frequently out of control where Anna was concerned. He knew she did nothing wrong. When Bran surprised her, she took control of the situation. She made no more contact than necessary, nor did she linger on the ground, rising immediately after he yielded.
The jealous rage which possessed him cared naught, hitting him swiftly and completely unexpected. What madness bewitched him to treat the woman he loved in such a way? He’d called her a common whore in front of the men and the village when the previous night he’d asked her to trust him. The anger in her eyes was something he hadn’t seen since her capture. He knew better than to approach her now—it would only make matters worse. She needed time to cool off and so did he.
If he did not wrestle his jealousy under control, he knew he risked losing her—if he hadn’t already. Her grandda had made clear his offer to take her south to Elliot lands on the border. Fear of her leaving clawed at his gut, and he dropped to his haunches, head in hands. The pull of clan and family presented a very real threat.
If she chose to leave, he’d have no one to blame but himself. He knew he could never allow that to happen and would have no choice but to follow until he convinced her to come back to him. But what would she come back to? A husband so jealous she would never earn his trust? What woman would willingly choose such a fate?
Chapter 24
For Anna, the loch had become a place of solace, somewhere to think. Staring into the blue-green waters usually brought a feeling of peace, but today was different. She couldn’t get Duncan’s reaction and words out of her mind. What had she done to earn his mistrust, his anger? He knew she would not dishonor him. He’d witnessed two warriors honing their skills, the way iron sharpens iron—nothing more.
How can I give myself to a man who thinks so little of me? A man who would say such a foul thing to me in public, in front of the men I train? She tried to view from his perspective, imagine a situation where she would discover him on the ground with another woman, but couldn’t conjure a fair comparison. Her mind could not imagine him thus.
Surely they could come to some sort of compromise. Shite! I do not want a compromise! Hurt and anger bubbled at his reaction, at his lack of trust. Perhaps he would walk away from her sooner than she suspected, disgusted with her lack of delicate feminine skills.
Trean’s low growl broke into her musings. She followed his intent gaze to see a dozen men emerge from the trees. A glance at Orion told her she stood no chance of reaching him before she was surrounded. One man leveled a crossbow at her head. A snarled curse rolled beneath her breath as she recognized two men from Alain’s group. The others she’d never seen before.
Shite!
“Look what we ’ave ’ere, lads. An’ all alone. MacGregor ne’er has known ’ow to protect what’s ’is. Come easy, lass, and we can do this without bloodshed.”
Reaching for swords not there, Anna slowly dropped her arms in feigned resignation. As she did, the man with the crossbow cautiously approached, a length of rope in his hands. She swiftly drew the dagger from her boot in one hand, and her sgian dubh from her sleeve in the other. She slashed him across the throat before he could react, pushing his dying body back to prepare for the next attack.
The men scrambled back in an uproar. “The cat has claws!”
Trean drew his lips back, bared his teeth, and launched himself at the closest foe. The man swung his sword and the wolf pup fell hard with a yelp. Anna took a step toward him, but another man picked up the crossbow, threatening her. Dropping to the ground in a forward roll, Anna popped up in front of him. She knocked the crossbow away, then drove both daggers into his neck. Two down, ten left—hopeless odds, she knew. But more would die before she went quietly. Two in front of her drew swords, their faces murderous as they glanced at their fallen comrades. A blur of movement to her side drew her attention. Before she could react, a blow to her head ended her resistance.
Duncan spotted Orion’s empty stall and knew Anna’s destination. He waited at the stables