Page 17 of Craved By a Highland Beast

“Is that so?” Evan asked. “An’ why should I dae that?”

“Because we need her. She is our way in.”

That much was true, Evan knew. Without Bonnie, they wouldn’t be able to infiltrate Castle Ruthven, and so they needed to keep her happy—as happy as they could, at least, when she was practically their hostage. Evan would have to make an effort as much as the idea of it sounded like too much of a chore.

“Fine, fine,” said Evan, waving a hand dismissively. “I’ll try tae be nice.”

At the same time, though, he would try to keep his distance. It was one thing, appreciating Bonnie’s beauty from afar, maybe even flirting with her a little, and another losing his head and giving in to his desires. The most important thing to him was his goal: getting to Balliol. Nothing else mattered to him—not even romance.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Once again, the sea spray was cold and unpleasant on Bonnie’s face as she stood on thebirlinn, watching the waves flow by. The sky above was dark, stormy clouds gathering over her head, and all she could do was hope that they could outrun the oncoming storm. She couldn’t imagine just how much more unpleasant the sea travels would be if it rained on top of everything else.

She had boarded the boat along with Evan, Alaric, and their crew that morning to head back to the mainland and meet Laird Ruthven, but not before writing a letter to her sister to tell her as much as she knew about the plan and to reassure her that she was alright. The innkeeper was kind enough to promise her that the letter would be delivered, after she had given him a few pieces of gold to make sure that the correspondence would remain private.

As much as Bonnie tried to keep her mind off the days that would follow, her thoughts kept straying back to Laird Ruthven. If what Evan and Alaric claimed was true, then perhaps therewas still a chance for her to escape this marriage. Surely, even her council would be against such a union if they found out Laird Ruthven was allied with John Balliol. They wouldn’t want the clan to be associated with anyone who supported Balliol, after all.

Standing there, watching the blue on blue as the horizon stretched before her eyes, Bonnie tried to clear her mind, telling herself that whatever was meant to happen would happen. She couldn’t continue to worry so much about all this when she hadn’t even reached Castle Ruthven yet and when she didn’t know anything about Ruthven or Evan.

It wasn’t only her thoughts which bothered her, though. Every time she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she felt something there, something she was certain she didn’t have before.

What could this be? I wish I had a lookin’-glass.

There was no such thing on thebirlinn, though, and Bonnie didn’t know what to do, until she spotted Alaric walking on the deck. Could she ask him, she wondered? Out of the two brothers, he seemed like the gentler one, the one who was more open to conversation and so Bonnie would rather ask him than Evan.

Walking over to him with her head hanging low, Bonnie cleared her throat to get his attention. Alaric turned to look at her with a frown, before he schooled his expression into one of absolute neutrality, and Bonnie didn’t know if she preferred that over something that communicated clearly what he thought of her.

“Can I help ye, lass?” Alaric asked in that baritone voice of his which seemed to make the very wood of the boat tremble.

Bonnie felt the heat rush to her face, the tips of her ears burning as she tried to force out the words. “I think . . . I think I may have somethin’ here,” she said, pointing right behind her left ear. “I fell in the bushes last night an’ I fear it may be a thorn.”

It didn’t hurt, though, and that was what baffled her the most. Surely, if it had been a thorn—unlikely as it seemed since she hadn’t felt any other thorns on the bushes—then it would hurt or at least bother her. And yet she felt nothing on her skin. The only reason why she knew there was something there was because she had touched it.

“Let me see,” Alaric said, stepping behind her to get a better look. One of his hands came to rest gently over her shoulder while the other brushed though the hair at her nape just as softly, as though he was afraid to use any more force than a simple brush of his hand.

Bonnie regretted ever asking. She should have dealt with it herself, she thought, or at least waited until another woman could help her.

“Ach,” said Alaric, and Bonnie’s blood ran cold, all the embarrassment suddenly replaced by concern.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I’m afraid it’s a tick, lass.”

“A tick?” Bonnie shouted, her head whipping around to stare at Alaric in fear. “Nay . . . nay, nay, nay. Take it off me.”

Had the tick been feeding off her all night? Bonnie shuddered at the thought, her stomach churning as she thought about all the blood it must have sucked out of her.

“I will, I will,” Alaric reassured her, pressing that hand firmly on her shoulder to still her. “Just . . . dinnae move.”

“What dae ye think yer doin’?”

Evan’s rough voice startled Bonnie and she jumped, her hand coming up to clutch her chest. Alaric pulled back from her and clasped his hands behind his back, but said nothing even as Evan approached.

For a few moments, the two of them stared at each other in silence in that way that Bonnie had quickly found to be irritating. She couldn’t understand how they managed to communicate without saying anything, and she didn’t like that she couldn’t figure out what it was they were thinking.

“I have a tick,” Bonnie said, breaking the tension between the two brothers. “Here. Alaric was helpin’ me tae remove it.”

Evan looked between her and Alaric, his gaze going back and forth again and again. Then, it settled on Bonnie and he gesturedat her to follow him as he turned around and headed towards the small room.

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