Children of the Moon 04 - Dragon's Moon

“It was not wrong of you, to trust the one you loved.”
    Ciara wished she could believe that. “His ignorance cost him his life.” It was the first time she’d admitted it aloud.
    “I’m glad you can finally acknowledge that.”
    Both women jumped at the sound of Eirik’s deep masculine voice, but Ciara felt more than shock. A lot more.
    Even the gravity of her talk with Mairi could not diminish Ciara’s instant reaction to the prince’s presence.
    Ciara spun to face him. He stood as naked as she in the moonlight, both having left their clothes behind to shift into their animal forms apparently. She could not help letting her gaze slide down his body where it snagged on the quite impressive protuberance from between his legs.
    He was physically prepared to mate and against all logic and her will, her body throbbed in response.
    “As flattering as your interest is, faolán , now is not the time to pursue it.”
    He called her little wolf ? Arrogant warrior! She mightbe smaller than he, but she was no babe in arms. However, her wolf preened at the endearment, snapping for a chance to come forth and scent the dragon.
    Ciara gritted her teeth and fought her feral nature with all her considerable will. “Do not mistake curiosity for interest.”
    Even if her own wolf wanted to do so.
    He laughed, his head thrown back, his body showing no signs of losing its own interest . “You are a spitfire, but I am no fool. Say what you like, your body tells the truth.”
    Why did she find it so difficult to mask her scent around this man? What had become ingrained habit for her flew the way of the sparrow seeking warmer climes for the winter when he came near. Her body betrayed her in ways it never did with others, not since she’d taken to hiding her thoughts and emotions so long ago behind a façade of unperturbed calm.
    It was the only way to allay Abigail’s potent concern and Laird Talorc’s rough brand of compassion.
    “What are you doing here?” Ciara demanded, ignoring Eirik’s claim and hoping he would let the matter drop.
    “You run at night, alone in the woods.” The censure in his tone would have done their laird proud. “It is not safe.”
    “So, you’ve been watching over me?” Why would the dragon do such a thing?
    She did not need a protector, nor did she need to know he saw himself as such. Her wolf and feminine instincts both found that possibility far too appealing.
    “Aye.”
    “I don’t believe you.” His appearance tonight had to be happenstance. “I would have noticed.”
    It was not as if a dragon flying overhead in the sky could be so easily overlooked.
    He rolled his eyes as if reading her thoughts. “A raven is not so easy to detect.”
    Oh, of course. Her mind was too muddled with lack of sleep and meeting up with injured women in the forest.
    Still, the raven watching her rather than the dragon didnot explain everything. “Why not expose my behavior if you disapproved of it so much?”
    “Who is this?” he asked, indicating Mairi and ignoring Ciara’s query altogether.
    For some reason, Ciara found herself moving between the two to block Mairi’s view of the Éan shifter in all his naked glory. “A human woman seeking sanctuary.”
    Mairi made a sound that could be taken for disagreement.
    “You do not want sanctuary from the Sinclair?” Eirik asked, sounding nonplussed.
    Ciara would have hugged Mairi for confusing the bossy dragon except to do so would probably cause pain for the other woman.
    “I do not wish to cause war between the two clans, but there are facts I must make your laird aware of. When the Sinclair realizes the likely consequences of taking me in, I’m sure he won’t offer sanctuary. But perhaps I could see my hurts tended to?”
    “I told you, Laird Talorc will not fear your father.” And Ciara wasn’t letting Mairi go back to the evil Chrechte, not ever.
    That settled in her own mind at least, she turned on Eirik. “You should leave.”
    “You need my help if you hope to get the human woman into the keep this night to have her injuries tended to.”
    Ciara opened her mouth to deny it, but then snapped it shut. She could go to the gatehouse and call for the bridge to be let down. Only if she did that, everyone would know she’d been outside the walls at night against the laird’s orders. The night guards would be punished for her actions.
    Laird Talorc would look a fool to the clan because others would see the situation as Ciara