The cold wind of autumn settled into the Highlands. Alex and Callie had been married nearly three months. They had settled into a blissful routine of days working apart and nights together filled with unbridled passion.
Bella finally seemed warm up to her a bit more these days after seeing how friendly Phoebe and Callie were with each other. She invited Callie on a horseback ride after the noon meal one mid October day when the temperature was still mild. Alex made Callie promise to be careful, as she walked him down to the training grounds since it was on the way to the stables.
"You will mind yourself, Callie." He ordered his wife with a smile. "I don't want you to take any unnecessary risks, love."
She laced her arms around his neck to hug him. "I promise."
He kissed her soundly. "I'll see you later then."
Callie wandered down to the stables and opened the horse barn doors, smiling to herself. She walked into the back of the building looking for Ahearn, the head groom for the Campbell clan. Going to the stables made her think of Davis who had lost his life so bravely defending hers the night she met Alex. Davis would have gotten a kick out of a head groom whose name meant "lord of the horses." She was so lost in thought of him and Moira that she didn't see the two men hiding in the shadows.
Callie awoke with a sudden jolt to find herself in total darkness. She was frozen to her core and had a splitting headache. She tried not to panic when she couldn't take a deep breath due to the gag in her mouth. Her hands were tightly bound and something smelled overpoweringly sour that made her immediately want to gag. She could feel that she was bumping in the back of a wagon. She stilled when she heard men who were speaking in accents she didn't know. If she had to guess, it sounded like they were Lowlanders. Who were they and what did they plan to do with her? Did Bella hate her enough to have her kidnapped? She needed to sort out what they planned to do with her and then figure out her surroundings.
"He better pay us what he promised! It wasn't easy at all getting away from there with her unseen."
"Aye, I can't see Laird Campbell letting either of us off alive if we're ever caught after this. Everyone says they're happily wed as much as any two people can be."
"Oof, Angus! Don't think that way. It's bad luck, you know! We'll get her to Hamish and let him do with her what he wills. The Cameron won't care if she still be a virgin or not."
Callie blanched upon hearing their last words. Her worse fears were coming true. Her uncle sent these guys to kidnap her, so he could still plan to marry her off to Cameron even though he heard she was happily wed to Alex. She had to close her eyes and bite down on her lower lip to prevent from herself from crying out, as shooting pains in her stomach started to grip her. She worried silently. "Oh Alex, however will you find me?"
What Callie didn't know was Alex and his men were already on her trail. Bella had found Callie's favourite shawl, a wedding gift from Alex abandoned on the ground outside her mare's stall, but the horse was still there. Bella made the discovery only minutes after Callie was kidnapped. Bella found Ahearn and hurriedly asked him if he'd recently seen Callie. When he said no, she immediately began to worry and ran to find Alex at the training grounds. She was out of breath from running and wheezing hard when she got to the men, yelling. "Alex, it's Callie! She's gone!"
His face fell. "What the devil have you done now?!"
"Nothing! I swear to you. We were supposed to go riding! I went to the stables and her favourite shawl was on the ground. Ahearn hadn't seen her, but her mare is still stabled there! Alex, you know Callie never takes that shawl off since you gave it to her!"
"God damn it!" He swore, as he ordered. "Men, run to the stables, saddle the horses!"
Bella hurriedly spoke as they ran towards the mews. "I had Ahearn already grab some men to ready your things! It should be nearly done."
Ahearn made every person he found to stop what they were currently doing to ready things for the men. The horses were already saddled and waiting for them to mount. Malcolm asked Alex, as they sped down the road. "Which direction?"
"Those wagon tracks in the mud were headed east. They must be going to the Murray keep. He's the only ally I know that Hamish shares with Cameron. He isn't daft enough to have her brought to his own keep."
"We've got to hurry to catch up to them." Malcolm gave Ewan and four other men instructions to ride hard to nearby clans asking them to bring as many seasoned warriors as they could spare to fight. He gave them a meeting point at the tip of Loch Errochty where clan games had once taken place. It was close enough to the Murray keep to storm as needed, but still far away to not draw unwanted attention.
Callie was pulled roughly from the wagon by the two men whose voices she'd heard talking. She didn't recognize the keep, but noticed it was in dire need of repair. She also recognised two of the three men who stood waiting in the pouring rain to greet her arrival.
"Dear God, Hamish! She's such a wee, scrawny thing. I'm getting the poor end of this bargain." Angus Cameron laughed at his own joke. "She'll do given that I need that gold you gave me!"
Hamish frowned at the guards who each held onto her arms hard enough to leave bruises. "Keep her locked up in the cellar until it's time for the wedding!"
"I'm already wed to Laird Alex Campbell and you all know it! How else would you know to find me on his land?" Callie replied in a huff.
Laird Murray asked Hamish. "Dear God! Is this true, Hamish? He'll kill the lot of us! I never would've agreed to this if it's true!"
"Aye, it's true!" Callie snapped. "And he'll kill the lot of you if something happens to me!"
"No one gave permission for you to speak, you stupid lass!" Hamish backhanded her across the face, his signet ring cutting open her cheek as he swung his hand, the action making Callie cry out in pain.
Laird Murray nodded to the men who pulled Callie off the damp ground and then walked her into the keep down to to a damp cell-like room in the damp basement. She fell to the stone floor, as she was roughly pushed into the small room that was quickly locked behind her. She was soaking wet and chilled to the bone from the long journey. Callie had started to feel incredibly sick in the past hours. The intermittent, cramping pains in her abdomen were the only reason she hadn't yet blacked out.
Alex and his men got to the meeting point at Loch Errochty. He felt relieved to see some of the other clans already there and they'd brought a fair number of warriors with them. Laird Simon Graham and the other clan leaders approached him when Alex and his men dismounted and started to care for their horses after riding at full speed for hours. He spoke hurriedly. "Alex, I'm sorry to see you under these dire circumstances. So, what's the plan to rescue your wife?"
"Thank ye for coming." Alex answered, as he nodded. "We must ride before dawn. The keep is small and not usually well guarded. If anyone is daft enough to fight us, then run them through. I want my wife back safe and unharmed. That's the most important thing."
Laird Drummond nodded. "Agreed."
Alex had laid down an hour ago, but he couldn't sleep. His thoughts repeatedly kept going over the plans. He couldn't risk anything happening to Callie when they attacked. He missed having her with him, especially at night. She liked to curl up next to him after they'd made love. Her cheeks would still be pink as she smiled, snaking her arms around him. Her naked body was eager each time, making him always ache to take her again. It wasn't just the sex he missed. His entire world felt empty and barren without her sweet laugh to liven it up. He worried about how she fared and any thought of her being remotely harmed was terrifying to him. He was going to kill anyone in his path least they try to stop him from getting her back safely in his arms.
All of the men were awake and in battle ready form before dawn. They made their way to the keep under cover of a dense fog. Alex traveled a few rows back much to him protesting against Malcolm who wouldn't risk an archer seeking out his nephew. Three warriors quietly snuck up to find the two men on guard in the front of the keep doors passed out cold with a couple of empty, whisky bottles strewn on the ground nearby. Malcolm ordered the men to be tied up together after taking a ring of keys off them. It was going easier than they planned. "What now, Alex?"
"Keep some men posted outside these doors to prevent anyone coming inside after us. Send some others upstairs and drag those bastards out of their beds into the main hall. Keep your eyes peeled to ensure it's no trap."
"Where are ye going?" Simon asked him.
"To find my fucking wife!" Alex hissed in anger, motioning to his men. He nodded to the others. "Leave them alive unless ye hear the war cry. Then, kill whoever tries to stop us!"
They moved stealthily down the steps to the cellar once inside the keep. It only took them a moment to adjust to the darkness, the candle sconces on the walls having long ago sputtered out. It was freezing cold and horribly damp. A large rat scuttled past Alex's boot just as he heard a low, feminine moan of pain. He knew immediately that it had to be Callie and it nearly broke his heart. They silently raced towards the forlorn sound. Malcolm worked quickly to find the key on a ring hanging nearby on a nail and undo the lock barring the door. They burst through the open doorway into the room to find Callie laying on the bare, stone floor, clad only in her riding dress and nothing but stockings on her feet.
"Callie, sweetheart!" Alex roared in anger, racing to her side. He knelt beside her limp body to gather her gently into his arms. "Oh Christ, she's burning up with fever!"
"Please, no!" Callie cried out, her voice weak from dehydration. She began to flail in protest when he got the coarse, tight bindings off her wrists. There were marks on her arms where they rubbed against her delicate skin. His face tightened in pain when seeing her bruised and bloodied cheek. She stopped fighting him to groan in pain, both hands holding around her middle. "Oh, Alex! Where are you?"
"I'm right here, love." He cradled her head to his chest, wrapping his plaid around her. "I've got you, Callie."
Her green eyes fluttered open for a moment at hearing the sound of his deep voice. Her brows furrowed in confusion, as she tried to focus on him. Her ice cold hands touched the stubble on his cheeks. "Alex..."
He nodded. "It's me, love. I'm here now."
"This one is nearly as good as the sex dream I had earlier." She nuzzled her mouth into his neck, inhaling deeply. "Mmm, you even smell just like him after he's spent a night in the fields." Her hand touched his linen shirt. "You feel so real..."
"It's me, love." Alex kissed her brow, as he couldn't stop his body from reacting to her fevered touches. "I'm here."
Sounds of a skirmish started to thunder above them. Malcolm and two warriors stayed with Alex to guard Callie, as the other Campbell men rushed upstairs to offer aid in the fight now they knew Alex had Callie safe in his arms. They didn't know how long they sat below waiting for the all clear sound to be given when the fighting was over. Alex had taken his tartan off his shoulder to wrap it around Callie in his lap as soon as he'd picked her up. He sat with her sitting in his lap the entire time that the fighting raged on above them, rubbing her hands and arms, trying warm her. The room in the damp basement was dreadfully cold where they sat huddled together.
"They dared to leave her alone in this filth!?" Malcolm whispered in anger not wanting to wake Callie, who was sleeping peacefully in Alex's lap. "Simon and the others need to finish them or I bloody will!"
Alex pulled his wife closer to his chest, eagerly agreeing with Malcolm. "Aye, you and me both, Uncle. My hands are itching to do battle, but I can't leave her."
"Nor should ye, lad." Malcolm said with a solemn nod. His worried gaze raked over his nephew holding his wife. "Anyone with eyes can see how much she needs ye. How's she faring?"
Alex felt her brow, frowning when he felt that she was burning up. "It's still too bloody warm! It's nay good, Malcolm. We can't remain here. We need to get her home to Glenna for tending and the sooner the better."
Some time later, Laird Graham ran down the stairs two at a time, calling out. "It's all finished now! Come upstairs."
As they got up to the main level of the small Murray keep, Alex began to look around before asking Simon. "What of Hamish? Is he slain?"
"Nay, I'm sorry, Alex." He shook his head in dismay. "He wasn't here."
Malcolm exclaimed. "What the hell? Where is the bastard?"
"Murray's men said he left yesterday not long after Callie arrived." Simon said in answer, his brows furrowing. "Most of the men here didn't want to fight. The younger Murray is a decent lad. He's been sick abed with a high fever this past week and didn't know Callie was here. He slew his brother when he found out she was being held in their dungeon."
"I'm pleased to hear this news of young Murray. There's hope yet hell make a good laird for this clan." Alex still held a sleeping Callie in his arms. "That louse Hamish! He left her to die slowly by marriage to Cameron."
Malcolm wondered aloud. "Maybe he was wise enough to ken you'd come for her?"
"He likely took coin and ran." Alex's handsome face now wore a determined look, as he swore fluently. "This is far from over, but first we need to get her home!"
Malcolm said softly. "Alex, I'm worried about her. I don't think she'll make a journey that long."
"I fear he's right. My keep is not a half day's ride, Alex. We have a fine healer there. You would be most welcome!" Simon offered.
"Aye, it's a better plan." Malcolm was nodding in agreement. "There's no reason to stay here and ours is too far. We can't risk too long a ride with her in this state."
Alex agreed. "Thank you, Simon. Let's go!"
It was three hours on horseback to get to the Graham keep. Simon shouted orders to get things ready for Callie as they arrived, even though he sent a warrior ahead of them to announce the purpose of their unexpected visit. Alex carried her into the well appointed guest chamber and laid her gently on the bed. The Graham healer followed close at his heels. "You can go now, Laird Campbell. Take a rest and get some food in your belly. I'll call for you if she wakes."
"Nay, I'm staying." He answered quickly.
The older woman argued back. "Laird, it's not proper!"
Alex bellowed in anger. "I said nay, God damn it! She's my wife! I won't leave her side. Not after what she's been through."
Callie moaned in her sleep. "Alex..."
He rushed back to her side, taking her hands in his own, and kissing her cheek. "I'm here, my love."
"Very well." The healer said briskly. "We need to get that dirty gown off her."
Alex nodded succinctly. "I'll do it."
Isla helped by holding Callie up, as Alex used a knife to carefully cut it loose at the back. Isla gasped aloud when it was pulled off, as blood stains showed on the chemise beneath it at the junction of her legs and ran down them. "Sweet Jesus! Was she raped?"
Alex moaned in pain, feeling like he could vomit. "Oh God, I didn't ken! She hasn't been awake to tell us what happened!"
"Here, let me!" Isla got closer to Callie, wiping her down with a clean cloth after they took off her soiled shift. "Nay, Laird Campbell, it's not rape."
Alex felt a surge of relief coursing through him that Callie wasn't raped. "Is it her monthly? She hadn't had it in a while."
But then, Alex got a heavy sense of dread as she looked from Callie to him. Finally, Isla spoke quietly. "I'm very sorry, Laird Campbell, but she was with child."
Alex swallowed, tasting something bitter in his mouth. He hesitantly tested out the word. "Was?"
"Aye, all this blood is from her losing the babe." Isla said quietly. "I'll call for a bath. It'll be good for her to get cleaned up."
Alex didn't speak. He couldn't find any words that felt worth saying after such devastating news. The guilt he felt at her being kidnapped out of his keep was now compounded with knowing her abduction caused her to lose a baby. The older woman left them alone to order a bath. He picked up Callie's naked body to sit on the bed and covered her with his tartan to keep her warm. He kissed her brow and gently hugged her to his chest, leaning his head to rest on top of hers, unknowingly humming the melody to a lullaby from his childhood. He didn't bother to wipe away any of the tears that cascaded down his own cheeks. He felt no shame in them, only profound sorrow at the lose of their babe. He leaned back against the cushioned headboard, feeling all of the enormous fatigue of the past two days come crashing down on him.
"Laird Campbell, the bath is ready for her now." Isla spoke quietly at the door, making Alex jump awake. "Sorry to disturb you. Why don't you bathe with her, my lord? The tub is big enough to hold you and it'll do you both a world of good. I'll get some clean clothes and food ready for you, too."
"Aye, thank you." He nodded his thanks to her. After Isla left them alone, Alex reluctantly put Callie down on the bed long enough to strip off his dirty clothes and tested the water. He took his sleeping wife into his arms and walked over to the bath, then sank them both into the warmth of the tub.
"What?" Callie said, her eyes opening in a rush as the warm water touched her bare skin, to find her handsome husband staring at her with a tear-streaked face. "Alex! It's really you!"
He hugged her fiercely, burying his face into her neck. "Oh, thank Christ!"
"Oh, Alex!" She returned his embrace, sighing with relief. "I knew you'd come! But, what's wrong? Where are we?"
He kissed her first, pouring his heart into the embrace to show how grateful he was to have her alive, safe, and back in his arms again. "It's all right. We're safe, love. We stopped at the Graham keep after rescuing you from the Murray one. There was a skirmish, but none of our lads were seriously harmed."
She nodded, running a hand down his face to wipe away his tears, sensing he was holding something back. "Alex, are you all right? Are you hurt?What aren't you telling me?"
He cupped her face with his hands, as sorrow filled his eyes. "You lost a babe, Callie."
"What?" Her pale face registered shock and her hands went to her now empty middle, but she whispered in a tormented voice. "How do you know that for sure?"
"The Graham healer was here." His handsome face contracted in pain. "You lost a lot of blood, too much for your monthlies. She said you may have felt it happening."
Realization dawned on Callie, as she began to cry in earnest. "Aye, I had bad pains. I didn't know why. Oh my God! Alex, what if I can't stay pregnant like my mam? You need an heir. It's better for you to divorce me now and marry another lass, someone who can give ye healthy bairns."
"Callie, nay! Don't ever say that!" Alex hugged her more closely. "It wasn't your fault! You can't think like that. It was from the trauma of being kidnapped. Sweetheart, listen to me! I love you. Only you. I won't have you saying such things."
"Are you sure?" Her brow furrowed.
"Aye, of course I am. Don't you know how much I love you?" He kissed her deeply. "Let's get you cleaned up before the water gets too cold."
After the bath, Alex helped Callie dry off and got her dressed in a clean shift that Isla had left on the bed. He put his kilt back on and a clean shirt borrowed from Simon. He leaned out the door to have the guard get Isla and ordered a bowl of broth along with some tea to be brought for Callie.
When Isla arrived to check on Callie, Alex left the room to give them privacy and let Malcolm know that Callie would be okay after some rest. Isla got a clean towel for Callie to use while she continued to bleed. "There can be no coupling until it completely stops."
Callie nodded, worrying. "Do you think I can have more babes?"
"Do you know my people say I've the sight?" Isla asked Callie who shook her head. "I can see you will have many, healthy bairns with your husband."
"Many. How many?" Callie wondered aloud.
Isla smiled. "Four or five, it's hard to tell if the one you lost is counting in my vision."
Callie sighed sadly. "It'll always count for me."
Isla nodded. "Aye, lass, it's the same for me with ones I lost."
Alex quietly knocked on the door just before he entered the chamber, asking them. "How are we doing?"
Isla answered. "I've given her a draught to help her sleep this night, Laird Campbell. It'll ease some of the pains as well. Now, you both should eat and get some sleep."
"Thank you most kindly." Alex said. "I'll make sure she rests."
Isla nodded. "Aye, my lord, but I said you both need it."
Alex laughed at the order. "Okay, then."
The healer instructed servants to bring food and drink, then remove the tub out of the room. They were again left alone. "Alex, would you mind if we sat together in that chair? It reminds me the one we have back at home."
He nodded. "Aye, sure, love, whatever you like."
"What are you doing?" She protested when he picked her up. "I can walk, you know!"
He kissed her cheek tenderly before answering. "Let me do this, Callie. I have a need to."
She agreed. "All right. Let's eat, then. You need it as much as me."
"Come on, love."
They are in silence, both too tired to converse much further about the day's events. Callie could feel the sleeping draught taking effect. She took a last sip of ale and handed the mug to Alex. She was asleep before he put it down on the table.