Page 21 of Taken By the Exiled Laird

The spell broke in a moment as Briana began to thrash under him, trying to push him away. "Get off!" she snapped. She managed to pull one wrist free and tried to push him away with no effect.

He chuckled darkly and grabbed her wrist, pinning it to the ground. He leaned even closer, the tip of his nose pressing against hers. "A pity. If ye want yer freedom, Briana Cameron, ye're gonnae need tae fight harder than that."

She pursed her lips. His eyes darted toward them without him even thinking about it. "And if I dinnae learn quickly enough?" she breathed.

Theon's belly tightened and heat pulsed through him. He leaned closer, pressing his chest against hers as he did, and whispered in her ear, "Then ye'll have tae yield tae me."

The silence fell again, and in that moment, he could hear and feel the thrumming of her heart beating in time with his, both of them racing. He leaned back again and saw that her pupils had dilated, her lips slightly parted. She caught his eye and then blinked a few times.

"Never," she whispered. "I'll never yield tae ye. Nae as long as we both live."

Theon held her there for a moment longer, frozen in place by her gaze, stuck in place by the feeling of her body pressed tight against his. After a breath, he got control of himself and pushed himself back to his feet, putting down a hand to help her up. She hesitated before taking it but did after a moment, allowing him to haul her back to her feet.

"That's enough for today," he said, not meeting her eyes. "If ye want tae bathe, ye have ten minutes."

Her expression showed surprise, but she didn't stop to question him. She raced to the water and Theon turned his back to wait. He heard the rustle of her disrobing and the splash of the water as she entered. His heart contracted painfully at the sound of her delighted laugh, and, almost without knowing it, he stole a glance toward the river.

Briana's back was to him, the water covering up to her hips, but the sight of the soft skin on her back sparkling with water sprays, the way her hips curved just above the water, and the slight swell of her breast from the side was enough to drive him to distraction as she washed her hair and combed it with her fingers. The dark animal inside him growled and he fought against himself to stay in place, dragging his eyes away to focus straight ahead once more.

She was not meant to be a temptation. She could not be a woman to him; she could not be someone he could consider as anything but currency to be exchanged. All Briana Cameron could ever be was his chance to take everything back that had been stolen from him ten years before by her very own father.

But the stolen glances continued, and the guilt and desire roiled, and Theon knew she had been right. He was the one in danger—a danger he needed to deal with before it became a hold that was impossible to break.

Chapter Nine

Laird MacFarlane,

We will not insult either of us by mincing our words. The betrothed of your son has been missing for days. You've heard no word from the Camerons. Your nephew lies dead. All of these things are warnings of the danger we bring if we're left unchecked.

But you can prevent the oncoming reckoning. You can keep your clan safe and see the woman returned safely by simply returning to us what is ours.

We will take back the MacKenzie Keep and the clan lands. We will bring peace back to the people who were once our clansmen. We will receive our pardons and our freedom, and we will be unbothered by the members of our former alliance.

In return, we will deliver Briana Cameron safely to your home, unharmed and unspoiled. We will⁠—

Keir paused, his quill pen going still, casting a feathered shadow on the wall from the flickering candlelight. He glanced up at Theon, who was standing over him and carefully watching every word he wrote, and Theon saw a flicker of uncertainty in his younger brother's eyes.

"Are ye sure about this, Theon?" Keir asked.

"I thought ye wanted rid of her," Theon replied. "Ye've the best penmanship of the four of us, but I'll take over if ye prefer."

The younger man shook his head, seeming troubled. "It's nae about her. It's about us. If we send these letters, signed by the Broken Blades and demandin' the MacKenzie lands back⁠—"

"Our family's land," Theon reminded him sharply. "Our land, Keir."

"I ken that. Do ye think I dinnae ken that?" Keir snapped. "I may just be a bastard, but he was me father just as much as he was yers. Dinnae for a moment assume that I dinnae want this as much as ye do."

Theon clenched his fist. "That isnae fair. How could ye accuse me of treatin' ye differently because of our mothers? When have I ever made ye feel less?"

Keir huffed, but he followed it with a conciliatory nod. "Forgive me. It wasnae fair. But, Theon, I—I'm worried. The last time we made ourselves vulnerable tae MacFarlane and Cameron, our father died. Me mother too, and almost everyone we kent and cared about. If we send these letters, we could be exposed after all these years of hidin'. It could put us all in danger. The risk…"

But Theon was already shaking his head. "The risk, any risk, is worth it. We've wandered like ghosts for ten years. We've done nothin', our every minor victory is just a desperate struggle for survival, makin' nae difference tae the state of the people who were exiled from our clanlands. Scotland struggles under tyranny while we wait. But now, brother, now we have a chance. I ken it's dangerous. I ken it's questionable." His eyes shone with reverence. "But we will do it because we must. This is our first chance tae push back. We must take it."

With a grim nod, Keir folded and sealed the hostage letter. With a new resolution in his voice, he said, "We must hire a messenger. We cannae risk one of us four approachin' anyone while holdin' it. And nae from the nearby village, either. Someone far enough away that it cannae be traced back tae us. This is a good camp. I dinnae want tae leave it yet."

Theon smiled faintly, though his heart clenched. He felt responsible for Keir, he had since they were left alone together, and though the younger man hid it behind anger, Theon knew he longed for a home.

"We'll leave soon enough—when we take our home back. I swear it."