Highland Warrior Woman (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Becca van Read Free Book Online Page B

became more and more concerned. The path the horse had taken was perilous. It had dodged between trees with low-hanging branches and jumped fallen logs, but there was no sign of the horse slowing down.
    “Fuck!” Calum cried. “She’s headed toward the ravine.”
    Hamish kicked his destrier into a canter. He wanted to go faster, but he wasn’t about to put him or his mount at risk. If they were hurt, how could he help Maeghan? The sound of horses’ hooves pounding the earth behind him told him his brothers stayed close.
    The trees opened suddenly at the ravine, and Hamish saw Maeghan’s horse up ahead, cropping at the green sprigs of grass, reins dangling to the side. Maeghan herself was nowhere to be seen.
    He jumped down and studied the earth, but there were no footprints besides the horse’s. “Maeghan, where are ye?” he yelled. He waited, listening, but there was no reply.
    Hamish looked over the cliff and scanned for her. He saw nothing but kept searching. His chest clenched painfully with fear. And then a flash of white caught his eye. Maeghan had been wearing one of Calum’s white lawn shirts to sleep in. Maybe she was wearing it still along with her plaid.
    The next moment Hamish was working his way down over rocks and brush. He found Maeghan half curled against a rock that protruded from the ground. She was moaning as if in pain, but her eyes were closed.
    “Maeghan, donnae move. Ye might have broken bones.” Hamish knelt down and ran his hands over her body, sighing with relief when he felt nothing obviously broken. With gentle fingers he searched her head and found a lump just behind her right ear.
    “How is she?” Ewan asked and squatted down next to them. Hamish glanced over his shoulder but saw no sign of Calum. Their eldest brother was probably staying with the horses up above.
    “She has a knot behind her ear, but other than that I can find no damage.”
    “We need to get her home.”
    “Aye, as soon as possible. She needs to rest. Her head is going to pain her something fierce.”
    “Maeghan, open yer eyes, sweetling.”
    “What?” Her eyelashes fluttered.
    “That’s it, little one, come back to us,” Hamish crooned softly.
    “Hamish?”
    “Aye, I’m here, dearling.”
    “What happened?”
    Hamish sighed with relief when she looked at him. Her beautiful blue eyes seemed dazed, but they were open.
    “That’s what we’d like to know,” Ewan stated. “But for now tell us where ye hurt, sweetling.”
    “My head.”
    “Any wonder, Maeghan. Ye hit it on this rock.” Hamish grasped her hand when she would have touched the knot. “Donnae touch. Ye’ll just make it hurt more.”
    “I’m going to lift ye now, Maeghan,” Ewan said. “If I hurt ye, tell me.”
    Ewan gently lifted her into his arms, watching her carefully in case he caused her pain. He sighed with relief when she didn’t flinch. Hamish let him lead the way back up the steep ravine, ready to give a bracing hand if necessary. It took them longer to ascend than it had to come down, but that was to be expected. Ewan was being very careful not to jostle Maeghan too much.
    “Maeghan Fraser, what the hell did ye think ye were doing?” Calum fairly bellowed when they were all once more back on stable ground.
    “Calum?” Maeghan whispered. “I’m sorry. I won’t get in yer way again.”
    “What are ye…?” Hamish looked to Calum and saw the tension around his mouth. His brother looked a bit guilty. Obviously something had happened between him and Maeghan, and Calum hadn’t told him or Ewan. He gave Calum a hard stare then turned toward Ewan and took Maeghan from him so his brother could mount up.
    After Ewan had settled Maeghan across his lap and wrapped her in his plaid, Hamish mounted and took the lead through the trees. Calum had retrieved Maeghan’s horse, and it trailed after them.
    Once they were out of the forest, he rode alongside Ewan and Maeghan. Calum took up the same position on their other