Tempted by the Highland Warrior by Michelle Willingham Read Free Book Online Page A

‘Leave them,’ he said, stretching. ‘She calms him.’
    ‘Did he hurt you?’ Alex asked Lady Marguerite. She shook her
head, her face turning dark red.
    ‘I should go,’ she murmured. ‘I never meant to fall asleep.’
Embarrassed, she fled the room.
    Callum stared at his brothers, needing to tell them what he’d
seen. He pointed toward the window, trying to signal to them, but they didn’t
understand.
    He saw in their eyes that they believed he’d gone mad, as if he
weren’t aware of what was going on.
    ‘Did he sleep at all last night?’ Alex asked Bram.
    ‘He kept waking up, but Marguerite stopped him from lashing
out.’
    ‘We should keep her close, then, if she’s able to get through
to him.’
    Callum’s temper exploded. He moved between the men, grabbing
each of his brothers by the shoulder.
    Look at me. I hear your words. I
understand them.
    But not a single sound came, despite his mouth moving.
Frustration clawed at him that he was unable to communicate anything at all. He
grabbed Bram’s tunic and hauled him towards the window, pointing outside once
again.
    ‘There’s nothing out there,’ Bram said. ‘You’re safe now.’
    He didn’t believe it. And they were fools if they did.
    Alex poured a cup of wine into a goblet and handed it to him.
‘Have something to drink. Whatever it is, we’ll look in the morning.’
    He drank the wine and, too late, tasted the bitter herbs within
it. Staring at his brother’s betrayal, he wondered what they’d done to him.
    ‘It will help you sleep,’ Alex said. ‘You need rest, to regain
your strength.’
    Despite his efforts to fight them, the heavy narcotic effects
of the herbs pulled him under. As he slipped into the dark dream, he inhaled the
scent of Marguerite upon the sheets.
    * * *
    Callum awakened with his mouth dry and the aftertaste of
the herbal brew lingered. His back still hurt from the lash marks, and he
struggled to open his eyes. He overheard Bram’s wife Nairna talking to her
husband and caught the last few words of his brother’s conversation.
    ‘I don’t know if he’s even aware of where he is.’
    Callum gritted his teeth. He knew exactly where he was, yet no
one trusted him. He struggled to rise from the bed, thankful that Alex and Bram
were focused upon Nairna instead of himself.
    ‘When I was out walking this morning, I saw a torch light in
the hills,’ the young woman said. ‘Do you think any of Lord Harkirk’s men might
have followed us?’
    No doubt of it. From the flickering torches he’d seen, it was
impossible to tell how many men there were.
    ‘I’ll inform the men,’ Alex replied. ‘If it is an attack, send
a runner to Locharr and alert the Baron that we may need his help.’ He turned to
Nairna. ‘Tell Laren—’
    ‘She’s already gathering the women and children.’
    ‘Good.’ Alex turned back and Callum met his gaze steadily. His
brother’s face held a magnitude of worry for all the people they had to protect.
There weren’t enough men and if they were invaded, many would die.
    In an instant, his older brother assessed him, as if to decide
whether or not he was dangerous. Callum stared back, meeting the silent question
with a determined look of his own. He had no doubt of his ability to defend
them, especially with a bow.
    ‘I’ll need your help guarding the women and children,’ Alex
said at last, unsheathing his sword. ‘Even Lady Marguerite.’ He held out the
weapon, hilt first, and Callum inclined his head in answer.
    Though he couldn’t stop his hands from trembling, he managed to
grasp the sword. Alex had offered him the chance to fight and he wouldn’t fail
his brother, though a sword wasn’t his first choice. From the corner of his eye,
he caught Bram’s wife Nairna eyeing him with uncertainty.
    I can fight , he wanted to tell her.
Especially if it meant protecting Marguerite. Upon the floor, he spied the faded
blue ribbon and reached for it, tucking it away for