Page 10 of Tempted by a Highland Beast (Tales of Love and Lust in the Murray Castle #9)

He’d spent years earning respect through strength and cunning, and on the streets, he was feared.

A legend even. But here he was still seen as the bastard son who’d been dragged back out of necessity.

Every decision would be scrutinized, every move questioned by men who held onto the belief he was nothing more than a rumor and a scandal.

Taking a wife of Niall’s choosing would only reinforce that he was still dancing to his father’s tune, still the tool rather than the master. The clan needed to see him as a leader in his own right, not as Niall’s puppet who couldn’t even choose his own bride.

And yet... there had been something about the MacKenzie lass. Interesting, perhaps. But interesting enough to bind himself to her for life? To accept yet another chain in service to his father’s plans?

Constantine’s jaw tightened as he made his way down the corridor. Power always came with a price, but he’d be damned if he’d pay it without knowing exactly what he was buying.

His chamber was one of the few places in the castle that felt truly his.

He had claimed it upon his arrival, filling it with the few possessions that mattered to him—weapons, books, and a small wooden horse his mother had carved for him before she had died.

It was there that he could shed the mantle of future leadership, if only for a few hours.

And that night, he needed the stillness. His mind, usually quick to file away encounters and move on, kept drifting back to the woman he’d left behind in the hall. There was no reason she should linger in his mind, he knew better.

Theo and Finlay were waiting for him, as he had expected. They had made themselves comfortable by the fire, Theo nursing a cup of ale while Finlay cleaned his weapons with the methodical precision he did everything with. Both men looked up as he entered.

“That well, was it?” Theo asked dryly, setting his cup down.

“About as expected.” Constantine took a seat beside his most trusted men, the closest things he had to friends.

Theo sat to his right, broad shoulders filling out his plain woolen shirt, a testament to twenty years of shared battles.

The man had been with him since the early days, when Constantine was just another sellsword with more ambition than sense.

They’d found each other in the aftermath of a clan raid that had left Theo’s farming family dead and Constantine nursing wounds from his first real taste of Highland politics.

Two men with nothing left to lose had proven to be exactly what the other needed.

Finlay occupied the seat to his left, his lean frame almost lost in the shadows.

The lad had been raised by monks until Constantine’s company had found him half-starved on a mountain path three years before.

What the holy men had taught him of letters and healing, Constantine had supplemented with lessons in survival and strategy.

Now Finlay could track a man across stone and disappear into terrain that would swallow lesser scouts whole.

These two knew him better than anyone alive. They’d followed him not because of bloodlines or titles, but because he’d given them something worth following. Purpose. Belonging. The kind of loyalty that couldn’t be bought or inherited, only earned through shared hardship and mutual trust.

He poured himself a glass of wine, needing the warmth it would bring.

“As ye both ken, he wants me tae find a lass tae marry and secure an alliance, proving tae me capability tae become their leader the Council.” Constantine took a sip, needing a moment to gather his thoughts.

“Only now, he has set his sight upon our guest.”

He told the men about what had happened by the loch and who the lass really was.

“Found her this morning when I was bathing at the loch. She came crashing through the trees on horseback, two men in pursuit.”

“A MacKenzie lass?” Finlay’s voice was quiet, but Constantine heard the knowing tone beneath it.

“Aye. She may be the answer tae me problem.” Constantine eased back in his chair, the weight of the day pressing heavy on his shoulders.

Theo’s expression sharpened with interest. “Who were the men?”

“Her uncle’s men. She was running from them, half-wild with fear but determined nae tae be taken.” Constantine’s mouth tightened slightly at the memory. “The fools interrupted me bath and had the audacity tae threaten me when I wouldnae tell them where she’d gone.”

“And they lived?” Finlay asked with dry amusement.

“They lived,” Constantine said. “Though they’ll be nursing their wounds fer some time. Naethin’ fatal, but enough tae send a message.”

“So ye brought her here out of the goodness of yer heart, nay doubt.”

Constantine’s mouth quirked slightly at that.

“She asked for help, and I was in a position tae give it. I didnae ken who she was until we arrived here at the castle. Her faither’s dead, her clan’s been scattered, and her uncle clearly has plans fer her she wants nay part of.

She needs protection. I need legitimacy. ‘Tis tidy, if naethin’ else.”

“Tidy.” Theo’s brows lifted. “Strange word tae use fer a marriage, would ye nae say?”

“Well I didnae think of marriage when I rescued her, of course. But I’d be a fool nae tae see the value in keeping her close.” Constantine said, his tone sharp.

“Is it only strategy though?” Finlay spoke quietly, but there was an edge in it that made Constantine glance up. “Because I saw how ye were looking at her when ye brought her here.”

Constantine had noticed she was beautiful, he wasn’t blind, but that wasn’t the sort of thing he intended to voice aloud. Least of all to his men.

“I’ve only considered what her presence might mean. Naethin’ more.”

“The meanin’ of her presence… And that would be?” Theo asked.

“She’s noble. Unwed, far as I can tell. She’s runnin’ from something, which makes her vulnerable. She might take tae an arrangement, one that serves us both.”

“An arrangement,” Finlay repeated, setting his dagger aside. “Ye make it sound like a trade deal.”

“And is it nae?” Constantine’s voice cut harder than he meant it to.

“When has marriage ever been about anythin’ else fer men like us? Love’s a fool’s luxury, fit fer people with naethin’ tae lose.” The words tasted bitter on his tongue, but he forced himself to believe them.

He had learned long ago that sentiment was weakness, that survival required calculation rather than emotion.

The fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about the way Rowena had looked at him, the way she had felt pressed against him during their ride, was irrelevant.

“Ye kent she was lying,” Theo said suddenly. “From the beginning.”

“Aye.” Constantine took a sip of wine, letting the admission hang between them. “Fraser has only one daughter, and it is nae her. The lie itself was easy tae understand. What has me wonderin’ is why is she running from her uncle. Why she lied tae hide her true clan?”

“Could be debt,” Finlay offered. “Could be a crime.”

“What kind of crime sends yer own kin after ye?” Constantine had been thinking about this since their conversation in the great hall. “Something sinister’s at play here. And if she’s the MacKenzie heir, then she’s–”

“Valuable,” Theo finished for him.

“And she’s brought trouble tae our door,” Finlay said. It wasn’t a question.

“Perhaps.” Constantine was aware the danger Rowena might bring but didn’t much mind the thought. He was certain he could fight any trouble away.

“Or she’s brought a chance for an alliance; it depends how we use it.”

“And how dae ye plan tae use it?” Theo asked.

Constantine went still, thoughts turning.

He pictured Rowena across the table in the great hall, the way her chin had lifted when he’d pressed her.

There’d been pride there. Fire. A kind of strength he hadn’t expected.

She wasn’t broken, no matter whatever had chased her here, seeking refuge with unknown men.

“I want tae ken everything,” he said at last. “Why she fled. Who’s after her.

What she’s truly worth. And there’s only one way tae dae this whilst the lass stays here.

” Constantine took one final sip from his drink and set the cup aside.

“Finlay, take a few men and ride north. Keep low. Find out what’s stirring in MacKenzie land. ”

“And if she’s tellin’ the truth about her uncle?”

“Her uncle daesnae ken Rowena is here, the men chasing her were still unconscious when I took her with me. But even if he kens, we’ll face the threat when the time comes.” Constantine rose to his feet. “I want facts, not speculation. I want tae ken exactly what we’re dealing with.”

“And the lass herself?” Theo asked. “What dae ye mean tae dae with her while we’re digging fer truth?”

Constantine turned back, their eyes on him. They’d ridden at his side through years of mercenary work, stood with him when he had claimed the lairdship, and never once questioned his judgment. They wouldn’t start now.

“She stays,” he declared. “She’ll remain under me protection for now. That daesnae change, nay matter what we learn.”

“And if yer faither pushes fer more?”

“I’ll make me own choices.” Constantine’s voice rang hard. “I’ve spent most of me life making decisions that directed the path of men. I willnae be pushed intae a marriage that daesnae help me. Nae fer alliance, nor fer land.”

“But ye’ll think on it,” Theo pointed out.

“I’ll think what’s best fer me,” he said at last. “If it also helps the clan tae stand strong, even better.”

Theo nudged Finlay, and they both walked out of the room after bidding final goodbyes to Constantine.

Constantine plopped onto his bed, and he shielded his eyes with his arm. He was tired, and eager to call an end to the day. He was glad he had fetched a maid to prepare him a bath before his visit to Niall; a hot soak would definitely make him feel better.

Constantine’s mind wandered. Somewhere within those walls, Rowena MacKenzie lay abed, trusting him to keep her safe.

For him, tomorrow might bring reckoning.

More eyes watching him. But at that moment, he let his thoughts remain, toward soft, hopeful hazel eyes, toward a woman who’d placed her faith in a man like him.

It was dangerous, this pull she had. But Constantine had long ago learned: the things worth wanting came at a cost. And danger was often the price.