Midnight's Temptation

CHAPTER FIVE

It was just after one when Aisley pulled off the road to eat. The croissant and coffee she had hastily downed at the café had been hours ago.

The lack of food, stress of meeting up with Phelan again, and the worry that Jason could be right around the corner had given her the queen of migraines.

Aisley opened the door and blinked against the blinding light of the sun. She slipped her sunglasses back on and hurried to the small restaurant.

With a nod to the man behind the counter, Aisley walked up to the bar and ordered some fish and chips and a soft drink before sitting down at a table in the far back corner.

Her hands shook when she dug into her purse for her migraine medicine after they brought her drink. At any moment, she expected her head to explode from the pain. She popped the pill into her mouth and took a drink to wash it down.

No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t get Phelan out of her mind. He confused her, rattled her, but he excited her as well.

She didn’t like that most of all. He was the enemy. She shouldn’t want his touch. Or more of his kisses.

She closed her eyes and instantly an image of Phelan filled her mind. Rich, dark hair hung past his shoulders thick and straight. His face was hard lines and angles with a jaw that looked as if it had been carved from granite.

Despite the hardness of his face, his wide lips could tilt in a devastating smile that sent her emotions spinning. But when his blue-gray eyes locked with hers, it was as if the world faded to nothing.

She saw only him, felt only him.

Knew only him.

His tall body with his impossibly hard muscles felt so good against hers. The memory of their fleeting kiss, his heat, and the way she wanted to wrap her arms and legs around him and hang on for dear life revisited her every time she closed her eyes.

Even knowing he was most likely there to kill her, she couldn’t resist him or the attraction. He was temptation and danger rolled into one delicious package.

She couldn’t look at his lips without thinking of their kisses, of how she craved more. He was impossible to resist. The fact she didn’t want to resist him is what caused all the problems.

He couldn’t have been more tempting if he were laid out naked on her bed and covered in chocolate. His allure, his seductive eyes, and his damned charm were slowly getting the better of her.

How she wished she could give in to his tantalizing body and inviting arms. His blatant masculine sexuality enticed, tempted, and completely shattered any walls she tried to put up to keep him out.

The food arrived quickly, and she wasted little time in eating. The migraine had begun to let up a tad when she finished.

Aisley leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, her sunglasses still on. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t use magic to stop the migraines. Jason had told her numerous times it was because she was weak.

She didn’t know why her magic didn’t work that way, only that it didn’t. But she couldn’t heal herself of anything, even a small cut.

Maybe it was the evil inside her that prevented such things. A Druid with healing magic was rare, and it took pure magic. Pure had never been something Aisley was.

“Certainly not now,” she murmured to herself.

As much as she wanted to stay and relax, she had to get back on the road. It wasn’t a good idea to stay in one place too long when she was being chased.

Aisley pulled out some money and dropped it on the table next to the ticket before she rose to head back to her car. She blew out a long breath when she was once more behind the wheel.

Sleep was the best thing for her migraine, but there wasn’t time for that. She knew without a doubt that Phelan was tracking her.

“Why didn’t he kill me?” she asked herself.

No matter how many times she had thought about what occurred in Glasgow, she still couldn’t grasp why he hadn’t killed her. He almost made it look as if he were helping her.

And he let her leave.

“Another question I won’t have answered.”

But did she really want answers from the Warrior with the devastating smile and eyes that stripped her bare every time he looked at her?

Yes, God help her, she did.

He was exciting, dangerous, and stirring. Just as he was seduction in a tall, dark package she desperately wanted to rip into.

Aisley shook her head. “He’s a Warrior from MacLeod Castle. He’s supposed to kill me,” she reminded herself.

If only he would wait until she could stop Jason for good. She started the Fiat Bravo and pulled back onto the road. She had a long way to go yet.

* * *

Phelan watched Aisley with barely contained desire from a copse of trees as he sat atop his motorbike. He frowned at how she kept her head away from the sun, as if her sunglasses weren’t enough to shade her eyes.

It was also the way she held her shoulders that alerted him something was wrong. She looked tired, but also unwell. That’s the only thing that stopped him from approaching her again. His seduction was on hold. Again.

Damn, but did the woman know how tempting, how irresistible she was? Could she understand how the driving need to have her in his arms had him in knots?

Phelan waited for her to drive at least twenty minutes ahead of him before he followed. Just as he began to reach for his helmet, his mobile rang.

He pulled it out of his pocket and saw it was a call from Charon. “Aye?”

“Wanted to let you know it looks like Britt’s serum is working. It’s nearly ready to be tested.”

Phelan was glad of the news, and even happier to hear the note of relief in his friend’s voice. “Good. How soon until it’s ready?”

“Aiden has asked for a couple more days, but I could hear the excitement in Ian’s voice when he called.”

“Now might be a good time to have Fallon jump you back to the castle.”

“Why?” Charon asked suspiciously. “Have you found something of Wallace?”

Phelan briefly closed his eyes, knowing he wasn’t doing himself or Charon any favors by following Aisley instead of searching for Wallace. Yet, Phelan told himself that he was searching—as he followed Aisley.

“I would’ve told you if I had. I assumed you’d want to be with the others at the castle to celebrate.”

“I’ll celebrate when this shite is finished.” There was a pause over the line, and then Charon let out a sigh. “I’d rather be preparing for an unwinnable battle than waiting as we are.”

“I wish I had good news, my friend.”

“You suspect you’ll find him.” It wasn’t a question.

And Phelan wasn’t in the habit of lying, especially to Charon, who was like a brother to him. “Aye, I do. Just as Deirdre resurrected, I think Wallace will do the same if he is dead.”

“There wasna a body after the battle was over,” Charon pointed out.

“That means nothing and you know it. It’s a matter of when and how.”

“And how he’ll attack us.”

“Precisely.”

“He’ll come after me and Laura first,” Charon said.

Phelan wished he had words to reassure his friend, but he didn’t. “If he’s stupid enough to do it a second time, then we’ll be waiting. Would it make you feel better if I was in Ferness to help you guard Laura?”

“Aye, but you need to stay out there. Fallon jumped Isla, Reaghan, and Marcail here a few days ago to set up protection shields around the building and they will alert us to a drough getting close to the village.”

“That’ll give you enough time to get Laura away.”

“Like I did last time? We all know how well that went. She nearly died.”

Phelan was at a loss how to respond, but that normally happened when he saw or heard Isla’s name. He must have sat there in his thoughts too long because Charon began cussing.

“Sorry. I didna mean to say Isla’s name.”

Phelan shrugged even though Charon couldn’t see it. “Doona fash yourself about it. It’s fine.”

“Nay, it’s no’, and that’s what worries me. After all this time, you have no’ forgiven her, have you?”

“I’m trying.” And Phelan was, just not as much as he should be.

“Deirdre had all of us in some way, shape, or form. You know what she did to me and what she made me do. Isla explained why she tricked you as a lad to leave your family and go with her.”

“I know,” Phelan said harshly. He slammed his fist on his thigh. “I can no’ talk about it without losing my temper, Charon.”

“That’s just it, my friend. You doona talk about it, and you should.”

“It’s better if I doona. Isla is at the castle, and I’m here. The few times I do have to see her is when we’re going into battle. That I can handle.”

There was another pause on Charon’s end of the phone. “She’s a good person. She suffered just as we did. Try to remember that.”

“If I doona, Hayden is there to protect her from me.”

Charon laughed, but Phelan hadn’t been joking. The only thing that kept him from attacking Isla was her husband.

“It looks like we need to have that chat again about the differences between mies and droughs,” Charon said.

“There’s no need. I know the difference.”

“Then you should know Isla isna just a drough.” Gone was Charon’s teasing tone. It had turned hard as steel.

This was something new. Always before Charon had felt the same as Phelan regarding MacLeod Castle and those within its walls. What had changed?

“She underwent the drough ceremony. That makes her a drough,” Phelan argued.

“There’s more to her story than that. You know I’m right.”

“What I know is that I kill droughs.”

Charon gave a wry laugh through the phone. “You know, Hayden used to hunt them as well. He ended up in love with one.”

“No’ me. And Hayden should never have stopped hunting them. It’s droughs who keep us in constant battle. You want peace for your life with Laura, my brother, then you need to be hunting and killing the droughs as well.”

Phelan ended the call before Charon could respond. It wasn’t like Charon to defend Isla or those at the castle. Was that what falling in love meant? That he would suddenly change his views on everything?

“No’ likely,” Phelan muttered as he put on his helmet and started the Ducati.

He waited for two cars to pass before he pulled out of the stand of trees and onto the road.

No matter how many miles passed beneath his tires, he couldn’t get the conversation with Charon out of his head. It angered him that Charon was defending Isla.

Isla had had a choice. She decided to take a small lad away from his family to be locked away in a cold, dank prison for years. Chained, lonely, and scared, the darkness never easing away.

There was no forgiveness for Isla.

Not now.

Not ever.

Isla tried to redeem herself when she unlocked him from the magical chains that bound him to Cairn Toul Mountain. He should’ve killed her then, but her wounds had been severe enough he’d thought she would die on her own. But she hadn’t. Somehow she survived and wound up at MacLeod Castle.

Mercy would never come for him.

Retribution, however, would.

That sickening feeling of being betrayed stayed with a person. He had been but a small lad, but even then he realized what happened to him. There was no forgiveness in him for anyone who deceived him.

It wasn’t as if he wanted to kill people, but if he didn’t they would be fighting droughs until the end of time. Druids seemed to be fading away, yet there was always a drough ready to take over the world.

Phelan refused to give Isla any more thought. He pushed her from his mind and followed Aisley for several more hours. Phelan made sure to keep far enough back that she didn’t realize he was tailing her.

He wasn’t surprised when she stopped at a small town around six for another bite to eat. Once more Phelan found a place to keep watch out of sight.

While she ordered, he did a quick search of the town to check for other Druids, especially droughs. He wasn’t surprised to know that Aisley’s magic was the only one he felt.

She had her food by the time he made it back to his motorbike. He began to worry when he saw her take a pill, and then shield her eyes from the lamplight above her.

No matter what she said, Phelan wasn’t going to let her go another night without sleep. He crossed the street to the small hotel and paid for a room.

* * *

Aisley wasn’t sure her food was going to stay down. The migraine hadn’t let up. She took another pill and prayed this time it would help.

She kept eyeing the lighted hotel sign flashing Vacancy from the restaurant window. As tempting as it was, she would sleep for a few hours in her car, and then get back on the road.

Enough time had been wasted driving around Scotland gathering the money she needed to make her escape until she could take on Jason herself. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt as if her time was running out. Whether that meant her life, or time to get out of Scotland, she wasn’t sure.

And really didn’t want to find out.

Aisley ate as much of the soup and sandwich as she could before she paid and walked out of the restaurant. The cool night air felt good on her heated flesh.

She took only two steps when the world began to tilt. Aisley grabbed hold of the side of the building to keep her feet. After several deep breaths, the spinning continued until she knew she was about to fall on her face.

Just before she did, strong arms wrapped around her, and a voice, smooth, sexy, and altogether too dangerous, whispered her name.

“I’ve got you,” Phelan said.

Aisley wanted to demand he put her down, but the world finally stopped spinning. She latched onto his thickly muscled shoulders and leaned her head against him.

It should be a sin for someone to be as handsome and roguishly charming as Phelan. She had no defense for him, but in the back of her mind, she conceded that she didn’t want one.

He was sin and seduction, sex and persuasion. He had been perfectly formed to make a woman mindless with desire. He was wild and untamed, just like their land, and that gave him a thread of danger that sent her senses reeling.

It never entered her mind to push away from him. Regardless of whether she liked it or not, she needed him that night.

“You’re going to get some sleep, beauty. You’ll thank me in the morn.”

Her eyelids closed even as she formulated a response. “No,” was all she got out.