Free Highland Sanctuary by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

to her safety seized him.
     
"It's from up ahead," Leith said. "Come on. We might be of help."
     
"Ye go. I canna leave Serena unprotected in these woods." Gavin turned his horse. "I'm goin' back for her."
     
"Good idea." Leith charged forward, stiring up a cloud of dust behind him.
     
Gavin rode Sholto until he saw Serena walking with her stick. He slowed as she glanced up at his approach, an uncertain expression in her green eyes. Serena shivered.
     
"What was that?" She rubbed Sholto on the neck. Her hand trembled. "I thought I heard a scream."
     
"Ye did." Gavin grabbed her hand, leaned over, and met her gaze. "I've come back for ye. An' this time I won't leave without ye. These woods are too dangerous."
     
"What happened?"
     
"I'm not sure. Leith went on to check it out. We'll likely see for ourselves in a wee bit." Gavin offered her his arm. "Grab on. I'll pull ye up."
     
At first he thought she would refuse, but then she closed her eyes and clutched him. He lifted her and she gasped as she settled behind him. Her arms wrapped around his middle. He liked having her next to him—mayhap too much.
     
Gavin nudged Sholto forward. He galloped toward the sound of a weeping lass bent over a dead cow. She lifted her tear-stained brown eyes, her dark hair fell over her shoulder.
     
"'Tis Lavena!" Serena said.
     
Leith had dismounted and bent examining the animal. The blood still oozed to the ground, a recent kill.
     
"My sister didn't get around to her chores this morn, so I offered to help her this evenin'. We needed the milk. I couldn't find her an' now I know why." Lavena's lower lip trembled and fresh tears filled her eyes. "Who could do such a horrible thing? We depend on our animals. We don't have much as it is."
     
"Could it have been Quinn's wolf?" Gavin asked.
     
"Nay." Leith stood and stepped back, pointing at the carcass. "Look at the wound. The cut is smooth and clean. Only a sword or a dagger could have done that. Whoever it was didn't steal this animal for food or profit or they wouldn't have left it here." Leith met Gavin's gaze. "The question is—why?"
     

Serena stepped into the small, humble home she had come to cherish over the years. Relief filled her aching muscles as she pulled off her cloak with a sigh. Her first day working back at the castle had tired her more than she thought it would, but the murdered cow had shaken her even more.
     
"Here she is." Tomas stood from the wooden chair he'd been sitting in at the table.
     
Her mother bent over an iron pot hanging from the hearth, stirring. Gunna stood kneading dough on the other side of the table from Tomas. The aroma of rabbit stew lifted in the air, a musky scent mixed with onions, carrots, and spinach leaves. Any other time she would welcome the smell, but for the moment, her stomach rolled.
     
"Did ye bring us another rabbit, Tomas?" Serena asked, hanging her cloak on a peg by the door.
     
"Aye." Her mother straightened, rubbing her hand on her lower back. "And a good thing he did or else we'd have no meat with our vegetable stew this night."
     
"I went hunting this afternoon with Quinn and Beacon. Surviving their boasting was quite an adventure. I thought the two of them would scare away the prey before they stopped arguing over who would bring back the most meat."
     
Glad to free her mind from the recent troubles, Serena grinned. The two behaved more like brothers, fighting one minute and planning events the next. She had no doubt they'd defend each other to the death.
     
"I caught two rabbits, I did. And I thought to myself," Tomas touched a finger to the side of his head, "who would enjoy such a fine feast and be so kind as to share their even finer cooking? That's when I thought of the three of ye." He bent in a mock bow, dipping his chin where she could no longer see his gray eyes. A thin layer of brown hair on his head reminded Serena of the peaches a peddler once brought to the village.
     
"Serena, I believe yer advice