Anita Clenney - Heart Of A Highland Warrior

He touched his chest. “No. It’s an odd thing what being alone does to you, having no idea who you are. Sometimes…” He paused and gave her a sheepish grin that made her body feel weightless. “Sometimes I feel like the marks are talking to me. Barmy, aye?”

If the marks were what she thought, it wasn’t barmy at all. Her battle marks had kept her sane many times. Another cry sounded from outside. The hybrid? “What is this place?” she said, shuddering.

“The guards don’t talk much, other than taunting me.”

“Lance is sneaky. I couldn’t see the man he was talking to just before I followed him, but he doesn’t want the fat guard to know about it.”

“Did you recognize the man he was talking to?”

“No. But he was huge.” Not many men were that size. Maybe he wasn’t a man. Could he have been the master? But why would Lance be sneaking around? Anna squirmed trying to get more comfortable. The bench was hard.

“Are you still cold?”

“I’m fine.” He must not have believed her, or he was still cold himself. He shifted, somehow making their bodies fit together even tighter. She did start to feel warmer.

“Does Lance know you followed him?” He stifled a yawn.

“He does. I told the fat guard, Bart. Lance wasn’t happy. He wanted him to kill me. I wonder what he’s hiding that’s so important.”

The prisoner turned and stared at her, which put them almost nose to nose. Or nose to shoulder. He was a lot taller than she was. “He must be trying to silence you. One of us will have to stay awake in case he comes back. Why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll keep watch.”

“You need rest more than I do. You’re injured.” But she was so tired she couldn’t keep her eyes open. “I think we’ve been drugged.”

“I suspect you’re right. I feel unusually sleepy. The guards have been on edge. Their master is coming soon. You sleep first. I’ll rest in a bit.”

She tried to stay awake, but her eyelids were too heavy. She woke in the night, warm. His arm was around her shoulders, and she was slumped against him. He’d tucked the blanket around her and was holding it in place. She straightened, scanning the cell to see if they were alone. They were. His arm tightened around her, and he leaned his head against hers. There was something so comforting about the position that she ignored her numb butt.

“Are you all right?”

“Just stiff.”

He shifted. “Aye, I can’t feel my arse. Wish I couldn’t feel my back.”

Leaning against the wall couldn’t be doing his wounds any good.

“We could stretch out on the floor,” he said.

But that would be even more intimate. They were in a prison dungeon. Did it matter? They both rose slowly. “I wish there was a bed.”

In the darkness, she saw him glance at her breasts. “Aye. The floor’s not much for sleeping. I’d rather have the ground and soft leaves.”

It would be an improvement over stone. They chose a spot near the corner of the cell. He spread the blanket, and she lay down near the edge. Without words, he lay next to her on his side, close, but not touching. He pulled the remaining half of the blanket over them.

“Are you warm enough?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Your chattering teeth tell a different story.”

“Guess they don’t want to pay the heat bill.” She’d never been this bothered by cold. It must be the drug.

“I can move closer, if that’s all right.”

She would have let him lie on top of her to get rid of this chill. Or maybe it was the drug. She wouldn’t have minded letting him do more than just get rid of the chill. That wasn’t like her. “Thank you,” she said, and he shifted closer. She turned on her side, and he tucked the blanket tighter around them. She could feel him brush against her, but not pressing. “There must be someone wondering where you are.” Maybe a wife who might be upset that his body was tucked against hers. If she loved him, she’d be more upset at what they’d done to him than who he was sharing his body warmth with.

“I would hope.”

He sounded so lost, Anna’s heart broke a little for him. With no memory of who he was, he was completely alone. “It must be terrible not to remember your name or where you came from. Where your family is.” Not that she had a family now. Her only family was her friends. Did they even know she was missing? Were they in danger? Lance’s buddy could have already attacked them. If something happened to them, she would be as alone as the prisoner.

“Aye,” he said softly. “It is that.”

She wanted to help him. All she could do was share her body heat. “When we get out, I’ll help you find them.” And she was determined to get them out.

“That’s very kind of you.”

She lay there feeling his heart beat against her back and the movement of his chest as he breathed. And she was glad she wasn’t alone.

After a moment, his voice brushed her ear. “I’ve no memories of my own. Perhaps you could share something of yours with me? Tell me about when you were a child.”

She never talked about her childhood. But somehow here in the dungeon with this stranger who had no memories, it seemed safe. Whatever she had, good or bad, it was more than he had.

“I lived with my mother. I never knew my…father.” Her mother hadn’t either. “My mother was a powerful woman at one time. Very strong.” Strong enough to make tough decisions. “And kind. But something terrible happened, and it destroyed her.” For years she’d believed her mother had died at the hands of a demon when she’d really killed herself. The clan hadn’t told Anna. That made her angry, but she understood in a way. She had just started her duty. Knowing the truth would have destroyed her. She would never have known if Angus hadn’t found her mother’s death certificate. “I miss her.” There were times when she’d felt her mother’s love. When they’d almost felt normal.

“I’m sorry it was bad. Didn’t your mother tell you anything about your father?”

“No. She never spoke of him.” And Anna learned not to ask.

“Do you live nearby?” he asked.

“No. I have a flat in London, and I spend a lot of time in Scotland.”

“Scotland?” He sounded the word as if testing it.

She suspected he knew Scotland well. “I travel a lot for work.”

“What do you do?” he asked, and she thought she heard a note of suspicion in his voice.

“Um, it’s hard to explain.” As much as she wanted to open up to him, she couldn’t say much until she was sure he was a warrior.

“Why do you have to work?”

Odd question. “Everyone has to work if they want to eat.” Her job just wasn’t typical. Not many humans got their orders from an angel. “My friends help me.” She thought of the others—Ronan, Sorcha and Duncan, Faelan, and now Bree, Shay, Cody…Angus. They were her family now. And she’d abandoned them to stew in her grief over Angus. Angus would be pissed if he knew. Maybe he did know. Maybe he was watching her now. Watching them. Maybe she was loopy with drugs. She definitely wasn’t herself. She almost felt drunk. She snuggled closer to the warmth at her back, wishing the prisoner would hold her even tighter. God, what did they give me? she thought, as the weight of her lids pulled her under.

A GROAN WOKE Anna. A strong arm, bruised and laced with cuts, was wrapped around her waist. Her instinct was to fight, but she felt a warm breath caress her ear and the body at her back, and she remembered where she was and who held her.

“No,” he whispered. “They’ll forget.” His arm tensed, and his breath came faster, harsher. “No!”

Anna strained against his arm, and he tightened his grip, making it hard to breathe. She broke his hold and rolled over, putting her hand on his face to calm him. His arm came out, catching her in a blow that knocked her against the wall.

Winded, Anna crawled back to him. “Wake up.” He continued tossing, throwing the blanket aside. He smacked his head on the floor, and she wondered if some of his injuries had come from fighting his dreams. Ducking to avoid another blow, she dove between his fists and grabbed him. If he didn’t stop, he would reopen all the wounds on his back. He grunted and tried to swing again, but she kept her arms tight around him, avoiding the injured areas. It wouldn’t help for long. He was as strong as a bull. “Wake up!”

His eyes opened, but they were vacant. There was a damp trail at one corner. She released his arms and leaned back. “Are you OK?”

He didn’t speak. He covered his face, and Anna could hear his labored breathing. He lowered his hands, and the look in his eyes was so lost, she couldn’t help but touch his face. He pressed his cheek against her palm.

When his hand touched her side and moved over her back, winding in her hair, she didn’t resist. Not when he gently pulled her face to his or softly touched her cheek. His breath was warm as his mouth met hers. She felt the rough edge of a healed cut at the top of his lip. He tilted her head and kissed her. Neither hard nor soft. Just desperate. Like a man lost at sea, clinging to the only spot of dry land. Sensations curled in her belly, spreading outward until she was wrapped in the taste and feel of him. His warm tongue, his beard tickling her chin, his hands tangled in her hair and bare legs against hers. He rolled, putting her underneath him, cradling her head.

She was afraid of hurting him, but she needed to touch him. Gently, she held onto his shoulders, feeling the power and strength in the muscle and bone. He had no restraints. He was touching every part of her that he could reach. Part of her brain was sending off alarm bells, but her desire was too strong. She wanted his skin against hers. Him inside her. She moved her hips against his and he settled deeper between her thighs. His kilt had lifted, and all that separated them was the thin cloth of her panties.

A moment of clarity dulled her passion. What was she doing? The drug must be lowering her inhibitions. She didn’t react this way. She knew the dangers involved with sex. She put her hands on his chest. “Stop.”

He leaned back and looked at her. His eyes were glazed and he was breathing hard. “Stop?”

“This is too fast. I’m sorry.”

“Forgive me.” He started to roll off her.

“Don’t move or I’ll shoot.” The guard stood outside the cell with his gun pointed at them. “Don’t stop now. It’s just getting good.”

“Bastard,” the prisoner muttered, shifting his weight off Anna. “What do you want?”

The guard looked at Anna. “I’d like some of that.”

“Over my dead body,” Anna said. Or his.

“I’ve never tried it that way, but I’ve heard there’s some appeal,” the guard said.

A low growl came from the prisoner’s throat. Anna knew the guard was as good as dead. The only question was when, and who would get to him first, the prisoner or her.

“Don’t touch her.” The prisoner’s voice was hard.

The guard sneered. “Or what? What will you do?”

“I’ll drive my dirk straight through your bloody heart.”

“But you don’t have a dirk, do you?”

“Then I’ll do it with my bare hands. I’ll tear your chest open with my fingers and rip out your heart.”

Hatred seethed from his eyes. “You’re not so special. I don’t know why he bothers with you. This experiment will fail, just like the other one. And you,” he said, glaring at Anna. “I’d kill you now if you weren’t worth more to me alive. If you don’t want me, then you can do him. I’d just as soon watch anyway.”

Anna’s throat dried. “No,” she croaked.

“Your choice. Him or me.”

“No.” The prisoner’s body was tight with anger. “I’ll tell the master what you’ve done.”

There was a flash of fear in the guard’s eyes, but he just laughed. “What’ll he care? That’s what you’re here for anyway. Feeding and breeding. That’s why I like working here. I get to watch the breeding.”

Breeding? Anna met the prisoner’s shocked gaze. They were going to breed him.

“Get on with it,” the guard said. “This is better than what you’ll be bred to later.”

“No,” the prisoner said again.

The guard aimed the gun at Anna. “Do it or I’ll kill her. Then I’ll kill you. I’ll tell the master the hybrid killed you both. He’s killed plenty of others. The master will believe it. Now pick up where you left off. Show her what women are good for.”

The prisoner looked at Anna, his face hard. “We’re in a mess here.”

Anna nodded.

“If I could just get to him without that bloody pistol,” he whispered, but they both knew it was impossible. “We can pretend. With what we’re wearing, we might fool him. I don’t know what else to do.”