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His eyes burned into hers. “I could’ve managed it without ye gettin’ hurt.”

“Ididn’tget hurt.”

“Because I stopped him!” His hand sliced through the air, then fisted at his side, and he lowered his voice, glancing at the door. “Ye think I dinnae want tae snap his bloody neck? I could’ve killed him, Davina. Right there. Foryou.”

She swallowed hard, the fury between them thick and choking. “Then why are you angry with me and not with him?”

“Iamangry with him!” he hissed, stepping in close again, their chests nearly brushing. “But I cannae touch him without settin’ every eye on me.Yeknow that. Ye knew what ye were doin’. And dammit, lass, if he’d hit ye…” His voice broke, ragged.

She was breathing hard, and so was he. Too close, too charged.

“What did he say?” she asked again, quieter this time. “After I left.”

Broderick stared at her for a long beat, then exhaled through his nose, dragging a hand down his face. “He’s agreed tae marry ye.”

Davina’s hand flew to her throat, horror spreading through her like ice. “Even after all that?”

Broderick nodded and paced.

Her knees buckled, and she grabbed the bed post to steady her legs. “Nay,” she whispered. “He didn’t… He can’t—”

“He did.” Broderick’s voice came out flat now, too calm to be safe. Arms crossed, he fumed dangerously.

Davina dropped her gaze to the floor, arms wrapped around herself, cold creeping into her bones. “And Tammus?”

“He poured the bloody wine and clinked glasses.”

Silence stretched between them again.

Then, slowly, Broderick crossed the room and closed his hands around hers, squeezing them, giving her his strength. “Ye’ll not marry him,” he said. “No’ while I draw breath.”

She looked at him, startled. “You can’t stop—”

“Iwillstop it.” His eyes locked with hers, no warmth in them now—only resolve. “Even if I have to drag ye out of this castle an’ burn th’ contract myself. But dinnae make me watch ye risk yerself like that again. I nearly lost it down there.”

Her anger, her panic, all of it collapsed in on itself, crumpling beneath the weight of his fury and her own heartache.

“I’m tired of being a pawn,” she said softly.

“Then let’s change the game,” he replied.

His words hung between them, simple but fierce—an oath sealed in the hush. The silence that followed wasn’t empty. Itpulsed, charged, intimate.

He brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek. A gentle caress as his emerald eyes softened, his lids lowering as his pupils flared wide.

She felt it then—a gentle pressure blooming in her mind, a subtle influence brushing against her inner defenses. It wasn’t forceful, but a quiet, insistent wave of peace and calm. Was this Broderick? Did his abilities reach beyond reading minds and emotions? The times she’d felt those inexplicable waves under his touch now seemed like more than coincidence. She resisted at first, pride flaring in her chest, but the fight drained from her body with each passing heartbeat.

Her shoulders sagged, her breathing slowed, and she leaned into him, her cheek resting against his chest. Broderick’s arms enclosed her in a melting embrace.

“There now,” he said, his voice poured over her like dark silk. “That’s better.”

Davina sighed and sank into the comfort he offered. After several moments, he scooped her up effortlessly, cradling her against him as though she weighed nothing. She didn’t protest as he carried her to the bed and laid her down gently, the mattress dipping beneath her. He pulled up a chair to her bedside, taking her hand in his, his thumb brushing slow, soothing circles over her knuckles.

Her vision blurred as tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them away, focusing on his face—his strong jawline, the slight crook of his nose, the fierce protectiveness in his gaze. For once, Davina wanted to stop fighting. To stop putting her own feelings aside for the sake of everyone else. Broderick seemed to give her the freedom to let go, to hand the reins over to someone else for a change.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “For being such a trustworthy friend.”

He arched a brow and tilted his head, his tone dripping with playful sarcasm. “Friend, is it? Just tae be clear, Davina, everythin’ I’m doin’ is purely for me own benefit.”