Taking advantage of her readiness, he stroked her silky thighs and then parted them farther so he could enter her. With a thrust, he slipped inside and claimed her again.

The lass’s rocking against him, her hands gripping his backside, and the way she raised her knees for deeper penetration created a feverish hunger so great that he felt it would consume him until his passion exploded. He collapsed, satiated and drowning in fulfillment. He moved aside and lay on his back. Then he pulled her against him, loving the way her leg slipped between his, straddling him, claiming him.

Dinner would again be late as they slept first and then renewed their lovemaking.

Until he heard his mum’s voice wrought with irritation as her quick footfalls drew toward his chamber.

She wasn’t due to return until after the movie was finished. What was she doing home now?

“Where is he? What do you mean he’s too busy to see me, Cearnach? I’m his mum! And I’ve returned to put a stop to this madness!”

Chapter 22

For modesty sake, Ian pulled a cover over Julia and himself before his mother broke into the bedchamber. With brows raised, Julia tilted her lips up to his, offering herself to him. He kissed her smiling mouth, while his mum’s tirade to Cearnach continued as they approached Ian’s chamber.

If she barged into his bedchamber, which she was not prone to do, he would deal with it. But he was not leaving the bed just yet, and again he kissed Julia’s willing mouth as his fingers combed through her silky red locks. She didn’t seem to mind that his mum was nearly at his room in full-fledged battle mode and pressed her mouth against his with as much enthusiasm.

“He is the laird,” Cearnach reasoned with their mother. “It’s his decision, and I think it best if you at least knocked—”

“What is he doing abed at this hour?” she railed. Then she shoved the door open.

Ian broke free of kissing Julia, turned to see his mum, and raised his brows. “You wished a word with me, my mother?” His voice was cold.

His mother’s mouth gaped, but she quickly folded her arms, narrowed her eyes, and scowled, looking from Julia to Ian, while Cearnach standing slightly behind her appeared apologetic, grimacing as he offered a wee shrug.

She motioned to Julia. “What is this?”

He thought Julia was the reason for his mum’s tirade. But apparently something else had angered her. He now suspected she didn’t even realize that Julia was a wolf, thinking her just a human here for a little sexual pleasure. He wasn’t surprised no one had told his mother about Julia, though. When his mother was in one of her unreasonable snits, it was impossible to get a word in edgewise. She was used to being the grand dame of the clan and the pack after his father died and Ian had still not taken a mate. But now Julia had the position of the lady of the manor, and his mother would have to step aside. He hadn’t considered that part of the scenario.

“This is Julia Wildthorn, my mate. But I’m sure the introductions could have waited for a more… suitable time.”

His mum’s mouth gaped again, and she glanced with a glower at Cearnach, who shrugged once more. “Why didn’t you…” She paused and turned back to Ian, her face livid. “I want a word with you at once.”

Ian cast her the barest of smiles. She might think she could dictate to him like she had done with their da, but Ian was just like his sire, and he would do what he thought best for the clan and the pack.

“Later,” he said, his voice bordering on terse now, and he swept his hand down Julia’s back in a gentle caress, hoping his mother wasn’t upsetting her.

His mum opened her mouth to speak, her eyes still narrowed in contempt. Then her gaze shifted to Julia, her expression hardening even further, and she whipped around and stalked out of the room.

Cearnach bowed his head a little in apology and then shut the door.

Down the hall, his mother harangued Cearnach as their footfalls headed for the stairs. “Why didn’t you tell me Ian had taken a mate? And who is she?”

Julia sighed softly, stroking Ian’s nipple with her finger. “I take it she’s not pleased about something. And… I don’t think I’ve made the best first impression on her.”

He let out his breath. “I hadn’t thought of how this might affect my mum, although she wasn’t to return until month’s end. By then, I would have sent word to her. Seems something else caught her ear. Maybe something to do with the film. The fact Basil and his men have gained entrance to the castle during the filming, Heather’s participation, even our clansmen taking part in the film, perhaps. No telling what has gotten my mum’s knickers in a twist.”

He continued to stroke Julia’s back while she curled her fingers in his chest hair. When she didn’t say anything, he asked, “Are you all right, lass?”

“My family’s very small, Ian.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I love your brothers, and your cousins, too. I’ve met some of your other kin and clansmen and clanswomen, and I love how much they’re dedicated to you and how kind they’ve been to me. I love being here and feel as though I’m home. But you have to know it bothers me that your mother doesn’t seem to like me. And your aunt…”

“My aunt is my father’s sister, and she will show you every respect. My mum, as well. Give them time. They’ll come around.” And then he kissed Julia, a long lingering kiss that meant she had a pack, a clan, and an even larger family, and she was loved.

But the nagging worry that Basil would soon cause real trouble was at the back of Ian’s mind. In the morning, the filming of a battle in the inner bailey was scheduled. Keeping Julia and his clansmen out of harm’s way was his driving concern for now.

***

The next morning, Julia felt uneasy as Ian led her downstairs to breakfast. She worried his mother would make a scene at the meal, but she was hopeful that his mother wouldn’t even show up. And that made Julia feel even worse. She hadn’t expected Ian’s mother to replace her own, but she had hoped they’d get along.

There she was, seated at the main dining table along with Aunt Agnes, the two older women waiting for Ian to join them like a couple of wolves anticipating their quarry. But both barely spared her a glance. His mother’s red-gold curls were streaked with gray and piled on top of her head in an elegant coif, while her green eyes remained sharp and observant. She wore a black sweater and slacks and looked like she was in mourning as she cast Ian a scornful look. Aunt Agnes was wearing a pale blue sweater and slacks, which looked good on her, and she smiled a little at Ian.

His brothers and cousins milled around the kitchen, talking to each other about the upcoming scene, while Cook and a couple of other clanswomen worked on the morning meal.

“I will teach your brothers to cook,” Julia said, feeling the weight of his aunt’s and mother’s gazes return to her as she walked past them. “Then if Cook has other plans, they can fix meals fit for—”

“An earl and his lady,” Ian said, kissing her cheek and pulling out a chair for her. “I think that an admirable notion.”

His mother glowered at Julia. She didn’t bother to see his aunt’s reaction to their comments. Upon hearing Ian and Julia’s conversation, everyone crowded into the dining room, offering greetings and small smiles, and then took their seats.

Half were dressed in kilts and tunics, ready for the start of the mock battle, and Julia envisioned the dining hall being part of the old world when the clan met to break their fast. Half were still wearing civilian clothes and would change after breakfast, which made her think of time travelers from the future who had landed in the middle of a seventeenth-century scene.

Everyone politely waited for Ian to say or do something.

He handed a platter of brown bread to Julia. She set a slice down on her plate and then passed the loaf to Heather.

“We took the castle from the Sutherlands,” Agnes said, without waiting for anyone else to speak, as the dishes of eggs and sausages made their rounds.

Astonished, Julia looked up from the bread she was buttering. Agnes’s focus was on Ian.

“Argent Castle,” his aunt clarified, speaking to Ian.

He straightened. “Aye. My great-grandfather fought them and ousted them from the castle. That I’m well aware of, Aunt. Basil Sutherland reminds me every chance he gets.”

Julia stared at Agnes in disbelief. Her grandfather said the MacPhersons had owned the castle. Was he mistaken? She didn’t believe so.

“Do you know why our family fought the Sutherlands in the first place?”Agnes asked.

“Territorial disputes, as far as I’m aware.”

So Ian hadn’t believed that Julia’s family had owned the castle. All this time, he’d been humoring her?

“Before this happened, your great-grandfather’s son, your grandfather, was to mate a MacPherson,” Agnes said, her gaze drifting to Julia and then back to Ian.

Ian sat back in his chair. Julia closed her gaping mouth. But she wasn’t the only one who appeared surprised. Forkfuls of food hung suspended in air, open mouths ready to take a bite and then stopping while the news hit them.

“I discovered it in some of the family journals. The union was meant to tie the clans together, to unite them against the Sutherlands,” Agnes continued.

“An alliance,” Julia whispered.

“Aye,” Agnes said, giving her a sharp nod.

“With the MacPhersons?” Ian’s voice was rife with disbelief.

“Aye. But the Sutherlands didn’t want this union. They stormed Argent Castle before this was to occur in a month’s—”

Ian held up his hand to stop her. “The MacNeills stormed Argent, you mean.”

“No. The MacPhersons owned the castle.”

Julia’s grandfather had been right. She felt a wave of relief that he hadn’t been wrong and that she hadn’t told Ian anything but the truth.

Ian frowned. “I don’t understand.”