“Hell, he’s still sweet on her,” Vardon said. “Still trying to smooth things over with her. When are you going to figure out that’s not going to work?”
“I want her to be my mate, damn it! Someone who would love me like she did until the bunch of you screwed things up when you went after Cearnach,” Baird said.
“You gave us the go-ahead. No way in hell would we have gone against your orders. You were in agreement all along until Calla learned of what we’d done and dumped your arse,” Vardon said.
Guthrie didn’t hear either the other brother or the cousin agree. Seemed like Vardon was the only one who could say what he did to the pack leader and get away with it.
Guthrie wondered what they meant that they had been at her place. She wasn’t supposed to have been alone at any time. He thought she had dropped her parents off at the airport and gone straight to Argent Castle. She hadn’t said a thing about what had happened between Baird and her before Guthrie and his kin rescued her from the McKinleys in the blizzard.
And the business of them worrying that if they didn’t get Calla back they were dead men? What the hell was that all about? It explained why Baird was so eager to drag her back to the pack, beyond personal obsession, but why? Guthrie was afraid that the more desperate the men became, the worse it would be for Calla.
The men didn’t say anything more on the way back to their vehicle. When the car drove off, Guthrie and Logan loped back to the castle.
***
After shifting and dressing, Guthrie returned to Calla’s guest room.
Ian was standing guard over Calla, who was covered in a couple blankets and looking sleepy.
“Aunt Agatha came up to see to Calla, and the doctor will be here any minute,” Ian said and added, “Are you all right, lass?”
“Aye. He just knocked me out and escaped before I could turn into the wolf. He didn’t want me biting him, which under the circumstances, I would have done if I’d been able to shift.”
Ian’s cell rang, and he excused himself and stepped into the hallway.
“What did he say to you?” Guthrie asked, still puzzling over the conversation the men had in the woods. Though they’d heard some of the shouting going on in the room before this, some of it was so absurd that he wanted to hear her take on it. He stroked her soft hair, still furious with the way Baird had injured her.
“The usual. He wants me back. But it has me worried. This is how a desperate man would act. I swear he was actually pleading for me to go with him. I’ve never seen him act like he was truly afraid of what would happen if I didn’t agree.”
Guthrie shook his head.
She closed her eyes.
“Nay, stay awake, Calla. The doctor will check you over, but we have to be sure you’re all right.”
“I’m fine. I have a roaring headache, but I’m fine otherwise.”
“Why would he want you so desperately that he would risk his life coming here to convince you to go with him? It was madness for him to do this,” Guthrie said. “I overheard Robert McKinley saying that they were dead men if they didn’t get you back.”
Her eyes widened. “You went after him? Alone?”
“Logan was with me. I saw Logan racing to reach the woods and figured he was chasing after Baird on his own. I had to go after him so he didn’t get himself killed. Baird met up with his men, three of them, and we listened in on them. They were all anxious and headed through the woods to their car. They didn’t know Logan and I were following them.”
“He said his life wasn’t worth living if I didn’t go back to him. But it sounds like more than just Baird’s life is at stake,” Calla said.
“Baird’s brother Vardon was really chewing him out. Sounds to me like their pack is rethinking having chosen Baird to be their leader. That could make a man desperate enough to pull something as stupid as this,” Guthrie agreed.
Ian stepped back into the room and asked Calla, “Is there anything else you can remember?”
“Just…well, it seemed kind of odd. He said that he didn’t mind if I stayed here through the time I’d planned, if I’d just agree to be his mate.”
“Hell,” Guthrie said. “I can’t imagine him ever making such a concession for you.”
Ian agreed. “He’s desperate all right. From what both of you have said, it seems like a pack-driven concern. There must be more to it.”
Aunt Agatha quickly entered the room. “I hope you’re going to talk to Logan. He’s telling the other lads he tracked the men down until you arrived, Guthrie.”
“Great. If you’re all right…” Ian said to Calla.
“Aye, I’m fine. Go talk to the boys.”
“If the men don’t kill Baird, I will,” Aunt Agnes said, slapping a wet cloth in Guthrie’s hand. “Take care of her.” Then she winked at Calla and left the room.
They all watched Aunt Agnes make a hasty retreat, no one saying a word. Calla guided Guthrie’s hand to her temple where the injury still throbbed. “Cold compress on head injury,” she said.
“Aye,” Guthrie said and gently laid the compress on her head.
Ian said, “I’m going to check with our men, learn who was supposed to be at the back gate and how Baird got in, and talk to the lads. I don’t want them thinking they can just run off and do this kind of thing again.”
Calla looked relieved when Ian left. Guthrie squeezed her hand, but when she started to close her eyes, he reminded her, “Nay, lass. Keep your eyes open.”
She made a face at him and he smiled.
“Vardon said they should have grabbed you when you were at your home. You never mentioned that when we came to rescue you from them in the blizzard.”
“I was supposed to drop my parents off at the airport and come straight here. My dad had his times way off. I was in a rush to get them to the airport and had no time to finish packing to come here straight from the airport. My dad is never rattled like that.”
“Baird is not forcing you to return to him,” Guthrie said, taking her hand and kissing her cheek.
She smiled a little at him. “Tell me something that I don’t know.”
***
Later that day after Calla had napped, she smiled to see Guthrie sitting in one of the chairs in her guest room, watching her.