Highlander's Beautiful Liar A Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Historical Novel - Adamina Young Page 0,8

to feed the clan, let alone you. I’ll send word if I have need for you.”

Innes opened his mouth to protest, but Alec was already walking away. Pulling Stephen aside, he cast another glance Innes’s way. The man looked absolutely furious.

“Escort the Campbells off the land,” he said in a low voice. “I’m not willing to start a war with them, but they are not welcome to return unannounced. There is something fishy going on here, and I intend to get to the bottom of it.”

“Aye, Laird,” Stephen said as he flashed a grin. “It sounds good to call ye that.”

Alec nodded and clapped his friend on the back. “I cannae lie. It sounds good to hear it.”

Everyone dispersed, and he took a moment to glance around the keep. He’d never thought that it was possible, but here he was, laird of a clan. It wouldn’t be like ruling the Sinclairs. It would be a rough road, but Alec was up to the challenge. If nothing else, he wanted to prove himself worthy to the King.

Worthy to his brother.

And worthy to himself.

A few hours later, Alec met his brother at the storage buildings. It looked as though Seth had taken the majority of the crops and game of the keep. There was more than enough to keep them fed, so they had a normal dinner and divided the rest of the food among the clan. If the MacKays were grateful, they certainly didn’t say anything. Finally, everyone retired to their chambers.

Too amped to sleep, Alec roamed the halls. His thoughts kept returning to the beautiful prisoner, and he told himself that he was well within his rights to visit her. He’d exchanged the guard for another and nodded to him as he knocked on the door. When there was no answer, he eased it open.

“Claire?” he asked softly. “’Tis Alec.”

There was a single candle lit, and she was curled up in the corner of the mattress. His entry hadn’t awoken her, and he took a moment to look her over.

She was such a small thing. Alec couldn’t imagine her lasting a day in the prisons, let alone months. Just how had an Englishwoman made her way into the Highlands, and what the hell had she come to steal? This wasn’t like the streets of London. She couldn’t pickpocket her way for a living, so if they were calling her a thief, it only made sense that she was after something in particular. Seth MacKay had plenty of valuables in the keep, but he couldn’t imagine any of them would gain her attention.

Suddenly, she jerked and cried out. Even in her sleep, he could see the fear on her face. She was in the throes of a nightmare, another remnant left over from Seth MacKay. He feared that if he woke her, she would be even more frightened to see him standing over her, but he would not leave her like this. Instead, he gently set a hand on her shoulder. “‘Tis all right, lass. Seth cannae hurt ye anymore. Sleep, Claire. Sleep.”

At the sound of his voice, she stopped thrashing, but she didn’t wake. Slowly, he removed his hand and settled in a chair by the bed to watch her and make sure she slept peacefully.

“What’s yer story?” he asked her softly.

Although he knew it wasn’t right, he ached to join her in bed. He wanted to cup the swell of her breast and run his thumb over the fabric covering her nipple. He wanted to nuzzle her neck until she moaned and offered him her mouth. He wanted to taste her, to see if she was as sweet as she looked.

Growling softly, he backed away from the room. What the hell was he thinking? He couldn’t be fantasizing. He had an uphill battle in front of him, and he certainly couldn’t afford to obsess about a woman he didn’t even know. Bloody hell!

Safely outside the hall, he closed the door and swept a hand through his hair. Clearly, roaming the halls was dangerous. He needed to go to bed. Alone.

Connor left the next morning and took the majority of the men with him. Left with a couple dozen Sinclair warriors, he started the process of retraining the men.

“Seth MacKay had enemies,” he roared to the men on the field. “That does not go away simply because I’m in charge. They may see this moment as a weakness, and we need to be ready. Divide yerselves in groups of four