Children of the Moon 04 - Dragon's Moon

expression. “I cannot be in the room of an unmarried soldier.”
    Though he trained with the warriors, he was not one of them. “I am healer, not a soldier.”
    He poured water from the ewer kept in his room into the large wooden bowl he used for all manner of things. It had been carved thin and polished to a high finish by one of the skilled woodworkers among the humans that had made their lives with the Éan in the forest.
    “Pffft.” Her mouth pursed adorably and the urge to kiss her was almost stronger than his will. “That is hardly an important distinction.”
    It was to Lais. He would never again attempt to hurt another Chrechte unless in defense of others. “You heard the laird. Your virtue is safe.”
    She blushed so brightly, it nearly hid the remaining bruises on her face. “That is not what I meant. I never thought…You wouldn’t want…I’m ugly with bruises…You…”
    The diminutive human woman was charming and much too desirable when she got flustered. Lais found himself smiling despite having to fight an internal battle of lust. “You are safe in my company.”
    “I never doubted it, but that is not the point.”
    “What is the point then, little one?” Her trust in him was an even stronger aphrodisiac than her beauty.
    He needed to draw a breath not infused so strongly with her scent. He stood and went to his table, gathering herbs and cloths for treating her.
    “My name is Mairi.”
    “Is that the point?” He could not stop himself teasing as he placed the things he’d gathered beside the bowl of water.
    “Of course not.”
    In better control of his desires, Lais arranged her more carefully on the furs so there was no undue pressure on any of the areas that would be giving her the most pain. He had to fight from turning each touch into a caress and was proud of himself when he managed it.
    Her breathing turned shallow and she closed her eyes, two spots of color burning high on her cheeks.
    “Did I hurt you?” He had tried not to.
    “No.”
    “What ails you then?” But his eager senses told him before she opened her mouth.
    Mairi had been excited by his touch.
    She fisted her hands in the skirt of her plaid. “You are very close.” Her voice was laced with accusation.
    “I can hardly heal you from across the room.”
    “I did not expect you could.” Her eyes snapped open, their blue depths reflecting a message he did his best to ignore. “I just…you are close and it feels strange.”
    “Aye.” Pretending ignorance to her might spare her feelings, but it would not change the truth between them.
    “For you, too?” she asked in surprise.
    He shrugged, no intention of answering that question or what it implied. If she could not see the way his kilt was starting to tent from his arousal, he certainly wasn’t going to point it out. He had never been attracted to a patient before, but the night prior had been the first time that healing someone had made him ache with the need for sex.
    He would be ashamed of his reaction, only he knew his eagle wanted to claim this human as their mate.
    Lais’s reaction to Mairi was inevitable.
    “Why do I feel so drawn to you?” Her features were pale with pain, but a confused desire burned in her sky gaze.
    “You are my patient.”
    “It is more than that. With my father’s view on how to deal with his frustrations at my lack, you can believe I havespent much time with the MacLeod healer. I was never so drawn to her. I was grateful to her, but never felt the odd sensations I do with you.”
    He laughed, Mairi’s naïveté sweetly amusing.
    “You are amused because you do not think I realize this is a man-woman thing,” Mairi said quietly. “But I don’t feel drawn to the others this way, either.”
    “Others?” he asked, knowing he would regret doing so.
    “Your prince, the laird, that big blond warrior who looks ready to kill at a moment’s notice.”
    He’d never heard Niall described as such, but close enough to it that Lais smiled. “He is a great warrior, but would not harm you.”
    “If you say so.”
    “I do.”
    “You are one that likes the last word,” she accused.
    The pain never quite leaving her face reminded him he might need his amber stone for this healing session.
    He got up and retrieved it from the box. “You are one that likes to talk a lot.”
    “It is true.” She didn’t sound too happy about Lais’s observation though. “My father finds it most annoying.”
    “I do not.” He knelt