Page 121 of Moon Craving

anything more than my wife. 'Tis all she expects as a human."

Niall looked far from convinced.

Osgard frowned at the scarred warrior. "Has she ensnared you, then?"

"Our lady does not seek to snare. She is innocent and kind." Niall crossed his arms

in a stance that said he would not be moved. "I count her friend."

Barr gasped.

"She does not fear me. She thinks I am romantic and kind." Niall rolled his eyes.

"She sees the best in people. 'Tis a strangely appealing trait. You'll see."

Osgard puffed up with anger as only an old Scotsman could. "I see the lass has

you and our laird bamboozled."

"She's nothing like Tamara," Talorc insisted, and he realized how deeply he

believed the words as he spoke them. "She would never deceive me as that woman did

my father."

"Your feebleminded father believed the same."

"Enough!" Talorc accepted much from Osgard, but this was going too far. He

surged to his feet and loomed over the old man. "My father was your laird. He made a

mistake in trusting the wrong woman and paid with his life. I learned from that mistake and

will not repeat it. You should need no more than my word to accept that fact. Insulting his

memory as you have just done is an affront to the title he wore."

"Better cause offense than to watch this clan taken down by another scheming

Englishwoman. I'll not do it."

"There is no falseness in my mate!" Talorc felt his eyes change and the world went

black-and-white.

Osgard flinched back as all the color leached from his wrinkled skin. "My only

concern is for the clan," he said with much less vigor than before.

Talorc could respect the older man's motivations, if not his opinions. "I'll see to the

protection of my people, as I have from the beginning of my leadership. But know this. My

wolf demands protection of my sacred mate just as surely."

Osgard grudgingly nodded, and then sighed. "I did not intend to speak insolence

against ye, for all that I see you as the son I lost in that bloody, fiery battle, you are my