Free Darkest Highlander by Donna Grant

accustomed to being betrayed. She will hunt and kill anyone associated with the MacLeods in retaliation.”
    “Including you.”
    “Aye. I know more than most. The only Warrior who was closer to Deirdre than me was William, and he was killed.”
    The bed creaked, signaling Sonya had sat. “I shouldn’t have fought against returning to the castle. We’d be safe now.”
    Broc turned to Sonya. “This is no’ your fault. We’ve seen the wyrran, and I will kill it. I willna allow it to harm anyone.”
    “And the others? You know there are others out there. You cannot kill them all.”
    “I can kill most. Finding them is no’ the problem. It’s getting to them before they can do any mischief.”
    Her amber gaze seemed to see right through him, as if she knew he longed to unleash his god and spread his wings to fly through the night, tracking each wyrran to kill it.
    Warring with the need for the wyrran’s death was his growing and ever-present longing for Sonya.
    Just being alone in the room with her was the sweetest kind of torment. Her lavender scent made him think of wildflowers and forests. Her scent was on his clothes, on the linens of the bed, and forever in his memory.
    With three steps he could close the distance between them. He could cover her lips with his, sinking into her kiss. Slowly. Thoroughly.
    Completely.
    To have her taste on his tongue, to know the essence of her, was what he dreamed about. Everything about her was magical and utterly breathtaking.
    One of the best days of his long, exhaustive life was when she used her magic so he could hear the trees talk to her. It had been an experience that touched his very soul. An experience that only made him want her even more, if that were possible.
    No one had shared anything so personal, so beautiful with him before. He hadn’t mattered enough to anyone. Yet, Sonya had given him that small gift because she had wanted to share something with him.
    He still didn’t understand why she had chosen him, but he cherished it.
    Her head cocked to the side as her red hair fell over her shoulder in a cascade of curls. “What are you thinking when you look at me like that?”
    “I was thinking about when you allowed me to hear the trees. Why did you do that?”
    She shrugged and picked at her skirts. “I’m not sure. You were there and I wanted you to hear them, to hear how lovely they were. How important they are to me.”
    “Everyone knows how important the trees are to you.”
    “Yet, you seemed surprised I would allow you to hear them. Why?”
    Broc smiled wryly. “Do you forget where I was all those years? Do you think there was any kindness inside Cairn Toul?”
    “How old are you?”
    He blinked at her sudden change of topic. But he didn’t hesitate to tell her. “Two hundred and seventy-five since I was turned immortal.”
    “All of it spent with Deirdre?”
    “All but the past few weeks, aye.” He hated talking about his time with Deirdre, but since it took up most of his life, he had nothing else to talk about. And he knew Sonya was curious.
    Sonya’s tongue peeked out to wet her lips. “Then I’m glad I showed you the wonders of the trees.”
    Maybe it was the light in her amber eyes. Maybe it was the way she looked at him, but Broc almost went to her and took the kiss he had been fantasizing about.
    She cleared her throat and gave a weak smile. “So, what do we do now? Wait?”
    Broc glanced out the window as he tried to think of a reason a wyrran would be at the village. He felt no magic other than Sonya’s, so the wyrran couldn’t be here for a Druid. Unless there were Druids nearby.
    “I’m going to go see how many wyrran are about. I want you to stay here.”
    “I will,” she promised. “How many do you think there are?”
    “If there are several, they’ve been sent to find someone and bring him back to Deirdre.”
    “And if there’s only one?”
    Broc blew out a breath. “That’s another matter entirely. That means the