Page 14 of Craved By a Highland Beast

“Ye will?” Alaric asked, surprised by her willingness.

“I will,” Bonnie confirmed. It was for the greater good. If she could help in any way, then she would. “But I wish tae ken more. This is . . . this is treason. Are ye certain ye can dae it? Are ye certain ye wish tae?”

“We dae,” Evan said drily. “We’ve thought about all this afore but this needs tae be done. “I willnae allow theSassenachstae come here an’ . . . an’ destroy everythin’.”

As he spoke, Evan’s hand that rested on the table curled into a tight fist and his jaw tightened, the words barely coming past his lips. There was more to it than what he claimed, Bonnie knew then. There was something personal against the English, something that drove him to do anything he needed to in order to defeat them.

Gently, Bonnie placed her hand over that fist, looking Evan in the eyes. “What is it? What happened?”

For a moment, both Evan and Alaric froze. Then, Evan snatched his hand back and glared at Bonnie, scoffing.

“It doesnae concern ye,” he said.

“Ye love tae say that,” Bonnie pointed out. “But it willnae help me keep meself safe. How dae ye expect me tae assist ye when ye willnae tell me the whole truth?”

“Ye dinnae need tae ken any o’ it,” Evan insisted. “All ye need tae ken is that we seek information.”

Bonnie stared at him, tight-lipped and narrow-eyed, but Evan wouldn’t budge. He stared right back as if daring her to say anything else, knowing that she wouldn’t win. She wouldn’t get any truth out of him if he didn’t want to share it.

“Fine,” said Bonnie as she stood, the legs of her chair scraping against the stone floor as she pushed it back. “I will be in me room, then, if ye dinnae wish tae talk.”

She stalled for a second, just to see if Evan or Alaric would say something or try to convince her to stay, but neither man spoke. With a huff, she headed back upstairs, any thoughts of dinner long forgotten, her mind trying to process the little she now knew.

Indeed, it sounded like a dangerous task and she couldn’t completely trust Evan and Alaric when they refused to reveal the whole truth to her. On the other hand, it could lead to Laird Ruthven’s downfall. It was that thought which prompted her to agree to help. With Laird Ruthven gone, Bonnie wouldn’t have to marry him and she could give herself at least some time before the council found another husband for her.

Maybe it will even be someone kinder.

If nothing else, it wouldn’t be a man who supported John Balliol. Laird Ruthven could only bring ruin to any clan with which he would be associated, and Bonnie would do anything in her power to keep the people she loved from being caught up in the storm.

Evan an’ Alaric better be tellin’ me some o’ the truth, at least. I am riskin’ everythin’ fer them.

Perhaps it was madness, trusting two people she had only just met, especially when everything they had done up to that point was based on violence and deception, but Bonnie was willing to take her chances. Anything sounded better than marrying a man like Laird Ruthven.

CHAPTER SIX

Though Bonnie headed to her room, she soon found that it was impossible for her to sleep. It was still quite early, after all, and she was well-rested even after that harrowing trip, so she soon gave up on sleep and instead pulled on her cloak and grabbed her bow and arrow to head outside. Just by the inn, there was a row of trees where she could practice, a place she had spotted on their way in and which was surely empty, especially at that time of the night.

Evan and Alaric noticed her on her way out, but she didn’t spare a single glance, let alone a word. Instead, she headed right out of the door and stood across from one of the trees, far enough to give herself a challenge.

She needed to clear her head. She needed to think better about what she was about to do, and so far, shooting arrows had never failed to help her focus and make the right decisions.

Stringing the first arrow, she let it fly towards the tree, where it lodged precisely where she wanted it. The trunk split as thearrowhead was embedded in it, small pieces of it flying around. It was dark that night, the moon half-hidden by dark clouds, and the area was just illuminated enough for Bonnie to see where she was aiming—and to see a figure that lurked by the trees.

Who is that?

For a moment, she feared it was a brigand or, even worse, one of Ruthven’s men who had somehow found out about Evan’s and Alaric’s plans. Grabbing another arrow, Bonnie waited until the figure was just about to cross one of the trees and then let it fly, aiming just above the head.

The arrow found its mark with absolute precision and the figure came to a halt, turning to look at her as the shaft oscillated above.

“That was an almost perfect shot,” a familiar voice called out and the figure stepped forward. It was none other than Evan, Bonnie saw when he stepped into the light that poured out of one of the windows of the inn, painting his face in a warm orange glow.

In that light, he looked almost approachable, like a man Bonnie could call a friend. From the moment she had first laid eyes on him, she had thought him handsome, but it was difficult to appreciate his looks when all he did was glare at Bonnie or refuse to speak to her.

“Why are ye here?” Bonnie asked instead of pointing out that she shot the arrow precisely where she wanted.

“I dinnae think it’s wise tae leave a lass out here all alone in the middle o’ the night,” Evan said with a small shrug as he approached her. “It can be dangerous, even here. It’s better if someone watches over ye.”

Bonnie couldn’t help but scoff at that, entirely unimpressed. If only Evan knew the danger in which she and her sister had put themselves not so long ago, all so that they could save their clan, then he would understand that Bonnie was perfectly capable of defending herself. She had her bow and her arrows. They didn’t prove so effective in close combat, but she had never been as good with a blade, unlike her sister, so the arrows would have to do.

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