Loki's Christmas Story Read online

  Loki Grant has never been happier. The winter solstice is almost upon Castle Curanta, his wife is carrying their second babe, his sons are a constant joy, and his new clan is slowly but surely growing. So why is he being kept awake by a recurring dream of an old man in furs? When he discovers his adopted son, Kenzie, is dreaming of the same man, the two embark on a voyage to find him.

  After his mother’s death, Fergus MacNicol has felt restless and out of sorts. When Loki and his son pass through Grant land on their way to Ayr on a mysterious mission, he’s driven to go with them. Something tells him this is the path that will lead him to his destiny—the woman who has filled his waking thoughts and his dreams for many moons.

  When the group arrives in Ayr, they will meet Bor, the very man who’s filled Loki and Kenzie’s dreams. Bor’s surprising message will change their lives and give them a new understanding of the meaning of family and the solstice holiday.

  The Grants and Ramsays in 1280s

  GRANTS

  LAIRD ALEXANDER GRANT and wife, MADDIE

  John (Jake) and wife, Aline

  James (Jamie) and wife, Gracie

  Kyla and husband, Cailean

  Connor

  Elizabeth

  Maeve

  BRENNA GRANT and husband, QUADE RAMSAY

  Torrian (Quade’s son from his first marriage) and wife, Heather—Nellie (Heather’s daughter from a previous relationship) and son, Lachlan

  Lily (Quade’s daughter from his first marriage) and husband, Kyle—twin daughters, Lise and Liliana

  Bethia and husband, Donnan

  Gregor

  Jennet

  ROBBIE GRANT and wife, CARALYN

  Ashlyn (Caralyn’s daughter from a previous relationship) and husband, Magnus

  Gracie (Caralyn’s daughter from a previous relationship) and husband, Jamie

  Rodric (Roddy)

  Padraig

  BRODIE GRANT and wife, CELESTINA

  Loki (adopted) and wife, Arabella—sons, Kenzie (adopted) and Lucas

  Braden

  Catriona

  Alison

  JENNIE GRANT and husband, AEDAN CAMERON

  Riley

  Tara

  Brin

  RAMSAYS

  QUADE RAMSAY and wife, BRENNA GRANT (see above)

  LOGAN RAMSAY and wife, GWYNETH

  Molly (adopted) and husband, Tormod

  Maggie (adopted)

  Sorcha and husband, Cailean

  Gavin

  Brigid

  MICHEIL RAMSAY and wife, DIANA

  David

  Daniel

  AVELINA RAMSAY and DREW MENZIE

  Elyse

  Tad

  Tomag

  Maitland

  Table of Contents

  The Family Trees

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Dear Reader

  Other Novels by Keira Montclair

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  The Scottish Highlands, 1280s

  Loki bolted up in his bed, panting.

  His wife Arabella, heavy with their second child, whispered, “What is it?”

  “Naught. I thought I heard something. ‘Tis naught. Go back to sleep, Bella.” Not one to lie often, he hid his face when he told this bold falsehood. Then he leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead.

  She rolled over and sighed, closing her eyes.

  He breathed a sigh of relief, not wanting to worry her with the truth. He’d been bothered by haunting dreams ever since they’d discovered she was carrying again. The source of the dreams was a mystery to him. He’d never been happier. He adored their wee son, Lucas, and their adopted son, Kenzie, and the work he’d poured into building his clan was greatly satisfying.

  And yet the dream kept coming. At first it had only troubled him once every moon, but now that Bella’s time drew near, it awoke him at least once a sennight, maybe more.

  The last one had only been two days ago.

  Each time he had the dream, a little more was revealed.

  It always started the same way. An old man wearing a brat of thick furs, his hood covering most of his face, would try to speak to him. Something about this stranger terrified him, and he would feel compelled to put as much distance between them as possible. In the past, he’d never actually heard the old man speak.

  This time was different.

  “Why are you called Loki, lad?”

  Och, he hated that question. It brought back all his old fears about not belonging. Loki was not a Gaelic name, yet his birth mother had been Gaelic, and so was his adoptive family, the Grants.

  Loki had been abandoned, left to die, in the middle of the forest when he was less than six summers. For the longest time, he’d had no memory of his life before beyond that he was called Loki and had no parents. He’d lived in a crate behind an inn in Ayr.

  Years later, he’d encountered Brodie Grant, which he still considered the most fortunate thing to ever happen to him. After they fought together in the Battle of Largs, the man had adopted him and welcomed him into Clan Grant.

  Loki had worked hard for his new clan, so much so he’d been awarded and made laird of his own castle. Alexander Grant was still his chieftain and his warriors fought for Clan Grant, but he worked his own land, something rare in the Highlands. Though the land was not as fertile as Grant land, they grew much of their own food and had a good herd of sheep that expanded every year and a loch full of fish. He’d named it Castle Curanta, meaning brave and heroic, and he did aught he could to continue making the Grants proud.

  Still, the past haunted him. Over the years he’d learned the truth about his parentage. His mother’s husband, the cruel bastard Edward Blackett, was not his sire. Nor was Blackett the sire of the babe Loki’s mother had died delivering. Loki and his sister, Heather, now the wife of Torrian Ramsay, were the product of a loving relationship between their mother and another man, a priest. Only they’d been torn away from their true sire after their mother’s death.

  The name Loki? He still had no idea why or when he’d been given it.

  His mother had christened him Lucas.

  Shaking the thoughts away, Loki climbed out of bed, grabbed a plaid to wrap around his waist, and headed down the stairs to the great hall. True, it was small in comparison to the Grant’s, but it was their own, and Bella had worked hard to make it warm and cozy. He grabbed a goblet of mead and sat in one of the chairs in front of the hearth, the fire now nothing but hot embers.

  What time was it? He had no idea.

  After his second swig, he heard a noise from the lads’ chamber. He tipped his head toward the staircase, listening to see which of the lads had awakened. Kenzie, almost nine summers, came flying across the balcony and down the staircase.

  “Papa, Papa…”

  Loki stood up to greet his son, the lad who he’d found living on the streets of Ayr just as he had so many years ago. “What is it, Kenzie?”

  “Papa, I keep having the same dream. I do not like it. How do I make it stop?”

  A chill ran up his spine, causing a tingling in his neck he did not like. “Sit down, lad. Tell me about it.”

  Kenzie fell into the chair next to him, landing on the soft cushion Bella had made and grabbing the fur tossed over the back of the chair.

  Loki measured the fear in the lad’s gaze, watching to see if it grew or if it banked like the fire had. “La
d, it seems so real, aye?” he whispered, hoping his voice would calm the boy.

  Kenzie rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “A big man. ‘Tis a large man every time. He’s all covered in furs, and he asks me questions.”

  “What does he say?” He wasn’t sure he wished to hear the lad’s answer, because the similarities were already unnerving.

  “One time he said, ‘Where’s my Loki?’ Another time he asked me why my papa was named Loki. His questions made me think of my true papa. I’d love him, too, if he were still alive. Can I not love both my papas? Do you think ‘tis why the man with the furs is after me?” He hopped out of his chair and stood directly in front of Loki, his eyes wide and misting.

  “Nay, I do not think he is after you.”

  “But I can love two papas, can I not? Does it bother you that I still love my first papa?”

  “Nay, it does not bother me. I’m pleased you love two papas. I love four if the truth be known.” He grinned at Kenzie, hoping to pull the lad’s fear from him by distracting him with a puzzle. He was easy to distract at the tender age of nine summers.

  “Four? You love four papas?”

  “Can you not guess who I mean?” He leaned back in his chair, giving the lad a chance to think it through. Kenzie was certainly bright enough to figure out the answer.

  “Your true papa, the priest, and Grandsire Brodie, your adopted sire. Hmmm…”

  Loki smiled, watching his son’s expression change as the thoughts bounced around in his head.

  “I know. Uncle Alex.”

  “Aye, ‘tis the third. And the fourth?”

  His chest plumped out in satisfaction, but it fell back down as soon as he remembered he had to come up with one more.

  “Uncle Robbie?”

  “Aye. They all treated me like their son when I arrived here. I’m blessed beyond words.”

  “I am, too, Papa.” He threw his arms around Loki’s neck.

  “I’ll tell you a secret.”

  Kenzie propelled himself away from Loki’s chest. “A secret? Do tell.”

  “I’ve had my own dreams about the man in the furs.”

  “You have? Does he scare you, too?”

  How to lie about this one… He was more frightened than ever now that he knew they were having similar dreams, but the truth would alarm his son. He settled on a half-truth.

  “The man in the furs scares me when it’s dark, but as soon as daylight arrives, he vanishes. Think on that, and he’ll not be able to scare you again.”

  “I’ll try, Papa. I hope it works. But who is the man in the furs?”

  That was the strangest thing of all. Loki had no idea.

  Chapter Two

  Two nights later, Loki lay awake in his bed, staring up at the beams in his bed chamber with his hands behind his head. Bella tossed and turned, something that had become more frequent in the later part of her pregnancy. Though he loved Lucas and Kenzie, Loki couldn’t help but hope they’d have a wee lassie this time. Poor Bella’s house was overrun with lads.

  Loki had been awakened by another dream of the man in furs. This time he’d asked, “Where are you, Loki? I need you.”

  He’d awakened in a cold sweat, but he’d decided not to move about for fear of awakening Bella. Still no closer to understanding the meaning of the man in furs, he couldn’t sleep. Kenzie hadn’t complained about any more dreams, but only a couple of nights had passed.

  Bella rolled over and stared at him. The dark made it hard to see, but the look on her face told him that if it were daylight, he’d see that gleam in her eyes he loved so much.

  She gave him a sweet smile, and he knew exactly what was on her mind.

  “Restless, my wee one?” he asked.

  “Wee one? Who do you think you’re talking to, husband?” She rolled onto her back and tossed the covers off, pulling up her night rail to expose her belly. “Does that look wee to you, because I think not.”

  He laughed and rolled onto his side, leaning over to capture her lips with his own, delving into her sweet mouth with his tongue. “Are you trying to torture me, lass? You know I cannot climb aboard you at this point.”

  She laughed and drawled, “Mayhap ‘tis my turn to enjoy the climbing.”

  “I’m all yours.” He kissed her again and his hand crept down to the vee between her legs. “I see you’ve been thinking on me, aye?”

  She pushed against his chest until he was flat on his back, grinning. She loomed over him and said, “I’ll show you how much I’ve been thinking on you.” Bella lifted her leg to straddle him and he grabbed her hips, guiding her to the right place. She began to ride him, the friction immediately making him hard, but then almost toppled off of him.

  “Whoa, lassie, you’ll not be leaving me after starting that.” He repositioned her and said, “Hold on to my hands. I’ll keep you just where you want to be.”

  Bella grabbed his hands to anchor herself, then began to writhe her mound against him. It didn’t take long until she lifted herself, panting, and took him inside, sheathing him completely with a deep sigh and a moan. “Loki, I do love you so.”

  “Come for me, my Bella.”

  She moved while he pleasured her every way he could.

  “Your breasts are so full and beautiful. I love holding them.” As he caressed them and tweaked her nipples, he felt her sheath tighten around him. She let go with a moan and he followed, climaxing with her.

  When they finished, he helped her into a position next to him, her head on his shoulder and her belly braced on his hip. “You must have wanted me,” he said. “You sure went fast, love.”

  She giggled. “Happens every time you call this big body beautiful.”

  “You know ‘tis only the bairn making you big, and you are still beautiful.”

  A loud knock interrupted their intimacy, though they were fortunate it had not come a moment or two sooner.

  “Come in,” Loki shouted after he helped Bella settle her gown, afraid it was Kenzie again. He pulled the covers up past his waist.

  Kenzie bounded inside and threw himself across the bed.

  “What is it, Kenzie?”

  They didn’t have to wait long for his answer. Words spilled out of his mouth as fast as a falcon diving after its prey. “The man with furs came again. Make him stop, Papa. Make him go away. He scares me. I hate him. I…”

  “Slow down, lad. You have not taken a breath after five sentences. You had another dream about the man in the furs?” He’d told Bella a bit about the dreams that had been plaguing him and Kenzie, though not in enough detail to concern her. She was too far along to be worrying about such things.

  “Aye, and he told me something this time. Now I’m more afraid than ever.”

  Bella moved away from Loki and motioned for Kenzie to come lie between them. “Come rest with us and tell us all about it.”

  He did as she asked, maneuvering his wee body between them and then rolling over onto his back.

  “Good. Now take a deep breath and start anew,” Bella whispered.

  “The man with the furs came to me in my sleep again. This time, he told me something different.” The tears slid down his cheeks as he glanced from his mama to his papa. “I could see my true sire standing behind the man of furs. ‘Tis the first time I’ve seen him since he passed, and he did not look happy. I fear he does not want me to have two families. What have I done wrong?”

  “Naught,” Loki said, reaching down to ruffle the lad’s hair. “You’ve done naught wrong, Kenzie. I do not think your true sire is upset with you. Did he say aught?”

  “Nay. ‘Twas the look in his eyes that worried me.” He sat up and glanced from one of them to the other. “And then the man in the furs told me that I must bring you to Ayr, Papa. I think my true papa must want it, too, or he would not have been there.”

  Bella looked at Loki, her gaze full of love, and said, “Then you must go.”

  * * *

  The next afternoon, Loki sat near the warm hearth b
eside Bella, his sire Brodie, and his mother Celestina. Wee Lucas was cuddled on his grandmama’s lap.

  Loki cleared his throat before he began. “I thank you both for coming. I know not if I’m chasing something foolish, but Kenzie is so upset by these dreams that I’m hoping he’ll settle if we take him seriously. I…have to admit it troubles me that we’ve seen the same person in our dreams.”

  “And will you go as far as Ayr?” Bella asked.

  “I cannot say, but I’ll do my best to return as soon as I can, lassie. You know I’ve no desire to leave you. I’m only glad that Mama and Papa can stay with you while I’m gone. I’ll take this one day at a time, see if the lad and I continue to have the dreams after we depart.” He lowered his voice. “I cannot allow our son to believe ‘tis wrong to love two fathers. You’ve seen how distraught he is.”

  Bella’s eyes teared up right away. “I know. I’ve not seen him this upset before. I thought he’d get over it when the sun rose, but it has only worsened.” She grasped Loki’s hand and squeezed it. “Do not worry. I’ll be fine.”

  “Poor Kenzie. I can see the worry in his face. It unsettles me, Loki.” Celestina ran one hand over the sleeping bairn on her lap with a shake of her head. “Do what you must. Your brother will bring the girls over later. We’ll all be here to help Bella.”

  “Mama, do you believe the dreams mean something?” He valued both of his parents’ opinions, but he’d heard his mother discuss the significance of dreams with his aunts. It seemed likely she might know something. Besides, his adoptive mother was an angel, more ethereal than anyone he’d ever met. If any living person knew of matters beyond this world, he trusted that she did.

  His mother thought for a moment, then reached for his sire’s hand. “Loki, I for certes do not understand why the man asks about your name, but the fact that you’ve both been visited by a similar vision makes me think there is more to it.”

  “You’re sure you’ve never discussed your dreams in front of him?” his father asked, glancing back and forth between him and Bella. “‘Tis most unusual that you’ve dreamed of the same man. You know of Avelina Ramsay and her powers. There are some aspects of this world that cannot be explained. This could be one of them.”

  Both shook their heads in unison. He wouldn’t even confess how many times he’d hidden his dreams from Bella, not wanting to worry her during her time. But he could no longer ignore them. It would seem someone had a message for him and his son.