When he hesitated, fairly sure she would lecture him about getting involved with his enemy’s kin, he couldn’t believe it when she said, “Please.”

It was the first time he’d ever heard his mother say the word, and he knew everyone present was just as shocked.

“I’ll take Elaine down to the kitchen, and you can join her in a few minutes,” Shelley quickly offered.

Cearnach didn’t care how nicely his mother asked, if she even asked him nicely, or if she tried to order him about. She wasn’t the one to determine what would happen to Elaine.

Chapter 11

Ian’s phone rang once again in his solar, and everyone looked at him as if he was about to hear some earth-shattering news—a call to battle, a final ultimatum—from one of the McKinleys or their cousins. He glanced at the caller ID and frowned. Looking at Cearnach with a raised brow, he greeted the caller with a brief, “Calla.”

Cearnach couldn’t have been more astonished.

“Yeah, Cearnach is safe here. I’ll let you speak with him.” Ian held the phone out to Cearnach.

Cearnach crossed the floor to Ian and took the phone. He breathed in deeply and said, “Calla.”

“You’re all right?” she asked, and he heard a hint of tears in her voice.

He hated that Baird or his brothers had upset her. “Aye, I’m fine, Calla. You… heard about my car.”

“Aye, the bastards. I’m so sorry.”

“You had nothing to do with it, lass.”

“Is… is the woman with you?”

“Aye, Elaine Hawthorn. Robert Kilpatrick’s distant cousin. They stole her rental car and left us stranded.”

Silence.

“Calla?”

“Aye, I know. That’s why I called. After I left the church, I learned Baird and his brothers and the Kilpatricks went after Elaine’s car. Except they didn’t know at the time that she was the one who was to meet with Robert. I was worried when they were concerned you and Elaine hadn’t made it to Argent Castle yet. They were furious you came to the wedding, but even more so when I called it off.”

Cearnach didn’t say anything for a moment, too astonished. “But you got married.”

“We didn’t exchange our vows yet. I’d explained to Baird that I’d invited you, so when Vardon hit Elaine and made you leave the church, I was furious. I’d told him before the wedding that if he did anything to discourage your being there, I’d call off the marriage. Despite my warning, he still had his brothers throw you out. He said he had nothing to do with it, but he lied. I saw him give them a slight nod, issuing the order to have them remove you. So as soon as you left, I walked out.”

Cearnach smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“If I’d learned they’d destroyed your car beforehand, I would have made a public spectacle of Baird. Is Elaine all right?” she asked, sounding genuinely concerned for the American.

“Aye. She’s here with me now.” Safe and secure, and he meant to keep her that way.

“Good. Keep her there, Cearnach. Let them continue to be concerned. Robert’s stored her rental car in his garage so it’s protected for the time being. They’re still worried that Elaine might not have made it safely to Argent Castle. Ian wouldn’t answer his cell phone. So they’ve turned wolf to find your trails. I’m sure they’ll soon discover you made it home and will be demanding Elaine’s release.”

“They can demand all they want. Are you going to be all right? About calling off the mating?”

Calla gave a ladylike snort. “My family has been really quiet about the whole situation. I think they’re secretly pleased I didn’t marry Baird but afraid to say so. What’s Robert’s cousin like?”

Sexy as hell was what came to mind. Cearnach smiled at Elaine. “Travel weary, and she’s hungry. I’m about to fix her something to eat.”

“I’d like to meet her before she returns home to America,” Calla said. “She’s really pretty. I saw her poke at you and heard her say that if you were going to object to the wedding, you should do so. I had to smile, although Baird was scowling up a storm. I like her already. Keep her away from Robert. Make him pay for what they did. I think Vardon feels bad about hitting her when he meant to hit you, but you know how they are. No apologies to anyone. And, Cearnach?”

“Aye, lass?”

“Thanks. For telling me what I didn’t want to hear. I’ve got to go. Dad wants to talk with me. He says to tell you hi. Take care.”

“You as well. ’Night, Calla.”

When the phone call ended, he took a deep settling breath, glad that Calla had not married McKinley, but he knew it wouldn’t be over that easily. He was certain Baird would attempt to convince her to marry him, if nothing more than to save face. Although knowing him, he’d probably blame Cearnach. He handed the phone to Ian. “Calla called off the wedding.”

Duncan gave a dark laugh. “No wonder they were angry with you, Cearnach. So she finally listened to you.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think she would have done so if I hadn’t been there and they hadn’t reacted the way they had. They proved to Calla what I’d been talking about all along.” Cearnach turned to Elaine. “Ready to eat?”

“I’m not all that hungry,” she demurely said.

She looked tired and ready to go to bed, which immediately made him think of sharing his mattress with her and wishing she was thinking along the same lines. “Keep me company then after I speak with my mother? I’m starving.” He took her arm and led her into the hall, away from his family. He hoped he could whip up something that would appeal to her.

His mother came out into the hall looking determined. He said to Elaine, “I’ll be down in a moment.” In truth, he didn’t want to leave her for a second longer. Even while he’d stood next to her in Ian’s solar, he’d wanted to do so much more.

Elaine seemed to know what he was thinking. She took his hand in hers and squeezed, then reached up and kissed his lips briefly as if she was afraid to do much more in front of his mother or Shelley.

Hell. But when he saw the devilish smile in her eyes and on her lips, he knew her sweet, innocent kiss was intended to entice him. Vixen.

He pulled her hard against him, looked down into her dazzling dark brown eyes, and kissed her for all it was worth. All the pent-up worry about her and the men that had been shooting at them, and the anxiety about her being injured in the falls… all of that came rushing back to him.

He didn’t stop at a sweet, chaste kiss but gave her what he was feeling—relief, desire, and a craving for her so strong that he didn’t want to curb the emotions. When she melted in his arms and kissed him back, pressing her soft body against his arousal, he deepened the kiss.

Both their hearts were pounding as he leaned his forehead against hers, breathed in deeply, smelling her own arousal, and gave her a small wicked smile. She cast just as devilish of a smile back at him.

He kissed her again, then let her go, his body still hot and hard and wanting from holding her. “I’ll be down in a moment,” he said, his voice rough with need.

She nodded.

Shelley was grinning as she took Elaine’s hand and led her toward the stairs. Cearnach stood staring after them until they disappeared, not caring how his mother might react to his impulsivity. But then he noticed that his brothers, his aunt, and Julia had observed the whole thing, too. Fine. They could assume what they would.

Julia was wearing a small smile of approval. His aunt’s brows were raised, a hint of disbelief in her expression. Guthrie shook his head as if he finally got the point that he didn’t have a chance with the little gray wolf. Duncan’s brows were furrowed. He probably figured Cearnach was going to start a war between clans if he took the she-wolf as his mate. Ian closed his gaping mouth and glanced at their mother to see her take on it.

“Coming?” his mother asked, her voice brittle.

He followed her to the library, where three walls were covered in books all the way to the ceiling. A large floor-to-ceiling window was situated between two of the bookshelves, providing a view of the garden during daylight. One whole section of a bookcase had been dedicated to Julia’s werewolf romances as well as some of her favorite authors’ romance stories.

A book with a hot-bodied military man and a wolf on the cover lay on one of the tables, apparently someone’s recent read. He could just imagine Julia insisting that Ian wear a dog tag for her next book. He wouldn’t go for it, Cearnach was sure. No self-respecting wolf would wear something called a dog tag.

After his mother was settled in an overstuffed reading chair, he closed the door. He didn’t move any farther into the library, his whole posture stating that the audience with his mother would be as brief as possible. He crossed his arms in a defensive manner and studied her.

“In the old days you would have killed a wolf who hurt a woman like that. Are you going to kill Vardon, Cearnach?” his mother asked, her tone serious.

In fact, if he hadn’t known her better, he would have thought she was giving him permission to do just that. He certainly hadn’t expected her to ask such a question. He cast his mother a wry smile. “Is that what this is all about?”

“Mate with her,” his mother said.

His jaw nearly dropped to the floor. He had half expected his mother to tell him not to get interested in the woman and to get her out of their castle at the earliest convenience. That she was a source of danger to their people.

But mating? He was stunned as hell that she would even suggest such a thing. He wanted to ask if she’d been nipping the brandy with his aunt before he and Elaine arrived.

His mother shrugged. “She’s protective of you, a good quality in an alpha female. She’s able to stand up to me. I like her.”

He ground his teeth, studying his mother’s set expression—the one she used when she was determined to have her way. He knew she had to be interested in something beyond just liking Elaine.