She shook her head, glancing at Hagen seated next to her. Connor heard him whisper to her, “You did a great job. No worries.”
Then his son squeezed her hand. Connor glanced at the two faces, noticing something there that hadn’t been there before. The two were definitely in a relationship, and it was more than a simple friendship.
His son was falling in love with Brynja. And she was returning his feelings.
Connor wasn’t surprised. She was beautiful in a different way. There wasn’t a dainty bone in her body. The lass’s constitution was tougher than the hide on an old buck, and she was feisty as hell. She reminded him of Eli Ramsay, Alaric’s wife. She wasn’t going to let anyone bowl her over with lies. He’d wager she’s tossed a few punches before, though her prowess with a dagger was already known. She just had to get used to a wild, but loving, bunch of Grants.
He was confident she would.
The chatter continued amongst the group as they tried to guess who Dugan could be, laughter here and there at the memories that surfaced of Connor’s father and his many battles. But out of the corner of his eye, he caught the change in Brynja’s countenance, the expression on her face changing with the rest of her body.
“I remember.” She bolted up from her chair, looking at each one in the group.
“What is it?” Connor asked, his voice quieter than it had ever been, the group silent and waiting to hear what she had to say. Dyna stood up and gripped the back of the chair next to her.
“Sholto asked him who his grandfather was. He didn’t say the whole name, just his first name. He said his grandfather’s name was Niles.”
Everyone in the chamber stilled, Dyna fighting to keep herself from charging out the door. Connor could feel the tension shoot up at just the thought that this could be who they initially thought of.
Who they were all thinking about.
Poor Brynja looked at all the shocked faces. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Nay, lass. You are doing beautifully.” Hagen squeezed her hand again.
Then Connor asked, “Did you hear the name Niles Comming?”
“Nay, just Niles. Alexander Grant killed his grandfather, Niles. He wants vengeance.”
“Oh my God in Heaven,” Dyna whispered.
Drew said, “Connor, don’t let this change how you handle anything. It should have no bearing on anything.”
Maitland said, “That’s not possible, Da.” He looked at his father and arched a brow.
Brynja looked at Hagen. “Who is Niles?”
Connor said, “Niles is the man who raped my mother. And aye, my sire killed him for it. He deserved worse.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Brynja
Brynja found Hagen in the lists, working through sword forms with a focused intensity that spoke of anger rather than practice. His movements were sharp, aggressive, each strike against the practice post harder than necessary.
“You’ll break your wrist if you keep hitting that hard,” she called out.
Hagen paused mid-swing, chest heaving. Sweat dampened his hair despite the December chill. “Mayhap I wish to break something.”
She crossed the yard to him, noting the white-knuckled grip on his sword hilt. “What happened?”
“It’s about this whole possibility of the grandson of Niles Comming wanting to attack my clan. I see what it does to my father, then my mother’s reaction too. And it upsets Dyna. I’m glad Astra and Morgan are still at Clan Grant. They’d be upset too and Astra was already subjected to too much.
Brynja understood that rage. It lived in her chest too, burning hot and constant. “Then you go after him. Why wait?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“It is that simple.” Her voice hardened. “He did evil. He should pay for it.”
