Page 8 of Scot of Seduction

Without thinking, she raised a hand toward the door. She trailed her fingers down the wooden frame, not thinking of why she did it, but only thinking of the warm sensation stirring in her gut at Tad’s words.

“Speaking of which…” Evander began, then paused, his footsteps echoing across the room. She had this impression that he was walking to Tad. “I love ye like a braither, Tad, but if ye so much as lay a hand on Catreena as ye would any other woman in this world –”

“I would never dae that. Ever,” Tad cut in fast.

Catreena’s hand dropped away from the door as if her fingers had been scolded.

“Ye think I would?” Tad said, his voice turning quiet. “Ye think I would treat her like that?”

“Come off it,” Dunn said with a more jovial tone. “Tad, ye have chased every woman ye have ever seen in a gown. Ye could knock me down with a feather if ye declared ye had never once considered Catreena in such a light.”

“This is different.” His voice grew harsh again. “I have kenned her ever since she was born, watched her grow up. She is like a sister tae me. Dinnae look at me like that, Evander.”

“Oh, I’ll look at ye any way I like.”

“I ken what ye are thinking. Ye think that us being alone together may change things. It willnae.” The harsh voice made Catreena take a step back from the closed door. “I wouldnae touch her, ever, because nae only would it be a betrayal tae her, it would be a betrayal tae all of ye.”

“Hmm.” Dunn’s rather enigmatic noise made the room fall quiet.

In that stillness, Catreena backed away from the room a little further. The tone of disgust and outrage that Tad was displaying now made her gut curdle. She felt quite nauseous and raised her hands over her stomach, clamping her fingers together.

Why daes it hurt? Why dae his words even affect me?

“Ye are protective of her,” Dunn said quietly after a minute of stillness. “We have seen that, only last night.”

“As any family member would protect another.” Tad’s voice was like a low-simmering fire in its intent now. “I’d sooner cut off me own hand than seduce yer sister.”

“Bear that in mind,” Evander added coolly. “If ye dae touch her at any point, I’ll cut off that hand meself.”

“Understood,” Tad said quickly. “I would never look at little Catreena in that light. I’ve watched her grow up, and besides, she’s almost young enough tae be me daughter.”

Enough.

Catreena backed away from the door so fast that she was in danger of tripping on the flagstone floor. She turned and fled up the hallways as fast as she could, startled by the fresh anger welling up within her, though this rage had little to do with her orders to go with Tad to his castle now. It had everything to do with the fact that he would never consider her in such a way.

She was too young, a mere child compared to him, too immature by half.

I should be glad, relieved…

Yet the hotness of feeling did not dispel. She ran all the way to her chamber, where she found her maid already packing her bag for her. In the room was also Sophia, putting together a small bag with vials of herbs and medicines to take with her.

“Ah, they told ye then,” Sophia said with a pained expression, brushing back her curly auburn hair as she glimpsed Catreena’s face. “I told yer braithers ye’d be furious.”

“Ye all kenned I would be.” Catreena marched forward, intent on helping them pack, though she did not reveal the fact that her feelings had just as much to do with Tad’s words as it had her brother’s actions.

“All will be well,” Sophia murmured soothingly, laying her hand over Catreena’s after some minutes of packing. “Ye will be safer there, even if it isnae a pleasant place tae be.”

“I ken.” Catreena managed to surprise herself with the words. She understood why her brothers were insisting upon it. When so little was known about what Cillian Grant intended to do and why his soldiers kept breaking into their land, removing her from the situation was a sound and reasoned decision.

It was just that her heart did not understand reason at all just then.

“I’ll be fine.” She brushed back the loose locks of her blonde hair and flashed a smile that she hoped showed more confidence than she felt. “I daresay despite me dislike for Laird Tad MacBean, I shall live tae tell the tale.”

Tad’s eyes looked warily at the dark clouds ahead. Between the mountains that rose and fell before him like crests of a rapid ocean, there were billowing masses, some rolling in their direction, others already blurred, clearly pouring their tears upon the ground.

It is nae good. The storm is coming.

As if in answer to his thoughts, lightning flashed in the distance, basking one mountain in striking one light, then fading. Thunder rumbled so much in its aftermath that every horse in his party halted.