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  He cursed as he crouched down by the body to search it for anything of value. Gybbon always felt a twinge of revulsion when doing so, but he could not leave anything of worth to rot with the man or to be stolen by someone else. He and Alice needed whatever supplies they could scavenge. He regretted the fact that the man’s horse had fled, for it was clear that it had been the man’s only worthy asset.

  The marks on the man’s neck revealed the way he had died, so Gybbon put the body in a shallow grave and covered the newly turned earth with leaves. It had not been his intention to feed, but the man had struck a few telling blows with his sword before he had died and Gybbon could not afford to nurse wounds for any length of time. He could not regret the strength the blood had given him either.

  Two days, two men. Gybbon thought that was a good accounting. Since he doubted the man Alice had nearly gutted was part of this hunt any longer, whether dead or because he had been sent away to heal, the number of their enemies was now six. If the Hunters had not gathered any new martyrs, he thought as he mounted Resolute and started back to where he had left Alice. His count depended on the possibility that all the Hunters after Alice had been in the clearing when he had first seen her. His instincts told him they had been.

  What he hoped was that once the Hunters realized how their number had dwindled, they would flee. The glint of religious fervor he had seen in the eyes of the two men he had killed weakened that hope, however. Such men were often quite prepared to die, even expected some great reward since they would die in service to their God. Gybbon was coming to understand that most of the Hunters truly believed they were on a crusade against evil, were fighting the minions of Satan. That did not bode well for the future of the MacNachtons.

  Gybbon found Alice sitting in front of the shieling he had left her in. The look of relief that briefly crossed her face told him she had worried about him. He did not want to be moved by that, but he was. Even telling himself that she was just afraid she would be left alone if anything happened to him did not completely dim the warmth that look of concern brought him.

  Each hour he spent in her company made his attraction to her grow stronger. She was not as feral as he had first assumed when he had seen her standing over the body of a man she had savaged. She had just been hardened by six years of fighting for her life and the lives of the children she had to care for. Beneath the rags was a woman who had both education and good manners. She also had intelligence, strength, and courage. Gybbon supposed he should not be surprised that he wanted her as badly as he did.

  “We now have but six men trailing us,” he announced as he dismounted in front of her, deciding he would not hide what he had done. It had been necessary and she had to learn to accept that.

  “That willnae be enough to make them cease hunting us down, will it.” She sighed, for the hard look on his handsome face was answer enough.

  “Nay, and ye ken weel why. Aye, and better than we did.”

  “Because they believe they do God’s work.”

  He nodded. “I have seen the proof of their fervor in their eyes.”

  “And these men arenae the only ones, are they.”

  “Nay.” He began to unsaddle Resolute. “There is an army of them. We nibble away at it from time to time but it just gains new men to take the place of those who were lost. When we first learned of them they were few, but word spreads and the numbers grow and become better funded and better organized. We need to find the head of the beast and lop it off.”

  “Ye believe there is a leader who is keeping this war alive?”

  “I do, as does my laird.” He grinned briefly. “He is my uncle, too. ’Tisnae often easy for him to be both.” He sat down next to her and glanced up at the slowly lightening sky. “There is a leader, and mayhap a few close to him, who stirs the fervor in the men. Someone discovered the truth about us, or some of it, and began to gather an army. That requires coin so ’tis nay some poor crofter.”

  Alice grimaced. “Nay, poor crofters are always the arrow fodder. The fact that these men dinnae hesitate to cut down women and children only proves how deeply they believe we are demons. They only wish to send all of us to hell.”

  “Weel, there are a few who want something else from us. ’Tis why we didnae really think hard on the reasons so many men were joining the fight, on the religious side of it.”

  “What else could they want?”

  “What makes us so strong and live for so long. That is one of the things the men who lead this fight are after. It nearly cost two of my cousins their lives. Two men came close to discovering that secret, that ’tis in our blood. We only recently realized ourselves what our blood can do for Outsiders. We can only hope the men didnae tell anyone else. As far as we ken, no other MacNachton has been caught and held as my cousins were.”

  “I wager that is something they dinnae tell their arrow fodder.”

  Gybbon offered her his wineskin, the one filled with wine fortified with blood. Her hesitation in taking it grew less each time he offered it. It was making her stronger, however, and she knew it. Even the few small drinks she had taken over the last few days had softened the hard edges of hunger on her face and body. He knew it would have also sharpened her senses and she would need that keenness in the days ahead. There might be only six Hunters left, but they were determined men.

  “Do ye think your cousins have reached Cambrun by now?” she asked as she handed back his wineskin. Alice hated the fact that she needed blood to survive and remain strong, even as she appreciated how it helped her in this fight.

  “They should be there on the morrow if they have suffered no trouble,” he replied.

  “The children willnae slow them down. They are weel accustomed to travel, to long hard journeys in the dead of night, and to the value of being verra quiet.”

  “Aye, and isnae that just a wee bit sad. My cousins will appreciate that, however, for they will be eager to get the bairns to the safety of Cambrun. The children will be weel cared for there, Alice,” he added gently, trying to ease the worry he knew she felt.

  “I think a lot of the concern I feel is borne of how much I miss them. There were times when I wondered if I was a complete lack-wit for dragging four children about with me. It shames me to admit it, but, sometimes, I even wished them gone. Aye, I would think, did I nay have enough trouble just keeping myself alive? Why carry the added weight of them on my back?”

  “Ye shouldnae feel shamed. ’Twas only a passing thought, a wee one borne of a hard day or a long night of running, of hunger and exhaustion. It isnae what ye thought when your spirits were low, but what ye did, and ye kept them with ye, fed them, hid them, kept them alive.” He frowned. “Did they ne’er need any blood?”

  “Aye, but we all need only a wee bit now and then. Enough so that the gnawing in our bellies doesnae grow too strong, for that brings the beast too close to the skin, doesnae it. Alyn suffers it the most.”

  Gybbon frowned. “He has the strong mark of a MacNachton. I wouldnae be surprised to find out his father was a Pureblood, or near to. I dinnae like thinking any MacNachton still beds women with nay thought to the breeding of a child. Ten years past we all kenned it could happen and that being so careless was wrong. Then, too, ’tis verra possible the one who sired Alyn ne’er returned because he was killed. I will find out, but now, we had best get inside. Ye go and I will join ye as soon as I secure the horses in amongst the trees.”

  Alice grabbed his saddle and moved inside the shieling. It was tiny and the roof was so low she knew Gybbon would not be able to stand fully upright. What troubled her most was that she and Gybbon would be side by side as they slept through the day. She sternly told herself not to be such a coward as she hurriedly washed up. Gybbon was not like Callum. They had been together for two days and nights and the man had barely touched her.

  Yet, the few times he had, she had felt no fear, she thought as she spread a blanket on the dirt floor. What she had felt made her think that Callum had not d
estroyed all chance that she would ever be with a man again. Gybbon’s touches, though light and all that was gentlemanly, stirred a warmth inside her. She had even found herself wishing for a touch that was not so gentlemanly. Such thoughts did make her a little afraid, but they also intrigued and excited her.

  Gybbon joined her and they sat on the blanket to share the last of their bread and cheese. Alice tried to ignore the warmth of his body when they had to sit so close together their sides touched. For the first time in years she felt a woman’s interest in a handsome man. It made her nervous, but she also savored the feeling. She could actually see a chance at the future she had dreamed of years ago, one of a man who cared for her, one who would give her children and a home.

  It was a dream she had thought Callum had stolen from her. Even thinking of that elusive future made her look at Gybbon and she knew that was beyond foolish. Not only was the man well-born and rich, he had shown no interest in her beyond that of a man helping to save a kinswoman. And that was a good thing, she told herself firmly, and did not believe a word of it.

  The crack of Gybbon’s head hitting the low ceiling of their shelter startled her. She had been so caught up in her own thoughts she had not even seen him move. Alice reached out as he staggered a little and fell to his knees. She grasped him by the arms to keep him from falling over completely. He was muttering some very creative curses, but Alice pretended she did not hear him. Seeing the way he kept one hand on the top of his head, Alice rose up on her knees to push his hand aside and inspect the wound he had received.

  It served him right, Gybbon thought, and winced as Alice’s slender fingers moved over the part of his head that had made such hard contact with the ceiling. He had only thought of putting some distance between himself and Alice, of running from the desire he felt for her. It grew stronger with every moment he spent in her company, making it more difficult to fight and control. Now his head hurt as much as his groin, only easing the pain of the latter would at least be pleasurable.

  He opened his eyes and nearly groaned aloud. The way Alice was kneeling in front of him put her plump, firm breasts far too close to his mouth. He stared at them, watching them rise and fall gently with every breath she took, and his mouth watered. Exhausted though he was after a night of hunting, sleep was suddenly the last thing he wanted. He told himself not to touch her even as he placed his hands around her small waist.

  Alice slowly lowered herself until she was face-to-face with Gybbon, one hand still lightly tangled in his thick hair. He was just steadying her, she told herself, and felt strangely disappointed. The look in his eyes disputed that conclusion but she did not know enough of men to be confident of that. For all she knew, it could be anger putting that heated look in his eyes.

  “There was a wee gash,” she said, “but it healed e’en as I looked at it.”

  “That is because I fed tonight,” he explained and saw her quickly hide a flinch. “I gave the man a choice, lass. Flee or die. He chose to die. Since he wanted to toss his life away, I saw nay reason to waste what he could give me.”

  “Strength.”

  “Aye. And two blankets, a wee bit of food, and a few coins.”

  “I have robbed the dead, too,” she confessed softly, trying not to stare at his tempting mouth so close to hers and failing miserably. “A wee part of me cringed but my mind kept saying that he didnae need it now and I did, the children did.”

  “And that it would only be taken by someone else.”

  “Aye.”

  “I am going to give ye a choice now, lass. Ye can stay right where ye are and let me kiss ye, or ye can move away. Best decide quickly, as I have waited a long time.”

  “Ye have only kenned me for two days.” She knew she ought to move but curiosity and temptation held her in place.

  “As I said, a verra long time.”

  He pressed his lips to hers. The soft warmth of them surprised Alice. She slid her hand down the back of his head until it rested upon the back of his neck. The heat of his kiss seeped through her body and she blindly pressed closer to him. When he teased her lips with the tip of his tongue it caused her lips to tingle and she gasped softly. Alice was startled when he put his tongue in her mouth. Her astonishment disappeared in a haze of heat as he stroked the inside of her mouth.

  The slow caresses of his hands up and down her back and sides made Alice tremble with the strength of the desire he was stirring to life inside her. The feeling was both exhilarating and terrifying. She offered no resistance as he pushed her down onto the blanket, wrapping her arms around him to hold him close as he sprawled on top of her. The soft growl he made as the full length of their bodies pressed together aroused her more than the sweetest of flatteries.

  Then she became aware of the long, hard length of his manhood rubbing against her. Alice fought to push aside the insidious advance of fear. She told herself it was not a thing to fear, that this man would never wield that part of him as a weapon, but the fear grew stronger. It chilled the heat of desire she had been enjoying and then forced her mind into the dark quagmire of terrifying memory.

  Gybbon suddenly found his arms full of a terrified woman intent on doing him harm. He silently cursed himself for a fool for forgetting what Alice had suffered in the past. As quickly as he could, he moved to kneel beside her, his hands out to the side as he called her name.

  “’Tis Gybbon, Alice,” he said in as soothing a voice as he could manage while his body was knotted up with unsatisfied need. “Ye are safe. I am nay Callum. I willnae hurt ye.”

  “I ken it,” Alice said, taking several deep breaths as she continued to push aside the icy fear that had conquered her heart and mind. “I am sorry.” Too embarrassed to look at him, she wrapped herself in her blanket and curled on her side, facing away from him. “I had thought the scars had healed,” she whispered, her disappointment nearly choking her.

  “They will heal,” he said as he wrapped himself in a blanket as well and settled down at her back. “’Tis just the first time ye have tested the strength of them.”

  “Aye.”

  He put his arm around her and pulled her close, pleased when she only tensed a little. “I was too quick. Next time I will go slowly.”

  Alice knew she ought to firmly tell him that there would be no next time, but she just closed her eyes.

  Chapter Five

  “He is late,” Alice complained to Nightwind.

  She paced in front of the mare that placidly nuzzled the ground looking for tasty things to chew. It was foolish to be so concerned, she told herself. Gybbon was a big, strong man, one skilled in battle. He was also far better at hunting and killing than the men he now hunted. Even though the Hunters had grown more cautious, in the last three days Gybbon had lessened their numbers to four. He was a deadly shadow at their heels.

  Yet, the cursed Hunters did not give up. Alice did not understand that. When a man could lessen your numbers by half without even being seen, when the female you hunted could bring down a grown man with only her hands and teeth, why continue? Why not at least return home to plan and gather more men and weapons?

  She could understand why Callum continued, for she knew he needed to remove what he saw as a grave sin and a stain upon his honor, his very soul. He had made that increasingly clear in every confrontation they had had since he had raped her. That did not, however, explain why the others continued to follow him as they watched one after another of their companions disappear into the night never to return. It was madness. Alice knew the men believed they were trying to rid the world of what they saw as a great evil, but did that mean they could not even rest now and then?

  “Whate’er this fervor is that has grasped these Hunters, it robs the men of all good sense, of even their soul-deep need to survive,” she muttered, earning only a brief glance from her mare. “And I begin to think Gybbon has tumbled into the same madness.” She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled in the direction Gybbon had ridden. “The two of us togeth
er could face down and defeat our foe now. Why does Gybbon continue to do it alone? I shall tell ye why. He doesnae think I can fight despite surviving for so long without his blessed help. He probably thinks I have just been lucky or that the ones hunting us are unskilled lack-wits. I may nay be one of those mighty Purebloods but I have strength and fighting skills, ones I have learned weel over the last six years.”

  Alice glanced up at the sky and cursed. Gybbon had said he would return in time for them to reach shelter before the sun peeked over the horizon. Unless he rode up in the next few minutes he would not be keeping that promise. They certainly would not reach the next place of shelter before the sun was up and shining on both of them. Even if they started right now and the shelter they needed was close by, Gybbon would still be out in the sun long enough for it to begin to leech his strength away.

  “Gybbon is never late,” she said and felt a chill wiggle through her that had nothing to do with the cold mists of dawn. “’Tis true that I havenae even kenned the mon for a sennight yet, but he is always where he has said he would be exactly when he said he would be there. Especially when it concerns getting to a shelter ere the sun has risen too high in the sky. Instead I stand here alone talking to a horse. Nay, something isnae right, Nightwind.”

  She clenched her fists at her side and struggled against the urge to start bellowing his name. Despite not being a Pureblood, Gybbon could not abide much sun, far less than she could. He was always intensely aware of when the sun would rise and set. He simply would not risk his life like this. Nor would he want to have her suffer from the sun in even the smallest way. Alice feared that this time Gybbon had not been as quick or as stealthy as before or, worse, he had stumbled into a trap.