Page 56 of Taken By the Vicious Highlander

Lilith stepped closer, her eyes blazing with anger. “Aye, he did, and I’m grateful for it. If I’d waited for ye to save me, I might be dead right now.”

Damon’s jaw tightened, his anger warring with the guilt that threatened to consume him. He wanted to argue, to tell her she was wrong, but the sight of her bloodied arm silenced him.

“Ye’re reckless,” he said finally, his voice low and strained.

“And ye’re a stubborn brute,” she shot back.

They stared at each other for a long moment, the tension between them crackling like a storm.

Damon turned away abruptly, his thoughts racing. His gaze landed on Ryder, who stood silently, his hand still grippinghis dagger. Questions flooded Damon’s mind, doubts and suspicions swirling in a chaotic mess.

Why would Ryder teach her how to defend herself?

Without a word, he sheathed his sword and moved to inspect her wound. But as he dressed it haphazardly, his thoughts kept drifting back to Ryder. There was more to the man than met the eye, and Damon was determined to uncover the truth.

“Mrs. Bryant will need to fix that when we get back. She’ll be back shortly after us.”

Lilith remained defiantly silent.

They rode the rest of the way back to the castle without exchanging another word.

Back at the castle, Damon had barely dismounted his steed when Ariah emerged outside, her skirts swishing as she marched straight toward them. She didn’t even spare him a glance, her focus entirely on Lilith.

“There ye are!” she exclaimed, her tone a mix of relief and exasperation. “Ye look like ye’ve been dragged through a journey—oh, wait, ye have. Come with me. Ye’re in desperate need of a bath and a change of clothes and?—”

She gasped sharply and whipped around to face Damon and Ryder.

“What happened to her?! What happened? Why is she bleeding?” she asked frantically.

But Damon could see that the worry in her eyes conveyed something much darker than her words ever could, and Ryder’s accompanying silence only fueled his rage.

Lilith opened her mouth to protest, but before she could utter a word, Ariah seized her non-injured arm and began pulling her away. “I’m takin’ ye down to Mrs. Bryant—she’s just arrived.”

“I’ll be fine,” Lilith called over her shoulder, giving him a small smile before disappearing around the corner with Ariah.

Damon watched them go.

Ariah’s busybody attitude and pushiness could come off as endearing, but she was just annoying and overbearing.

“Ryder,” he said, his tone serious. “Come with me. We have some things to discuss.”

Ryder nodded, following him into the castle and up the winding staircase to his study.

Once inside, Damon gestured for him to take a seat while he moved behind the desk, leaning against it instead of sitting.

“I need to get to ken ye better,” he began, crossing his arms over his chest. “Ye’ve been nothin’ but loyal since ye arrived, but I’m nae one to take things at face value. Especially nae when it comes to the safety of those under me care.”

Ryder met Damon’s gaze evenly, his expression calm. “I understand, Me Laird. Ask whatever ye wish.”

Damon nodded, his sharp eyes studying him closely. “Lilith mentioned earlier that ye taught her and Willow how to defend themselves. Why?”

Ryder shifted slightly in his seat, his jaw tightening. “Because they needed it.”

“That’s nae an answer,” Damon said, his voice firm. “Why did ye think it necessary to teach two young women how to protect themselves? What made ye decide they were in danger?”

Ryder hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor for a moment before returning to Damon’s. “I kenned their braither,” he muttered.

The mention of Magnus sent a wave of anger through Damon. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and he leaned forward slightly, his voice dangerously low. “And what exactly does that mean, Ryder? What did Magnus do to them?”