Page 22 of Taken By the Exiled Laird

The troubled mood still hung over Theon as he left the cabin and headed toward the center of the camp to see if there was any soup left over from the night's dinner. His stomach grumbled; it had been a filling enough meal, but the problem with Briana cooking was that he often found himself wanting seconds just for the decent taste. He froze in place, though, as he saw two figures by the fire, so close together that their shadows had become one.

Briana stood there with a dagger in her hand, and Noah was behind her with his arms around her, his hands gently guiding her grip. Her features shone in the firelight and under the whispering light of the stars, and when she laughed at something Noah said, the sound echoed across the clearing and cut into Theon's chest like cold steel.

Sudden burning fury overwhelmed Theon at the sight, burning his skin and boiling his blood, so overwhelming that it was surprising the ground below didn't burst into flame. A furious roar caught in his throat and he barely managed to prevent its escape, and his hands shook with rage as he clenched them into fists and stormed over. He couldn't stop to think or consider or even breathe.

"Noah!" he snarled, the name coming out with a hostility that made both the others freeze. "Why does she have a weapon? Who gave ye permission?"

Noah blinked, obviously taken aback by Theon's anger, and the innocence in his expression only fueled the monster inside Theon more. Noah raised his eyebrows and stepped back from Briana. "I wasnae aware I needed permission," he said mildly. "We are a band of equals, are we nae?"

Something like shame nudged at Theon's heart, but the fury was too bright and it burned anything else away in an instant. He glared harshly at Noah then turned his back on him, staring intensely at Briana. She was flushed, her cheeks pink and her eyes wide as she stared at him half in annoyance and half in awe. She was wearing her pretty dress again at last, and the way it silhouetted her figure against the fire made her look as inviting as it did deadly, emphasized by the dagger glinting in her hand. Everything about her was dangerous.

"Put that thing down," he growled at her. "We're goin'."

"Goin' where?" Noah demanded. "It's late, and⁠—"

"Now!" Theon snapped.

Briana glared at him, but she handed the dagger over to Noah before folding her arms. She lifted her chin with pride. "Why should I go anywhere with ye?"

He stepped closer, and something crackled menacingly between them. He wanted to grab her, to stop that smart mouth with his own, to exercise his frustration with her gasping his name. The image made his whole body pulse, and in turn it only magnified his fury, the traitorous, ruinous thoughts threatening everything he was building.

"Remember what ye said in the forest," he warned her, allowing the slight threat to leak into his tone.

She instantly wilted, releasing a deep sigh and nodding.

Noah stepped forward. "Theon, what⁠—"

"It's all right," Briana whispered. She looked up at Theon, something resentful in her gaze now. "Lead on, then."

She had been cowed, but the monster was not sated. It paced restlessly in Theon's chest, furious and dissatisfied. He should walk away, but that furious beast inside urged him on. He jutted his jaw and gritted his teeth. He knew he'd never be fully rid of it and the discomfort it brought until he was rid of this girl once and for all.

Briana followed Theon to the makeshift stable, trying to ignore the way her heart was hammering against her ribcage and the way the air around her felt alight from his proximity moments before. He had been terrifying as he approached a moment before, the rage bursting from him so palpable that she had felt it heating her own skin. And yet—and yet, when he'd reminded her of that moment in the forest where he'd claimed her as his prisoner, she'd felt a pull toward him, a deep, dark longing to close the gap and seek out a physical connection much different from the brotherly feeling of Noah guiding her hands. She scowled at the thoughts, irritation prickling at her for even considering such things about such a demanding, angry man as this.

Theon selected a horse and Briana moved to check the tack on another, but stopped when she heard him laugh incredulously behind her.

"What?" she demanded, whirling around to face him. "What's funny?"

"Ye are," he replied, though his smile was cold. "As if I'd let ye ride alone."

She stiffened, folding her arms again, her eyes on the strong, tall horse he'd selected. It was a sturdy mount, one more than capable of carrying them both, but she would not simply agree with him. "Whyever nae? I ken how tae ride. I've kent since I was a bairn."

Theon snorted. "As if I'd give ye the chance tae escape."

Bristling, she said, "Ye cannae trust me?"

He stepped closer, the heat growing between them again even as fear trickled through her body. Looming over her, he raised one eyebrow. "Ye've fled me once. Ye'll nae get the opportunity again. Understood?"

For a wild moment, she considered talking back, but at last she broke eye contact. She saw his lips twitch into that half-smile of his, then gasped as his hands were suddenly on her waist, lifting her onto the horse like she weighed no more than a bag of flour.

"Can I nae even do this by meself?" Briana muttered with a growl in her voice.

Theon didn't answer, simply hoisting himself onto the horse behind her. His arms slid around her waist to take the reins, caging her in, solid and immovable. Her breath caught, and she sat up straight, as rigid as she possibly could, refusing to lean back against him.

Theon let out a small sound that was almost a laugh, then they began to ride.

The next half hour passed in excruciating torture. The unnatural way in which Briana held herself made her entire body jerk painfully every time the horse traveled over a piece of uneven ground or turned a corner. She slipped a few times but always pulled herself forward. She would not touch him. She would not give in to him, not now. But when they crested a steep hill and started down the other side, she let out a whimper of pain as the movement made her bones shudder.

"Have mercy on yerself, lass," Theon said, sounding annoyingly amused. "Ye'll snap yerself in two if ye keep up like that."