Page 37 of Bound to a Warrior
She turned wide eyes on Duncan and as soon as she saw how his glance carefully scanned their surroundings and how his head turned slowly, as if searching for a sound, she knew enough to remain silent.
With his arm secure at her waist he walked them both to an outcropping of large boulders nearly encircled by trees, then slipped behind the biggest one.
“Did you feel the ground rumble?” he asked with barely a whisper.
She shook her head. She had been too lost in her thoughts to notice anything and knew that would not happen again. She would not let it.
“I believe riders approach.”
Mercy felt her skin crawl with fear. If it were a troop of riders, they would have no chance against them. Their only option would be to hide. But if the troop remained in the area, it would only be a matter of time before they were caught. And they were so close to Duncan’s home, so close to safety.
She squeezed his hand without realizing it, and when he returned the squeeze it not only comforted her, it gave her resolve. They had faced and survived difficulty together and now was not the time to surrender to her fear.
She was not alone. Duncan was with her and together they could do anything.
Her body froze when she heard it, a distant rumbling that sounded like thunder, but wasn’t. It was a troop of soldiers headed their way. If they remained where they were, they should not be noticed. But then there were scouts to worry about. Could one have already spotted them?
They would need to be more vigilant and take roads less traveled, delaying them once again. Then there was the vast moorlike area they had to cover. Could the troops be going there in hopes of setting a trap for them?
Mercy let her mind conceive what it would. Then she would discuss the possibilities with Duncan and see what could be done.
She squeezed his hand again and this time he looked over at her. His dark eyes so intense suddenly softened and he leaned over and brushed his lips across hers, teasing a response from her, then returned his attention to the sound that reverberated through the ground beneath them.
Mercy reveled in the light kiss. She would not have wanted to meet death without having shared a kiss with Duncan one more time. Now she was ready; with Duncan at her side she was ready for anything.
She maintained her silence and her courage as the riders’ approach grew louder. Just before it seemed they were upon them Duncan turned and flattened himself against the boulder just as Mercy had done.
She knew Duncan could not take the chance and be seen, though it was difficult not to have a peek and see how many there were. It took several minutes for them to pass, which led Mercy to believe it was a good size contingent. The king was certainly determined to see them dead.
The dreadful thought caused her to shudder and as it trickled from her body to Duncan’s, he stepped in front of her. He kept hold of her hand, pressed his body to hers and rested his mouth next to her ear.
“I will keep us safe and do you know why?’ he murmured.
His warm breath tickled her skin and if his mouth hadn’t rested so near she would not have heard him, that’s how low his murmur. She shook her head.
“Nothing—” He paused and faintly kissed the tip of her ear. “Nothing, not even the king’s men, is going to stop me from making love to you.”
She didn’t have to worry about remaining silent, she was stunned speechless and glad for it, since she didn’t know how to respond. Instinct, however, did and when his lips moved past hers, she captured them with her own and kissed him.
Their lips barely had time to enjoy each other when they heard.
“Turn around nice and slow, unless you want to die before her.”
Duncan moved his lips off hers and mouthed,How many?
She had to raise herself on the tips of her toes to glance over his shoulder. And when her feet were once again planted fully on the ground she mouthed,One.He moved slowly away from her, and as he did, his hand carefully slipped over the handle of the dirk tucked at his waist. The problem was that it was his hand that was shackled to hers. What did he expect her to do?
She studied his eyes and it took only a few moments for her to get the gist of what he wanted her to do. With the breadth and width of him concealing her from the soldier, she had little worry of being seen, and acknowledged her assent with a smile.
He returned her smile and slowly moved away.
The soldier grinned victoriously, though it didn’t last. Duncan’s slow movements changed in a second as he rushed down on one knee and in one fluid motion thrust the dirk forward into the soldier’s stomach, Mercy in rhythm with his every move.
One more thrust to his chest finished him and he fell to the ground dead. Mercy watched his blood pool beneath him until the ground appeared saturated with it. She placed her hand to her stomach and couldn’t help but imagine how differently this scene could have played.
Suddenly her view was blocked by Duncan’s chest and without thinking she pressed her face right in the middle where his shirt separated. His warm, damp flesh, the quick beat of his heart, his familiar, rich scent and his arm wrapped tightly around her waist brought such a sense of safety and relief to her that she feared she just might weep.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “You should not have to see this as well as be part of it.”
