Page 11 of Craved By a Highland Beast

“I willnae go with ye tae Castle Ruthven,” Bonnie said, her voice barely audible over the music and the people around them. “I would be insane tae go tae a strange man’s castle with another stranger! I dinnae ken anythin’ about either o’ ye. In fact, all I ken about ye is precisely what makes me wish tae stay away from ye.”

“Ye will dae as yer told,” Evan said. “I need tae get tae Castle Ruthven an’ this is the only way I can dae that.”

“Why?”

Evan’s words brought Bonnie to a sudden halt, but as the people continued to dance, their movement pushed her right into him, before the three people next to her bumped into each other one after the other. Bonnie stumbled, barely keeping her balance along with everyone else, and she scowled as she regained her footing and rhythm to continue the dance.

Evan couldn’t help but laugh, which only served to deepen Bonnie’s frown. “Stop it.”

“Had I kent ye dance like this, I wouldnae have offered,” Evan teased, but regretted it immediately when Bonnie, very clearly on purpose, stepped right onto his foot, drawing a pained grunt out of him.

“Tell me the truth,” she demanded, relentless in her questioning.

She willnae stop askin’. I must tell her somethin’.

“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “But nae here. We will discuss this in private.”

There were too many people around and this was not a matter he could discuss in front of them. If Bonnie was to learn the truth about his and Alaric’s plans, then it would have to be somewhere where no one else could hear them.

“I willnae go anywhere with ye until ye tell me,” Bonnie insisted. “I’m nae afraid o’ ye.”

There was a slight tremble in Bonnie’s voice as she spoke which suggested that she did, in fact, fear him. It wasn’t something Evan wanted, though. It would be useful, he supposed; the more Bonnie feared him, the more likely she was to do as he said without putting up a fight. Still, it seemed cruel to keep her in a constant state of fear and panic.

“I willnae hurt ye,” Evan said, turning to look Bonnie in the eyes. “I promise ye. I willnae hurt a single hair from yer head an’ neither will me brother.”

For a while, the two of them simply stared at each other as they danced, exchanging no words. Evan didn’t know how else to reassure her, and Bonnie didn’t seem to believe him.

“Just like ye didnae hurt that man?” she asked. “Where is he now? Is he still alive?”

Evan refused to speak about this in the middle of the great hall. There was so much he couldn’t tell Bonnie, especially when there were people around them. There was so much he had to keep hidden for both of their sakes.

“Ye dinnae have tae believe me,” he said in the end instead of answering her question. “But I mean it. I dinnae wish tae hurt ye. Ye’ll be safe with me an’ Alaric.”

From the suspicion in Bonnie’s gaze, Evan figured that she didn’t believe him at all. Perhaps she would once he explained to her why he had to do everything he did—why he had to infiltrate Castle Ruthven, why she had found him torturing that man. And if that wasn’t enough to convince her, then as much as Evan would dislike it, he could use her fear to get what he wanted.

CHAPTER FIVE

The night passed by in a blur. In an attempt to keep Laird Ruthven away from her, Bonnie had spent the night by Laird MacGregor’s side, which was only marginally preferable, she thought. Out of the two of them, Laird MacGregor seemed to pose the least immediate threat, and so she figured it was better to stay with him and dance the night away than let Ruthven get too close.

It was late at night when Bonnie, too exhausted to continue with the festivities even as those around her still danced and sang merrily, fueled by all the wine and the food, took a seat at one of the tables and let her shoulders sag for a moment, foregoing her usual perfect posture. She let her guard down, too, and when someone slid next to her, for a moment she feared it was none other than Ruthven, but when she dared to look, it was only Laird MacGregor.

“Shall we leave?” he asked.

“Leave?” asked Bonnie with a frown. “Where would we go?”

“There’s an inn in the town,” said Laird MacGregor. “We have rooms there.”

“I am a guest o’ Laird Hamilton,” Bonnie pointed out. “We both are. Why should we stay at an inn?”

Briefly, Laird MacGregor looked around them before leaning in to whisper sternly in Bonnie’s ear. “Because there will be nae one tae listen tae us there. Nae one who cares what we have tae say, at least.”

Bonnie pulled back from him, pinning him with a sharp gaze. “Ye may go, then,” she said. “I will stay here. I told ye, I willnae go anywhere with ye.”

“Then I should call Laird Ruthven an’ tell him ye will be stayin’.”

Laird MacGregor had hardly managed to finish his sentence before Bonnie grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving, glaring at him. “Ye will dae nae such thing.”

“If ye stay here, he will find you eventually,” he pointed out. “Is that a risk ye wish tae take?”

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