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“He did.”

“Did you know?”

“Aye, I did.”

His omission sparks a flicker of anger inside me, and I take a step to crowd his space without even realizing I’ve done it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why should I have? I didn’t even know you.”

“But you didafter. You knew after you saved me in the loch—youknewabout my dad! How could you not say anything?”

“I think a better question would be why didn’t yourdatell you any of this?”

That gives me pause. “What?”

“You really think Duncan didn’t know any of this?”

“I don’t—what do you mean?”

“Your da knewexactlywho the monster who saved him was. They werefriendsfor a time.”

“No,” I say immediately. “No. He would have told me if he knew.”

“Maybe he didn’t want to have to tell you the truth of the matter,” Lachlan says with an accusing tone. “Maybe he didn’t want to tell you how hesworeto help my father, just like you are swearing to me now, only to run off to America with the first bonnie lass he laid eyes on!”

“That’s not true,” I argue. “No. He wouldn’t do that.”

“Aye, but he did. My father was a fool to believe him in the first place.”

“Don’t,” I warn.

Lachlan’s lip curls. “My da should have known better than to trust a MacKay. It’s the only thing we’ve ever been sure of. You cannevertrust a MacKay.”

“You keep saying that!” I yell, throwing up my arms. “Ever since I first met you, you’ve been grumbling about howawfulmy family is, and yet you’re living on their land! I don’t get it, Lachlan. My dad was a good man. He would never justabandonsomeone if he promised to help them. Why do you keep insisting that myentirefamily is bad?”

Lachlan takes a heavy step, lowering his head so that his eyes are level with mine, and I feel my heart thump harder in my chest with the proximity. I can smell the spicy scent of his cologne blending with the scent of clean detergent and a bit of the greenery we spent the afternoon walking through—and without even realizing I’m doing it, I draw in a deep inhale just as his silvery blue eyes turn hard.

“Because,” he says darkly. “It wasyourfamily that cursed mine.”

I rear back as if he’s slapped me, trying to reconcile what he’s said with everything he’s already told me and coming up empty.

“But that’s not possible,” I scoff. “That would mean that—”

“Aye,” he cuts in. “Congratulations, Keyanna. You’re the proud descendant of a kelpie.”

14

Lachlan

I watch as shock passes across her features; her eyes go round and her lips part, and she’s looking at me as if I’ve grown a second head. My own chest rises and falls too quickly, my breaths coming short as the old wound of my anger bubbles inside. It doesn’t seemfairthat Key got to grow up away from all this, that she’s spent her entire life blissfully ignorant of what her family did to mine—but then again, why do I feel so much more strongly about it withherthan I have with any other MacKay I’ve met? It’s not as if Finlay or Rhona or even Brodie have any idea what happens to the Greer sons at night. So why do I feel so angry thatKeyannahas gotten to live without this burden?

“I…” Her eyes fall to the ground, her lips pressing together and her nose wrinkling in thought, and I can practically see the gears turning in her head. “Are you sure?”

I can’t help the harsh laugh that escapes me. “Aye, I’m pretty fucking sure. Not a detail one tends to forget.”

“But how can that be possible?”

“My ancestor managed to capture the kelpie after she cursed him. He locked her away. Tried to force her to take it back. She was there for a year, they say, beforesomeoneset her free. Before someone gaveher back her bridle and let her escape into the night, taking with her any chance of fixing what she’d done.”