If Alaric could do this one thing for his clan—for his brother, for Mairin, who’d rescued their clan from the brink of extinction—then he’d do it gladly and with pride.

He reached out with his arm, his hand splayed wide. Ewan grasped it and they locked arms. Sweat and blood gleamed on Ewan’s flesh. Their muscles bulged as they held fiercely to each other.

There was understanding when their gazes met and held.

Caelen sheathed his sword and then gave the order for their men to dismount and retire to their quarters. Then he turned to his two brothers. “Anyone for a swim in the loch?”

Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

When next Keeley awoke, her head felt like an empty tankard and her mouth felt as though she’d dragged her tongue along the ground for a mile. She smacked her lips noisily and licked them, trying to infuse any sort of moisture into them.

She turned her head to the side and then groaned. Jesu, but moving hurt.

Her entire body was as limp as a well-used cleaning rag, and her skin was sticky from sweat. And she was naked. Not a stitch of clothing on, and the furs were in a bunch at her feet.

Embarrassment swept heat through her body once more. She was probably scarlet. Lord only knew who’d come and gone from her chamber during her fever.

A moan started to escape but she curled her lips and snarled. Enough was enough. How much more pitiful could she become? She’d already wasted who knew how much time abed acting like a sickling child. How many days had she lain here senseless? ’Twas embarrassing.

She raised one hand and then let it flop back to the bed. Her throat still pained her, but the fever was gone, though it had left her as a weak as a newborn.

And speaking of newborns, she needed to look in on Mairin to see how things progressed with the babe. Which meant she had to get up.

It took several long, exhausting minutes before she was able to push herself to the edge of the bed and sit up. She’d love a full-blown bath, but she didn’t have the strength to manage it.

She dragged herself over to the basin and wet a cloth. She took her time wiping down her body until she felt somewhat human again. She was tempted to go jump in the loch, frigid temperature and all.

After washing, she pulled out one of her dresses and faced it down like she was about to do battle. With a rueful smile, she realized she was. It took all her strength just to make herself presentable, and when she was done with all the trappings, she collapsed onto the bed and sat there girding her loins to go belowstairs.