Page 23 of Moon Awakening

Then she sat back down with a flounce that rocked the boat, reminding her just where she was and making her stomach chum.

Cait was staring at her like she'd lost her mind. "Are you wanting them to throw you out of the boat then?"

Still too angry to heed her words, she said, "I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they did, considering the wicked plans they have for you."

Ulf grabbed her shoulders as if prepared to do just that and she bit back a scream. She would not let them see her fear, but inside her heart raced with terror at what he would do.

"Let her go!" The whiplash of Lachlan's voice had immediate impact.

Ulf released her instantly, but snarled, "It is no more than she deserves for casting such slurs on the Balmoral clan."

"Not the whole clan, just the warriors here." Unlike some of the Highlanders she had met, she did not judge an entire group of people by the actions of a few degenerates.

She didn't guess they liked that opinion either when fury-filled silence greeted the airing of it. A large wave crashed against the bow, sending sea spray over all of them. Now, on top of her anger, she had to deal with the fear that the ocean was going to swallow their boat.

Her nails dug into her palms and she prayed drowning wasn't as horrible a death as she had always feared.

The strangest expression crossed Cait's face. "I've enjoyed knowing you, Emily."

Coming on the heels of her anxious thoughts, the words were not in the least welcome. Emily sucked in a breath and tried to calm herself. It didn't work. The boat road a high swell and the bow came out of the water before hitting it again with a jar. She gasped and then bit her lower lip to keep from making another noise.

Movement behind her rocked the boat from side to side and she wondered who could be so daft that they were moving about at a time like this, but she refused to turn to see. She would rather be surprised by her fate if Lachlan had changed his mind and decided to have her tossed overboard.

A big hand landed on her shoulder. Lachlan had come for her himself.

"I don't know how to swim," she blurted out and then practically bit her tongue through, chagrined to have shown such weakness.

"That would hardly matter if I were the man you believed me to be, would it?"

He was right and she knew deep inside he would never throw her overboard, or was she only deceiving herself? She refused to face him. "You have aided in the abduction of a woman with the intent to harm her."

"I have exercised my right as laird to exact justice between the clans."

"I don't care how you justify it to yourself. What you are doing determines what kind of man you are."

His sigh was loud and long. "Your opinion of me and my clan does not matter, English."

"I never thought it would." But his words had hurt her and it was all she could do to keep that out of her voice. Her opinion should matter. His would matter to her.

Horror filled her at the recognition of that appalling truth. She should not care.

"Yet you expressed it."

She shrugged, or tried to with his heavy hand still on her shoulder. "It matters to me."

"I see."

"I doubt it."

"If you are about to insult me again, I warn you… dinna do it." His quiet tone was more lethal than if he had shouted the warning.

Her mouth snapped shut.

He growled. "I do not like talking to your back. Turn around."

"No."

But he was already picking her up to do it himself.