Chapter 7
7
T he morning light streamed through the castle windows as Lilith sat with Ariah in the solarium, the faint scent of lavender and mint drifting through the air. The week had gone by in a blur of unanswered and unasked questions, the more prominent one being, Where is he?
Ariah, ever the picture of blatant curiosity, leaned closer with a sly smile.
“So,” she began, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Did ye and the Laird…” she trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air.
Lilith blinked, setting down the embroidery she had been pretending to work on. “Did we what?”
“Ye ken,” Ariah whispered, her tone conspiratorial. “Consummate the marriage?”
Lilith nearly choked on her breath, her cheeks reddening. “Ariah!”
“What?” Ariah laughed, unabashed. “It’s a fair question. Ye are married now. Surely something must have happened. Surely yer husband has stirred something within ye?”
Lilith groaned, leaning back in her chair. “The only thing Damon has managed to stir within me is frustration. Endless frustration.”
Ariah raised an eyebrow. “Och? That doesnae sound like nothing. How delicious, indeed!”
“It’s nae what ye think,” Lilith huffed. “He’s insufferable. Brooding, secretive, and utterly maddening.”
“Buildin’ anticipation is quite a lovely thing, though. I look forward to hearing all about it when that bubble… bursts, so to speak,” Ariah said with a giggle.
“Ariah!” Lilith squealed and tossed a throw pillow at her friend playfully before they burst into fits of laughter.
“Wait! Were ye there during the attack? I was told that they came into his chambers, and he fought them naked .”
“He most certainly did nay such thing. Be realistic.”
“Well, were ye in there?”
“I wasnae in his chambers when the attack happened. I was in me chambers, asleep.”
Ariah’s disappointment was suddenly interrupted as the doors swung open and Sebastian strode in with little help from the cane that he carried pretentiously. His sharp features were softened by a polite smile as he approached them.
“Ladies,” he greeted with a slight bow. “I hope I’m nae interruptin’.”
“Nae at all, Faither.” Ariah gestured for him to join them. “What brings ye here?”
“I wanted to discuss some details about yer wedding preparations, Daughter. Lady McCallum is more than welcome to join us, as I’m sure ye will have her be part of it,” Sebastian said, his attention momentarily on Ariah before he glanced at Lilith.
“I’d love to join the conversation!” Lilith gushed. “But I just need to check in with Finley about me husband.”
“I’ve just come from a meeting with the Laird. He is goin’ out for a ride with Tristan Gunn, Me Lady.”
Tristan was a member of the council who recently announced his engagement to Ariah, and wedding preparations were in full swing. It was not lost on Lilith the smile spreading across Ariah’s face, and she couldn’t help but feel the excitement, too. Her friend’s joy and obvious adoration for her intended warmed her—a welcome distraction from the direction the conversation was headed.
But first things first…
“I see.” She exhaled in relief before continuing. “And how did the meeting go?”
“The new Laird may be rough around the edges, but he carries the weight of leadership heavily. He’s already had to make some very difficult decisions.”
“Decisions?”
“Aye.”
What decisions has he made for this clan that I dinnae ken about? It’s only been two days…
“Tell me,” Lilith demanded, trying to coax more information out of Sebastian than she had gotten from Damon last night.
Sebastian stilled, his expression unreadable. “Me Lady, I dinnae dare to assume that I ken more than ye about the decisions bein’ made for the clan.”
“What did ye discuss this morning, then?”
“Only an update on the attack, Me Lady. Nothin’ else.”
“Did his anger get the best of him?”
“He is passionate about the safety and unity of the clan. It’s respectable to be angered by the attack, especially with ye as a main concern.”
“What has he done, Sebastian?” Lilith asked, growing impatient.
“He was very firm with his demands?—”
“He threatened ye?” she asked.
“I wouldnae say that much, Me Lady. I?—”
“Nay, please dinnae beat around the bush.”
“Aye, Me Lady. Laird McCallum made it clear that if we didnae bring him answers, there would be consequences.”
Ariah’s eyes darted between them, wide with intrigue, but she wisely stayed silent.
Sebastian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Lilith, me dear, ye just dinnae understand. That night, an attempt was made on his life, in his chambers, on yer wedding night. Someone wants him dead, and maybe ye as well. What would ye have him do? Stand idle?”
What! I was supposed to be in his chambers that night. Were they after me too?
Lilith’s chest tightened, her anger warring with shock. “An assassin in his chambers? An attempt on his life? And nay one thought to tell me?”
“It wasnae me place,” Sebastian said. “But ken this—the Laird is tryin’ to protect ye, all of ye. Us. Even if it means makin’ enemies along the way.”
He’s supposed to be bringin’ the clan together, nae makin’ enemies!
Lilith clenched her fists, her mind racing. “What decisions has he made?”
Before Sebastian could reply, Ariah’s voice rang out.
“Ugh! Can we talk about me now? Christ!” she whined, breaking the tension in the room.
They all smiled and gathered around the table to discuss the upcoming nuptials.
An assassin. Threatenin’ the council. Makin’ enemies. I have so many questions for him tonight.
That evening, Lilith paced the corridor, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. The audacity of Damon—to make decisions that affected her and their people without so much as consulting her. She needed answers.
She, with Finley in tow, bounded down to his study, but when she walked into the room, she found it empty. The next stop was his chambers, where he was again nowhere to be found.
It is our second night! Why have I nae been told where to meet him? This is absurd!
Her patience snapped, and she let out a frustrated sigh, storming back toward her chambers. But when she entered her chambers and found him there, her anger only increased.
There he was, casually leaning against the mantelpiece, holding her flower press book. The sight of his large hands handling the delicate pages sent a flare of irritation through her.
“What are ye doin’?” she demanded, closing the door behind her with more force than necessary.
Damon turned, a smirk playing on his lips. “Waitin’ for ye, wife. Ye have been avoidin’ me all day.”
Lilith stalked toward him, snatching the book from his hands. “I wasnae avoidin’ ye. I was busy. And that doesnae answer me question.”
He held up a small, vibrant bloom, its petals a striking shade of pink. “I had this found for ye. Thought it might suit yer collection.”
Lilith stared at the flower, her heart betraying her annoyance with a slight flutter.
So thoughtful, but quite… disingenuous, is it nae? He had it found for me?
She wouldn’t let him off that easily.
“I appreciate the gesture,” she said coolly, refusing to take it. “But I prefer to find them meself.”
Damon’s smirk widened as if he found her resistance amusing. “Of course ye do.”
Her temper flared. “Ye think this is funny? There was an attempt on yer life, in yer chambers , on our wedding night, and instead of tellin’ me, ye decide to skulk around, makin’ threats and keepin’ secrets. Again!”
His expression darkened, the mirth in it evaporating. “I did what was necessary to keep this clan safe. And ye.”
“Dinnae ye dare use me as an excuse for yer recklessness,” she snapped.
Damon took a step closer, his presence overwhelming in the small space. “Recklessness? Ye think I enjoy playin’ the tyrant? Everything I’ve done has been for this clan—for our stability.”
Lilith refused to back down, even as her pulse quickened. “And yet ye cannae trust me enough to tell me the truth.”
Their gazes locked, the tension between them crackling like a storm.
“Ye want the truth?” Damon growled, his voice low and dangerous. “The truth is, I’ve spent every moment since we wed wonderin’ if ye’ll ever see me as more than the brute who took Magnus’s place.”
Lilith’s breath hitched, his words cutting deeper than she had expected. “And whose fault is that? Ye keep me at arm’s length, treat me like a stranger in me own home. This is me home, Damon! Mine! ”
He stepped closer, so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. “Maybe I’ve been tryin’ to protect ye from the monsters ye cannae even imagine exist, but I ken them all too well.”
Her anger boiled over. “I dinnae need yer protection, Damon. I need a partner.”
“I didnae vow to be yer partner. I vowed to protect ye, honor ye, and respect ye. Or did ye forget already?”
“ And be me husband. When were ye goin’ to tell me about the assassin?”
“Tonight. It is our second night, is it nae? Unless ye didnae wish?—”
“I didnae say that!”
Infuriating as he was, she had questions she needed him to answer, but when she looked around, she didn’t see another bottle of whiskey.
“Where is the whiskey?” she asked.
The smirk that tugged at his lips did little to cool her irritation. “Nay whiskey tonight, wife.”
“Well, what’s this then?” she asked, hands on her hips.
Damon reached for the book and winced as the movement pulled at the wound in his shoulder.
Immediately, Lilith’s hands were on his arm, and she knelt beside him. “Do ye need?—”
“Nay, I’m fine,” he said quickly through gritted teeth as the pain throbbed down his arm.
“Dinnae lie to me! Should I call for the?—”
“I’ve never lied to ye, and I will never lie to ye. Now, quit yer fashin’. I’m fine, lass.” He put his hand over hers to soothe her nerves.
The words hung in the air, heavy and raw. For a moment, neither of them moved, their breaths mingling in the charged space between them.
Then, Damon’s eyes dropped to the book in her hand before his gaze climbed back up her body, lingering on her lips, then back to her eyes.
Before she could say anything, he reached out, his hand brushing her cheek with surprising tenderness.
“Ye infuriate me, woman,” he murmured, his voice rough.
“And ye drive me mad,” Lilith shot back, though her voice had softened.
Without warning, his lips crashed against hers, fierce and demanding. The kiss was a battle of wills, their anger and passion colliding in a fiery explosion. Lilith’s hands found their way to his chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she gave as good as she got.
Damon’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against him, his grip possessive. Her curves melted into him, and the world outside ceased to exist. There was only the two of them, their shared fury transforming into something deeper, more primal.
Lilith’s mind spun, her anger melting into a haze of desire. She had never felt anything like this—so consuming, so overwhelming. Damon’s hand pressed against her chest while his other hand worked to pull her skirts up.
She couldn’t think—she just knew she wanted more. More pressure, more of his kiss, more…
Her fingers touched the buttons of his tunic almost manically. Within seconds, Damon had scooped her up into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist possessively, and for the first time, she felt his rock-hard length press deliciously against her slick core.
But just as the kiss deepened, Damon’s shirt almost fully unbuttoned and Lilith ready to ask him to take her to bed, a sharp knock sounded at the door, shattering the moment.
“Me Laird!” Finley’s urgent voice called out from the hallway. He knocked again. “Me Laird! Apologies, please?—”
Damon pulled back, his breathing ragged, his forehead resting against hers but his grip on her tight, holding her in place.
“What is it?” he barked, his frustration evident.
“There’s been another attack, Me Laird—this time at Branloch. We can see the smoke from here.”
Lilith’s heart sank, the urgency in Finley’s voice pulling her back to reality.
Damon’s jaw tightened as he slowly set her down and stepped away, his expression hardening into that of the Laird once more.
“Stay here,” he ordered, his tone brooking no argument.
Lilith straightened, her resolve hardening. “Like hell I will.”
Their eyes met, and despite the dire circumstances, a flicker of amusement crossed Damon’s face.
“Of course ye wouldnae,” he muttered, grabbing his sword. “Then stay close, wife.”
With that, he was out the door, Lilith hot on his heels.