Caelen knelt and began frantically brushing away the snow from her body. Alaric rushed forward and dropped to his knees beside her. He aided Caelen in clearing the rest of the snow from her clothing and then lifted her into his arms.

“Keeley,” he whispered. “Keeley!” he said louder when she didn’t respond.

She was cold. Her skin like ice. He pressed his ear to her nose and mouth and relief nearly crushed him when he felt the light brush of her breath.

He pulled away just enough that he could examine her for injury.

“She’s bleeding from the head,” Caelen said grimly, as he ran his finger through her hair. “Or she was. ’Tis too cold and the bleeding has stopped.”

“We must hurry,” Ewan urged. “Her attackers may still be about and it’s growing colder.”

As Alaric started to rise, she stirred and her features twisted in pain.

“Keeley?”

Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared up at him, her eyes dazed.

“Alaric?”

“Aye, lass. Thank God you’re all right. ’Tis the truth you scared ten years from my life.”

“We can’t have that warrior,” she teased. “You may only have a few years left if that’s the truth.”

Some of the tightness eased in his chest and he felt faint with relief. He squeezed her against him and hurried back toward his horse.

“I’ll have the whole of the story but not now. We must hasten back to the keep,” Alaric said.

Wordlessly, Caelen took her from Alaric’s arms and waited while Alaric carefully mounted. Then he held Keeley up for Alaric to take. Further surprising Alaric, Caelen retrieved a blanket from his mount and held it up so Alaric could wrap her in the warmth.

“Thank you, Caelen,” Keeley uttered in a raspy, weak voice.

Caelen nodded shortly and then leapt atop his horse and spurred him through the drifts. Alaric fell in behind Caelen while Ewan brought up the rear.

When they rode over the next rise, they were met by a contingent of McCabe soldiers. They quickly surrounded their laird and his brothers and escorted them back to the keep.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Caelen swung down and simply held his arms up for Keeley.

“I can walk,” she protested.

Caelen said nothing but neither did he relinquish her. He frowned when Alaric slid down and reached for her.

“Go ahead of us. You’re in no state to be carrying the lass. You’ll reopen that damn wound when it’s almost healed.”

Not wanting to argue when Keeley shivered with cold, Alaric hurried inside, leaving Ewan to give orders to his men.

Caelen barked a series of orders and people scurried in all directions to do his bidding. He carried Keeley into her chamber as several serving women swarmed around him to build up the fire and add furs to the bed for warmth.