Page 17 of Laird of Wrath

“She’s fine,” Rhea assured him.

Callum was about to berate her for dismissing his sister’s pain so easily when she pointed to Sienna, who had almost disappeared down the hall and was now walking normally, even smiling at the servants she passed by.

“What just happened?” he asked, blinking in confusion.

“She only wanted us to stop arguin’,” Rhea said with a small shrug. “She does this.”

Callum couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped him, shaking his head at his sister’s antics. He should be mad. He should chase after her and give her a stern talking-to. But he could understand why she didn’t want him and Rhea to argue like this. Besides, he was relieved she was fine.

“I’ll leave the plannin’ to ye, then,” Rhea added—an olive branch. “If it’s so important to ye, ye can plan our outing.”

For a moment, Callum said nothing. But then, he leaned closer to her, his lips brushing the shell of her ear.

“Good lass,” he murmured. “Then I’d suggest ye prepare yerself, since it’ll happen soon enough.”

The shiver that racked through her was enough to fill him with a burning lust that would persist long into the night.

6

“What could he be plannin’?”

That question had been on Rhea’s mind for days, ever since Callum had told her he would plan something for them.

That had been at the start of the week, and it was now the end of it, and he had just told her he would be taking her out that very same day.

She had been preparing for this the entire week. She had thought that whatever it was, she would approach it with perfect poise, and yet now she couldn’t help but consider the possibilities, trying to figure out which one would be the worst.

Surely, he kens what courtin’ is. He wouldnae do anythin’… uncouth.

“Somethin’ lovely, I’m sure, me Lady,” Lara replied, fluffing up her pillows. “Though I saw a bird fly into the castle only this morn. Do ye want to ken what that means?”

“I daenae,” Rhea muttered.

“It means somethin’ bad will happen,” Lara said, nonetheless. “I daenae ken when or what, but the clan will soon suffer.”

“Ach, Lara, do ye ever think that nae everythin’ is a sign?”

“Nay,” Lara replied confidently. “There are signs everywhere if ye ken where to look.”

“I’d rather be surprised than always rely on signs.” Rhea gave a small shrug.

She couldn’t imagine living like Lara did, finding something to worry about in everything. Though she had to admit that sometimes, the signs she saw were positive ones.

With Lara’s help, Rhea dressed and fixed her hair, pinning it up with pearl-headed pins. The gown she wore was simple, as she didn’t know exactly where Callum was taking her, a light blue that matched the morning sky.

The knock on her door came sooner than she would have thought, and in strolled Callum, sporting his usual frown along with a dark jacket and trews. Lara took one look at him and disappeared, as she always did, leaving them alone.

Callum paused for a moment, studying Rhea with hunger in his eyes, like a man who had been deprived of food for too long and had now been thrust in the middle of a banquet.

She never knew what to do when he looked at her like that. She never knew what to say, how to act. All she could do was hope that her blush wasn’t as obvious as it felt, though she doubted her luck.

“Ye look… good,” Callum said, as if the words themselves were choking him. Rhea didn’t know whether she should take it as a compliment or not.

“Thank ye,” she returned, the last word pitched a little higher, uncertain, as if in a question.

“Are ye ready?”

“Aye. Very much so.”