Page 15 of Craved By a Highland Beast

“I dinnae need yer help,” Bonnie said. “An’ I dinnae need ye or anyone else tae watch over me. I can take care o’ meself better than anyone can take care o’ me.”

Evan chuckled, though there was no mirth behind the sound. He came to a stop next to Bonnie, looking at her with doubt in his gaze. Now that he was so close, his face partially illuminated by the light, Bonnie could only think of him as infuriatingly handsome with his dark eyes and the sharp, striking features of his face. It didn’t help that he towered over her, making her feel too small when standing next to him.

“I sincerely doubt that,” he said. “Are ye tellin’ me that if a brigand showed up right the now, ye would defeat him with more ease than I would? If ye would defeat him at all?”

“I have me bow an’ me arrows,” said Bonnie with a shrug. She was certain she could easily deal with a brigand from a safe distance, while Evan would have to get close and physically fight him. “I think I could defend meself much better than ye could.”

“Dae ye think yer a better archer than I am?”

Bonnie could hardly believe Evan had even asked such a question. He hadn’t seen her in action, but it was rather presumptuous of him to think that he was better than her with a bow. Bonnie had never been bested in archery ever since she surpassed her teacher—one of her father’s Chieftains who had been kind and patient enough to show her how to use that bow, and whom Bonnie still remembered fondly. She doubted Evan could do any better than her.

“O’ course I dae,” she said.

“Show me, then,” Evan said, gesturing widely with his hand. “Let us have a competition.”

“A competition.” It wasn’t a question. Bonnie gave him a weary look, as Evan was far from the first man to think he could defeat her. “Ye truly wish tae compete against me?”

“Yer the one who claims ye can dae better than me.”

“Nay,” said Bonnie. “Yerthe one who claims ye can dae better thanme. Ye issued the challenge.”

“Will ye accept it or nae?”

Bonnie considered her options for a moment. She could either give in to this foolishness or she could walk away; but then if she walked away, it was just as good as defeat.

“Fine,” she said. “How shall we judge who is better?”

“Three arrows,” said Evan. “The one who shoots them the closest wins.”

“The challenger is first,” Bonnie said as she handed Evan her bow. She was curious to see if he truly was as good as he said he was or if he simply thought Bonnie was so bad that he could easily win.

Without another word, Evan grabbed an arrow and assumed the shooting position. He fired it at the tree next to the one where Bonnie had been practicing, hitting it close to the center.

I can dae better than this.

At least he knew how to shoot and wasn’t simply bragging without having the skills, Bonnie thought, as Evan reached for another arrow. He prepared, drawing in a deep breath, and then released it, the two of them watching as it arced through the air and lodged itself near the first.

Satisfied, Evan turned to smirk smugly at Bonnie, but she gave no indication of acknowledgement. She didn’t want to inflate hisego even further and so she remained silent, waiting for him to fire the last arrow. It took Evan a few moments to reach for the last one, as he kept waiting for a reaction, but when he did, he shot it near the other two so that the three of them formed a neat triangle.

Bonnie knew she could do better than this. Her shots were always more accurate, more deliberate, and she had even managed to split an arrow in two several times. Even in the darkness, Evan was no match for her.

Smiling to herself, she grabbed one of the arrows and aimed at an unmarred tree, quickly sending off her first shot. The arrow found its target right in the middle of the trunk—a well-placed shot that set her up for victory. She didn’t turn to look at Evan; she didn’t need to. She already knew she was better than him.

The second shot was fired with as much ease, the arrow hitting the tree right next to the other one. The distance was so small that from where they stood, it seemed like they were pressed right up against each other.

“Lucky shot,” Evan mumbled under his breath. In the quiet of the night, though, Bonnie heard him and she couldn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes.

It was far from a lucky shot. It was all skill, but Evan refused to see it.

But perhaps that would be fer the best.

She still knew nothing about Evan, she reminded herself. For all their reassurances, he and Alaric could still try to hurt her and the only advantage she had against them was that bow and her arrows. Without them, she would stand no chance.

If Evan kens how well I can fight with an arrow, then he will surely make it so that I dinnae have them when he attacks.

That’s what she would do if she were in his shoes. She would make sure her target was defenseless before attacking and she knew it was what Evan would do, as well.

Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, Bonnie adjusted her position just slightly—so slightly that it would be imperceptible to him. Evan would still think she was trying her best, though from what he had already said, he considered her skills pure luck.

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