Page 10 of Laird of Wrath

“It saddens me so to see ye like this,” Sienna muttered.

Callum let out a long sigh, shaking his head.

They were alone in the Great Hall, the two of them sitting across from each other at the large breakfast table with no one but the servants around them, going back and forth as they served their food. The clansmen would soon join them, but he had woken up bright and early to get a head start on the day.

His duties didn’t stop just because he had come back from war.

“That’s what happens when ye go to war, Sienna,” he said.

He knew he had changed much in the past ten months. He knew he had returned as a different man, not only in appearance but also in soul. He had seen too much death, too much pain, too much blood. No matter how strong a man he was, no matter how strong a leader, sending his men to die had left its mark on him.

“I ken that,” Sienna snapped, her frown deepening. “But it doesnae mean I like it.”

“Ach, well, do ye think me wife likes it?”

She rolled her eyes at him, but she couldn’t help the small smile on her lips. And that, for him, was enough.

Just then, the doors to the Great Hall opened, and Rhea walked in. His gaze fell on her, drinking her in. The golden light pouring through the large windows along the wall bathed her as she walked down the length of the hall, turning her hair into ablazing halo. Her dark blue gown complemented the rich brown of her eyes, like the deepest forests near Castle McMahon.

Callum was instantly captivated, just as he had been when he had first seen her.

Back then, perhaps he could have been worthy of her. Perhaps he could have turned himself into a decent man. But the war had left him scarred, both on the outside and the inside, and now he was nothing but a shell of the man she had married. Now he was a danger to her and everyone around them.

And yet that didn’t stop him from wanting her.

He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the heat blooming in his stomach.

Next to him, Sienna frowned. “What is the matter with ye?” she asked.

He didn’t know exactly what to tell her.

“Me Laird,” Rhea called rather awkwardly, stopping a few steps away from the table. She hesitated for a moment, then bobbed a curtsy as an afterthought, barely more than a bounce on her heels. “We must speak.”

Just as Callum was about to speak, the doors opened again, and a man strolled in—a man he had seen before, though it took hima few moments to place him. It was none other than Lennon Edwards, the Laird of Clan Barclay.

Laird Barclay stopped short by the doors, seemingly just as surprised to see him there. He froze for a few moments, his eyes narrowing, but then he smiled and entered the hall.

“Laird McMahon!” he called, opening his arms wide in greeting. “It’s so good to have ye back.”

Callum grunted, his gaze flitting between the three of them.

What the hell is happenin’ here? Why is he in me castle?

He turned to Rhea. “Why is he here?”

He didn’t care if the question was abrupt or rude. He didn’t care that Laird Barclay was right there. All he cared about was finding out why there was a stranger in his home.

Surely, Laird Barclay is here for a reason.

Rhea didn’t speak at first. She only exchanged a glance with Sienna, the two of them looking too nervous for his liking.

“He… he’s here to ask for Sienna’s hand in marriage,” Rhea replied eventually, her voice strained.

Callum frowned and turned to Sienna. “Do ye wish to wed him?”

Sienna only shook her head, not daring to say a word, but it was enough for him.

“She doesnae wish to wed ye, Barclay,” he grunted. “So ye may leave now.”