Page 40 of Taken By the Vicious Highlander

She was petite, with soot covering her face, and though there was still some hesitation in her eyes, there was also a flicker of something else—appreciation, perhaps.

“Me Laird. Me Lady. I cannae thank ye, and Ryder, enough. Ryder saved me boy. I dinnae ken… ” she trailed off, her voice cracking.

Damon glanced at Lilith, who gave him a subtle smirk before stepping forward.

“Together, the Laird and I will see to it that Branloch remains safe and fortified. Laird McCallum has entrusted our clan’s safety to Ryder Gordon and Finley Reynolds. We willnae let ye down,” she promised, stepping back to Damon’s side.

He wrapped his arm around her, and she didn’t remove it.

“Ye are safe—I promise each one of ye. Ye have me word as a man and as yer Laird. Ye are safe.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lilith look up at him, and he lowered his gaze to hers. The look on her face conveyed pride and something else.

Oh, boy. I ken that look…

Still holding her gaze, Damon could hear a few villagers murmur excitedly amongst themselves. And then, as he had expected, her body responded to his heated gaze before she could think better of it.

His eyes dropped greedily to her lips as she rolled the bottom one between her teeth nervously and then let out a breathy sigh. The warm embers that had been simmering inside of him were roaring now, and his eyes followed the blush that crept up her neck and onto her cheeks.

If this woman doesnae kill me before I can truly keep this vow and earn their trust, I’d be surprised. It would be a pleasant death, to be sure…

Damon let a hint of a smirk play at the corners of his lips before he looked away from her. Standing tall, he knew their little display had been the perfect picture of newlywed bliss. The women who were close enough to see them were…giggling.

As they continued through the village, Damon made a point to offer nods or brief words of reassurance. He noticed how the people responded to Lilith, their trust in her evident in the way they looked to her for guidance. It was a trust he hadn’t yet earned, but he was starting to see a path forward.

“Ye were quite impressive tonight. These people adore ye,” he noted quietly.

Lilith glanced up at him, her expression thoughtful. “So did ye,” she replied, her voice softer than he had expected.

Damon’s lips quirked into a small smile. “Ye keep surprisin’ me, lass.”

“Good,” she said with a faint smirk. “Someone’s got to keep ye on yer toes.”

I think it’s time for a surprise of me own…

“Speaking of, we will stay in the village for the next few days,” Damon announced loudly, turning to face the villagers who had followed them. “Ye have me hand and the resources of the clan. We will keep ye safe here.”

Resounding gasps of relief and applause rippled through the crowd, and Lilith forced her expression to remain neutral, waiting only until the excited villagers dispersed to react.

Damon guided her away from the villagers, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. All the while, she seethed. The implications of his words had not quite landed as he had probably expected. Lilith remembered that their second night had been interrupted by news of this attack, and he was selfishly set on getting it back.

If he thinks he’s gettin’ it tonight, he’s sorely mistaken.

“We need to stay for our people,” Damon started to explain. “I’m sure Ryder needs time to gather his belongings before comin’ to the keep anyway. Mrs. Bryant is already in his cottage. I’ll send a messenger, and we’ll all return to the keep in two days.” He cast a glance at the messenger, who nodded and left.

“Ye couldnae have told me this before?” Lilith scoffed.

“I only just thought of it, lass,” he said proudly as he stopped walking to face her. “Even if I hadnae, we would be stayin’ here tonight. It’s too late to travel.”

Lilith started to ask him to clarify what exactly ‘here’ meant when her eyes landed on the sign above the inn, swinging in the light evening breeze.

10

The moment the innkeeper handed over a single iron key, Lilith’s stomach sank.

Surely, this had to be a mistake.

Damon, however, showed no sign of concern as he pocketed the key and turned to leave, clearly expecting her to follow.