“I know. I never intended for her to go.” Ronan yawned. “Is that all you wanted?”

“Aye.”

“Good night.” Ronan shut the door.

* * *

Anna couldn’t sleep. Tavis loved her? He’d looked as surprised and sick as she felt after he blurted it out. She wanted to laugh and run away at the same time. She pulled out Angus’s notebook, wishing he was here so she could talk to him. She saw another entry that confused her.


“I’ve decided to tell Anna as soon as I return to Scotland. Other than me, I think Walter the Watcher is the only one who knows the truth. He won’t tell. He only told me because he knows I love her. But I can’t keep something this important from her. Even though it may destroy her.”


Walter the Watcher was the man she and Angus had met with before Angus left for America. Walter had known her mother. What was he talking about? She searched for several more minutes before she found the answer. And when she did, the bottom dropped out of her world.

* * *

“Bree!”

She opened her eyes and saw Faelan staring at her. “What’s wrong?”

He looked at her as if she’d been levitating on the bed. “I think you were dreaming.”

“So.” She dreamed a lot.

“This was strange.”

“More than usual?”

“You were chanting.”

“That’s new. What was I saying?”

“Darkness inside Anna. You said it over and over.”

“Darkness inside Anna? I think I was dreaming about her.”

“What does that mean, darkness inside Anna?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember the dream.”

“She’s been through hell. It’s no wonder she feels dark inside.”

“There is something about her. I sensed it when I first met her. Like a shadow inside her. I thought it was because she’s a loner. I hope that’s what it is.”

Faelan leaned up on his elbow. “You’d better not be saying she’s the traitor Angus was talking about. My brother’s bloody in love with her, and he’s suffered enough. Losing a son he didn’t know he even had. Captured and tortured by a demon who thought he was me.”

And now he was going to have another child, and the mother was miserable. Poor Tavis. Poor Anna.

Bree touched Faelan’s chest. “I’m sure I’m just sensing all the horrible things she’s been through.”

“This time you have my blessing to play matchmaker. We can’t let that bairn come into this world without a proper mother and father.”

“We won’t.”

“If that doesn’t work, I’ll shake some sense into both of them.”

“I’m glad Tavis is here.”

“Me too. It’s like he never left.”

“And he’s going to be a father too. Both of you, fathers. And Cody and Shay are getting married tomorrow. All this talk makes me want to have sex.”

Faelan groaned. “Did you have to go and say it? I’m trying not to think about it.”

“I don’t see the harm. I’m not under doctor’s orders to rest.”

“You’re under my orders to rest. I’m trying to take care of you. You’ve had a lot of stress and the shock of finding Tavis’s grave. We should wait a couple more days. At least one.”

“You’d make a lousy doctor,” Bree said, and pulled off her gown.

* * *

With the moon shining in through the open window, Shay could see Cody standing with his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans, and for a moment, she was seventeen again, secretly in love with her best friend. Terrified that someone would find out, never dreaming he’d felt the same way. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“I saw something outside. Ah, it’s just Anna.”

“I feel so bad for both of them.”

“Yeah, me too. They should just get married and get it over with.” Cody turned and smiled at her. “Speaking of marriage, are you ready to become Mrs. Cody MacBain?”

The wedding would take place in a little chapel on the grounds of the Albany castle. “I already am. Remember our secret handfasting?”

“Aye. And I remember the way we celebrated in the hayloft. But this is for the world to see. Are you sure you don’t want to back out? I betrayed you with all those secrets and lies.”

“You were trying to protect me.” Shay climbed out of bed and walked over to Cody. She wrapped her arms around his waist, brushing her fingers along the top of his hips. “Just try to get away from me now.” She spent a few minutes proving that she had no intention of letting him go.

“I’m sorry it’s rushed, but I’ll be damned if I let the Council drag you away. Maybe we should have a baby, if that’ll get them off our backs.”

As always, the mention of a baby made her heart ache. Cody touched her stomach and leaned his forehead against hers. She knew he was thinking of the tiny grave they’d visited on the way here. They’d stood side by side gazing down on the gravestone, and both of them had cried.

“We’ll wait,” Cody said, his voice thick. “Give it more time.” He kissed her and stepped back. “I have something for you. We all—Nina, my parents and brothers—we thought you should have these.” He walked to the mantle and brought back a box. He opened it. Inside were two thin gold wedding bands. “We think they belonged to your parents.”

“Did you find their bodies?” Malek had dug up her parents’ graves searching for proof that Shay was alive, when the whole world had thought she was dead.

Cody shook his head. “No. Marcas is still looking. But he found these in Malek’s things.”

“Why do you think they belonged to my parents?”

“There’s something engraved inside,” Cody said. “I don’t know what it means. It’s in a language I don’t recognize, but my father recognized the markings.”

Shay rubbed her fingers over the worn gold and strange writings, and she felt something warm inside her. Another piece of the parents she hadn’t known.

* * *

“You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.” Nina stood beside Shay in front of the floor-length mirror, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “My little tomboy all grown up and getting married.” She and Matilda, along with Bree and Sorcha and Cody’s mother, Laura, were helping her get ready. Mostly they were reminiscing and trying not to cry.

“Thank you, Nina. I think it’s just the dress,” Shay said, turning to look at the side. The dress was simple but stunning. A sleeveless creation in white satin that flowed gracefully to the floor. She and Bree had found it in a little shop in Albany. Shay wished she could have worn her mother’s, but everything from her parents’ lives had been destroyed to protect her.

“It’s not just the dress,” Matilda said. “You are such a lovely girl. If I could have had a daughter, I would have wanted her to be like you. But I couldn’t have kids.”

“I didn’t know that, Matilda. I’m sorry. You would have been a…fascinating mother.”

“Thank you, dear. You’re sweet to put up with all my untapped maternal instincts. I know I frustrated you and the boys sometimes.”

“Matilda, I adore you.” Even when she was driving her crazy. “Cody and his brothers adore you too.”

“Maybe you could put in a good word for me with Jamie. I know he still has feelings for you even though you’re marrying Cody.”

Shay still cared for him too. She’d almost married him.

“Now, Matilda,” Nina warned. “Let’s not talk about Jamie. It’s Cody’s day. I always knew you two were meant for each other.”

Matilda nodded. “Lachlan or Marcas would have made you a good husband too, but you and Cody were magic. Like a fairy tale.” Matilda started sniffling. “We’d better get out of here, Nina, before we ruin our makeup. It took me forever to look this good.”

Nina gave Shay another hug, and she and Matilda left.

“I’m going to look for Anna,” Sorcha said. “I don’t know where she could be.”

“With everything going on, she probably just needs time alone.”

“If she doesn’t hurry, she’s going to miss the wedding,” Sorcha said.

“You do look beautiful,” Laura said. She took Shay’s hands. “I’m glad you’ll officially be part of the family. I always hoped it would happen.” Her eyes started glistening. “Oh dear. I should go before I have both of us in tears. I love you. We all do.” She hugged Shay and left. Only Bree remained.

“So are you nervous?” Bree asked.

Shay thought about it a moment and then shook her head. “Excited.”

“Liar.”

Shay smiled. “Well, maybe nervous too.”

“I was the same way.”

“You had good reason, marrying a man from the nineteenth century.”

“At least you’re marrying someone from this century. And one hell of a man, if I might add.”

“He is hot, isn’t he?”

“Completely. Sorcha still drools over him.”

“Not as much as she drools over Duncan,” Shay said rolling her eyes. Then she sighed. “I feel guilty getting married with so much happening.”

“We’re in love with warriors. There’s always going to be craziness.”

“Does it worry you knowing you’re bringing a child into this life?” Shay asked.

A shadow crossed Bree’s face. “I try not to think about it. Instead, I think how lucky I am to have found Faelan. And you should think how lucky you are that you found Cody again after all these years. So, no guilt about the wedding. If Shane’s right, this might keep the Council at bay for now. You don’t want them dragging you off somewhere for questioning.” Bree frowned. “Or testing.”

“Could they really do that?”

“I don’t know. The Council makes me nervous.”

“Cody doesn’t like them,” Shay said.

“I thought he was going to walk away from his duty when they grilled him about telling you who you really were. But everyone in the room would have walked with him.” Bree touched Shay’s hand. “No matter what, you have people behind you. If you get married or don’t. If you have a baby or don’t. The warriors will always be there to protect you.” Bree giggled. “Actually we’re warriors. Isn’t that a hoot?”