Lured to the Night (The Brotherhood 4)

The path led out of the forest and towards the village. Isla stopped at the edge just before the canopy broke to an open sky, at a point where she had a perfect view of Fraser’s field. A small number of cattle were resting: ruminating or dozing where they lay. No doubt the villagers had herded as many as possible into the barns as a means of limiting their losses.

She bent down and cleared a space on the forest floor, somewhere safe to place her lantern, before straightening and staring out across the field.

“I know you’re there, Lachlan.” Her soft whisper drifted over him.

The shock of discovery made him gasp. “You heard me?” He stepped out from his redundant hiding place, feeling a little foolish that his hunting skills had proved to be far too amateurish.

Isla did not turn around but continued to watch the cattle. “I heard you the moment you entered the forest.”

Lachlan snorted as he came to stand at her shoulder. “Perhaps I am not as agile or as light on my feet as I used to be.”

“Oh, you are. I heard your thoughts and the sound of your breathing. And I can feel your presence. The air sparks and crackles when you’re near.”

Heard his thoughts?

Lachlan dismissed the comment and swallowed deeply. He recognised the charged feeling of excitement she spoke of so openly. “Why did you not confront me, ask me what I was doing stalking you through the woods?”

She chuckled. “I know what you’re doing. You were watching the castle. You saw me leave and feared I was intent on mischief. You feared I was the one responsible for killing the livestock.”

“Are you?” The words left his lips before his mind could protest.

“No.” She did not take offence at the hint of suspicion in his tone. “But I will know who is responsible before daybreak.”

“You plan to stand here and wait for an attack?” Lachlan asked incredulously. There were a few flaws with such a plan. The most significant one being that, if seen sneaking about on her own at night, others would instantly believe her to be the culprit. “Is it wise? What if someone notices you?”

She lowered the hood of her green cape and glanced at him. “They’re convinced I’m a practising witch or a legendary fairy vampire out to seduce men for their blood. I’ve got nothing to lose. I cannot sit at home and wait for a baying mob to storm the castle demanding revenge.”

An overactive imagination often clouded one’s judgement. He gazed out across the field. In the dark, the resting cattle looked like lumps of black rock protruding from a muddy green sea. Even if someone or something did appear to attack the livestock, she would struggle to identify either man or beast.

“What makes you think there will be an attack in this particular field?”

“After you left the castle this evening, I asked Douglas to make a list detailing how many cows have been slaughtered and on which farms. The deaths are not random. Every farmer has lost at least one animal, except for Fraser. There’s a pattern, Lachlan. Even if there were beasts roaming the forest capable of causing such devastation, I doubt they would be so particular.”

Lachlan considered her comment. “So, do we agree a man is responsible for these crimes?”

“We do. And it is someone with a grievance against me, which is why I think he will attack Fraser’s farm tonight. There has been a systematic effort to turn everyone in the village against me. And I want to know why.”

Lachlan knew why. They no longer trusted her. The unexplained illness that kept her a prisoner during the day, coupled with her marriage to a stranger, had set her apart from her kin. But she was the daughter of Alistair Maclean, a man still well-respected in these parts despite having passed away. They would need proof of some wrongdoing before rousing the confidence to act.

“I understand your motives, but you do not have to be so secretive.” Lachlan noted her upright posture, the defiant tilt of her chin. Any other woman would have barred the castle door and cried herself to sleep. “If you would have told me of your plans, you know I would have offered to help.”

She smiled. “Did you tell me that you planned to return to the castle and keep watch?”

Lachlan shrugged. She had a fair point. “It is not the same. I am more than capable of fighting off a pack of angry villagers.”

She raised an arrogant brow, yet her blue eyes twinkled with amusement. “I’m stronger than you think.”

He had always found her tenacity and determination highly arousing. She had a wild and passionate spirit, a fiery temper that made his cock swell. Despite only ever sharing a chaste kiss, he’d longed for the day when he could join with her, claim her as his own. The burning ache in his loins was forever present when in her company. Only now, some other man had stolen the right to lie with her, the right to love her.

Bloody hell!

He was not a violent man, not unless necessity demanded it, but he would drive a blunt knife through Nikolai’s black heart without giving it a second thought.

“It’s not about being strong,” he finally said. “You’ve suffered enough at the hands of your husband. I don’t want

you to suffer anymore.”

She turned to face him, stared into his eyes for the longest time. “I’m sorry.” Her whispered words breezed across him. “I broke a promise I never intended to break.”