Mika grinned happily as she saw Aunt Cora and Uncle Nate waiting in front of the family inn. She was home. Leaping off the carriage, she ran towards them with her arms outstretched. Uncle Nate caught her up in his brawny arms and gave a bone-crushing hug, "My beautiful, hellraising niece. I have missed you." Mika landed a kiss on his ruddy cheek, "I raised nothing in London. I was extremely well-behaved."

She hugged Cora next as Magena embraced her father with a squeal. Alice, Uncas, Ichante and Aylen descended upon the group and another round of hugs and kisses followed. Cora ushered everyone inside the inn, "Come. You must be hungry. The kitchen hands have already prepared supper." Laughing and chatting, the Munro sisters and their families headed to the inn's dining room. It was good to be back.

Knoton skulked in the shadows of a huge tree across the Munro family inn. Ichante was back. Mika was back. He had seen Ichante, Honon and their fathers unload the luggage from the carriages and carry them into the inn a few minutes earlier. He could see the lights turned on in the dining room, and could hear peals of laughter punctuating the otherwise peaceful night. When Honon asked him the week before whether he was going to part of the welcome party, Knoton had given a non-committal reply. Mika. He was dying to see her. He had missed her. He had missed her more than he allowed himself to admit.

He reached inside his pouch and extracted a bracelet he had personally woven with blue stones and silver he had obtained through trading with the Dutch. Thanks to his father, Knoton enjoyed a comfortable working relationship with the Dutch traders. It did help most of them knew his father and that he spoke perfect Dutch. And he learnt to act as Dutch as he needed to be in order to secure favourable negotiations.

The stones were a silvery blue, like Mika's eyes. He crossed the street, hesitating at the gate of the inn. He knew the family would not mind if he joined them, but he wondered whether Mika would be pleased to see him after their last conversation. She might just toss her dagger straight into his heart, he mused in bemusement.

He glanced at the bracelet in his hand. He had missed her eighteenth birthday since it had fallen during the period she had been in London. This was the first time Knoton was giving her a present in the years he had known her.

"Mika, could you grab the bowl of fruit and plate of biscuits from the kitchen, please? And start boiling water for the tea." Aunt Cora instructed as she and Alice gathered glasses and liquor from the sideboard. Her cousins were busy clearing the table, while the men gathered in the living room to sort out the luggage. Alice and Uncas had purchased several items for the inns and boarding houses.

Humming, Mika strolled towards the kitchen, pausing by the window in the hallway to admire the flowers that grew around the inn. Her eyes wandered to the front gate and her heartbeat tripled when she saw a tall, forbidding figure standing there as still as a statue. Knoton.

It was dark and she could barely make out his features, but she knew it was him. She always knew when it came to Knoton. Mika instinctively knew that the warrior had come for her this night, and not for Ichante. Tea and fruit forgotten, Mika raced out of the back door as not to alert her family.

Knoton tensed as he heard footfalls coming towards him. A familiar rose scent wafted across his nostrils. Mika. She had seen him. She slowed as she got nearer and came to a stop a few feet from him. Knoton drank in her appearance. She still wore her travelling clothes, which comprised a white and dark green dress clinched at the waist. Her hair was scraped into a messy ponytail and her honeyed tan had gotten lighter. She was as beautiful as ever. He took one step towards her and paused, suddenly at a loss how to greet her. "You came," she uttered quietly, studying him solemnly.

Knoton closed the gap between them until they were less than an arm's length from each other. To his relief, Mika did not look angry. Rather, she looked apprehensive and nervous. I missed you, he wanted to say. But he did not. Instead, he reached out to brush a wayward strand off her cheek, his fingers lingering lightly on her soft, dewy skin.

Mika froze as Knoton ran his thumb under the faint dark circles under her eyes, "You didn't sleep well on the steamer?" His low, husky voice washed over her and Mika bit her lip to stem her sudden urge to cry at his tenderness. She gazed into his glimmering amber eyes, which held tinges of regret and genuine gladness. He was happy to see her. He was sorry about the way they had parted before she had left for England. Mika knew he was feeling all that and more.

"Did you miss me?" she whispered, not daring to breathe as she waited for his reply. She half expected him to dismiss her, but he stepped in closer. He slid his arms around her back and pulled her swiftly to him. Mika's gasp of surprise was muffled by his shoulder. He yanked her ponytail free and buried his face into her tumbling waves. His body shuddered as his arms gripped her tighter against his hard, sinewy physique. Her warmth seeped into his bones. She felt so good in his arms. She felt right in his arms.

Mika had her answer. This was the first time Knoton had hugged her, let alone allow her into such intimate proximity with him. She knew he was still holding back, but this was a start. She wrapped her arms around his waist and stood on tiptoe to brush a brief kiss at the side of his mouth, "I missed you, too." Knoton fought not to turn his head to kiss senseless on her lips. He ran his fingers through her hair and hugged her more firmly.

After a long minute, Knoton released her reluctantly, "Let's go in." Mika nodded and they walked around the house to the back door. Ichante was lounging lazily at the door, eyeing them with a twinkle in his eyes. Mika blushed even as she shot a ferocious glare at her brother. He must have seen them through the hallway window. Knoton just dipped his head in greeting, "Ichante." His best friend slapped his back playfully, "You're late." Knoton grinned back. It was great to have Ichante back, too.

Uncas dryly observed his daughter who was trying her damnest not to stare at Knoton, who was sitting on the other side of the room chatting with Ichante and Honon. She had started acting all moony after the arrival of the half-Dutch warrior. Had she forgotten Magnus then, Uncas wondered skeptically, as he took a gulp of steaming tea. He knew Mika had gotten quite chummy with Magnus in the two weeks before they left London.

"So was Mika the belle of the ball?" Nathaniel asked as he dropped next to his brother on the sofa. Uncas snorted, "She hated every moment of it. I think Magena enjoyed herself more." Nathaniel groaned, "She would." Then he nodded in the direction of Mika, "Mika feels a little somethin' for Knoton, doesn't she? And I bet the boy feels the same way. He keeps looking at her whenever he thinks no one is looking at him." Uncas told Nathaniel about Mika's tattoo on her nape and his older brother burst out in hearty laughter, "God, Mika. What would we do without her?"

Mika carried a tray of dirty glasses to the kitchen and was startled when Ichante materialised next to her with his own tray of dirty plates. "I saw you outside with Knot," Ichante remarked casually as the siblings began to wash the dishes. Mika did not reply him and focused on scrubbing the glass she had in her hand. "I also saw you with Magnus the night before we left London," he resumed. The wash cloth slipped from Mika's fingers and she quickly picked it up again.

"Magnus is coming to visit in a couple of months. I suggest you tell Knot about him before they meet. And before he finds out by himself. That's if Knot is the man you want, "Ichante advised. Mika turned to Ichante jumpily, "That night with Magnus… it was nothing. If I tell Knot…" He levelled his sister with a narrow gaze, "It didn't look like nothing, Mika. And Magnus wouldn't take it as nothing either. When he comes here, he will pick up where he left off." "I told him my heart is taken by another!" Mika argued heatedly, but there was guilt in her eyes. Ichante cocked his brow sarcastically at his sister, "Was that before or after he kissed you?"

The night before leaving London

"I had a lovely evening, Lady Mikayla," Magnus said, as his carriage halted in front of the Nicholsons' townhouse in London. Mika smiled as he came round to help her down. He had brought her to the theatre and to Mika's astonishment, she had enjoyed herself. The night was warm and slightly breezy, and Mika was feeling slightly heady, thanks to the two glasses of wine she had for supper.

Magnus studied the arresting beauty in front of him. Mika had worn a deep navy blue velvet gown that hugged her lithe figure in all the right places, with her lustrous hair pulled back at the crown and flowing down her back. Her normally reserved icy blue eyes had taken on a warmer, brighter sheen as they conversed through the night. She said another man occupied her heart but Magnus was undeterred. Mika was too unique, too fascinating for him to give up so easily.

"Thank you. I've had a wonderful time with you and your cousins for the past two weeks," Mika expressed with sincere gratitude, touching Magnus' arm. Magnus glanced at the graceful fingers on his arm and gently covered her hand with his. He tugged her closer until Mika was close enough to make out the faint laugh lines that radiated from the corners of his impossibly blue eyes.

His gaze dropped to her mouth and travelled back up to her eyes, his expression questioning. He was going to kiss her. Mika knew if he would not if she stopped him now. She wanted to, yet she her curiosity betrayed her…Magnus leaned down and brushed his lips carefully over hers. The soft, cool press of his mouth against hers startled Mika. The feeling was alien, but it was not unpleasant. As he started to move his lips over hers coaxingly, Mika's eyes began to drift close…

I think you are the bravest girl I have ever known."

Knoton.

Knoton thumbing her tears away when he found at the lake when she was fourteen.

Knoton challenging her in archery and horse-riding.

Knoton bandaging her bloodied cuts when she had taken a bad fall while trying to scale a rock wall.

Knoton… who was waiting for her back home.

Mika's eyes snapped open in clarity.

Knoton.

Mika wrenched her mouth away from Magnus. Her breath coming in frantic pants, Mika stuttered, "I'm sorry. I can't do this. I can't… Knot…" She trailed off, helpless to explain herself. Guilt and shame flooded her. She knew she owed Knoton nothing but she had sworn personally that her first experience with intimacy with a man, even her first kiss, would be with Knoton. Mika had just betrayed herself.

Present

Mika threw her brother a look full of misery as she pleaded, "Please don't tell him about Magnus. It was a mistake. I have been regretting it since that day." Ichante sighed and ruffled her hair, "I won't tell him because I want you to tell him yourself. He'll be hurt at first but he'll get around if you are honest with him. That's Knot for you." Mika was about to reply when Knot's low voice floated towards them, "What about me?"

The siblings whirled around where Knot stood at the far end of the kitchen, his expression quizzical. But he was smiling and relaxed so it was obvious he had not overheard their conversation. "I was just telling Mika what a good man you are," Ichante supplied smoothly, touching Mika's shoulder reassuringly. Knot rolled his eyes and chortled, "What do you know about being a good man?"

Ichante crossed the space and waggled his finger at Knoton in mock anger, "Everything. Let me tell you over another shot of whisky." Ichante swung his arm over Knoton's shoulder and started dragging him back towards the living room. Mika's heart squeezed when Knoton tossed a quick smile over his shoulder at her before following Ichante. There was no dispute that he was the man Mika wanted with all her being. Yet, in a moment of folly, she had let another man kiss her.

A week went by and though Mika and Knot barely had time alone, there were snatches of moments that she could have talked to him if she genuinely wished to. But Mika did not. She sensed a difference in the way Knoton treated her ever since she had returned from London. He was more openly caring, attentive and protective, and the way he looked at her caused her heart to skip several beats and made her a little breathless.

Mika knew she had to tell him about Magnus if they were going to embark on a more serious relationship. Knoton had never hid the fact that he have had women in the past, but Mika, until her encounter with Magnus, had always indirectly declared Knoton was the only man for her. Knoton may have predicted she would get acquainted with men in London, but kissing them was another matter altogether.

"Shall we go for a walk?" Mika looked up from the blouse she had trying to mend. Knoton hovered over her, the barest of grins on his hewn features. "Go with him, Mika. Get some fresh air," Alice urged with a warm smile at Knoton from the armchair next to the settee where Mika had planted herself for the past hour. Mika stood up gratefully – she hated sewing and mending clothes as she was awful at the task. "I'll finish up when I get back, Mama," Mika promised. Alice waved her away without sparing them another glance.

Mika and Knoton headed out of the inn, and they strolled in companionable silence until they reached a small, secluded park. Choosing a shady spot under a tree, Mika flopped down with a satisfied sigh. Knoton sat down next to her, eyeing her with amusement, "Can't wait to return to the cabin?" Mika nodded, plucking the grass absently. She liked Albany but she missed the serenity and solitude of the cabin.

Knoton took Mika's hand and placed something in her palm, "For your eighteenth birthday." Mika looked down and blinked at the delicate bracelet resting in her palm. This was the first time Knoton had ever given her anything, let alone a gift. It was simple but it was lovely. Running her fingers over the stones, she uttered in awe, "It's beautiful. Where did you get it?" "I made it," Knoton stated succinctly.

Mika jerked her gaze to meet his, "You made this for me?" At his nod, Mika slipped the bracelet over right wrist, "It's perfect. I love it." Knoton smiled, "I'm glad." Mika chewed her lip for a few seconds before confessing mutedly, "I have a gift for you, too." Knoton teased, "Did you make a bracelet for me, too?" Mika shook her head as she swept her hair aside and twisted around so her back was to Knoton.

Knoton gaped at the tattoo inked along Mika's nape – angel in the wind. He instantly knew what it meant, what she meant, what she intended for it to represent. He reached out to trace the tattoo dazedly, 'When?" Mika shivered involuntarily at his touch, "Before I left for London. I wanted to show it to you when we were at the cliff that day. But we …and well..."

Knoton recalled their last quarrel before she had left for London. Mika had wanted to show him her tattoo… and he had practically ordered her to acquaint herself with other men. She must had thought he was the biggest bastard on earth. Hell, he felt like the biggest bastard on earth now.

Overwhelmed with tenderness and something else he refused to identify, Knoton pulled Mika into his arms, and onto his lap. She gasped softly, but he ignored her and leaned her forehead against hers, "Thank you." He grasped her nape and outlined her tattoo again with one finger, "I'm so sorry for what I said that day." He lifted his head as he cupped her cheek lovingly, "Thank you." With that, he angled his mouth towards her and kissed her with all the yearning that had been bubbling in him for the past four years.

Knoton. Mika's lips yielded the moment his lips sought hers. He groaned as her lips parted beneath his and allowed him to seek her moist depths. There was a dizzying mix of hunger, tenderness and longing in his kiss and Mika responded to all those feelings feverishly. Her hands skated over his broad muscular back before settling around his neck. Growling, he kissed her even deeper as he gathered her flush against him.

Mika sighed as she felt the warmth of his skin on hers. Knoton raised his lips from hers, his breath uneven. He stared piercingly into her eyes as he rubbed her bottom lip gently with his thumb, "Am I… going too fast? This is your first time…" Mika stiffened at his words.

Magnus. She had willingly given her first kiss to Magnus.

Mika looked away as her hands fell limply from Knoton's back. Knoton captured her chin and tilted her face up towards his anxiously, "What's wrong? Did I hurt you? Did you…"

"This isn't my first time," Mika blurted out, gazing at Knoton in trepidation.

He stared back at her, askance.

"What do you mean…" he stopped at the guilt and self-loathing he saw in her eyes.

His worst nightmare had come true.

London. Mika had met a man in London.

A man who was charming enough for Mika to give him her first kiss.

No, he corrected himself harshly. It was a man Mika liked enough for her to accept his kiss willingly.

His fingers curled into fists unconsciously as pain slashed through him.

Mika had done exactly what he asked her to do.

Knoton was shocked he hurt so much.

The pain and hurt doubled at her next words.

"I kissed a man in London, Knot."