Page 14 of Trapped By the Exiled Bastard

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When Briana first approached her the next day, Elin was determined not to speak to her, but there was something about the company of another woman that made her relent. She’d always enjoyed spending time with the other girls in the orphanage, searching for a sister she had never quite managed to find. Beyond that, with women as friends, she always knew that she was safe. With men, she always knew what they wanted.

“I brought ye somethin’,” Briana said after a few moments. She held out a wrapped package, which Elin cautiously took and opened.

“My dress!” she exclaimed, staring at the fabric in wonder. It was so thoroughly cleaned that it looked practically brand new, the color bright and the hems tidy. “You didnae need tae—that is tae say—”

“Keir told us about yer underskirt as well. I can fix that without an issue, dinnae fear,” Briana told her with a smile. “Ye’ll be much more comfortable in yer own clothes, I’m sure. I ken I was when I first joined the Blades.”

Questions burned in Elin’s mind. How did such a lovely and pleasant woman come to be surrounded by men like these? Yes, Graeme had proven himself funny and charismatic, and Noah seemed kind and well-reasoned. Theon, though reserved, had been nothing but courteous, and even Keir, though he infuriated her, showed a strange kind of kindness. But the difference was that Elin knew for sure that any one of these men wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if they had to. Their brotherhood mattered before all else. And, besides, she knew what they were and what they had done. Their pasts followed them.

As did hers.

Briana watched her. “Ye can ask if ye want.”

“Who are ye?” Elin burst out. “I dinnae… I mean, I cannae understand. Why would ye stay here willingly? Are ye really married tae the traitor’s heir?”

“Laird MacKenzie was nae traitor, and neither is Theon. Nor Keir, Graeme, or Noah for that matter,” Briana said. She paused. “But aye, we’re wed.”

Elin leaned forward. “What do ye mean nae traitor? Surely ye ken what they did. The way they betrayed the alliance.”

A sad smile flickered on Briana’s face. “This isnae me story tae tell, Elin. Ye should ask Keir some time. But aye, I ken the stories they tell about the so-called alliance. I grew up hearin’ them from me father, Laird Cameron.”

The world froze around them for a moment. Elin gasped, “Cameron? Ye’re—ye’re the Cameron daughter?”

“I was.”

Shaking her head, Elin said, “Ye cannae be. The Cameron lass is missin’. Everyone is sure she died. Iain told Eamon that himself the last time they…” she trailed off. She studied Briana. Now that she knew the truth, there was something familiar about that face. “Are ye really her?”

“I’m really me,” Briana replied. “And I’m exactly where I want tae be, Elin.” She reached out and took her hand, which, though surprising, was not unpleasant. “I’ve seen ye before too, I think. It was a few years ago. Have ye been Eamon Grant’s lover for that long? Or perhaps am I confused with one of the others?”

Elin stiffened and pulled her hand away. Her cheeks flushed red. “Dinnae talk about things ye dinnae understand,” she said sharply. “Ye may have been fooled enough tae betray yer father, but I will never do the same tae Eamon. I ken he loves me, and I ken he’ll come and find me before these criminals succeed in whatever plan they’ve come up with.”

Briana sighed and folded her hands in her own lap. She stared at the low cookfire for a few moments, then nodded to indicate a space behind Elin.

Almost unwillingly, Elin turned, and she was greeted by the sight of the four men, chatting and laughing with each other nearby. Graeme had his arm around Keir who, despite clearly expressing annoyance, was also grinning. Noah and Theon both laughed at whatever Graeme was saying. They looked… well, they looked like the kind of brothers that Elin had spent her life dreaming of.

It was nothing like what she was used to when she’d been around Eamon and his friends. Those men existed to each other in a whirlwind of bravado and competitiveness. Eamon’s friends often leered at Elin, or alternatively bragged about how their own lovers would do all sorts of unseemly acts simply for their approval, and Eamon laughed along and often joining in. It was a very different laughter than the familiar humor she heard now.

She shook her head sharply, pushing that thought away, guilt twinging in her stomach. How could she negatively compare the man she loved, the man who loved her, to these people in any way?

Eamon may not be as casually affectionate as these strange men, but he was good.

And loyal in his own way. And he would come for her.

He would never leave her with the kind of traitors who no doubt killed without a thought.

“Have ye ever thought that ye may have been misled?” Briana asked gently. “I ken ye have nae family. Did ye ever think maybe Eamon might have told ye only what he wanted ye tae believe about the MacKenzies, the alliance—all of it? Would ye nae rather try tae find out the truth for yerself? Ye’ve been given a chance that very few have.”

Elin bristled. She turned to face Briana and spoke with icy precision. “I ken exactly who the enemy is. Perhaps this was yer chance, Briana, but it isnae mine. I willnae be fooled by a handsome face or a gentle smile. When Eamon comes, if ye repent, he may be good enough tae take ye back tae yer father and brother. But if ye dinnae—I suggest ye hide. Because he’ll show nae mercy.”

With that, she stood and stormed off, leaving Briana and the four men behind her.

The wind blew heavy that night, the clouds covering the moon and rain slamming down on the landscape. Inside the hut Keir slept soundly on the bench nearby while Elin stayed wide awake, her eyes fixed on the window and the darkness outside. It must be at least midnight, if not even later, but she hadn’t had a wink of sleep.

She could not stop thinking about Briana’s words.

She tried to distract herself with images of Eamon, but every time she tried to remember his touch, it was replaced by a pair of rough, calloused hands stopping her from falling. Every time she tried to remember his voice, her memory echoed with someone else’s warm whisper. When she tried to remember his face, all she could see was a dark figure with impossibly blue eyes.