Page 13 of Craved By a Highland Beast

If anything, they had hardly spoken to her, other than to remind her there was nowhere for her to run and that they would go after her and hunt her down if she tried.

Bonnie had some gold on her for emergencies. She had her belongings, too, which her guards had delivered to Arran for her, so she had one jewelry to spare, as well. If she managed to slip away, if she managed to find abirlinnthat would take her back to the mainland and then a carriage to take her home?—

But the council would be furious. She would singlehandedly ruin every effort they had made for this alliance, and they would surely punish Bonnie for it, one way or another. Perhaps they would even manage to find someone worse than Laird Ruthven for her to marry.

The room Bonnie had been given was small and modest, with a bed, a basin, and a small table by the window, along with a chair for anyone who cared to sit there. Despite the confined space, she had spent the entire day there, avoiding the MacGregors as much as she could, but now that the sky had darkened, the sun long set in the horizon, she found that she could not battle her hunger anymore. Reluctantly, she stood from the bed and made her way downstairs, eager to ask the innkeeper for some food, but before she could reach the man, she saw the two brothers hunched over a table, talking quietly to each other.

The ground floor of the inn was rather spacious, with several tables strewn about the room. Some of them were occupied by other guests who were enjoying their dinner under the warm orange light of the torches and the warmth of the fire that blazed in the large fireplace. It was a cozy place, decorated modestly but with carpets and tapestries that gave the place a feeling of home.

Neither brother noticed as she approached, absorbed as they were in their conversation, and so Bonnie took the chance to overhear what they were saying, hoping she could get some information out of them while they were unguarded.

“This is dangerous,” she heard Alaric say, though the prospect of whatever danger he was talking about didn’t seem to rattle him much. It was as though he was merely pointing out a fact. “What if Ruthven thinks she is helpin’ us?”

“She is helpin’ us,” said Laird MacGregor. “Even if she doesnae ken it.”

It didn’t take long for Bonnie to realize they were talking about her. She leaned a little closer, her stomach tying itself into a knot as she listened.

“Even worse,” said Alaric. “If she doesnae ken anythin’, then she willnae be prepared.”

“If she doesnae ken anythin’, she can claim ignorance,” said Laird MacGregor. “All we have tae dae is go intae the castle, stay there fer a while, an’ find somethin’, anythin’ that connects Ruthven tae Balliol.”

Ruthven an’ Balliol? Is Ruthven helpin’ him?

It didn’t sound unlikely to Bonnie. From the little she had heard about Graeme Ruthven, he was an ambitious man and it wouldn’t surprise her if he tried to gain more influence throughJohn Balliol. Then again, she couldn’t understand why the MacGregors would try to find a connection between them—why they would be willing to risk their lives for it, infiltrating Castle Ruthven under false pretenses. Many despised Balliol, but to go to such great lengths spoke of treason.

“What about Ruthven an’ Balliol?”

Both brothers jumped at the sound of her voice, their hands reaching for their weapons on instinct. Bonnie couldn’t help but chuckle at the reaction as she slid into the empty chair at their table, eager to know more.

The two brothers let out identical sighs and exchanged a glance, and it seemed to Bonnie as though they were communicating silently, without needing to use any words.

“How long have ye been standin’ there?” Laird MacGregor asked wearily.

Bonnie shrugged. “Long enough. If ye didnae wish fer me tae hear ye, ye should have been more careful, Laird MacGregor.”

“We’re supposed tae be cousins,” he gritted out, leaning over the table to get closer to Bonnie. “Call me by me name.”

“I dinnae think that’s our biggest issue here,Evan,” Bonnie hissed, leaning closer as well, until their faces were mere inches apart. “What was it that ye were sayin’? Are ye usin’ me tae get tae Laird Ruthven?”

Evan and Alaric glanced at each other once more, as Bonnie pushed back from Evan and settled back in her seat. They seemed to be communicating in silence again, neither of them willing to speak first.

It was Evan who spoke in the end. “We have good reason tae think Ruthven is workin’ with John Balliol,” he said. “An’ we wish tae find proof. Solid proof. We’ve tried but we havenae gotten close enough tae him. With ye in the castle, though, we can finally watch him closely.”

“Why?” Bonnie asked. “What dae ye have tae gain from this?”

“Everythin’,” said Evan. “Surely, ye understand how terrible Balliol is fer us . . . fer all the clans. If we allow him tae rule, he will destroy us all. TheSassenachswill come tae our lands an’ have absolute control over us. We cannae allow that tae happen.”

Bonnie hesitated, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. “Is that why ye were torturin’ the man? Fer information?”

“Aye,” said Alaric. “We dinnae enjoy hurtin’ people, Miss MacLaren, an’ we willnae hurt ye. I can promise ye that. But we need yer help with this, even if it is dangerous.”

So, they arenae the ruthless killers I thought they were.

Both Evan and Alaric were unsettling to look at—Alaric even more so, with his scars and tattoos. Now that Bonnie wasspeaking to them, though, she saw a different, gentler side of them. They both seemed earnest, eager to make a difference. They both seemed dedicated to their cause, to helping those around them.

Maybe she truly had misunderstood them after all. Alaric seemed so earnest when he said that they wouldn’t hurt her that Bonnie was inclined to believe him despite her fears.

“Alright,” she said, nodding once decisively. “Alright, I will help ye.”

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