She wore a dress Alpin had never seen before—deep green wool that made her grey eyes look like silver, fitted perfectly to her slender frame with delicate embroidery at the neckline and sleeves that must have taken hours of work.
Her dark hair was braided and pinned in an elaborate style, with loose tendrils framing her face. And she stood with her chin lifted, shoulders back, meeting the stares of the entire clan with quiet dignity.
She looked like a queen.
Alpin's breath caught in his chest. Beside him, he heard Callum's sharp intake of air.
"Christ," Fergus breathed. "That's quite an entrance."
For a long moment, it seemed, no one moved. The entire hall was frozen, watching the lass who'd appeared in their castle a little over a week ago, broken and terrified, now standing before them transformed.
Then Mhairi's eyes found Alpin's across the crowded room.
She smiled, small and uncertain, but real.
The hall erupted back into noise and movement around them, but Alpin barely noticed.
All he could see was her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"She's beautiful."
Alpin's hands tightened on his cup. He'd been watching her, trying not to look obvious about it. Failing, apparently, if Callum's knowing grin was any indication.
"Aye?" Alpin said shortly.
"So are ye going tae stand here all night starin' or are ye actually goin’ tae go tae her."
Alpin was already moving, crossing the space between them like the floor was on fire.
He made it perhaps three steps before young Hamish intercepted her.
Alpin stopped cold, his jaw clenching as the warrior––barely twenty, eager as a puppy––bowed and offered Mhairi his hand.
"May I have this dance, miss?"
Mhairi glanced toward Alpin. Their eyes met across the space, and he saw the question there. Saw her uncertainty.
He wanted to cross the room. To claim her hand before anyone else could.
But that would look desperate. Possessive. And Mhairi had already pulled away from him once that day because she feared bringing trouble to his clan.
So, Alpin forced himself to nod. To stay where he was.
To watch as Mhairi placed her hand in young Hamish's and let herself be led onto the floor.
"Well," Callum said mildly beside him. "That's unfortunate."
"Shut up."
"Ye could've just––"
"I said shut up."
The musicians started playing again. A traditional reel, fast and cheerful. Hamish was a decent dancer, light on his feet despite his size. And Mhairi moved with him easily, her steps sure even though she'd claimed to be terrible at it.
She'd lied, Alpin realized. Or perhaps she'd just needed the right partner. The right encouragement.
