She opened her eyes to see her husband’s face planted in front of hers.
“You’ll not leave me,” he said in a harsh whisper.
His eyes glistened with unshed tears and her heart ached for the pain she saw there. “Never,” she whispered and puckered her lips to kiss him.
Slatter slipped his hand under her head to lift it some while lowering his lips to reach hers.
It was a brief kiss, one that let him know she wasn’t going anywhere.
He rested his brow to hers. “You’re my life, my world, nothing exists without you beside me.”
There was no charm to his voice nor did he wear his usual teasing grin. It was all from his heart and Willow felt her own heart swell with love for her husband.
She went to lift her arm, wanting to touch his face and grimaced with pain. His loving words and concern made her forget about her wound.
“Your wound,” he said as if he had forgotten about it as well.
Once her husband moved away from her, she saw that Snow, Eleanor, and Carna stood waiting, their faces pinched with worry.
“Help me sit up,” Willow said, reaching out her uninjured arm to her husband.
Slatter looked ready to argue, then shook his head. “You’re the healer.” He lifted her gently and got her situated comfortably. “What else can I do?”
“Wait in the Great Hall until summoned,” she said and raised her finger when he looked ready to fight her. “I need to focus on my wound and with you present that will be difficult for me to do. So please go and let James know what is going on and wait for Tarass and Devin to return with Sterling and his men.”
“You’ll let me know—”
“As soon as I know the extent of the wound, so will you,” Willow assured him. “And you will let me know about Sterling?”
“You have my word.” He gave her a quick kiss and was gone.
“How bad?” Snow asked, stepping forward.
“We’re about to find out,” Willow said.
With nothing to do but wait, Slatter felt lost. He paced the Great Hall in front of the large fireplace, around the tables, went to the door, stopped, giving a second thought to waiting outside for Tarass and Devin to return, but worried he’d miss word from his wife.
He cursed Tarass over and over. He and Devin could have easily handled Sterling and his two brutes and the three would be dead by now and his wife unharmed. But where would that have left him? Would anyone have believed the truth?
He stopped pacing. With Tarass discovering the truth for himself, Slatter was free.
The thought opened so many possibilities, ones he never imagined were possible. He sat at a table near the fireplace and gave thought to the future, something he had never done before.
“My sister has been harmed?” James asked as he burst into the Great Hall. “I led the group that went to make sure Sterling’s men did not follow to help him.”
“Willow suffered a wound to her arm. She tends it now and will let me know how she fares as soon as she’s done. Tarass was aware of Sterling’s plan?”
“Not of the plan itself,” James said, removing his cloak and joining Slatter at the table. “He told me he didn’t trust the man and that he’d had enough lies and wanted the truth. He had his trackers ready to follow you. He received word not long after you departed that you were separated from the troop and went after you while sending me after the troop. They’re camped not far from here, waiting for Lord Sterling’s return. Did Tarass learn the truth for himself?”
“He did and he returns the culprit here along with the two men who harmed my grandmother,” Slatter said, anger in his words.
“Those men can certainly be made to pay for their crimes, but Lord Sterling is another matter,” James said, anger in his tone as well.
The door opened then and the men they had been discussing, except for Tyler, entered the room, Lord Tarass and Devin as well as four of Tarass’s warriors escorting them.
Sterling held his head high, his jaw swollen and a deep purple bruise spreading. Dunn was also a bit bruised and battered, the fool probably having tried to escape Tarass’s men.
“I demand you free me and get this brute away from me,” Sterling ordered, trying to yank his arm free of the firm grasp.
“Devin. The name is Devin,” he said, sticking his face in front of Sterling’s.
Sterling turned away from him and gave a nod to Slatter. “He plotted and planned all this. I did what was necessary to protect myself.” He turned to Dunn and cast a quick glance around. “Where is Tyler? He was with us when we entered the village.”
“Dunn told me, in exchange for my word that I wouldn’t kill him, that it was Tyler who waited for my loyal warrior Rhodes and killed him. Tyler cursed him out so I knew it was no lie. I turned him over to my warriors. He should be near death by now since I ordered them to make sure he suffered some before he died,” Tarass said without an ounce of emotion and looked to Slatter. “I’m sure you want revenge for what was done to your grandmother, so I left Dunn for you.”