Page 8 of Craved By a Highland Beast

“Where is he goin’?” Bonnie asked, but the laird didn’t even spare her a glance before he pulled her off the boat. Reluctantly, Bonnie followed him through the crowd as he tugged her this way and that, weaving through the people. At the edge of the port, he guided her to a small carriage, all but shoving her inside before climbing in.

“Will ye simply stay silent fer the entire weddin’?” Bonnie asked in exasperation. She wanted answers. She wanted anything that would help her make sense of this and if Laird MacGregor refused to give her any, then she would have to find another way.

“What dae ye want me tae say?” he asked.

“Well . . . ye could start by tellin’ me who that other man is.”

“Alaric?” the laird asked. “He’s me brother.”

Bonnie nodded, unsurprised by that. “An’ who is that other man? In the room?”

“That doesnae concern ye.”

Though there was no malice behind his words, Laird MacGregor also left no room for discussion, making it clear in only a few firm words that Bonnie was not to meddle in any of this. She was curious, of course, but insisting could only lead to trouble, and so she said nothing on the matter. Laird MacGregor said nothing, as well, and the two of them spent the rest of their short ride up to the hill where Castle Hamilton stood in silence.

Only a little longer an’ I will see me sister an’ Macauley.

Once they made it to the castle, though, a young woman in servant’s attire rushed to them and stopped them before either Bonnie or the laird could get too far. When she reached them, she bowed deeply, but there was an urgency about her that had Bonnie on edge.

“The weddin’ is about tae begin, m’lord, m’lady,” the woman said. “Please, follow me.”

We arrived at the very last minute! When will I speak tae Cathleen now?

Laird MacGregor seemed pleased with the development, surely because Bonnie had to follow him now if she didn’t want to cause a scene. With a weary sigh, she let him drag her alongto the chapel at the edge of the castle grounds, where the wedding would be taking place, the two of them led there by the servant. It was a short walk and soon, the rest of the guests appeared before her eyes, all of them dressed in bright tunics and glittering jewels, like a flock of colorful birds in the middle of the woods.

The two of them were the only ones who stood out, dressed as they were in their travelling clothes. Under her cloak, Bonnie wore a simple cyclas and mantle, and the only thing that marked her and Evan as nobles was the fur that lined their clothes to battle against the chill. Bonnie didn’t even have any of her jewelry, as they had all travelled among her belongings in her chests.

People will surely talk.

Bonnie’s gaze roamed over them all in search of her sister and Macauley, but they were nowhere to be found. She checked once, twice, three times, but there was no sign of them, much to her surprise.

Where are they? Could somethin’ have happened tae them?

Heart jumping to her throat at the thought, Bonnie took a step forward with the intention of looking for them, but Laird MacGregor was quick to tighten his grip on her arm. She glared at him over her shoulder and tried to tug herself free as subtly as she could, only for him to stare straight ahead and ignore her completely.

Laird MacGregor’s grip didn’t loosen up throughout the entire ceremony, and by the time Tavish and Amelia were married, Bonnie was certain his fingers had left a mark on her skin. As the other guests trickled back towards the castle for the feast, Laird MacGregor tugged her along once more and Bonnie couldn’t help but feel like a doll that was hauled around by a child, having no agency of her own.

“Will ye let go o’ me?” she mumbled through gritted teeth just as they stepped into the entry hall of the castle. “I’ve had enough!”

“I told ye tae behave,” Laird MacGregor said, just as quietly.

“I am behavin’,” Bonnie pointed out. “I have yet tae tell anyone that yer keepin’ me as a prisoner.”

“Hardly a prisoner when yer nae behind bars,” said the laird. “Calm down. Ye’ll make everyone suspicious.”

“As they should be!”

“Me lady!”

The familiar voice startled Bonnie. It seemed to startle Laird MacGregor as well, who immediately released her arm, but didn’t stray far from her, his gaze watching her and her two guards like a hawk as they approached. Lachlan and Finlay were both pale, their foreheads coated in perspiration and their eyes wide upon noticing her, and they all but pushed the crowd of nobles aside in their quest to reach Bonnie.

“Where have ye been?” Finlay asked. “What happened tae ye? I told ye tae wait in thebirlinn.”

“Forgive me, Finlay,” Bonnie said, truly apologetic for all the panic and fear she must have put them through. “I boarded the wrongbirlinnan’ afore I kent what happened, we were already sailin’. I didnae mean tae concern ye, but I am glad yer here. Where is me sister? Where is Macauley?”

With a long-suffering sigh, Finlay rubbed his eyes with a trembling hand, barely keeping himself under control. “It was me own mistake,” he said. “I should have escorted ye tae thebirlinn.”

“Ye did naething wrong, Finlay,” Bonnie assured him. “Tell me, where are they?”

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