Warwolfe (de Wolfe Pack Book 0)(130)

“And I love you, Norman,” she whispered. “I love you with all that I am. Everything I have done, I have done it because I love you. You must always remember that.”

His smile turned warm, adoring. A big hand cupped her face. “I am the most fortunate man in all the world to have your love,” he murmured. “As you have mine.”

“Gate!”

Téo broke the tender moment, coming up behind him through the trees with Kristoph in tow. Gaetan forgot all about Ghislaine for the moment and rushed to Kristoph, throwing his arms around the man in a moment he’d been praying for since he realized Kristoph had been abducted. His brother, his friend, was finally safe, and his relief knew no limits.

“Kris,” he muttered, hugging the man tightly before releasing him. “You cannot know how I have longed for this moment.”

Kristoph was wearily smiling at him. “I knew you would come for me,” he said. “I never had any doubt.”

Gaetan put an affectionate hand on his cheek. “I am glad you did not doubt us, for it was a harrowing journey to find you.” He sobered. “How is your hand?”

He meant the partially cut finger. Kristoph held up his hand to show him. “It has almost healed. I do not miss it, anyway.”

“But you are well otherwise?”

“Other than the fact I could eat an entire cow by myself, I am well. But how did you happen to find me? Alary was convinced you had stopped following us, but I knew better. I knew you were around, somewhere. But how did you know?”

Gaetan pointed to Ghislaine. “It is all because of her,” he said. “You do remember her, do you not?”

Kristoph looked at Ghislaine and his eyes widened. “Of course I do,” he said, taking a few halting steps in Ghislaine’s direction. “My lady protector. It was you who helped my comrades find me?”

Ghislaine stood up, slowly because of her aching thigh. “It was because of me that Alary took you,” she said. “At first, I went to the Normans for help with vengeance in my heart. I wanted them to kill my brother for taking you away from me. But in the end, it was my own arrow that ended my brother’s miserable life and I am not sorry for that. For everything he has done and all of the people he has wronged, I suppose it was the least I could do.”

Her statement wasn’t missed by Gaetan. “It was you who put the arrow through his skull?”

Ghislaine nodded solemnly. “Aye,” she replied. “He cannot hurt anyone again. If it had to be done… it is right that I should do it. He has given our family a terrible name. We have much to atone for.”

Gaetan went to her, pulling her into his arms, and Kristoph watched with some astonishment. “What’s this?” he hissed. “Why do you hold that woman like that?”

Gaetan started to laugh. “Because I am going to marry her.” He watched the amazement on Kristoph’s face. “Do not look so surprised; you should be happy for me. Ghislaine is the only woman worthy of me, Kris, and I am not ashamed to admit that I adore her. It was a good thing her brother abducted you ’else I would have never known her.”

He meant the last part a jest, but not entirely because it was true. Kristoph looked at Téo, who simply nodded with a grin, as if the joke was on Kristoph. As Kristoph struggled to absorb what he’d been told, because he had many more questions than answers, more of Gaetan’s men wandered into the trees.

Aramis, de Reyne, de Moray, and de Lara all went straight to Kristoph, hugging the man just as Gaetan had, thrilled that he was alive and well. It was a tender, touching scene as men reaffirmed their bonds of friendship, of brotherhood. Joy was in the air on this dusky evening as the Anges de Guerre were made whole once again. A day that could have ended very badly had the best possible outcome.

There was much to be thankful for.

“The battle is over for the most part, Gate,” Aramis said. “Alary’s men have scattered.”

Gaetan took Ghislaine by the hand. “Come along,” he said. “Let us go and see to it.”

Ghislaine allowed him to lead her back through the trees, with his men in tow, until they all ended up back on the road where it was now a bloody mess with scattered bodies everywhere. Off towards the west, the Tertium were still chasing some of Alary’s men but, for the most part, the majority of them were milling around the dead and dying Saxons, stealing weapons and anything of value from their bodies. Gaetan surveyed the brutal scene.

“Give the Tertium anything they want from Alary’s wagons,” he told his men. “They can even have the horses if they wish. I will not lay claim to anything. This was their battle, not mine. It is the least I can do.”

As his men nodded, de Winter, St. Hèver, and Wellesbourne emerged from the mess, also heading to Kristoph to do exactly what the others had done. There was much hugging and rejoicing going on as their lost brother was reclaimed.

Holding tightly to Gaetan’s hand, Ghislaine watched it all. As she’d seen from the beginning with the Anges de Guerre, there was the strength of bond between them that was more powerful than anything she had ever seen. Now they were a complete brotherhood again and the joy in the air was indescribable. It almost made all of the pain and hardship they’d suffered worth the end. Certainly, one could not experience such great joy without suffering such great pain.