“Rannick! Release your father!” his mother ordered as she came to a stop beside them. “Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. You, Lochlann, for threatening to deprive your son of the woman he loves and you, Rannick, for laying your hand on your father, yet again.”
“He deserved it,” Rannick spat, releasing his father and stepping away, his anger still bubbling and ready to erupt.
“Perhaps so, since your father has no talent in weighing his words, just as you don’t. You are both more alike than you realize, for your father would have done the same to his father if he had threatened to annul our marriage.”
“Da loves you?” Rannick asked, surprised.
“Of course I love your mum,” Lochlann snapped.
“You don’t show it,” Rannick accused.
“It is not your concern,” Lochlann argued.
“Enough!” Lady Helice ordered. “You argue when the only concern should be about Bliss.”
“I am fine, Lady Helice.”
The three of them turned to see Bliss standing just outside the cottage door.
“I am unharmed and well-protected here,” Bliss said and walked over to the three to slip her arm around her husband’s. “Though I want you both, Lord Lochlann and Lady Helice, to know how very much I love your son and how my heart would shatter in endless pieces, never to be made whole again, if you separated us.”
A pain tore at Rannick’s heart at the thought. “That is never going to happen. You and I will remain together forever and beyond.”
Lady Helice pressed a hand to her chest as her eyes turned teary. “I am so happy to know how much you both love each other.” When her husband made no remark, she jabbed him in the side with her elbow. “Aren’t you happy for them, Lochlann?”
“I will be happier when I get what I bargained for,” he said with a glare at Bliss.
“These things take time, Lochlann, be patient,” she said and tugged at his arm to turn and walk with her to the keep.
Rannick silently blessed his mum for seeing that the confrontation was brought to an end, but it had not truly ended. “My father will bring up this matter about an heir again. I will need to address this soon and let him know the clan will never have an heir.”
Her stomach churned, knowing differently and knowing she could not wait long as well to tell him that was not true, the clan would have an heir.
CHAPTER 25
Bliss woke from a sound sleep, not knowing what had interrupted her peaceful slumber. She had easily fallen asleep after making love with her husband just after they had gotten in bed. He had taken his time and while it had been enjoyable and satisfying it had lacked its usual intensity. It had been obvious to her that his mind had been elsewhere, not that she could blame him.
The search for the man who had killed the culprit had not gone well. Snow had turned heavy, and the tracks had soon been lost. That was a few days ago and nothing more had been found.
She turned on her side, her naked body having cooled from the emptiness of the bed, and she saw that her husband was standing by the hearth, his arm braced on the slim, wood mantel.
He truly was a man of fine form and strength, though it was born out of necessity. Her husband had faced more peril than most men and if he had not possessed such strength and courage, had endured despite the curse, he would not be here now with her.
That troubling thought had her hurrying out of bed and over to her husband, a chill chasing along after her. She rushed her arms around his waist and pressed as much of herself as she could against him to steal his warmth.
He brought his arm back behind him and over her to nudge her around in front of him and rest her solidly against him.
The heat from the hearth had toasted him and quickly seeped through her while the heat from the fire’s flames drifted over her backside and legs, feeling heavenly.
“I thought I was quiet enough not to disturb you,” he said, pressing a kiss on the top of her head as his way of apologizing for waking her.
“It was not a noise that woke me, but the emptiness of the bed,” she said, resting her head on her husband’s warm chest. “Share your troubling thoughts with me now that we are both awake.”
He stroked her back, not able to keep his hands off her silky skin as he gladly shared the thoughts that had woken him from a restless sleep. “Some things do not make sense to me. Even if Odran, Brogan, and I die, that does not stop the curse. Our fathers still live which means so does the curse. So why kill us three and not our fathers?”