Page 16 of Laird of Wrath

“Excuse m-me,” she stammered, before she scurried away, the bee still cradled in her palms.

“Well, for what it’s worth, I do think it would have stung one of us if ye hadnae killed it,” Sienna commented.

Rhea ignored her.

“Good mornin’,” she told Callum, bobbing a shallow curtsy.

“Ye daenae have to do that,” he assured her.

“But we’re… we’re in public.”

“Aye, and ye’re me wife.”

A faint blush crept onto her cheeks. It reminded Callum of the previous night, when he had gone to her chambers. It reminded him of the blush she had been sporting then, the one he had caused.

For a moment, both of them remained silent. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sienna watching them, her gaze flitting back and forth between them. She didn’t say anything, though, as if waiting to see how the scene would unfold.

“Och!” Rhea clasped her hands together, dragging his attention back to her. “I have planned somethin’ for us. So we can spend time together, as we agreed.”

She planned it? Why did she plan it?

“Do ye think me incapable of plannin’ this for us?” Callum grumbled.

“Excuse me?” Rhea’s eyes narrowed. “Is that what ye understood from this?”

“Aye,” Callum said. “What else?”

“Och, I daenae ken! Perhaps that I’d like to do somethin’ nice with ye?”

“And ye think me incapable of plannin’ somethin’ nice?”

Rhea threw her hands up in the air in frustration, her cheeks turning a ruddy color. “Ye’re impossible,” she huffed, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “I daenae ken why I even try.”

“Ye shouldnae,” Callum shot back, feeling his rage threatening to bubble over. “Ye wanted me to court ye, did ye nae? I’m yer husband. I’m supposed to be courtin’ ye, nae the other way around.”

“Well, forgive me for bein’ nice!” Rhea shouted. “It’s me own fault, I suppose!”

“Ye listen to me carefully,” Callum said in a low voice, leaning closer to stare down at her. “Ye willnae raise yer voice at me like this. Ye willnae?—”

“Ach!” Sienna cried, clutching her head, and Callum forgot all about the argument.

“What is it?” he asked, turning to her.

“Me… me head,” Sienna groaned, her eyes squeezed shut. “It hurts.”

“Come,” Callum said, trying to drag her along. “We’ll go to the healer.”

“Nay!” Sienna exclaimed, then lowered her voice. “Nay, I’m all right. I… I’ll go to me chambers for some rest.”

“Sienna, ye daenae look well,” Callum insisted.

Sienna wriggled free from his grasp. “I only need some sleep.”

But she seemed too weak, in too much pain for his liking.

“I’m all right, Callum. Truly.”

Callum watched her, helpless, as she wobbled off, his heart pounding in his chest. One of his greatest fears was thatsomething would happen to her and he would be unable to help her, but what could he do if she refused his help?