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Ainsly’s heart was filled with joy as she got dressed again and mounted her horse. Her body still swam with all kinds of pleasurable sensations. There was a sense of tranquility that overcame her whenever she was lost in Ian’s arms. It made her stomach churn because she knew that it was wrong; this was the man who had seized her keep and slain her people after all, but when she was alone with him, he seemed far from the warmonger that she had assumed him to be. He had plans for the clan, plans to make it into a haven and to increase its standing in the land. His vision was not entirely disagreeable, and the one thing that had swayed her was the talk of a family. It had not even crossed her mind, but when he mentioned it, something flared in her heart—something good.

They did not race back to the keep as they had raced to the lake. In fact, they left the lake somewhat reluctantly as it was a place where they could be together without suffering any of the pressure of the outside world. It was a place where they could just be Ian and Ainsly rather than the conquered laird and the invader. This conflict in her heart threatened to tear her apart, and she couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened had Ian come to her peacefully with these plans part of a marriage proposal. She knew that a rebellion was festering, and if it happened, all these plans would be for nothing. She wanted revenge for her people, but at the same time, it seemed that bloodshed would only lead to more bloodshed, and that thought terrified her.

When they returned to the keep, they alighted from their horses. Ian immediately came to her and clasped her hands.

“Taeday was wonderful. I hope it is the sign of things tae come.” He leaned down and planted a tender kiss on her lips. She tilted forward on her tiptoes, and her eyes closed as her heart fluttered inside. A warm glow filled her, but the guilt she felt from it was less than it had been. A smile even appeared on her face. He strode away for he had matters he had to attend to, leaving Ainsly alone to wander back to her chambers. On the way, she was accosted by Calum. His face was like thunder.

“And where hae ye been taeday?” he asked. The force of his words took her by surprise. She flinched and glared at him, putting her hands on her hips.

“I hae been riding the moors with Ian.”

“Oh aye, and a grand time ye haed, I’m sure.” Calum rolled his eyes.

“What is the meaning of yer tone?” Ainsly asked, wondering what had gotten into Calum.

“I dinnae like the way he is parading ye around. Tae look at ye, anyone would think that ye are actually falling in love with him! It’s nae good for the clan tae see ye act like that. Ye cannae expect others tae fight back if ye are gaeing tae give up.”

“I am nae giving up!” Ainsly shot back in a harsh whisper. They had to be careful of what they said in case anyone was listening, but they were in a narrow corridor surrounded by shadows.

“Good. I spoke with Seamus taeday. We haed another meeting tae make our final plans. We are gaeing tae move soon. We wilnae hae tae suffer under this brute for tae much longer. We’ll meet Seamus in the dead of night.”

“I cannae leave Ian then. He’ll be suspicious if I leave our bed,” Ainsly protested.

“Then think of an excuse. Would ye rather be in his bed than planning for yer freedom?” Calum asked. Ainsly couldn’t miss the accusing tone. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Fine. I’ll think of some way. I just dinnae like the idea of him coming tae search for me in the night and stumbling onto our plans. I dinnae know what haes gotten intae ye Calum, but I dinnae like yer tone.” She turned on her heels and marched away from him, not bothering to wait for a reply because she didn’t like his disrespectful tone, and also because her cheeks were burning. She certainly didn’t want suspicion to come upon her and Ian, but she also hated the idea of leaving the warmth of their bed.

When evening drew near, Ainsly turned to Ian. “Taenight, I need tae leave at midnight tae make prayers tae the gods,” she said.

Ian arched an eyebrow. “In the middle of the night?” he asked.

“Aye, when the moon is highest. My da always taught me that the moon was a kind goddess and that one of those stars up there is Ma. I know it probably is nae the case, but it’s something I hae always done. I will try nae tae wake ye. I wanted tae warn ye sae ye dinnae worry if ye reach over and I am nae there.”

“As long as ye are back in the morning. I like waking up tae ye,” he said. Ainsly smiled, and her heart skipped a beat. She hated that he was so sweet. Why couldn’t he be like he had been when he had first come into her life? At first, he was an arrogant brute who cared about nothing except his own pleasure. The more she had gotten to know him, the more she realized that wasn’t the whole story. Ian was a complicated man, and she didn’t even know if she had gotten to the heart of him yet. There still seemed more to discover.

She wondered if he knew she was hiding something from him as well. It was hard to look into his eyes when she knew she was plotting against him. Sometimes when they were locked in an embrace and he was gazing into her, it felt as though he was looking deep into her soul, as though he was peeling away all the secrets she had ever had and laying them bare. Never before had she felt this vulnerable, but if he saw shades of the rebellion, he didn’t say anything about it.

When they got into bed, Ian fell asleep almost immediately. His breathing was heavy, and soft snores slipped out of his mouth. Ainsly found it impossible to sleep for her soul was in torment. She pressed her body flat against the mattress and stared up at the ceiling, watching the flames dance upon it. The candle burned beside her, and she waited until it had burned down enough to signal the right time, then she pulled a shawl around her shoulders to protect herself from the chill of the night and made her way out of the keep, slipping away from her husband. During their first night together, there was nothing she wanted more than to get away from his bed, but now it felt wrong, and her hands trembled as she made her way outside.

She walked slowly and carefully, notifying the guards that she was going to pray to the gods. She walked to the forest. Calum and Seamus were already there.

“I thought ye were nae gaeing tae come,” Seamus said. His face glowed silver as the moonlight fell upon him.

“Of course I am,” Ainsly said. “I am still yer laird.” Her words were sharp as she reminded Seamus and Calum of their place. The two men straightened and then glanced at each other. She wondered if it had been a good idea to let them plot together without her. “We should speak quickly. The longer we are out here, the more suspicious it will be.”

“Seamus and I think it is better that we attack sooner rather than later,” Calum said.

“Aye, the longer we wait, the harder it is gaeing tae be. I think we should strike at night. We know the land better than they dae. It will give us an advantage, a slight one tae be sure, but we must take all we can get. It will help tae overcome their superior numbers,” Seamus said.

Ainsly was uneasy. She wasn’t sure how long she had thought this was going to take, but now that the attack seemed imminent, she was filled with hesitation and realized that she didn’t want it to go ahead. “What is the state of yer men? Are they healed from their wounds?”

Seamus shrugged. “About as well as they can be. Some of them might be able tae dae with a few more days, but they’re itching tae take back the keep. We’re all ready.”

“There is naething stopping us,” Calum said. “We can put the plans into motion and take back our keep. We can make yer father proud again, and we can drive this brute from yer chambers.” He clenched his hand into a fist. Ainsly swallowed a lump in her throat. She wasn’t yet ready to say goodbye to Ian yet, and now her misgivings about this rebellion were growing.

“I think we should hold off on the attack and wait for yer men tae heal properly,” Ainsly said.