Alec went in search for the lass, and if it weren’t for the newly acquired knowledge of who she actually was, he would have let the damn woman rot. What kind of person ran away, repeatedly, without notifying anyone? It was dangerous—even she knew that!
He could only hope that she was sober, because he couldn’t take enough of the rambling and the nonsense and the general feeling of not knowing how to handle the situation. Feeling like he wanted to drive his fist into the nearest tree, he stormed down the shoreline of the creek, already having an idea of where the woman went. When he had stormed out of her room in search of his father, the old man had mentioned that she was often times found by the creek near her territory whenever she wanted to escape. It was a constant bother for Saeran, apparently.
With that thought in mind, he wasn’t surprised when he happened upon Lady Blay just as he had yesterday, and he had to agree with Saeran—this was becoming a constant bother.
“Ye’ have ran away again, without a single word,” he shouted as he came upon her. “Not only that, but you’ve had the castle amiss since we found ye’ were gone. Ye’ ken how dangerous it is to be unsupervised, do ye’ no? Yer father would kill me if anything happened to ye’ while I was meant to be protecting ye’. Do ye’ want to wage war between our clans?
“Donnae bother answering that question—I already ken the answer. Of course ye’ do, ye’ daft lass. Ye’ must, because yer taking no precautions to protect yerself! Do ye’ even ken whose land yer on at this very moment? The Callahan’s. Do ye’ ken what they think my clan did? Set fire to their forest—and we all ken who really did it. So why do ye’ insist on running away to this very spot?”
He stopped behind her, breathing heavily. She was in the same position she had been the other day. Her knees were drawn to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, chin resting on the crevice they created. It was a vulnerable position, one that made her look small and childlike. When she looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes haunted, he took a step back.
This was not the same woman he had dealt with the past few days. She had a fire in her, a force that would not be trifled with. The one sitting in front of him…she looked the same, aye, but at the same time, she was not.
He recognized that look.
Every person who came to him in hope of a new life, a new name, had bore that same look. Haunted, as if they could barely stand to watch life pass them by because of the memories that wouldn’t leave, memories that shouldn’t have happened.
What had happened to Blay, a woman with as powerful a man as her father, that she would have the same look of desolation? His jaw ticked as he thought back to the other day, when he had kissed her.
That reaction wasn’t normal.
“If ye’ want me to come back to the keep, I will. There’s no reason to raise yer voice, my laird.” She started to stand, swiping her hands down her modest dress to brush off debris.
He hesitated. Lady Blay would give in so quickly to his demands? Is that not what he had wanted the whole time of her staying with him?
For some reason, he felt sick as he watched her deliberate movements. The way she kept her body facing him, yet wouldn’t look directly at him. The way she wouldn’t fold her hands, as if she were keeping them ready for defense. Her whole entire stance was on the defensive. Even her body was braced to run.
Alec almost keeled over. His entire time as chieftain had been dedicated to keeping women safe. To giving them a life they deserved. To making sure they felt comfortable around him and his clan. While his clan might gossip that he was helping the refugees who resided at the village because of him, it was only fodder to keep their loyalty to The McGregor. No one treated them differently because of Alec—and that was all that mattered to him. People seeking change came to him, and he gave it—so long as what they said was true.
He was a highlander by nature, and though his mother had the spirit of the wind, she had also been a lady, and had given him enough training in how to handle a maiden that he was grateful for that. No matter how much he had hated the lessons on how to be a gentlemen when called for, he wouldn’t say it didn’t come in handy.
Swallowing down the bile in his throat, he held his elbow out to her. Dull eyes met his, and he watched as her lips pressed. Suspicion was marked all over her face, but she took his elbow nonetheless, head high, those haunted eyes staring straight ahead. What had happened to her that even after days, she was affected by what had happened between them?
He wanted to ask, but he knew that would be a terrible idea, so he drew some of his own conclusions, like he did with everything.
“I have errands that must be ran today. Would ye’ like to accompany me?”
“…Sure,” she said cautiously. “What kind of chores?”
“I must stop at the inn and speak to the keeper there. He has some acquaintances of mine rooming with him. Recently, he’s been asking me when they’ll be leaving. He needs the extra room.” He normally didn’t answer to anyone, but something compelled him to do so for her. He hated how silent and amiable she was. Alec much preferred the fighting and the banter than what he was seeing now.
“Ah..”
“Anyway,” he said carelessly, her indifferent disposition creating a cramp in his gut. “Since yer of the weaker sex, I’m of a mind to let ye’ ride the horse. I donna ken if ye’d make the trip on foot, wee lass.”
Fire sparked in her eyes, and he kept his grin to himself. His comment had worked. Of course the lass would have made the trip to the village—hell, he’d found the wee chit by the river. That alone bespoke the stamina the lass possessed. She might infuriate him, but she was definitely intriguing…and he would expect no less from a daughter of The Lion.
He was just about to tell her it had only been a jest when she gave him a hard look and swung herself onto the back of the horse with the expertise of a rider. His shoulders instantly fell—not even his comment had given her back her fire?
“Lass, I was only—” His words were mixed with the sound of pounding hooves as the lass tore away from him, his horse all the merrier to be galloping away.
Well, then, he thought with a glower. Seems the jest had done some good.
* * *
Blay enjoyed the sense of freedom for only a moment. But before she knew it, common sense was kicking in and she realized what a mistake she had made to leave Alec behind like that. The twinkle in his eyes had been hard to miss.
She reared the horse back, coming to a halt, and gently turned the horse around. Luckily, the beast was ready to get back to his master because he trotted like a happy pup the whole way there.
“I see you’ve come to your senses,” he said with a raised brow. When he gave her that look, something in her stomach did a twist. She ignored it, proudly holding her head high.
“The weaker sex, coming to their senses?” She chose to ignore the fact that just moments ago, his sudden kiss had haunted her. She had learned long ago to push the memories and thoughts behind her. Alec was a man of honor, as far as her father was concerned. Mayhap it had all been a misunderstanding. He had probably forgotten about it by now, anyhow.
He snorted. “Aye, because I definitely meant that as a jab at ye’. Lass, yer the daughter of The Lion. I’m positive that ye’ could take down the best of my men.”
A smile tilted the corner of her lips, but she held it back. “Mayhap I could. Mayhap,” she said with candor, “I could even take ye’ myself.”
There was a small silence, and then in the quiet of the clearing with only the sound of trickling water, he roared with laughter. Birds rose from the trees and even she herself was surprised.
Alec, the great and mighty laird of the MacDonalds, laughing? Today was surely a strange one, she thought with pursed lips. Still, his laughter was infectious, and before she knew it, she was bringing his horse closer to him. He mounted behind her, then slapped the beast on the rear.
“We’re still going to the village today?” she asked. She honestly wasn’t sure how to feel about going. Her earlier mood had dissipated with their banter, but she was still skeptical about seeing all of the women he’s brought onto his land.
The maids loved to gossip.
She had heard many stories about the people he brought to the keep. All whores and traitors, people with valuable information that Alec apparently stored away for later use. It left little to the imagination on why he would bother to keep them. A man had no use for women of that stature except for a warm body in his bed.
And Blay, who’s stomach twisted when he gave her a certain look, was not certain she wanted to see all the knowing glances they would cast him.
“Of course. I have some things to handle there.”
“Hmm,” she murmured, pursing her lips.
“What is that supposed to mean?” He reached around her, taking the reins. He brought the horse up to an easy trot. With his warm body behind her, his heat radiating like a different sort of fire, and the hot sun that beat down on the greenery around them, it was entirely too surreal to believe. She was actually letting this barbaric man cradle her in his arms, in the hills of the Highlands, with not a care in the world about it.
“Oh, nothing at all,” she said demurely.
“Please, lass. I’ve been around enough women to ken that ‘nothing’, does no,’ in fact, mean nothing. Ye’ seem more tense when I agree to having to go to the village. Why?”
Her eyes rolled back.
“Donna pull that ‘thing’ ye’ do on me, brute.”
“Ah. By yer insult, I see that I’ve hit a spot. Why do ye’ no’ want to go to the village?”
“It’s nothing,” she said, starting to become irate. She really hated when he did that damn…thing. Ugh! Men! Or wait—not even men, just this particular one. Where had he even learned to deduce such nonsense?
“Have ye’ heard some rumors, mayhap?”
She stayed silent, brooding. It was none of her business what he did. He was laird. He answered to no one, including her. And even then, she did not want to be caught in her…jealousy? Discomfort? She really had no clue what to call whatever it was she felt towards him for having so many women at his beck and call. One should always be enough—it was that way for her parents, and they had a wonderful marriage.
“Ye’ have,” he said quietly, to himself. “I assume yer thinking of the women?”
She tensed. How did he manage to do that blasted thing?
“The maids like to gossip,” he murmured. “Alas, they are but rumors. Anything you’ve heard, I can assure ye’, is a lie.”
“But…” She trailed off. It wasn’t her business, no matter that he was the one bringing it up.
“But, what? How could I possible ken what yer talking about? It’s simple, lass. Not even my own father fully understands what I do.”
“Is that by his own choice, or yers?” she asked, frowning. The more vaguely he spoke, the more curious she became. Was it really not as it seemed, with the women in the village?
“I suppose it is a bit of both. He doesn’t like the shadow it brings to my name, but at the same time, he won’t tell me to stop what I’ve started because of the good that’s come from it.”
“I think I understand that,” she said, nodding. Now she was truly curious. “What exactly is it that you…do? With these women?”
At the question, he went silent.
“It is not just women that come to me, lass. Many a lad has come to me with information as well. I…do many things. My name has spread around in their circles. They do not choose to ken what they do, but are either born into it or pushed into it. When they find the strength to escape, they come to me. I…save them, in a way.”
Something twisted in her heart a little. As he spoke, she leaned into his chest, listening more aptly. The horse strolled at an easy, lazy gait, making it easy for her to hear him, easy for her body to melt into his as his brogue rolled through her ears.
“I find housing for them, if I can. Jobs as servants at respectable households where their past won’t be held against them, where the people they used to work for can’t touch them. My matches normally work. Because of my experience on the battle field, I have many who want to be allies with me. I barter with my subjects, but only at their permission. I try to let them decide.”
Amazement filled her. This dangerous, proud man was exceptional. He did what no one else in the world would do. To Blay’s kind, a prostitute was always a prostitute, and a traitor was a traitor. She had never figured that they wouldn’t want to keep their jobs, that they sometimes didn’t have a choice. All her life, she had had a stable clan. They struggled for nothing. She didn’t know the lengths she would go to survive, but…now understanding had been shed upon her.
And because of that, something inside of her changed toward the man. Her fear towards him after the kiss? Gone. He was no more a barbarian than she was a nun. He was…real. And unlike anyone she’d ever met, he was trying to make a change.
It was inspiring and it changed everything she thought about the man. The sincerity in his voice rocked her. She could literally hear how dedicated he was to this, and to use connections that could be used to further his clan, for men and women he didn’t even know, in order to give them a better life?
She swallowed.
He was…he was honestly a great man.
And the thought was as terrifying as her growing feelings for him.