doubt she had not expected that truth to be revealed. The anxious glance she slid toward Talorc said as much as well.
The laird frowned, some of his fury leaking through to scent the air around them as his demeanor lost a bit of its patient calm. “Is this true?”
Ciara bit her lip, clearly deciding whether or not to tell the truth. How interesting that she even considering lying to her pack alpha, much less laird. Did she think she could get away with it? Could she mask more than her scent?
Finally, she nodded. “It’s peaceful. Quiet.”
“Ciara.” The exasperation in Talorc’s voice was laced with weariness. “I’m going to have to tell Abigail. She will wring her hands with worry. She will cry.”
The laird made it sound like such an eventuality was the worst possible outcome.
From Ciara’s expression, she agreed with that assessment. “No, please. You cannot tell her. She already worries too much.”
“She loves you.”
Ciara shook her head. And like before, Eirik got the distinct impression she wasn’t arguing her laird’s words, but trying to negate their impact.
“Please, laird.”
“Promise me you will not do it again and I won’t tell her. I’ll know the problem is no longer there for her to worry about.”
Eirik wondered how Talorc intended to keep anyone else from telling his wife and then realized, he probably had no intention of doing so. In fact, he was probably counting on someone letting the information slip.
“I promise.”
“What do you promise?” Eirik asked, when Talorc did not press for clarification.
Again, Ciara glared at him.
He simply stared back, waiting for her answer.
The Sinclair gave Eirik a look of respect and then turned one of expectation on Ciara.
She frowned, but then said, “Not to climb up on top of the west tower again.”
Talorc smiled and nodded, looking pleased.
Eirik simply shook his head. It was clear that while Talorc was a smart man when dealing with his strong-headed females, he had not lived his life with a sister like Sabrine.
Eirik commanded, “Promise you won’t go on top of the other towers, either.”
“Who are you to dictate to me?” Ciara demanded, her voice husky with anger.
It went straight to his groin and he was so damn surprised, he nearly answered. He was no virgin, but never before had a female affected him so strongly that she could elicit arousal on the sound of her voice alone.
And to be excited by this woman who had called him murderer? ’Twas completely unacceptable.
And yet he’d barely bitten back the words proclaiming himself prince of his people and worthy of demanding anything he wanted of her, when Talorc spoke. “I’m sure you meant your promise to include all the towers, Ciara, but it will do us both good to hear you say so. For Abigail’s sake, of course.”
Ciara turned her glare on her adopted father and his eyes flared briefly in surprise, and then a smile came over his features that Eirik could not understand the reason for.
“Of course,” Ciara grumbled. “I promise not to climb up on any of the towers.”
Niall chuckled and when Ciara turned her frown on him, it turned into a full guffaw. “I think I’m going to like having Eirik in our clan,” the laird’s second-in-command said.
Ciara did not look like she agreed. Not one little bit, but then that was no surprise. Was it?
She blamed him for not only her treacherous brother’s death, but that of her mother as well.
Ciara moved her goblet of ale a bit to the left and then back to its original place beside her bowl. A gentle feminine hand rested on her arm and Ciara stilled, looking up.
Abigail frowned thoughtfully, her light brown eyes darkened by worry. “Are you all right?”
“Of course.” Though Ciara wasn’t. She hadn’t been since the dragon showed up to join their clan.
Not only did he cause excitations in her body that she was unused to experiencing, but she was worried about his future plans as a member of the clan.
He and Laird Talorc seemed to be great friends, but Ciara could not banish her fears Eirik would try to wrest power over the clan from her laird. He was a dragon after all, much more powerful than a wolf—even one of Laird Talorc’s superiority.
In the sennight since his people had joined the clan, Eirik seemed to play an increasingly important role in the running of things. And Laird Talorc, in his arrogance, showed not the least sign of worry at this event.
Even Guaire consulted Eirik before going to his laird