Page 120 of Moon Awakening

"He wants me to kill the Balmoral… he wants control of the Balmoral clan."

Cait's face flamed with fury. "Drustan would never do that!"

"I did not say it was your new mate."

"But who else would believe they could take over the clan?"

"Ulf," Emily guessed.

Cait just stared at her and Talorc nodded.

"We humans don't think we are nearly as incompetent and useless as the Chrechte do."

Cait looked affronted. "I didn't say you were useless."

"No, but you never guessed a human would believe he could take over a clan with a pack in it and yet isn't that exactly what MacAlpin did when he betrayed the Chrechte? Only he took over all of Scotland."

"You are smart… for an Englishwoman," Talorc said. He turned to Cait. "She's right. Our stepmother was another prime example. Look at the damage she did and she wasn't even of Chrechte descent."

"But Drustan would kill Ulf."

"Not if he blamed your brother for Lachlan's death," Emily said.

Cait's face drained of color as she met Talorc's serious gaze. "He would support the murdering pig out of loyalty and try to avenge Lachlan's death by killing you."

"Yes. Ulf is a murderer, too. The young soldier did not even have a chance." Talorc's distaste was obvious. "He suspected nothing before the first knife thrust straight to his heart."

"The rest of the cuts were to make it look like an animal had done it. You as a wolf."

"Yes, but if it worked, I'm wondering what kind of fool your new laird is."

"So does Ulf, all the time," Emily said.

"But why do you?" Cait asked.

"Why were you so sure I had not done it?" he asked her in place of an answer.

Cait stared. "You're my brother. You would not murder an untried soldier."

"If he had surprised me, I would have killed in self-defense."

"But he could not have surprised you."

"This is true," Talorc said arrogantly. "But there is another reason I believe you were so sure it was not me or one of my soldiers. Perhaps you did not realize it at the time, but if you saw the body, it played into your certainty."

"You have more Sinclairs here?" Emily asked.

Talorc shrugged. Thunder cracked ominously in the sky.

"I did see the body." Cait looked like she'd just grasped something. "If a werewolf had done it in wolf form, he would have torn out the soldier's throat and he would have left a scent."

"Yes. Now, why hasn't your new laird realized that, I'm wondering?"

"Maybe because I suspected you'd done the killing and wanted it to look like a human had done it instead," Lachlan said as he stepped from the bushes. He was glaring at Talorc with fury-filled eyes.

"How long have you been there?" Emily asked, wondering if he had heard the name of the murderer.

Lachlan ignored her, his gaze never leaving Talorc.