Chapter 2

Eleanor’s eyes shot open and her breath caught in her throat, her body stiff and her heart pounding. She stared up at the face of a stranger, only inches from hers, and wondered if she were awake or dreaming. She wasn't even sure if it were a dream or a nightmare. The face above her was so elegantly chiseled that it stole her breath, more beauty than she had ever seen on a man. So perfect she believed it must belong in the heavens. But his jet black hair was pulled tight on his head and the scruff of dark whiskers shadowed his face making it look as though he could fade into the shadows if she weren't looking closely. His eyes were such a piercing pure black that looking into them sent an icy chill through her, as though she were looking into the eyes of the devil himself. His large hand pressed tightly across her mouth, but it was the size and weight of his solid body covering hers that frightened her the most. He was a large, powerfully built man. She knew she had no chance against him if he wished to harm her, but she struggled to get out from under him anyways, her efforts only serving to move the dirt under her so that she was even more firmly stuck under the giant.

"Calm yourself, I have come to rescue you.” She stilled beneath him, trying to figure out what was going on and how she could get out of it. Anger, frustration, and confusion mingled with fear, and she offered a quick, silent prayer that Liam, the man she was supposed to marry, was all right. She knew not who this stranger was, nor why he thought she needed to be rescued. She looked past him to the mouth of the cave and saw that the sun looked to have only recently risen. Had Liam gone off to find some food for them to break their fast and the man on top of her simply found her alone in the cave? Or had he attacked Liam first and then come to get her? What was he going to do with her now that he had her at his mercy? Memories of the screams of unwed mothers giving birth in the abbey filled her head and she began to panic again. She couldn't let that happen to her! Eleanor resumed her efforts to get the demon off her, fear making her try despite the hopelessness of it.

“Your mother bid me fetch you home.” She froze at his words, her eyes widening in surprise.

How she had longed to hear those words. She had waited and prayed every day for years on end that her parents would come for her or send someone to get her. She had run to the gate every time the abbey’s bell had tolled, hoping it was someone to bring her home. Either that or that they had found enough coin to leave Eliana there with her so she would not be so terribly lonely. Not once had her prayers been answered. Why is it now, far from the abbey and already on her way home, that someone would speak those words to her?

First, a band of barbarians had suddenly appeared around her in the gardens they had bound, gagged, and hauled her up over the walls before she’d been able to react. Then Liam and his men had overtaken the boat and rescued her, whisking her to this cave and hiding her here until it was safe to take her home. And now this stranger appears and says, "your mother bid me fetch you home". That was the code she was supposed to accept. It was meant to ensure she left the abbey with the correct people. Liam, the man who had been sent to court her, hadn’t known of it. He claimed he had been in such a state hearing about her abduction that he had forgotten to get the phrase from her father. But this stranger knew it? She did not know who to believe anymore.

“You are safe with me,” he whispered, "I was told you would come willingly with me if I knew that phrase. Come. We must hurry."

Eleanore nodded and remained still as he slowly removed his hand from her mouth. She took a slow, deep breath hoping to steady her nerves. She needed to find out what had happened to Liam before she decided anything. As well as learn how this stranger knew the passphrase her mother had told her was a secret and would be known by anyone sent by her family to bring her home.

Fann slid off his wife and to his feet in one easy motion, pulling her up with him as he stood. Her hood fell back off her head as he jolted her to her feet, releasing a mass of honey-colored waves. They swirled out and fell in a cascade over her shoulders and that was when Fann realized how striking her beauty was. The artist had captured but a small portion of it in the portrait of her. She would certainly catch any man’s eye, perhaps even rob him of breath. Her features were more exquisite than any he had seen during his years of travel. Dainty and finely wrought with graceful lines and gentle angles. Then again, if the artist had drawn her as she truly was, no man would have believed it an honest image. She was too close to perfect to be real. Her large eyes were the clear blue of a calm, deep sea. Her skin was pale, with just enough colour to show she was hail and hearty. Her full lips were puffy and red from the pressure of his hand and his body reacted as though they were swollen from his kisses. Her body had felt wonderful under him as well. Even through her garments, the shape of her was pleasing.

Eleanor kept her voice low when she inquired, “Where is—” She stopped not sure how to refer to Liam, since this man obviously believed him her abductor. She was glad not to have to come up with more words when this man finished for her.

“Your captor is off hunting.”

“And the others?” she asked, though there were no others now. The men who had sailed with Liam had bid them farewell yesterday. They were now on their own, waiting for another boat that would come to take them back to her home. Liam had said it would be a few more days before it arrived.

“How many are there?” Fann asked, wondering why she was lying to him. It had taken almost a week to track them over water then land, then back on the sea to this island. He'd brought himself on shore here to spend the night and been surprised to see a fire in the cave. He'd discovered them thanks to that fire, and had hidden himself on the island to watch them ever since. He had been surprised to find only she and her abductor on the island when the last sighting of them had said they were at least half a dozen men and a woman on a small ship. He was sure there were only the two of them here though. It did not appear that they had been shipwrecked, and the sea had been calm enough in the last week to make that unlikely anyway. He had watched long enough to be sure the man had not taken any liberties with his wife. Now that he'd seen her up close he wasn't sure how the man had managed. Either he was incapable, a saint, or he was being very well paid to deliver her to someone untouched.

“A dozen or more,” she answered with a toss of her hair.

Fann stared at her. A lie. But why? Unless—the thought hit him fast and he reacted just as quickly. His hand was over her mouth again before she could let out a scream.

She struggled, but it was useless against his strength. She didn’t give up though, she continued pelting him with whatever she could; hands, elbows, knees, feet, but nothing affected him. Fann tore a strip off her dress while she struggled and let her throw her tantrum. He knew she would tire before he did. When she slowed her assault he shoved the scrap of fabric in her mouth and held her arms behind her back, wrapping her shawl tightly around her to bind them in place. He tossed her over his shoulder and headed down to the boat he had hidden in some brush.

She squirmed so much as he walked down the hill that she nearly slid from his grasp onto her head. Finn swung her to her feet, keeping one arm around her waist while he grasped her chin with the other.

“I am taking us to MacDonald lands and that is final. Why you want to stay with your captor is beyond me, but the king himself sent me to find you and return you home, so that is what I will do. Struggle more and I’ll beat your bottom red. Elenore’s eyes widened. In surprise or indignation, he wasn’t sure, until their blue depths darkened, as though a shadow crossed over the sea with an icy wind. She swung her knee up, nearly catching him in a tender spot. When he moved to block that assault she tossed her head forward and banged her forehead on his chin. Finn cursed and hoisted her back up over his shoulder, swatting her bottom firmly enough to cause her to yelp through the fabric in her mouth, but it had the desired effect. She stilled on his shoulder so he could get them quickly to the boat.

He lay her face down on the floor of the boat, ensuring the cloak was still binding her arms tightly to her back and would not come undone until they were a ways from shore. Her legs were bent up behind her, her bare feet sticking in the air, caught on the side of the small craft. He knew she’d be uncomfortable, but since she wasn’t cooperating she’d have to suffer the awkward, undignified position until he got them safely away and could take the time to deal with her another way. He’d not seen another boat on the island, so he doubted the man could follow him, but he couldn’t be certain there wasn’t one tucked in somewhere he hadn’t noticed. Either there or on one of the nearby islands, perhaps with those dozen other men she'd been talking about. She struggled to roll herself over so Fann put his foot between her shoulder blades and pushed down firmly enough to keep her still. “Do not move or you’ll dump us both in the ocean. I will manage fine, but I doubt you can swim in a dress with your arms bound behind you. The weight of the wet fabric will pull you under quickly and we are already nearing deep water.” She stilled again and he looked down at her as he propelled them out to sea. Her skirts had fallen to her knees, revealing shapely legs. The curve of her calves aroused him and Fann cursed, shifting his gaze to the islands and watching for any sign that her absence had been noticed.

He wanted lands and a clan of his own. He'd earned them. The king had seen to it that he was wed to this woman as a reward, so he had a right to touch her as he wished, but if he knew if he did so before she was willing, she would never trust him. He had seen many arranged marriages ruined by husbands who had forced their wives to couple too soon. He also wanted a happy family with many bairns. For that, he would need a willing wife. He would wait, no matter how much his body craved for her.