Highland Shift (Highland Destiny: 1) Read online

  Elena looked up at Faolan. So proud, like a true Highland warrior, doing everything in his power to take care of his clan. He carried the burden of his father’s duty. He lived to do the right thing for Lilly, for Red, for the future of his bloodline, and for her. She needed to help him, and she thought she had some of the answers within her reach. She just needed a few more pieces of information.

  She decided to trust her head with her heart, Elena asked, “Faolan, how old are you?”

  Faolan closed the book he’d been reading and set it on the ground, and stared into the fire for a long moment. Then he turned and looked at Elena, with eyes as old and lonely as his years, “I was born over three hundred years ago, lass. ‘Tis part of the curse that we not age in the normal way.”

  “I see,” Elena said carefully, as though this were a common event in her experience. “Did you know about the mirror, Faolan?” she asked. “Did you know that Worthington was looking for a mirror?”

  “Aye, lass.”

  “And to lift this curse, we need to find the mirror, the spell, and your true heart?”

  “Aye, ‘tis what we believe, Elena.”

  “Worthington believes the mirror is here, so if we find the mirror and the spell, do you know your true heart yet, Faolan?”

  Faolan turned to stare out the window and hide the lie. “Nay, lass.”

  Elena’s heart was breaking. She paused, not sure she wanted the answer to this last question. “When you get all three, the mirror, the spell, and your true heart, then what? What will happen then, Faolan? What will happen to you?”

  “I doona’ know, lass,” he groaned, his voice a rough whisper against her heart. “I doona’ know if I will stay in this time or return to the past. I doona’ know if I will resume my normal aging process or age suddenly and die, a very old man, in the blink of an eye.”

  Elena moved across the couch to climb into his lap, put her arms around his neck, and laid her head on his chest. Sometimes there just weren’t any words.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The next morning, Elena knew she had some decisions to make. After telling everyone she needed some time alone, she locked herself in her room after breakfast. She crawled on top of her bed with her laptop, backpack, and cat, and got to work. She pulled the books out of her backpack first. Elena hated feeling fuzzy about what happened to her in the chamber, but she was sure she remembered finding what she thought was a spell.

  As she looked through the largest volume, more of the missing three days came back to her. She found the page with the pictures of the wolves and opened the secret hiding place in her fireplace. Sure enough, the mirror the spellcaster was holding in the illustration looked just like the one that she now held in her hand. Was this it? Could we be this close to finding Faolan’s cure?

  What had those women said to her in her vision? Had Brigid really been there too? She said something about being Faolan’s light. That was it! She was supposed to be Faolan’s light and guide his way. Somehow, fate had led her here to find the spell and the mirror, and guide Faolan to find his true heart. She would ease the suffering she saw on Faolan’s face when he thought no one watched. The robed women said she needed to reflect and follow the path of learning. She was convinced that on this path of learning, she would find the last piece Faolan needed. Elena had it in her power to save him. And lose my own heart forever.

  Before she gave Faolan the treasures he needed, she was determined to give him something else, something they both needed. Tonight would be the first and last time for them. He might try to be noble and spare her heart, but it was way too late for that. She would lose her virginity to him tonight in one last evening of romance. In the morning, she would give him the spell and the mirror, and they would devise a plan to find the last piece he needed to lift the curse. Then, Elena would leave, because as long as she was still here, Faolan would never seek his true heart.

  ****

  Elena took Lilly into her confidence about her plans for the evening, and told her she wanted tonight to be very special for Faolan. They needed a special dinner, special wine, special everything. Lilly enthusiastically agreed and promptly shooed Elena out of the house to go to get new “everythings,” in Inverness.

  Elena treated herself to an indulgent afternoon of pampering; she got her hair washed and trimmed and a manicure. She bought a low-cut, deep emerald-green silk dress that clung to her curves and highlighted her eyes. She also bought sexy new lingerie and even a lacy new nightgown, just in case she had to go to extra innings to get him to play.

  She knew how careful Faolan was being not to cross the imaginary line he drew in their relationship, but he was still sleeping on top of her bed. He said he was keeping her safe. Elena knew he couldn’t stand to be away from her, any more than she could be away from him. So if he rebuffed her initial advances…well, heaven help him when she came out dressed for bed in this little bit of nothing. Not playing fair? You better believe it.

  Hurrying home to check on Lilly’s progress and to start getting ready, Elena knew she had to be careful. She didn’t want Faolan to catch on, to realize that this night was going to be different until the very last minute. She would leave him no room for excuses.

  At Elena’s request, Lilly was preparing lobster tails with melted butter, twice-baked potatoes, and a salad. Lilly added chocolate dipped strawberries and thick cream, should they need dessert. She had selected a bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne, and both were chilling. Red had taken it upon himself to lay a fire in every room and build them up. She supposed so that clothing could be optional in any of them. If Elena wasn’t so determined, she probably would have been embarrassed.

  Everything was almost perfect; they just had the tricky part of having it all ready, before Lilly and Red snuck out. Faolan had been in the library all afternoon, oblivious to the preparations going on around him. Red had set up a small table for two in the lounge, not too near the fireplace, so they wouldn’t be having their romantic dinner at a table for ten. They had two wine buckets, champagne flutes, wineglasses, the best dinnerware they owned, linen tablecloth and napkins. It was an elegant setting.

  The plan was simple. Elena would go into the library, dressed in her slinky new dress, carrying Faolan’s favorite, Macallan single malt whisky. Lilly and Red would sneak off and have a lovely evening of their own at the pub in Fairth. The food was plated and waiting in the warm oven, all Elena had to do was bring it to the table.

  Once Elena was dressed, she came to the kitchen and twirled around the room in her new dress. Lilly made the appropriate noises to let her know she looked good. Elena left her hair down, with soft black curls cascading down her back. She’d added a necklace of a solitaire diamond nestled just barely above her cleavage at the perfect length to draw his eyes to her breasts.

  Lilly and Red both hugged her and said their good-nights. Lilly called over her shoulder as they left through the back door, “We’ll be over around lunch time, dear,” and she and Red both laughed.

  Red added, “Maybe we’ll take a couple of days away.”

  Elena did blush at that; she was starting to get a serious case of nerves. She didn’t know how to seduce someone, what if she screwed this up? Would he laugh at her? Hate her? Leave? Yikes, I need to get this started before I talk myself out of it.

  She took the two crystal rocks glasses, with the finest whisky into the library. Faolan, looked up and smiled distractedly for a moment, and then did a double take, “Wow!”

  Elena laughed, that was such an unexpected saying from her ancient Highlander! She spun for him, handed him his glass and sat next to him on the couch. His eyes roved appreciatively, starting at the bottom and slowly working his way up. When he got to her breasts, he paused for a long time before finally raising his eyes and finding her face. “Elena?”

  “No questions, no promises. Let’s just enjoy this night together.”

  “I’ll not be beddin’ you, lass.”

  “I’m not asking
you to,” she told him. Not yet. They sat together on the couch, although Faolan squeezed himself against the arm and away from contact with Elena.

  She raised her glass to him, said, “Cheers,” which made them both smile warmly with the memory. Then Faolan tossed his drink back, and stood quickly to refill his glass. He raised an eyebrow at her and asked, “Another?”

  Elena declined, remembering all too well another night that she had fallen asleep at a very crucial moment. They each stared into the fire, the silence deafening. Elena was thinking of how to bring seductive suggestions into the conversation, and Faolan was probably thinking of how to deflect them. Either way, they were both quiet for a long time.

  “Are you hungry? Lilly made us a lovely dinner.” Oh God, could I get any more cliché?

  “I suppose Lilly and Red are in on this, too?” Faolan smiled, and she felt the power of it deep in her stomach. Their gazes locked, beginning a slow simmering burn. He sucked in a ragged breath, and took two long steps, then wrapped her in his arms. “Elena.”

  She turned her face up for the kiss she’d been waiting for, the kiss she needed to know she was alive. He crushed his lips against her, possessing her, punishing her. She opened her mouth in a small gasp at the fierceness of the kiss and he immediately thrust in his tongue claiming her mouth as his. Her knees buckled and he held her weight with the arm he had around her back crushing her to him.

  The small voice in the back of her head, kept trying to get her attention, this was not right, not yet, he was angry, this was not right. Not. Right.

  When she pulled her head back trying to catch her breath, he switched to her neck, kissing and biting, scratching her with his stubble. There was desperation in his kisses. She didn’t want him to take her in this mood. “Faolan?”

  He groaned.

  She tried again. “Faolan?”

  “Elena, you almost died. Nothing since I met you is right in your life. I am a curse upon you.”

  Elena pulled slightly back from him, and he turned his head from her. She cradled his face and turned him to look at her. “Faolan, I’m okay. I told you, I’m tough,” she smiled. Seeking to relieve the tension, she added, “Let’s go eat dinner, come on.”

  He took a deep shuddering breath and released her from his bone-crushing hug. Not looking at her, he started to turn away. She placed her hand on his arm, “Faolan, please. I really am okay, let’s relax, and enjoy tonight.”

  He looked at her, and she could almost see the mental shake he gave himself. He smiled his killer smile. “Your wish is my command.” I wish!

  He started to walk toward the kitchen, but stopped when he caught sight of the small table in the lounge. Grinning, he said, “You went all out, lass!” Laughing softly, he went to the wine buckets and examined the contents. “Champagne or wine?”

  “How about we have the wine with dinner. We can save the champagne for later,” she suggested.

  “We’ll not be celebrating any big events tonight,” he said, putting on a stern look.

  “I’m sure you’re right, Faolan,” she smiled innocently, causing Faolan to roar with laughter.

  The evening went much better after that; they were both able to relax. They got their plates from the kitchen and poured the wine. The lobster tails were cooked to perfection, and Elena enjoyed watching him watching her, as she used her fingers to dip a morsel into the melted butter before slipping it into her mouth. She licked her fingers, looking deep in his eyes, making promises she intended to keep. When she dipped her last piece of lobster in butter, she leaned across to feed it to Faolan. He grasped her wrist and guided her hand to his mouth, his tongue savoring the butter on her fingertips. She nearly purred with pleasure.

  He poured another glass of wine, and they worked together to clear the table and wash the dishes. They were laughing and having a good time together, which was exactly the evening Elena had in mind. Of course, it wasn’t the only thing she had in mind, but the night was young.

  ****

  Och, Elena was so beautiful, she took his breath away. She had orchestrated this entire evening, clearly with the idea of giving her maidenhead to him. He didn’t think he could convince her to drink enough to pass out this time, he thought wryly. When she had first walked into the room, and he had seen the intention in her eyes, his heart swelled with love for her. For one so wee to have faced so much in the last month and yet keep fighting for what she believed was right.

  She had the heart of a lion, nay, of a Highlander. He knew it would hurt her when he bade her good night before consummating their love, but he had no choice. How could he make love to her until he knew how to break this curse and what would happen once it was broken?

  He had lost control of himself at the enormity of her love and the trust plain on her face. His rage knew no bounds when he thought of how he had almost lost her twice this past week. He had been holding himself tightly, reining his emotions back, lest they consume him. Yet when Elena called his name, touched him, the beast within him was loosed, and he wanted to claim her for all time.

  Elena was his true heart, his light. Consummating their love would bind their hearts together forever. It was all he had ever wanted, to know this eternal love. Yet, he couldn’t bind her to him if he would be dragged back to another time or die once his curse was lifted.

  Faolan would love her with his heart and soul for this evening but not his body. In the morning, he must send her away for her safety and his sanity. He felt he on the verge of finding the spell, and Worthington must sense the mirror was closer than ever. Brigid said the time was at hand, and he must be especially careful this moon.

  The full moon was on the morrow, and Elena must be far away. He must know she was safe. He would make her understand. Once he knew the outcome of the spell, he could better prepare both of them to accept what the fates would bring. Above all else, he must keep Elena safe. If that meant this evening would end on a bittersweet note, so be it.

  ****

  Elena was thrilled with the way the evening was going. At first, when Faolan had been so fierce, she was afraid she had screwed things up somehow. Had she not stopped him, they would be in bed right now. However, it would have been a union born of fear and desperation. Elena wanted him to know that her heart was at peace with his decision. Tonight she wanted to be with him in celebration. Tomorrow, she would gift him with the mirror and the spell and then she would leave so that he would be free to find his true heart.

  Faolan took the champagne, glasses, and strawberries into the library, and she felt her heart in her throat. This was it; the seduction would begin in earnest. He popped the cork and poured them each a glass. They clinked glasses, and drank. The bubbles tickled her nose and danced on her tongue. She watched his lips on the rim of his glass.

  Mesmerized by his mouth, Elena imagined the two of them naked on the rug in front of the fire. He knelt between her thighs, took his champagne, and slowly drizzled it over her white-hot womanhood, the bubbles tickling and teasing, and then Faolan’s clever tongue began to lick, to lap up the champagne slowly, lovingly…

  “Elena, what are you thinking of? You look so far away.”

  She dragged her eyes from his mouth to meet his gaze. In her mind, she still held the image of Faolan buried between her legs, lapping champagne. His eyes widened and he inhaled sharply. Suddenly she knew he could see the image, too. Holy show! Did I do that?

  They both swallowed hard. Wow.

  Without speaking, Faolan refilled their glasses of champagne, took Elena’s hand, and led her to the couch. Neither of them was quite ready to talk about what had just happened. After a few minutes, he sighed deeply, put his arm around her, and pulled her against his side. Elena leaned her head on his shoulder, feeling content for the moment just to be close to him.

  Chapter Twenty

  Elena woke with a blinding headache, but none of the nausea she experienced the last time she passed out. Damndamndamn! How could I have fallen asleep again? She tried to si
t up, but couldn’t move. Faolan was draped across her, sprawled sideways, and dead weight. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She squinted her eyes open, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

  She was on the hard ground in a stone room. Oh, please no, God no! She felt the panic start to rise and began to struggle under Faolan’s weight. He moaned, and started to move.

  “Faolan, Faolan, wake up. Faolan, are you all right? Wake up, please, Faolan, wake up.”

  Faolan came awake in one smooth motion, jumping to his feet, his stance ready to fight. His eyes glowed and his nostrils flared, as though his wolf senses were at work in his human body. “Elena? Are you all right? Where are we? What happened?”

  “I don’t know what happened or where we are. I have a terrible headache, but I don’t think I’m hurt anywhere else. Are you okay?”

  “Aye, I also have a headache. We were drugged. Where has he put us?” He spoke to himself and started pacing the room, examining it from every angle.

  It was more cell than room. It was a circular, stone structure, and unlike like the one in which Elena had been trapped, this one had a small, barred window at the top of the wall near the ceiling that let in light. There was a tapestry hanging on the wall, and a threadbare rug on the floor. The door was heavy oak, the same as the other underground rooms. It wasn’t going to yield to force, no matter how strong the shoulder.

  “Faolan, lift me up. Let me look out the window.” Elena stood a bit shakily, and he lifted her high enough to peer outside. She’d thought they were in a tower of some sort; instead Elena saw the ground at eye level. The cell was sunk into the ground. There was not a single building in sight. She was looking into a small clearing, surrounded by trees. It looked familiar, yet she knew she’d never been there before. Elena could hear the sound of water nearby, maybe a brook or stream. She described everything to Faolan.