Page 29 of Craved By a Highland Beast

“Yer already involved,” Evan said as he headed to the door, yanking it open. “Come.”

Bonnie looked between him and Alaric, who only gave her an apologetic look. It meant little to Bonnie, though, when she knew he, too, wanted her to follow them but was simply not as vocal about it as Evan.

Throwing her hands up in exasperation, Bonnie followed Evan out of the room, Alaric walking close behind. “Dae ye even ken where the room is?” she asked, hoping that they wouldn’t have to go around the entire castle testing out the key in the locks.

“We have an idea,” Alaric said quietly, even though there was no one else around. “We saw him exit and lock a room two days ago. We think that must be the one.”

Evan led them all towards the room, the entire time watching all around them to make sure no one was following. Alaric was doing the same from where he was walking behind Bonnie, the two of them working together seamlessly. In the soft light of the torches that lined the hallways, Bonnie kept thinking that someone was, indeed, following them, every time a shadow stretched over the walls, every time a flame flickered nearby. Soon, though, Evan stopped in front of a narrow, unassuming door not too far from Ruthven’s study and pushed the key into the lock, quietly pushing it open.

When he looked at Bonnie and Alaric over his shoulder, he was grinning.

“Quickly,” Alaric said, pushing the two of them inside and closing the door. Suddenly, Bonnie and Evan were alone after days of having a buffer between them, and she froze for a moment, uncertain of what to do or say.

Evan didn’t seem to have the same internal turmoil as she did, though, and he immediately threw himself to his task, looking through the documents that were piled on a small table by an equally small fireplace. After seeing him, Bonnie began to look through Ruthven’s belongings as well, looking into the drawers of the desk.

It was a small room, illuminated only by the moonlight that streamed in through the window, but it was packed to the brim with small cabinets, chests, and papers. Bonnie didn’t even know how they could possibly manage to go through it all and find what they were looking for, especially when they could hardly see what they were doing. Once again, the shadows loomed over her, ominous and terrifying, and she swallowed drily around the knot in her throat, trying to convince her heart to slow its erratic beating.

“Good evenin’! Are ye on patrol again?”

Alaric’s loud voice made both Bonnie and Evan freeze, the two of them glancing at each other in the darkness of the room. Bonnie could hardly see his expression, but she was certain it was one of fear, just like the one on her face.

Guards . . . dae they ken we are in here?

Silently, Evan approached her, walking slowly so that his footsteps would remain quiet, as well. Then, he placed a hand between her shoulders and steered her behind the desk, pushing her down to the floor before joining her there, huddling behind its large frame. When Bonnie looked at him, Evan raised a finger to his mouth, motioning to her to stay silent.

“Ach, I couldnae sleep!” Alaric said from outside, in response to something Bonnie hadn’t heard the guards ask. “I thought I would go fer a walk an’ see if it would tire me.”

Evan was torturously close, warmth radiating from his body. Bonnie could feel all of it, every tiny shift of muscle, every breath he took, too loud in the quiet of the room. As they knelt there, hiding behind the desk, Evan’s hand was still on her back, all solid heat that seeped into her body even through her tunic, and her own breath stuttered, a shiver running through her.

She only hoped Evan couldn’t feel it or if he could, then at least that he would blame it on the fear of being caught.

“On the morrow?” Alaric asked, his voice only getting louder the more he spoke. Bonnie wondered if the guards found it strange that he was shouting for no reason, but so far, no one had come in through the door, so she considered that a victory. “Aye, perhaps I could. I’ll tell ye in the morn.”

The more they stayed there, the closer Evan seemed to lean towards Bonnie, until they were pressed up against each other,sharing the same air. Perhaps it had been Bonnie, too, who leaned closer, seeking any comfort she could find in her terror. When they touched, Evan turned his head to look at her, the two of them staring at each other in silence, his dark eyes glittering in the dim light. Once again, they were close enough to kiss. All Bonnie would have to do was move just a little closer, bridging the gap between them.

She didn’t and neither did Evan.

Laughter echoed through the room as Alaric and the guards said their goodbyes, but even after it faded, neither Bonnie not Evan dared to stand from their hiding spot. Only when the door opened a few moments later did Evan move, trying to stand only to bang his head on the ornate arm of the chair that stood next to him, a curse flying past his lips.

“What did ye find?” Alaric asked, closing the door once more behind him. Bonnie was relieved to hear his voice, to know that it was him who had come into the room and not one of the guards.

Dazed and rubbing the top of his head, Evan stood and Bonnie followed him as he walked around the desk. The moment was gone, dissipating like smoke from an extinguished candle, and a part of her was relieved for it. Another part, though, a small, hidden part that she would never acknowledge truly, mourned yet another lost chance to feel Evan’s lips against her own.

“Nae much,” Evan said in a hushed voice, but then he rummaged through some papers at the same spot where he had previouslybeen looking and handed them to Alaric, who perused them quickly. “Only these letters. But there is so much here. Surely, we can find more proof than this.”

“What are these?” Alaric asked. “Did ye manage tae read them?”

“Correspondence between Ruthven an’ Balliol,” Evan said. “We must read them carefully, but it’s all I could find fer now.”

“Alright,” said Alaric, nodding. “Alright, we will take these an’ study them an’ then . . . then we’ll try tae return here an’ find somethin’ more.”

“Ye must be jestin’, surely,” Bonnie said, hands on her hips as she stared the other two down. “We’re here now. An’ we cannae keep the key or Ruthven will begin tae suspect us. We should try tae find out as much as we can.”

“There isnae any time,” Alaric said. “The guards will be back soon an’ we cannae risk them seein’ us here. It’s too dangerous.”

“So is keepin’ the key,” Bonnie insisted.

“We’ll return the key,” said Evan. “An’ then we will steal it again.”

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