halted and heard Senga’s quick inhale behind him as they halted.
 

Every table and chair was torn to pieces, the floor littered with splinters of wood that had once been furniture. Senga’s hand began to shake in his for they both knew what had done this.
 

The Tnarg.
 

“Is it still here?” she whispered.
 

Keiran backed them to a wall. “I doona know. If it came in here, why no’ up to your chamber?”
 

“I’m just glad it didn’t.”
 

There was a bump from the back room. Senga tugged on his hand, trying to get his attention, but Keiran didn’t want to look away in case it was the Tnarg.
 

“Keiran,” she murmured.
 

He looked to where she pointed and found the three dead bodies. The Tnarg had never killed innocents before. At least, none that they knew of.
 

“To your chamber,” he whispered and urged her up the stairs.
 

He walked backward as he followed her, his gaze on the doorway to the back room. It wasn’t until they reached the top two stairs that one creaked. The noise in the back room stopped instantly.
 

Shite!
 

“Get inside your chamber,” Keiran told her as he spun around.
 

They raced to her chamber and shut the door behind them.
 

“The chair,” he said as he leaned against the door.
 

She hastily brought the chair that he propped against the door. It wouldn’t hold the beast, but it would give them time.
 

He gave her a gentle push to her window. “We’ll be leaving another way.”
 

“We’re on the second floor,” she said, her eyes wide.
 

He gripped her shoulders. “Trust me, Senga.”
 

Keiran released her and stalked to the window.
 
He lifted the iron latch holding the shutters together, then threw open the shutters that had been reinforced with iron. The ground below was packed with snow, which would break their fall. He’d prefer to go first and catch Senga, but he couldn’t chance her not getting out in time.
 

He lifted her onto the windowsill, her legs dangling outside. “The snow will catch you. Doona wait on me. Run to the stables and hide. I’ll be right behind you.”
 

“And if you’re not?”
 

He smoothed a lock of hair from her face and wished he could wipe the worry from her puckered brow. “I will be. Now go.”
 

She stared at him a moment longer before jumping. He held his breath until she rose from the snow and ran to the stable. Nothing followed her. The eerie silence of the town told him something was very wrong.
 

He couldn’t worry about that now. He had to get to Senga. Keiran put first one leg, then the other out the window. Just as he was about to jump something banged against the door hard. The fall was quick. He jumped to his feet as soon as he could and followed Senga’s tracks to the stable. Their chance to pack food for the trip was gone, and as long as the Tnarg was this close, they weren’t safe.
 

He closed the stable doors behind him and let out a breath. “Senga?”
 

“Here,” she called and rose to her feet in a stall. “I’m here, Keiran.”
 

“We doona have time to waste. There’s something wrong with the town.”
 

She walked from the stall and dusted off her hands, her brow furrowed. “I think they’re all dead.”
 

“How could we no’ have heard anything?”
 

She shrugged. “The village is usually bustling by now. There is no one about.
 
It’s the only explanation.”
 

“Unless they sense the creature and are keeping to their houses.”
 

“Let’s hope,” she said and looked around her. “Should we take horses?”
 

He shook his head. “They willna move any quicker in the deep snow.”
 

Keiran saw her shaking and drew her into his arms.
 
If only he’d recognized her as his mate last night they could’ve departed and saved the town.
 

“How come we didn’t hear the beast inside the inn? And why didn’t it come to my chamber?”
 

Keiran briefly squeezed his eyes shut. “It’s toying with us. It wants us to think we’re safe, that we can escape.”
 

“Or it wants us to know just how quick and deadly it is.”
 

“Aye, love, that too.” He took her hand. “Come. We need to make haste.”
 

The quickest way to Drahcir was up the mountain path, and the only way to the gates of Drahcir was through the pass. As he passed a horse, he stopped and looked at the large dark eyes of the animal.
 

“What is it?” Senga asked.
 

He patted the horse on the neck. “I’ve got an idea. It might help to slow the Tnarg.”
 

“Anything to give us an advantage,” she murmured. “What do you need me to do?”
 

“Grab another horse,” he said as he opened the stall door and led the big black mare out.
 

A few moments later, Senga stood beside him holding a gray. He gave her a nod and walked to the back of the stable.
 

“I’m sorry, girls,” he said to the horses. “It’s cold out there, but you could save our lives.”
 

He opened the stable doors and slapped the horses on their rumps, sending them running off into the snow. Keiran wanted to watch them to see how far they would go, but they needed to get to the pass as quick as they could.
 
First, they would see if their plan worked.