Alpin's smile faded. "What?"
"There's nay keyhole. Nay lock. Just a latch that anyone could open from the outside." She wrapped her arms tighter around herself. "Ye said I'd have a key. Ye promised."
"Christ." Alpin ran a hand through his hair, makin' it stick up even more. "I didnae think, the guest chambers dinnae usually have locks because—" He stopped, shaking his head. "Ye're right. I promised ye a key and ye should have one."
"So there isnae one?" Mhairi's voice came out smaller than she'd intended. "I cannae lock the door?"
"Nae that door, nay. But—" Alpin pushed away from the door and moved to his desk, pullin' open a drawer. "There are other chambers. Ones with proper locks. I should've put ye in one of those from the start."
"Dinnae worry," Mhairi said quietly.
"I told ye ye would have a lock." He was rifling through the drawer, searching for something. "Ye told me ye needed tae feel safe. I should've thought of that instead of puttin' ye in that room just because it is our nicest guestroom."
The fact that he understood the importance immediately made Mhairi's throat tight.
"It's all right," she managed. "I can move tomorrow. I just... I needed tae ken that ye hadnae forgotten. About the key."
"I didnae forget." Alpin turned to face her, something that looked like a key ring in his hand. "I just didnae think. And ye're nae waitin' until tomorrow. Come on."
"What?"
"There's a chamber one floor down. Smaller than the one ye're in now, but it has a proper lock. We'll move ye taenight." He was already walking toward the door. "Ye shouldnae have tae spend even one night feelin' unsafe."
"Alpin, it's late. Ye dinnae have tae."
He stopped and turned back to her. The expression on his face was intense, almost fierce. "Aye, I dae. Because I gave ye me word that ye'd be safe here. That ye'd have control. And I willnae have ye spendin' the night lyin' awake, terrified that someone might walk through that door."
Mhairi's breath caught.
"I would be." His voice softened. "If I'd been through what ye have, if I'd lost all sense of safety and control, I'd be lyin' awake too. Watchin' that door. Waitin' fer the worst tae happen."
He understood. Hetrulyunderstood.
"Thank ye," Mhairi whispered.
"Dinnae thank me fer daein' what I should've done from the start." Alpin's mouth quirked. "Now come on. Let's get ye settled somewhere ye can actually rest."
He moved toward the door, but as Mhairi turned to follow, the sleeve of her nightdress caught on the corner of his desk. She reached out instinctively to free it, and the fabric slid up her forearm.
Alpin went very still.
"Mhairi." His voice had changed. Gone flat and hard. "Yer wrists."
She looked down and her stomach dropped.
In the firelight, the rope burns were clearly visible, angry red welts circlin' both wrists where the bindings had dug in. They'd been hidden beneath her long sleeves all day. She'd almost forgotten about them in the chaos of everythin' else.
Almost.
"It's naethin'," she said quickly, tugging the sleeve back down. "They'll heal."
"Let me see. Please." He was in front of her now, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his bare skin. "Let me see."
Slowly, reluctantly, Mhairi held out her hands.
Alpin took them gently, his large fingers cradling her wrists like they were made of glass. He pushed the sleeves up carefully, revealing the full extent of the damage.
His jaw clenched so hard she could see the muscle jump.
