MacLean's Passion: A Highland Pride Novel Read Free Page A

footing. She ducked when MacLean ducked and leaned when he leaned. They weren’t following a path any longer but making their own way through the lush underbrush. She understood his reasoning. He was making it more difficult for the dogs to follow.
    They eventually came upon a stream. She could hear the soft gurgling of the flowing water before she saw it in the moon’s glow.
    “The dogs will no’ be able to track us through the water,” he said, his voice vibrating through his back and into her chest. She hadn’t realized that she was leaning on him again and instantly straightened so they weren’t touching. She needed to stay alert, but his unnatural heat drew her to him.
    They trudged through the stream for what seemed like eternity, soaking her boots and the bottom of her trousers. Her toes lost feeling first and then her calves, all the way to her knees. She’d gladly sacrifice feeling to escape the English prison, but she did hope they would exit the stream soon.
    Just as dawn was cresting the majestic mountains, MacLean directed the horse out of the stream and up a slight rise. Maggie breathed a small sigh of relief to be out of the frigid water, even though the cool air didn’t offer much improvement.
    MacLean leaned over the pommel and coughed hard, his body shaking with the effort. Maggie reared back, watching him with a frown. She wasn’t certain what she should do. Offer support? Pat him on the back? What did one do with a sick man? At home, she stayed far away from ill people. Unlike most Scottish lasses, she had not been trained in the art of healing and did not know the first thing to do.
    He straightened with a groan. She placed a hand on his back, then instantly pulled away. It felt as if her hand had been singed.
    “Ye’re hot,” she whispered in a low tone, trying to disguise her voice.
    “No’ much farther,” he said in response. Was that supposed to appease her?
    The horse continued to climb up a steep rise with the stream behind them and the mountains in front of them. The sun crested the peak of the mountain, bathing everything in pinks and yellows. It had been weeks since she’d seen the sun, and she realized that at some point she’d given up hope of ever seeing it again. It was breathtaking, and she vowed never to take it for granted.
    “We leave the horse here,” MacLean said, and slid off, startling Maggie. Quickly, she dismounted, automatically feeling for the dirk and
sgian dubh
Campbell had given her. It felt good to be armed again.
    MacLean loosely tied the horse’s reins to a low-hanging branch. “This way,” he said, and started to climb the steep rise.
    Maggie scrambled after him.

Chapter 3
    Colin thought of nothing but getting to the cave hidden atop the mountain.
    He had no idea how close they were, if at all.
    In the back of his mind, he registered that the lad was quietly following, his footsteps so light that Colin didn’t even hear them. He didn’t know the lad’s story, but from the little time they’d spent together, Colin could tell he was well trained, and for his age that was impressive. “Guard our backs,” he said through his labored breathing.
    “Always,” the lad said quietly.
    They reached the top, and Colin stopped to catch his breath, but the deeper he breathed, the more he needed to cough. He was bent over, his hands on his knees, attempting to hold it in, when the lad strode past him.
    “Is this it?” Colin asked.
    The boy began pulling the brush from the entrance of the cave and disappeared inside while Colin straightened and tried to catch his breath. He was sweating but also freezing. His body was wracked with shivers and his knees wanted to give out.
    Damn, but why did he have to get sick now? Time was of the essence, and they needed to keep moving away from the English camp.
    The lad reappeared from inside the cave and looked at him from beneath all that dirty black hair that constantly fell over his eyes. “There’re food and