Page 12 of The Cruel Highlander (From Enemies to Marriage #3)

CHAPTER 11

Aiden was not hiding.

He had work to do; that was all. Valorie was set to arrive at his castle sometime this morning while he was holed away in his study, decidedly not hiding. Yes, he was feeling confused, and yes, he was constantly thinking of Valorie’s lips and the way she felt pressed up against him, but that had nothing to do with his current location. There were reports somewhere or correspondence. He definitely had something to do. He needed to find something to do.

Still every time he tried to start working on something, all he could think about was Valorie. How was she settling into his castle? Was she thinking of him? Were her lips as pink and plump as yesterday, or did they need his attention?

And this was why Aiden was confused. Mere moments after their kiss, he had told Valorie this was a fake betrothal, and it needed to be fake, but everything about kissing Valorie felt real. Aiden couldn’t go searching for her until he stomped out that small part of him that thought he could have something real with Valorie.

Unfortunately for Aiden and his efforts to forget the lass, he was sure that he could already smell Valorie’s sweet scent in the castle. His home would never be the same again now that Valorie was here. He already knew her presence had a lasting impact, and he’d probably never get her imprint out when she inevitably left. Because she had to leave, eventually. That was the deal.

Aiden was confused about a lot of things but not that. He couldn’t have her — Valorie’s light would surely be stamped out here in this castle with him. Besides, he would never trust himself to keep her safe, not when he couldn’t even keep himself safe.

Yet, all of that paled in comparison to the feel of Valorie in Aiden’s arms. He was incapable of thinking of anything else. Aiden tapped his fingers restlessly on the desk. He should be welcoming the lass properly, with his tongue and teeth, preferably, maybe right here on his desk.

Breaking him out of his reverie, the door to his study slammed open, and his sister Keira barged in. Would it kill his family to knock?

“It’s rude to keep yer bride waitin’ brother,” she chastised with a suspicious look Aiden. So, Valorie had arrived then; she was somewhere in his castle at this very moment.

“Aye, I’ll go see her in a bit, I’ve got work to do. I do run this clan, ye ken,” Aiden responded distractedly, fiddling with the paper in front of him in an attempt to look busy.

“I ken, ye look really busy,” Keira drawled, snatching the paper away from Aiden. “Aye, last year’s treasury report — a very timely review, brother.”

“I’m comparin’ castle expenses to this year,” Aiden lied. Keira just rolled her eyes, dropping the paper back on his desk.

“What do the council think of yer bride?” Keira asked him pointedly, no longer interested in keeping up the rouse of her visit.

“They were quite pleased,” Aiden responded firmly. Frankly, he didn’t care, and it wasn’t Keira’s business, but the council was not entirely convinced Valorie was the best choice for the future Lady O’Donnely. The one frustrating part of his whole plan was that when they finally ended their fake betrothal, Aiden would have to go to his council and tell them they were right.

“Even with her… reputation?” Keira continued to push.

“Aye,” Aiden said shortly, a note of a warning in his voice. Keira just stood her ground and met his glare. Aiden had expected Keira’s ire after he had ignored her warning about Valorie completely, but he would not stand to hear slander against his bride.

“Ye ken the council will not be happy if they find out yer tricking them.” Keira was entirely too smart for her own good. How her husband, Christian, managed to keep anything from her was a mystery to all.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not,” Aiden said as lightly as he could manage.

“They may even consider taking the lairdship from ye…” Keira warned.

“They can’t do that!” Aiden exclaimed, standing quickly and slamming his hand on to his desk. “I’ve given everythin’ — everythin’ — to this clan,” Aiden argued fiercely. He lost ten years of his life for this clan. And every spare moment of his time, since he was rescued, had been in service to his people.

“Aye, yer right, and that’s exactly why ye shouldn’t give away yer chance at love for them,” Keira said. Aiden didn’t respond — he was breathing harshly now, standing over his desk and looming down at Keira. All he could think was that it was a good thing he wasn’t looking for love. He had nothing to lose in that regard because love was never in the cards for him.

Keira continued to stare back at him until Aiden finally sighed and took his seat again.

“I better go; Christian can’t spend too many hours without me,” Keira remarked, nodding her satisfaction to Aiden. She had made her point, annoyingly well in fact. Aiden would just need to ensure that the council never found out about his little plot with Valorie.

“Good luck, brother; I hope ye ken what yer doin’.” Keira said as she left Aiden’s study.

I hope so too, sister.

Sighing, Aiden finally rose from his desk and went in search of his bride and his other nosy sister. He found them in the bedchamber beside his own. The one traditionally given to the Lady of the castle. The one with a connecting door to his own chamber. Somehow, he never considered the fact that Valorie would be sleeping in this room, one door away from him, for an entire year.

Aiden may very well not survive it.

Opening the door slowly, he found Valorie chatting with Astrid in the sitting room. Astrid rose from her chair immediately when she saw Aiden walk in. Seeming to cut off in the middle of a different conversation, Astrid smiled to Valorie and said, “Aye, well, I better be goin’. Valorie, lovely to chat with ye.” With a stern nod to him, she simply said, “Aiden.”

Both of Aiden’s sisters were displeased with him today, then. Was that a new record? As she passed by him, Astrid whispered harshly, “It’s about time,” scolding Aiden for leaving his betrothed alone for so long. His meddling sisters didn’t know how to leave well enough alone.

Now standing alone with Valorie in her bedchamber, Aiden was unsure how to act. He knew that through the doors behind her lay what would now be Valorie’s bed. For some reason that was the only thing Aiden could think about — Valorie sprawled out on that bed, ideally beneath him. Her long waves of hair spread out on the pillow and a happy satisfied look on her face.

Aiden stared at Valorie for far too long, imagining scenes of the two of them together in bed. When he finally forced himself back to the present, Aiden realized Valorie was protectively holding the little beast from yesterday in her arms. Aiden went stiff at the sight of the thing. Why she brought that creature into his home was beyond him.

“Aye, welcome to me castle,” Aiden said gruffly.

“Such a warm welcome, me laird,” Valorie teased.

“I had a lot to attend to this mornin’.”

Valorie laughed, “Of course, I’m sure ye’re very busy.” Was she saying it like a joke somehow? Why did everyone think Aiden didn’t have things to do? He was in fact the laird of a very powerful clan.

Aiden stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the door frame. Better that he had a quick path to escape because either Valorie or that mutt in her arms might cause him to need a hasty exit. Best not to get too close to either.

Turning serious, Valorie gestured to the chair Astrid had just vacated and said, “Aiden will ye sit?” Well, there went his escape route. Aiden looked at the lass warily — what was her scheme now?

“Aye…” Aiden said, slowly walking through the sitting room and taking the chair across from Valorie.

“I want to talk to ye about somethin’, but please daenae get upset…” Valorie trailed off, looking at him imploringly.

“I cannae promise that lass,” Aiden said shaking his head, but he saw the sincerity in her lovely eyes and added, “but I’ll try.”

Had Valorie already changed her mind about their fake betrothal? Was she planning to leave? Aiden couldn’t imagine his castle without her now that her presence was here. She had somehow permeated through his home already. He’d probably see and smell her everywhere for weeks. Avoiding the lass’s gaze, Aiden’s eyes trailed the room that would forever be hers in his mind.

“Astrid told me a little bit about your past,” Valorie started slowly. Aiden’s eyes snapped to her, flashing with a little rage and a little fear. He carefully searched her face for what she was thinking but found nothing. Aiden’s hands gripped the armrests of the chair tightly; without that anchor, he surely would have fled the room already.

“Aye… and what did she tell ye?” Aiden asked darkly. He was not ready for Valorie to know this about him; it left him too exposed, too raw, in front of the one person who seemed to already bring out his heightened emotions.

“Nothing specific — she just told me that ye were kidnapped and held for a long time.”

“Ten years to be precise,” Aiden snarled, taking his discomfort out on the lass.

“Aye…” Valorie faltered but took a deep steadying breath and continued, “We daenae need to discuss it any further if ye daenae want, but I just want ye to know that I’m here if ye ever do want someone to talk to.”

Aiden continued to watch Valorie closely for an indication of what she thought about all that his sister had apparently divulged. Valorie gazed at him openly, but Aiden did not find the pity or shock or disgust that he had grown used to seeing.

Despite being kidnapped as a boy, Highlanders had no respect for what they deemed weak, and some believed Aiden’s time in captivity had left him as such. Many of his councilors certainly thought so, looking at him like he was some damaged thing.

It had created even more pressure for Aiden to wed as of late. His councilors seemed to think a bride was what Aiden needed to finally be healed of his trauma. Or more likely, everyone who knew about Aiden’s past could conveniently forget once Aiden was married with a bairn.

They could once again view him as a strong and traditional laird and not something strange and other. That was apparently a side effect of being tortured and then choosing to remain so isolated.

Valorie, though, merely looked at Aiden with care and kindness. Was she not repulsed by him now? She didn’t look it — Valorie looked at him as she always had, less mischievous right now, but her caring eyes still met his.

Maybe he could confide in her — was that an insane thought? Aiden had never really told anyone the details of his captivity. His sisters knew some things, and a few nights, deep in the whiskey, he had confessed a couple of horrors to Flynn, Astrid’s husband, but no one knew the extent of his torture.

The time with the wild dogs was only one example of which there were ten whole years’ worth. And Myles, his captor, liked to get creative. There were still some things Aiden tried to never think about.

“Aye, thank ye lass. That’s good to ken…” Aiden said, trailing off. Now was not the time to unload all of his trauma on the poor lass, but his initial anger over Astrid breaking his confidence had faded.

Valorie did not have the response he was expecting, so maybe it wasn’t so horrible that she knew. They were meant to spend the next year in this castle together, and surely some of Aiden’s quirks would be noticeable in that time. Especially by someone with an eye as keen as Valorie.

“I see ye brought that creature into me home,” Aiden observed darkly, changing the subject and looking harshly at the gnarly thing.

“Who, Willow? She’s just a wee thing,” Valorie said, making cooing noises to the animal like it was a sweet bairn.

“Well, ye better train her; I don’t want her running loose around the castle,” Aiden ordered sharply.

“Aye, me laird, she’ll be a perfect angel,” Valorie promised.

“Hmph,” Aiden grunted, highly doubting that. Anything trained by Valorie would be nothing short of mischievous.

“Just come give her a pat; Willow’s a wee thing; she won’t hurt ye,” Valorie cooed. When Aiden continued to stare at them from his chair, Valorie slowly got up and made her way towards him.

“Lass,” Aiden warned. “I don’t want to touch that thing.” If there was a way for Aiden to back away from them further while staying in his seat, he would have done it.

“Oh, you’ll see, she’s a sweetheart.” Valorie did not stop her slow approach. “Just pet her head a little bit.”

The lass was persistent, Aiden would give her that. With Valorie and the mutt standing right before him, Aiden tentatively reached a hand out over the beast’s head.

He knew logically that this tiny thing was not the same as the feral dogs who attacked him, but his hand still shook slightly. He quickly ran his hand across the animal’s head. Before he could snap his hand back, the creature gave his hand an excited lick.

The rough feel of the mutt’s tongue on Aiden’s palm caused a small chuckle to release from his mouth. He was laughing — about something a dog had done!

Aiden looked up to Valorie in wonder and saw her already smiling back at him warmly. She was inspecting his face closely, so she surely saw the fear turn to awe. Valorie had given that to him. He held her gaze for several long seconds before clearing his throat and looking away from the pair.

“Well,” Aiden cleared his throat again, “I’ll let ye explore the castle for a while, but I’ll expect ye promptly at dinner tonight.”

Not waiting for a reply, Aiden rose from the chair and left, back to hiding in his study it seemed. In terms of clearing up any confusion that had been a disaster of epic proportions.