Page 34 of Tempted By a Highland Beast
Her eyes searched his, realization forming in her gaze. “Ye want tae ken why I’m running.”
“Aye.” He lifted his hand slowly, moving as he might with a skittish horse, and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, her breath halting. Her skin was warm beneath his fingertips. “Tell me about yer uncle. What drove ye intae those woods with death on yer heels?”
She was quiet for a long moment, her gaze drifting to the fire crackling in the hearth, then back to Constantine’s face. He saw the uncertainty in her gaze, the defiance in her bearing as though it alone might keep her walls intact.
When she spoke again, her voice was steady but hollow. “Alpin isnae me blood. He’s me stepmaither’s braither.”
Constantine waited, recognizing the careful way she parceled out information. He’d done the same countless times, revealing only what was necessary to survive.
He let his hand fall, though every instinct urged him to keep touching her, and nodded for her to take a seat by the fireplace.
“When me faither died in battle last spring, Alpin saw his chance.” Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, as she took a seat opposite from Constantine. “The clan needed a leader, and he presented himself as the solution. A temporary guardian until a proper marriage could be arranged. And then suddenly, I found meself being hauled tae a chapel tae get married.”
“Tae him?”
“Aye.” The word came out sharp. “He claimed it was the only way tae preserve the MacKenzie line, tae keep the clan from falling intae chaos and the leadership tae remain withinfamily, as he claimed himself tae be. Most of the elders supported him, they feared what would happen if we remained without a strong male leader till a match offer came fer me.”
Constantine could see the political machinery at work, the same calculations that had brought him back to Duart. “But ye didnae agree.”
“I wouldnae be his broodmare.” Fire flashed in her eyes again, and he found himself admiring the steel beneath her beauty. “He may have fooled the clan intae thinking he cares fer our welfare, but I ken better. Alpin wants power, regardless of the cost. He’d bleed the MacKenzie lands dry tae fund his own ambitions.”
“So ye ran.”
“When he told me about the marriage, yes. But I fought first.” She met his gaze directly, and he saw the truth of it in her eyes—this was no pampered noble lass who’d fled at the first sign of trouble. “I tried tae rally support among some loyal clansmen, the ones who remembered me faither’s leadership. But Alpin had months tae consolidate his position while I was still in mourning.”
Constantine felt a familiar coldness settle in his chest. An enemy with time to prepare was always the most dangerous kind. “What happened the day ye left?”
Her throat worked as she swallowed hard. “He came tae me chambers with a fancy gown. Said the ceremony would happen that night, willing or nae.” Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “He... he made it clear that me cooperation wasnae required fer the marriage tae be consummated.”
Red crept across Constantine’s vision, and his hands clenched involuntarily. He’d killed men for less, had made sport of hunting down those who preyed on the innocent. The fact that Alpin still drew breath was an oversight he suddenly found himself eager to correct.
He knew full well what marrying Rowena would entail—Alpin would not yield the MacKenzie lairdship without a fight. Their union would drag a conflict into the open. But in that moment, he didn’t care about strategy. All he wanted was to put his blade through the bastard’s throat and be done with it.
“I managed tae slip away during the preparations,” Rowena continued, seemingly unaware of the violence building in the man before her. “But barely. His men were already stationed around the castle, and I had tae take refuge in the stables until I could steal a horse. And even then, I was nearly caught.”
“And ye’ve been running ever since.”
“Aye.” She straightened, some of her natural poise returning. “Though I’d hardly call it running anymore. I plan tae return and take what’s rightfully mine.”
He studied her face, seeing the determination there alongside the hurt. “What was yer plan while ye stayed here?”
Rowena’s fingers worried at the edge of her cloak. “I had hoped tae send word tae some of me faither’s old alliances—clans that might remember their loyalty tae him and be willing tae help me confront Alpin.”
“From here? Under me faither’s roof?”
“I thought…” She paused, color rising in her cheeks. “I thought perhaps ye might understand, even help, given time. Beforetaenight, I believed ye might be someone I could trust with the truth.”
The words hit him like a physical blow. Before his father’s announcement had shattered that fragile trust between them.
“And now?”
“Now I dinnae ken what tae believe. And it matters little. Ye asked fer transparency, Constantine. There it is. I’m a displaced heir, being hunted by an usurper, with nay allies left in her homeland. Nae exactly the political advantage ye were hoping fer, I’d wager.”
“Ye think that makes ye weak?”
“Daesnae it?” There was disbelief in her voice.
“A lass who fought two men twice her size and outwitted trained warriors, crossing clan territories alone?” He shook his head slowly, his voice dropping. “Nay, Rowena. That makes ye dangerous.”
