His audacity stunned her. He had ignored her fordays. He had announced her departure to the entire clan without so much asa warning or an explanation. He had stripped her of everything. Even choice. Dignity.
And now he dared to speak because she burned a piece of cloth?
Comical.
Still, she wouldn’t snap. She drew in a slow breath, composing herself.
Daenae react.That is what he wants.
She resumed walking. Her steps were quicker now, more urgent. She would not give him the satisfaction of a glance. She would not fold. But then, without warning, his footsteps caught up, sounding sharp and clear behind her.
He closed the distance between them easily. And before she could react, his hand closed around hers.
That did it.
She opened her mouth to shout, to demand that he let her go. But the words died instantly in her throat.
Because she felt it. Something pressed into her palm, soft, cool, and delicate.
Her breath faltered. Slowly, she lowered her gaze to her hand. And what she saw made everything around them fade away.
Nestled against her skin was the most dainty necklace she had ever seen. Fine gold catching the firelight. It was the same set she had admired at the fair. The same set she had wished to buy but could not afford. And now, it lay in her palm.
She couldn’t help the warmth that spread through her chest. It nearly made her knees buckle.
Her fingers gently traced the shape, as though it were something magical.
“This…” she trailed off.
She turned back to face him. By now, she couldn’t hide the vulnerability in her features.
“Was that what ye went to get,” she asked softly, “when ye told me to wait? Before Keegan showed up?”
William did not answer at once. He watched her intently.
His expression was composed as ever, but something simmered beneath the surface. It felt raw, seeking to break free, like a long-suppressed emotion.
Eventually, he nodded. It was brief, but it was enough. It answered all her questions.
“Aye,” he said.
Her breath shuddered out of her.
“I thought it would look good with yer pretty robe,” he added evenly. “Unfortunately…” He gave a small shrug. “It’s gone now.”
Sorcha swallowed hard.
She hated this. She hated how a simple gesture could undo her so completely. Hated how easily he knocked down the walls she had built, how her resolve shattered under the weight of something so thoughtful, so intimate.
This was not carelessness. This was attention. Fondness.Want.
Her fingers trembled around the jewels. Helpless, not knowing what to do with all the emotions roiling inside her, she lifted her fists to hit his chest.
“Why?” she demanded, her voice cracking. “Why do ye do this to me?”
She hit him again, harder this time, the sound dull against his broad frame.
“Why do ye touch me as if I matter,” she choked out, “then send me away like I’m nothing?”
