Page 7 of In Bed with a Highland Beast

“I’m nae afraid,” Alaric said, deciding to give her a small victory by pulling back first and settling against the back of the chair. “I dinnae have tae be afraid tae think that this is madness. Why would I wish tae give me life away like this?”

“Are ye sayin’ that ye willnae help me?” Lucia asked and her tone was suddenly so cold, so devoid of any emotion that a chill ran down Alaric’s spine. It was not a simple question, he knew; it was a warning.

For a moment, he hesitated. Once again, he began to wonder who it was he was dealing with, as Lucia revealed more and more of herself to him. Was she simply heartbroken by her brother’s death, a sister in mourning who wanted to avenge him, or was she as dangerous as she seemed in those seconds, a woman he should never trust?

“I’ll help ye,” he said, though reluctantly. “I have given ye me word, so I’ll help ye. But I willnae give me life fer nay good reason. If anythin’ happens… if it becomes too dangerous, ye will listen tae me an’ ye will dae as I tell ye.”

Lucia snorted, the sound as inelegant as it was full of mirth, rolling her eyes as if what Alaric had said was ridiculous. She didn’t try to argue, though. Instead, she dragged her gaze to the far end of the room with a frown, and Alaric heard a commotion behind him before he even had the time to turn and look.

“Will ye participate?”

Looking up to find the serving wench there, handing him some paper, some ink, and a pen, Alaric asked, “Participate in what?”

“They’re fightin’ fer coin,” the girl said, nodding her head in the direction of the men who had gathered there, in the far corner, creating a makeshift rink with their bodies as two of them stepped in the middle. “Some o’ them fight fer their entertainment.”

“Nay,” said Alaric, “I dinnae think?—”

“I’ll dae it,” said Lucia, draining the rest of her ale before she slammed the cup down onto the table. Before Alaric could protest, she was already standing and making her way to the group of men, leaving Alaric to scrabble behind her, a hand shooting out to stop her.

She truly is insane!

CHAPTER FOUR

Lucia didn’t really need the coin she would win from the fight, but any bit of gold she could get could one day make a difference. She was not like Alaric, who had been born in a noble, wealthy family and could spare all the gold in the world. She had no one else to rely on but herself, and if she could gain something from this fight, then she wouldn’t turn down the opportunity.

Alaric, of course, was quick to follow her and grab her arm, bringing her to a sudden halt. Lucia took a deep breath to steady herself and then turned to face him, yanking her arm out of his grip and taking a step back.

“If ye wish tae tell me tae nae fight, then save yer breath,” she said. “Ye willnae change me mind.”

“It is hardly proper fer a lady tae fight,” Alaric said. “That is somethin’ only brutes dae. I wouldnae even take part in this fight.”

“Well, I’m nay lady,” Lucia pointed out. “An’ I couldnae care less about what ye think is proper.”

Just as she made to leave, Alaric grabbed her once more, fingers circling her wrist. “Then at least consider yer well-bein’. Ye made me promise I’d help ye an’ now ye wish tae put yerself in danger fer nae good reason?”

“I willnae be in danger,” Lucia said, trying to remain patient with Alaric. For once, she wished a man would listen to her when she assured him she would be just fine. “Dinnae fash.”

“Ye truly wish tae fight those men?” Alaric asked, pointing at the two in the middle of the circle of bodies. “Dae ye truly think ye could best them in a fight?”

Lucia glanced over her shoulder at them, eyes narrowing. Both men were large, but not overwhelmingly so—smaller than Alaric, in fact, both in height and width, though still larger than her. It was that which Alaric saw; their size compared to hers, which made him think she couldn’t handle them. What he didn’t see was the muscle Lucia packed under her clothes, the years she had spent fighting men just like them with her bare hands, the countless fights she had won in the past.

It was not a matter of size, but rather a matter of skill, and she was going to prove it to him. She wanted the satisfaction even more than she wanted the coin.

“Aye, o’ course I dae,” she said with a lopsided grin, giving Alaric a friendly punch on the shoulder that was perhaps a littleharsher than necessary. She didn’t wait to see his reaction to it; only heard the half-muffled groan he made, just barely audible over the ruckus in the inn.

Stretching her arms over her head and rolling her shoulders, Lucia pushed her way to the front of the circle, where she could observe the two men. It didn’t matter who would win—she would rather fight the larger one only because he looked older, but either way, she was determined to win.

“How much fer one round?” she asked the man next to her.

“Depends on the bets, lassie,” said the man, regarding her with an amused smirk. “Why? Will ye fight?”

Lucia responded with only another grin, unbothered by the man’s comment. They all doubted her until they saw her fight, but once she had proven her skills, they were usually quick to show not only respect but also admiration.

It didn’t take long for the fight to come to an end. It was quick and brutal, the two men exchanging blow after blow until they were both bruised and bloody, red splattered over the floor of the tavern and those who stood closest to the pair. In the end, it was the older man who was defeated, the other younger and slighter, standing victorious as he stumbled off with the assistance of two friends.

“Who’s next?” the man asked, overtaken by the rush of his victory and grinning a bloody smile. Before anyone else could volunteer, Lucia stepped in, all but sauntering into the circle.When the man’s gaze fell on her, he laughed, eyebrows rising up to his hairline as if he could hardly believe his own eyes. “Ye?”

“Aye,” said Lucia as she rolled the sleeves of her dress up to her elbows slowly, pacing around the circle. The entire time, the man stayed still in the middle of it, but craned his neck to watch her, until she finally stood where she had started. “Is there a problem?”

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