Moon Awakening

him.'

'You've got the right of it.'

'Lachlan?'

'I am standing right here, lass.'

'Are you married?'

He shook his head, wondering why she asked the question.

'Oh. Why not?'

'I do not want to marry yet.'

'Oh.' She went silent, apparently deep in thought.

What she had to think about, he could not guess. 'Why do you ask?'

'Not for any particular reason.' She licked her lips, blushing a bright pink and looking like she'd lost her train of thought.

'But you were curious?'

'It was merely a general curiosity. I don't care personally if you are married,' she emphasized. 'I am a very curious sort of person. Sybil always says my curiosity will get me into trouble, but I cannot seem to help myself.'

Women were odd. Particularly human females, but this one was stranger than most. And even harder to understand was the fact that he liked it. He liked her.

'If I weren't married, would you let one of your soldiers keep me like Drustan is keeping Cait?' she asked, her expression going from worried to embarrassed.

'Nay. I would let no other man keep you.'

'Cait believes you mean to kill her brother because of me.'

'It is a move worth considering.'

Emily paled, all traces of her blush fading along with her natural color. 'But I don't want you to kill him!'

She should, or was she too tenderhearted to realize that? 'You do not want to be married to him.'

'That is no reason to kill him.'

'But you do not wish to be his wife.' He wanted to hear her say it, though why he should he could not understand. Her desires in the matter made little difference. Still he prompted, 'Do you?'

'No, may God forgive me.'

'Then his death would be to your benefit.'

'Are you truly that cold?' she asked in a shaken voice.

'I am practical.'

'Killing a man is not practical. It is wrong.'

He did not understand her view. 'Your father is a warrior.'

'Yes.'

'He has killed.'

'Yes, but only his enemies.'

'Talorc is my enemy.'

'Were you at war before your clanswoman married his clansman without permission?'

'No.'

'Then he is not your enemy.' She seemed relieved by her conclusion. 'You have no reason to hate him… or to kill him for that matter. I'm sure everything can be worked out if the two of you met… to talk I mean.'

He didn't bother to scoff at her belief, but it was laughable. He and Talorc would not talk if they met face-to- face. They would fight.

'Stop looking like that.'

'Like what?'

'Like you plan to kill him.'

'Perhaps I do.'

'You can't. Talorc is Cait's brother. It would upset her. Don't you see that? According to you, she is soon to be one of your clanswomen whether she wants to or not. Doesn't that mean that her happiness is your responsibility? You are the clan's laird after all.'

The woman's ideas were downright daft on occasion and why that should make her even more appealing, he could not begin to fathom. 'Cait is already upset.'

'It would upset her more.'

He shrugged. 'She would get over it.'

'She would hate you… and Drustan. She would hate him even more. You can't go killing her brother.'

The discussion was getting to him, but not in the way he was sure she wanted it to. The thought of killing Talorc and claiming Emily as his lover was too damn tempting for Lachlan's peace of mind.

'He is also your husband. He hurt you. He should die.' It made perfect sense to him, but Emily looked appalled.

'You can't kill the man on my behalf!' she shouted. 'He didn't hurt me, not more than my feelings anyway. And I've come to believe that feelings are not overly important to you Highlanders. Leastways, not to warriors.'

He shrugged again. Feelings weren't important, but if he chose to be offended on behalf of hers, that was his right. He was laird and pack leader. He could do anything he wanted.

'You shouldn't want to. I mean nothing to you, but then I don't suppose it takes one of you Highlanders much in the way of incentive to start killing each other.' She paced away from him, muttering things that even his hearing could make no sense of. Finally, she stopped and faced him from several feet away. 'I am not Lady Sinclair.'

He heard the words, but could not take them in. She was not Lady Sinclair? That would mean she was not married to Talorc. 'You are saying you lied to me?' he demanded.

'Only that one time. I wanted to save Cait and I thought you would believe that as his wife I was enough of a sacrifice to the clan.'

'But you are not married to the Sinclair?'

'No.' She was wringing her hands now. 'We are supposed to marry, but he hates me. I don't know what I will do if he sends me back to England. I have to save my sister.'

The words made no sense, but perhaps nothing would have at that moment. All he could think about was that it was not a smirch on his honor to kiss her. Right now.

He could not keep her, not a human… but he could kiss her and perhaps more. He smiled. 'Emily… come here.'

Her violet eyes flared warily. 'I don't think that is a good idea.'

The words were barely out of Emily's mouth before Lachlan crossed the distance between them and grabbed her by both arms. She gasped in shock, both at his touch and the fact that he'd traversed the distance so quickly. How had he done it?

Her eyes must be playing tricks on her. She had thought she was farther from him than she had been. That was all, but she hadn't seen him move either. Only a blur and that too was odd. She was sure she'd been watching. Only she must have looked away.

He looked at her like he planned to devour her.

Was he furious about her lie? Had he decided to kill her instead of Talorc? She thought about mentioning that that was sure to upset Cait as well, but that argument hadn't swayed Lachlan in regard to the other woman's brother.

'You do not belong to him, then?' Lachlan asked, his voice rumbling like a predator's growl.

She shook her head. 'I am his betrothed.'

'But not his wife?'

'No, not his wife.'

Lachlan pulled her closer until not even a breath separated their bodies. He was so big and hot, his heat seared her right through her gown and shift. She'd never been held like this. It was indecent, but she could not force sound from her dry throat for a protest. She could barely breathe.

Her breasts pressed against his chest and every time she pulled in a shallow puff of air, they moved in a most disturbing way that made them tingle and ache mysteriously.