Chapter 9
“What does that mean?” Thalia asked, eyeing him with suspicion.
He had that teasing glint in his eyes again, the same one he had when they were both in the study alone together. When he had almost—
“It means that for the next year and a day, as long as our betrothal lasts, ye’re mine.” Finlay smirked.
“Fake betrothal,” she corrected him.
“Fake betrothal, with a very real bride.” He stepped closer to her, and heat filled her body.
She scoffed. “Ye’re just teasin’ me again. I daenae like it.”
“Nay, I’m bein’ serious,” he said, stepping forward again. “Ye belong to me now, lassie. Ye should have been more careful when ye walked into the Wolf’s den.”
Thalia stood her ground, glaring up at him. She was sure now that he was just teasing her again, and she wasn’t going to put up with it. Especially not with the way he was talking to her now. Fake betrothal or not, she wouldn’t put up with that from anyone.
“Careful, Finlay. Remember what I did to me previous betrothed,” she hissed.
He raised his eyebrows. “Are ye threatenin’ me?”
“Nay, I’m givin’ ye a fair warning.” She jabbed her finger into his chest and was surprised to find it was nothing but a solid wall of muscle. She swallowed. “Ye willnae do anythin’ to me that I daenae want.”
“Ye think ye really have a say in that?” he scoffed.
“Aye. Because I ken ye, Finlay.”
“What makes ye think ye ken me that well, lass?”
“And what makes ye think I’d manage to run from one trap only to walk straight into another?” she shot back.
He gripped her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. She stumbled, catching herself against his chest. He was large enough that he could overpower her easily. While that thought did scare her with most men, it didn’t scare her now.
“Because, me dear, the other Laird could never offer ye what I can.” His voice was low when he said it.
It reminded Thalia of the way he had spoken in the gardens of MacCabe Castle two years ago. It sent a shiver of excitement down her spine.
“And what is that, besides protection, of course?” she asked with interest.
“I can tame ye,” he whispered, tightening his grip on her.
“Tame me?” She tried for a laugh, but it sounded false even to her own ears. His body was hot against hers, and she was having a hard time fighting the urge to lean into him.
“Aye.”
“I’m nae an animal.”
“Nay, ye’re nae,” he agreed. “Ye’re a strong-willed lass who thinks she needs to take on the entire world by herself. Daenae ye think it’d be nice to let someone else do that for ye for a change?”
“I…” She searched his face. He did not seem to be teasing her anymore. Instead, he looked as serious as she had ever seen him. “What makes ye think that’s what I want?”
“It’s what all women want.”
“Ye ken what all women want?”
“Aye. I’ve been with enough to have an idea.”
The reminder made her scowl. “Well, maybe I’ll be the one to tame ye instead.”
He chuckled. “I’d like to see ye try, lass. But I ken I could make ye break first.”
The certainty made her breath catch in her throat.
“How can ye be so sure?”
He brushed his knuckles down her cheek, the action making her heart pound against her ribs. She was sure he could feel her pulse against her skin, sure he could hear the drumming in her veins.
“Just a hunch.” He smirked, clearly pleased with her reaction. “Ye’ll find there’s pleasure in surrender, lass.”
His hand settled against her clavicle, fingers splaying over the exposed skin.
She swallowed. Maybe there was some truth in his words. She thought about his hands, as large as her face, grabbing her, touching her. His large arms, with muscles as big as tree trunks, enveloping her and pulling her closer.
Heat rushed up her neck to her face. This was exactly how he had managed to seduce all of those women before, and here she was following in their footsteps. Would it really be so bad if she just let herself give in?
Aye! It would!
The thought jolted her out of her daze, and she pushed him back again. She immediately missed the heat of his hand against her, but she tried to ignore the feeling.
“Well, ye can surrender all ye want, I willnae be doin’ anythin’ of the sort,” she insisted, but she was still out of breath.
He laughed, and she was glad to see him behaving more like the teasing scoundrel she knew rather than the Highland Wolf.
“We’ll see about that.” He winked.
She glared at him. “Are ye goin’ to spend the entire year teasin’ me?”
“I might,” he admitted, and she huffed again. “I wouldnae do it if it wasnae so much fun.”
“Well, at least one of us is enjoyin’ themselves,” she said. “Since ye seem to be in better spirits, I’ll be headin’ back into the castle.”
“Wait.”
She stopped and saw that his expression had softened, no longer teasing or flirting. “What is it?” she asked.
“If ye really want to make up for all the trouble ye’ve caused me, there is somethin’ ye can help me with,” he admitted. “With Daisy.”
“What about her?”
“Ye were right earlier. About her bein’ sad and lonely. In truth, the happiest I’ve ever seen her was when I saw ye going out to the gardens this mornin’.”
“Oh.”
The thought pleased her. She enjoyed her time with Daisy, and it was nice to know that the feeling was mutual.
“I feel like nay matter what I do, I only make it worse. I cannae seem to help her.” He frowned.
Thalia sighed. “I’ll do what I can. This is somethin’ I’d be happy to help ye with.”
“Thank ye.”
“But ye can forget all of that nonsense about pleasure.” She gave him a small smirk of her own. “I’m still a lady.”
Finlay grunted, murmuring almost to himself. “Aye, like that’s the only thing stopping us.”
He turned back to his mount before she could ask what he meant. Hoisting himself up into the saddle, he did not look at her again as he rode out the gate.
She watched him go until he disappeared. Only then did she finally move from her spot and go back inside the castle.
Her uncle, Laird MacGibbon, Caden, and Ava had all gathered again in the foyer of MacAinsley Castle, and they turned to her as she entered through the door.
“Where’s Finlay?” Caden asked.
“He went for a ride,” Thalia said. “He needed to get some air.”
Caden nodded, before he and Ava exchanged a look.
“I suppose congratulations are in order,” Harrison said.
It was the first thing he had said to her since she arrived, and hearing his slimy, serpentine voice again was enough to make her blood run cold.
“Aye,” Thalia said, forcing her voice to remain steady. “I’m very happy.”
“Happy?” Archibald cackled. “Ye think this man is goin’ to make ye happy?”
“There are worse men I could choose,” Thalia argued, refusing to look at Harrison as she said it.
Archibald walked over to her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. “I daenae understand ye, niece. But for all our sakes, ye had better really marry Laird MacAinsley. Because if ye daenae, war will break out.”
Thalia paled, and her stomach churned unpleasantly.
“Aye, Uncle,” she said.
Ava cleared her throat. “I think me sister has had a long day. Thalia? Shall I take ye up to yer room?”
Thalia nodded, grateful for her sister’s quick thinking.
The two women went up the stairs in silence, leaving the men behind. Ava placed her hand comfortingly on the small of Thalia’s back, rubbing small circles like their mother used to do when they were small.
As soon as they stepped into the room, Thalia collapsed into a heap on the bed. “All right. Go ahead. Let me have it,” she groaned.
Ava pursed her lips. “Nay.”
“Nay?” Thalia jerked her head up. “What do ye mean, nay?”
Ava sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her into a hug. “I daenae think that is what ye need right now,” she whispered.
Thalia relaxed into the hug, letting all of the stress and worry roll off her. “Finlay agreed to a fake betrothal. Just for a year.”
“Aye, I figured it was somethin’ like that,” Ava said.
“Ye daenae think I’ve made a huge mistake?”
“Nay.”
So much had happened over the past week, and Thalia felt the weight of it all threatening to crush her. The only thing that was keeping her safe and preventing a war was a potential marriage to Finlay. A man who confused her and made her feel things she had never felt before.
She took a deep, shaking breath as a lump formed in her throat.
Ava pulled back, noticing the switch instantly. “Are you all right?” she asked.
Thalia sniffed as her eyes filled with tears. “I’m scared, Ava.”
“I ken.”
Ava tilted up her sister’s face gently, brushing the escaped tears away with her thumb. She stretched out across the bed, and Thalia lay down next to her, curling into her side.
She felt like a child again, seeking comfort from her older sister after getting into trouble. Except this time, there was no easy fix. She would just have to accept her mistakes and live with what came next.
“I daenae think ye did anything wrong,” Ava said quietly. “I think ye’ve been very brave, and I’m proud of ye.”
Thalia sniffed again. “Ye are?”
“Aye. I’m happy that ye’re fightin’ so hard for yer freedom. I want ye to have yer own life, yer own happiness. And I ken ye willnae find that with Laird MacGibbon.”
“Nay,” Thalia agreed. “He isnae right for me.”
“I daenae ken why he is so angry with ye,” Ava said. “I mean, I understand being embarrassed about yer bride runnin’ away, but to chase ye down like this and declare war? He’s got a nasty temper on him.”
“Well…” Thalia squirmed. “I did… sort of… attack him before I ran off.”
Ava sat up. “What?”
“When I first tried to run, he grabbed me. He said I had better behave meself, and threatened me. So I…” Thalia scrunched up her nose in embarrassment. “I bit him and then kicked him between his legs.”
Ava stared at her for a moment.
Thalia waited for the anger, the lecture, the reprimand. Instead, Ava laughed. A loud, full belly laugh that had her gasping for breath and clutching at her sides.
It was contagious, and Thalia found herself laughing too. They held onto each other tightly until tears were streaming down their cheeks.
Once their laughter had finally subsided into giggles, Ava wiped at the wetness on her face.
“That wasnae in the letter the messenger gave me!” she cried. “I cannae believe ye did that.”
“It was stupid and reckless,” Thalia conceded.
“Aye, but I would have loved to see the look on his face when ye did that.” Ava smirked.
Thalia giggled again. “I’ll probably never do anything like that ever again. But it did feel really good.”
“I’ll make sure ye’re never in a position where ye have to do that again,” Ava promised, pressing a kiss to her hairline. “As much as I hate to admit it, ye could do a lot worse than Finlay. He’s a good man at the end of the day.”
“Do ye think he’ll keep up his end of the agreement?” Thalia asked.
“Aye. He will.” Ava nodded. “But let me ken if he tries anythin’ funny with ye, and I will take a page out of yer book.”
Thalia blushed, thinking of the teasing and the almost kiss. “Nay. That… shouldnae be a problem.”