Page 5 of Tempted by a Highland Beast (Tales of Love and Lust in the Murray Castle #9)
CHAPTER THREE
C onstantine glanced at the unconscious men, then slowly walked to one and nudged him with the toe of his boot, checking for signs of waking. “I must say, ye didnae seem very concerned about me when ye were begging me tae save ye. Did ye trust me?”
“I was desperate,” she shot back. “‘Tis different from trust.”
“Is it?” he asked, brushing his hands together as he stepped next to her, caressing her mare with a soothing hand. With how tall this man was, Rowena had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact. “And what about now, Rowena Fraser? Are ye still desperate?”
The sound of her name sent a shiver through her, but she didn’t retreat. Instead, she rested a hand on her horse’s reins and met his gaze squarely. “That depends on what ye’re asking in exchange tae yer help, Constantine MacLean.”
They stood like that for what felt like a small eternity, staring at each other. Rowena did not want this moment to come to an end. An inexplicable urge passed through her to lift her hand and brush her fingers through the damp strands of his dark hair, to feel their texture.
The thought startled her.
Afraid of what she might do if he held her a moment longer, Rowena broke away from the eye contact and stepped back, as if distance might still the ache stirring low in her chest.
She glanced around, desperate to break the tension. “So, how did ye find this place? The loch seems tae be very well hidden.”
“Aye, it is. Nae many people ken of it. I found it mesel’ only five years ago on a hunt.
I got lost, but I did find a treasure, did I nae?
” Constantine said and walked once again towards the water’s edge.
He crouched and ran his fingers lightly through the surface, watching the ripples fan out with quiet reverence.
A genuine glint lit his eyes, unfiltered, boyish almost, as if this hidden place mattered to him more than he led on.
Rowena found herself smiling at the sight of him.
“Aye. Ye did.”
Constantine rose to his full height with deliberate ease, as if preparing to leave, but the movement was sharp enough to startle Rowena.
She took an instinctive step back, her boot crunching on loose gravel.
Her heart thudded in her chest as Constantine approached her with the languid ease of a predator who knew he had his prey right where he wanted it.
A smirk rose from his lips. “Ye startle easily, I see.”
Rowena scoffed.
I would like tae wipe that smirk off his face.
A sudden pain swallowed her when her hand brushed a bush. She raised it to her face and gasped. “I think I cut mesel’.” The thick cut ran from the bone of her wrist down her arm and stopped a few inches from her elbow. The wound was red, and it trickled blood.
How had I nae noticed that?
It must have happened as she had fled through the forest. The rush of adrenaline that consumed her must have also protected her from the pain. But now she felt somewhat at ease again. For the time being she didn’t need to worry about keeping herself alive.
Rowena suddenly felt weak in the knees, sore from the inside out, burnt out.
“Ye think so? Give it here.” Constantine caught her arm, his fingers brushing the wound with painful care. “How did ye nae notice ye were bleeding?”
“I’m alive, arenae I? ‘Tis a small price tae pay.”
He scoffed. “Unbelievable.”
Without hesitation, he tore a strip off his linen shirt.
Rowena was glad to see it go, and she gazed at the exposed patch of his skin with greedy eyes.
Constantine wrapped the strip around her wound and Rowena couldn’t stop the hiss that escaped her as he wound it tight.
She looked up at him, but his eyes were narrowed in focus on his task.
Rowena felt the tension in her body melt away. For days, she had been in a constant state of alertness. It was nice to finally relax, even if just for an instant.
Her eyes fell back to the man who tended to her.
Constantine MacLean.
Rowena’s mind raced as she processed his name. The MacLeans. She had heard of them. A formidable clan, with a reputation for cunning and brutality, now led by a laird feared across the Highlands for his ruthless hand.
But the laird wasn’t what the whispers focused on anymore. Rumors had begun to circle of a son, illegitimate, some said, whom the old man had only recently claimed. A man more dangerous than his father, born of no courtly blood and raised outside the clan.
Wasnae he called “the Savage”?
No one outside the kin knew his face. Only his reputation.
Could this man be Constantine?
Even if he’s not the laird’s heir, this man was probably a high-ranking member. Especially with the manner with which he had defended himself. Defended her. Even if she had lied about her reason for being chased.
She wasn’t sure what to make of him yet, but one thing was certain: she couldn’t afford to mistake his help for an act of his true intentions or trust him beyond what he’d already offered. Not when she knew so little about him. Not when everything around her still felt like shifting ground.
She cast a glance toward the narrow path she’d taken while fleeing her home. Her freedom had bought her time, and far more questions than answers.
But where will I go tae after this?
She understood that information was power, and she had very little of it at the moment. She was uncertain of her exact location. A moor. A secret loch. A handsome man. Those were the only things she had to work with.
The trees obscured her sense of direction as they spread wide, far, and thick. She might still be on MacKenzie land, trapped within her step-uncle’s reach. Even worse, she could have already crossed into a rival clan’s territory. She may have stepped from one danger into another.
She tried to piece together clues from the landscape, the smell in the air, and the way the sun sat in the sky, but nothing came to her.
“What village is closest to this loch? I’m certain ye’ll have an idea, seeing ye frequently seem tae visit it.” Constantine seemed to understand her urgency to find out where she was and raised a brow at her. Rowena tried to maintain her composure, an air of innocence, offering him a polite smile.
“Naething fer miles. The closest village is within the borders of MacLean lands.”
“Oh. I see.”
“Why? Where dae ye plan tae go after this?”
“Well, I was hopin’ tae find me way back home.”
“Those lads dae nae seem like the type tae let this go. I reckon they may try tae find ye.” Rowena said nothing, so Constantine continued. “Dae ye have a plan on how tae avoid them?”
Rowena shook her head. “Naethin’ yet. But I’m sure I’ll figure something out now that ye’ve given me an edge.”
“It seems tae me ye need a safe place tae go. Ye’re injured and ye may be infected,” he said. “Ye can come with me tae me stronghold. The healer will take a look at ye.”
Rowena glanced at him. The offer of shelter, even protection, was tempting.
But going blindly to a stranger’s keep was its own kind of danger.
Whatever safety it promised came with too many unknowns.
And regardless, she couldn’t possibly impose.
“Oh, nay. Ye have already saved me life, and I will forever be in yer debt fer that.”
“Ach, nay need tae be so modest. ‘Twould just be fer a short time.” His tone was calm, imposing. “And I would like tae identify who sent those bastards after ye.”
“I told ye, they were nae set upon me by anyone.”
“Alright. Say I believe ye. Dae ye have any idea how tae return tae yer kin from here?”
“I will find me way, I am certain of it. Truly, I wouldnae want tae be a burden tae ye and yer wife.”
Constantine barked a laugh. “If ye wanted tae ken if I have a wife, all ye had tae dae was ask, lass,” he said, grinning. “I have nay wife tae me name. Nae feminine sensibilities ye would offend by coming with me.”
“A convenient thing for ye tae claim. Especially when nae wife is present tae contradict ye.”
“Keeping a wife is the last thing I’d trouble meself with.
Wedlock slows a man, blunts his edge, and I’ve never had the luxury of being slow.
Though perhaps I’ve simply never met a woman sharp enough tae keep me edge keen instead of dulling it.
” Rowena lifted her chin. “And what makes ye think such a woman exists?”
“Perhaps she daesnae,” he continued, ignoring her barb. “Besides, who goes tae a romantic loch without his lass by his side?”
“I imagine some unfortunate wives would be grateful fer the peace,” she said, though her pulse quickened.
“A fair point,” he conceded, chuckling. Rowena’s amusement faltered, chased by caution. “Even so… I’ve nay wish tae intrude. I dinnae ken ye, and?—”
He cut her off. “Ye will come tae Duart Castle under me protection,” he said. “And if ye dinnae feel safe, ye can leave.”
Rowena narrowed her eyes. His tone was almost soothing.
A smooth voice that, despite its comforting tone, carried dangerous undertones, warning and enticing her at once.
And while it was a generous offer, surely there was more to it?
He had saved her life, and now he was offering to do some more saving.
What daes he stand tae gain?
She decided that it wasn’t that important.
She may not have trusted that his offer was anything but a trap, but she knew that she was utterly out of options.
The thought of returning to the forest, of facing her step-uncle’s men again with no protection, no food, and no idea where she was, was far more terrifying than the unknown dangers of Duart Castle.
A few days behind the protective walls of a stronghold, even one belonging to a dangerous stranger, could give her time to recover from the chase and get herself together.
Plan me way back tae the keep.