“I’ll not leave,” Alaric snarled.

“Alaric, please,” Mairin said as she rushed forward. She dodged around his sword and pressed a gentle hand to his chest. “Come with me. I know you love her. She knows you love her. Let Ewan try to save her. You do her no good standing over her bedside like a savage. It won’t be pleasant to see and hear her when Ewan cuts the arrow from her back. Don’t torture yourself needlessly.”

Alaric stared down at his sister-in-law and saw the tears in her eyes, the grief shadowing her face. “I can’t leave her,” he whispered. “I’ll not have her die alone.”

“Damn it, Alaric. Get the hell out of here,” Ewan barked. “If things go badly, I’ll summon you at once. If we are to have a chance to save her, we must act quickly.”

Mairin reached and took his hand in hers then squeezed. “Come, Alaric. Leave them to their business.”

Alaric closed his eyes, his shoulders slumping. He turned to where Keeley lay on the bed and then he went down on one knee. He touched her shoulder and gently caressed the soft skin before leaning over to kiss her ashen brow.

“I love you, Keeley. Be strong. Live. For me.”

Caelen and Gannon pulled Alaric and this time he allowed them to push him from the room. He stumbled outside of the chamber, his heart hammering like a drum.

The door closed, bathing the hallway in darkness. He turned and pounded his fist into the stone wall. “Nay! God damn it, nay!”

Caelen wrapped his arms around Alaric and hauled him the rest of the way down the hallway to his own chamber. He kicked in the door and thrust Alaric inside.

Caelen’s eyes glittered with anger as he shoved Alaric onto his bed. “You do her no good like this.”

Alaric stared down at his swollen hand and at the blood seeping from the broken skin. He wanted to smash something else. He wanted the bastard who’d dared do this to Keeley.

He glanced up at Caelen as coldness crept over him.

“Did you apprehend the one who did this?”

“Aye,” Gannon said from the doorway. “He is chained in the dungeon.”

“Did he act alone?” Alaric demanded.

“We know not yet. We await the laird to question him.”

Alaric sucked in air through his nostrils. “He is mine to kill.”

Caelen sank onto the bed next to his brother. “Aye, when we’ve extracted the necessary information from him, he is yours to kill. No one would deny you that right.”

“She saved me again,” Alaric said bleakly. “The arrow was meant for me. She stepped in front of it and gave her life for mine.”

“She is a fierce lass. She loves you.”

That Caelen spoke of love without derision in his voice was surprising. But there was only grudging admiration and truth in his tone.