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  Jain knew perfectly well that nothing he said was true, it was just Conrad’s way of shaming her to make her feel less than human. “I’ve seen how ye treat yer women. Weren’t ye making eyes at Heather last night just before she went missing at the festival? I could have sworn I saw ye talking to her. That’s quite a coincidence, dinnae ye think?”

  Conrad stiffened. “Aye it’s a shame what happened. I hope they find her soon.”

  When he finished speaking, her eyes narrowed; she didn’t believe a word of it. Jain squared her shoulders, deciding to press the issue further. “I’m sure ye and the lads here are just coming back from helping with the search party. Run along now so I can finish with the chores.”

  Thinking their conversation finished, Jain attempted to walk around him into the house. Conrad stepped in front of her, blocking the path as he looked down with a vicious sneer. “Why do ye let such venom spew from yer lovely mouth? I could think of a hundred better uses fer those lips which have nothing to do with speaking.”

  “Let me pass.”

  Conrad’s eyes grew dark as he responded, towering over her from his great height. “Nae. I think the lads and I should teach ye a wee lesson about respect. A woman should ken her place in this world. Truthfully, I liked ye better on yer knees.”

  The men beside him whispered among themselves as Conrad’s lip curled up into a smile.

  “What do ye think about that, Jain? I could take ye right here and now. Then ye could see exactly what ye’re giving up. I’ll make it so good that when we’re finished ye’ll be begging me to spread yer legs.”

  Without thinking, she reached down and grabbed the bucket at her feet.

  “Dinnae touch me.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Alan tied another bundle of thatch and was leaning down to position it in place when Rodrick touched him on the shoulder. He glanced up, confused, but then Rodrick pointed to the what was taking place out on the grass, and Alan felt his blood run cold. Jain was in a heated argument with Conrad by the wash line with her hands clenched around a bucket of suds.

  That wasn’t good.

  They were so far away he couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but Alan knew he had to get to her before things escalated. Jain was trembling with rage and he could see her fiery temper was about to get the best of her. That was a problem in itself, but unleashing that on Conrad was outright dangerous. Alan sprang into action and tossed the pieces of thatch aside, practically throwing himself down the ladder in his urgency to get to her.

  He had to get between them somehow.

  The wooden rungs bowed beneath his weight, and with each step, Alan could feel his anger rising.

  When his feet touched the ground, Alan grabbed the pitchfork on the side of the house and came storming across the lawn. He was halfway there when to his horror Jain launched the bucket of soap water straight into Conrad’s face.

  It happened so fast, Alan wasn’t sure if he imagined it. The soap and water went flying everywhere and Conrad was positively drenched from head to foot looking murderous. His clothes were soaking wet, and his black hair dripped down across his shoulders. Rage built up inside him, knowing the imminent threat Jain had put herself in by insulting Conrad in that manner.

  How could she have been so foolish to put herself in danger like that? Couldn’t she see that Conrad was not only a seasoned warrior, but twice as big as her? He could snap her in half if he wanted to. All it would take was a moment of rage and she’d be done for.

  Alan was at her side in a flash and stepped in front of her defensively. He angled himself between them, with the pitchfork in his hand as his only weapon. Murray and Scott were on either side of Conrad, looking just as furious.

  “Ugh! Ye filthy wench,” Conrad growled. “Just wait till I catch ye. Out of my way, blacksmith!”

  “Ye must have lost yer head if ye think I’m going to let ye put a hand on her.”

  Alan braced himself for a fit of rage when Conrad turned to him and sneered, pure hatred blazing in his eyes. Conrad’s face was red, his expression strained, and a purple vein bulged at the base of his neck.

  Scott had already drawn his weapon and it looked like they were about to strike when the sound of horses riding up across the hill interrupted them. Everyone turned at the sound, which brought an immediate end to the confrontation. Eamon was galloping towards them at full speed, his faithful Angus charging over grass and rock.

  He dismounted upon arrival and came up to them with Angus’s reins held tightly in his hand. “What’s going on here?” he demanded.

  Still red in the face and dripping wet, Conrad took one look at Jain’s father and gritted his teeth. Neither Scott or Murray said anything, but hastily resheathed their weapons and fell in line behind Conrad. Alan stood his ground with the pitchfork in his hand and waited until Conrad backed off before lowering it to the grass.

  “Nothing,” Conrad growled, casting a final glare towards Jain and her companions. “We were just leaving.”

  The warriors turned to leave and went up the hill back towards the village. Alan watched as they walked away from them, until it seemed like the danger passed. As soon as they were gone Eamon spoke, “Jain, what exactly is going on here?”

  “Da, he disrespected me. The things he said—”

  “I dinnae care what he, or any other man says to ye, ye’ve got to keep yer head. It’s more important than words, it’s about yer safety.”

  “But—”

  “Nae excuses, Jain! It cannae happen, do ye understand?”

  Alan saw that her cheeks were flushed with rage, but he agreed with Eamon completely. Before he could ask what Conrad said to her, Jain turned and ran off in the other direction. Eamon threw his hands up in the air and called out after her, “Jain!”

  When she didn’t stop, he said, “Alan, go after her, would ye?”

  Alan was already running before Eamon could get the words out. He would have followed after her even if Eamon hadn’t asked; the fear of Jain getting hurt overshadowed everything else. His legs carried him as fast as he could go and he caught up to her on the edge of the forest. Jain was panting from the exertion when she turned to him. “Alan…”

  “Have ye lost yer mind?” he spat. “Conrad could have hurt ye. What were ye thinking?”

  “Ye dinnae understand—”

  “No, ye dinnae understand!” he argued. “Yer da is right. It dinnae matter what Conrad said to ye, ye cannae insult him like that – or anyone else fer that matter. I’ll listen to what ye have to say, but ye’ve got to hear me out first.”

  He saw her gulp and nod before looking up at him. “I understand.”

  “Promise me ye’ll never do anything like that again.”

  “I promise.”

  Alan sighed and rested his hands upon his hips. “Let me go talk with yer da, I’ll be right back.”

  Jain did what he asked and waited in the mossy glen for him to jog up the hill and speak with Eamon. Her father was still grumbling when Alan made it back and had the horses reins still wrapped around his hand. “Well?” he asked.

  “She’s pretty upset,” Alan told him. “I understand that what she did is unacceptable, but mayhap I could talk her down fer ye.”

  Eamon sighed. “If anyone else had asked me thus, my answer would have been nae. I’m not one to let my daughter ride off with anyone she pleases. However, I trust ye and I believe ye’re a man of honor. I ken ye have a special relationship with Jain and I ken ye’ll keep her safe. Take one of the horses from my stable and give her a ride across the moor – she’d like that.”

  “Thank ye, Eamon. I promise to keep her safe. We’ll be back as soon as I can talk some sense into her.”

  He walked over to the stables and retrieved the gray mare, Bess, hitching her up with tack and reins before climbing on her back. Alan clicked his tongue and urged it forward, trotting down the hill. Jain’s wide green eyes observed him when he approached, full of questions, and reached out his hand
towards her. “Come with me.”

  She took Alan’s hand and let him pull her onto the horse behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. When Jain was secure he tugged lightly on the reins and set the horse into a gallop. He could feel her begin to relax against him, resting her head against his back and her breathing became slow and even.

  The wind whipped past them as they rode across the moors with their horse’s hooves thundering across the rocky hills. Soon, the smell of salt tinged the air around them and Alan knew they were at the coast. He brought the horse to a stop at the crest of a hill overlooking the rocky shoreline.

  Neither of them spoke until Alan had dismounted from the horse and lifted Jain down to the earth as well. When her feet hit the ground, she looked up at him and smiled, but did not release him from the contact where he was touching her. In spite of his feelings for her, Alan withdrew and stepped away from her embrace.

  “Jain, we need to talk about what happened.”

  He noticed her jaw become tense as she cast her eyes away from him and out towards the sea. “What do ye want me to say?”

  Alan felt his anger rise. “Jain, I understand why ye did it, but ye cannae behave like that. Especially, not around Conrad. What if Eamon hadn’t shown up when he did, or if I hadn’t been there to protect ye? I dinnae think I need to explain how dangerous it is to provoke a man like that – he could have hurt ye. As much as I admire that fire inside ye, ye’ve got to learn how to temper that and reel it in.”

  “I just, I dinnae care anymore,” she muttered. “I dinnae care what happened to me. Conrad’s a disgusting human being and he deserved everything he got.”

  Alan gritted his teeth in frustration and stormed over to where she stood, taking her face within his hands. “Damn yer pride, woman! Would ye just listen to what I’m saying?”

  Before she could respond, Alan’s lips came down on her. He wasn’t thinking, the impulse just overtook him suddenly and then they were melting into one another.

  Their mouths fought for dominance, caught in a delicious battle that Alan hoped would never end. It wasn’t how he intended their first kiss to happen, but it was everything he wanted it to be. She leaned into him and responded, placing her hands against his waist and kissing him back with equal vigor. When both of them were breathless, Alan released her with a sigh and placed his forehead against hers.

  “What am I going to do with ye?”

  She chuckled softly while panting to catch her breath.

  “I need ye to understand the danger ye put yerself in today,” he murmured. “… please be careful.”

  Jain nodded in stiff agreement as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “I promised to hear ye out about what happened, so now I’m listening. What did Conrad say to ye?”

  Her lips pursed into a line before responding. “He said I was like a horse that needed to be broken. Then he practically threatened to rape me and insisted I’d enjoy it.”

  Alan’s fury raged when he heard her say it. “I could break his neck for saying that,” he told her. “But it has to be me or yer da that does it, do ye understand? It has to be one of us. Conrad could rip ye in half if he wanted – ye cannae antagonize him, nae matter what he says.”

  “I understand.”

  When he looked over at her, Jain was staring off into the waves with a bittersweet smile on her lips. The wind coming off the sea caused her red hair to dance in the salty breeze.

  “I haven’t been here since I was little,” she told him in a quiet voice. “Eamon never brought me back to the shore, he thought it would be too painful. It’s hard to explain, but I’ve always felt this connection to the sea. There’s something about it that I find soothing, like how ye feel about the stars. The water extends fer as far as the eye can see, beyond the horizon—it’s free. Yet, the waves always come back to the same place and wash up on the shore.”

  Alan swallowed hard at her explanation and nodded. “Aye, lass. That they do.”

  They sat down on the shore and watched the waves crash against the shore, without saying another word. His lips still burned from the searing heat of Jain’s kisses as he exhaled in relief to calm the beating of his heart. Jain seemed to have calmed down considerably from their ride after the confrontation with Conrad. Soon it would be time for them to saddle up and head back towards Elign. Even though her father knew he’d taken her for a ride, Alan didn’t want to risk angering him further. He would worry if they didn’t come back soon.

  The horse grazed along the grassy hills behind them and rested from their travels. Reluctantly, Alan and Jain climbed back on and rode off towards Elign.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jain and Alan did not return to her parents’ farm until just before nightfall. The sun was low on the horizon and it was getting dark. Alan brought them to a stop outside the stables and dismounted to help Jain down, with his hands secured low across her waist. Her feet set down on the grass in front of him and the world came to a halt.

  For one moment, Jain let herself enjoy his company before heading inside to face the disappointment of Eamon and Moira. For that moment, it was just the two of them. She was afraid to speak and shatter the illusion it created.

  All too soon, he released her and went to secure the horse inside its stall. When he came back, Alan took her by the hand and led her around to the front of the house. They were standing in the doorway about to knock, when it flew open and found Moira standing there in shock.

  “Jain, ye’re back!”

  “Aye, Mam.”

  Moira hugged her tight and kissed her on both cheeks before releasing her and turning her attention back to Alan. “Oh, lad, I dinnae ken how to thank ye fer looking after her.”

  Alan smiled and gave her a gentle nod, “’Twas my pleasure. Anyone else in my position would have done the same.”

  Moira scoffed. “Thank ye, Alan.”

  “Jain just needed to go fer a ride and clear her head. It’s all done now.”

  “Won’t ye join us fer some supper?”

  He shook his head. “Wish that I could, Moira. However, I must be getting back to the shop. Bruce would want to ken that I’ve returned. If ye’ll excuse me, I must be off.”

  Alan backed out of the doorway and gave them a congenial bow while Jain smiled at him in earnest. Her heart fluttered at the memory of his kiss, watching him disappear into the fading sunlight.

  Once he left, all that remained was for Jain to explain to her parents what happened. “Well, dinnae just stand there, lass. Come inside,” Moira told her.

  She wasn’t even sure if they would listen to what she had to say about Conrad, but Jain knew that he had something to do with Heather’s disappearance.

  Her parents watched her relieve some of the pent-up anger, looking worried. Aileen took a break from chopping vegetables for their supper and poked her head around the corner. Her tunic was smeared with oil and her dark brown eyes inquisitive. Even with the distance between them Jain could hear the raggedness of Aileen’s breathing – she’d been spending too much time outside in the cold again. Jain saw her curiosity and shooed her from the room just as her father stood up to say, “Aileen, leave the meal fer now. Ye can come back to it in a moment. Go fetch some water while yer aunt and I have a moment alone with Jain.”

  His tone was so final that it didn’t leave much open for discussion. Aileen’s lips pursed with disapproval, but she obediently removed her apron and went out the door. Jain knew her cousin cared for her and was probably hurt by the sudden dismissal, but that was something she’d deal with later.

  Aileen took her shawl off the chair where it was laying and pulled it up around her shoulders before walking out the door. Jain stopped pacing and rocked back on her heels while staring at the floor. They waited until the door fell shut and he released a tired sigh when he finally turned to her at last. “Jain?”

  She breathed out through her nose and turned to him obediently, with her arms crossed tight around her che
st. Every nerve of her body was alert and trembling with rage. The last thing she wanted was to be scolded by her father.

  “We need to talk about what happened,” Eamon told her, sitting up higher in his seat. “I came home after spending the entire morning searching fer Heather Gordon and what do I find? Ye’ve insulted one of the most powerful fighters in our clan by throwing a bucket of water in his face. Then ye take my horse and disappear without a word. I had to send Alan after ye to make sure ye came home. Can ye imagine how scared yer mother and I were?”

  “I’m sorry,” she told him quietly. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

  The expression on his face was heartbreaking, full of love and frustration all wrapped up in a mix of fear. On top of everything, he also didn’t seem convinced. “Jain, our village already lost a sweet young lass this week. I dinnae want to be losing ye as well.”

  She nodded stiffly without looking up at him.

  “He came around again, with the leering looks he always does. I lost my temper and threw the water bucket at him.”

  Eamon laughed indulgently. “Aye, ye did. I saw the mess he was in when I came back. I dinnae think he’ll be coming around here any time soon.”

  “We’ll see,” Moira whispered.

  “As much as I enjoyed that, Jain. Ye cannae be acting like that, I won’t allow it. Ye ken better than to pick a fight with someone like Conrad. I thank God Alan was there, otherwise it could have gone much differently. Do ye ken?”

  “Aye.”

  He leaned forward in his seat to look her in the eyes and said, “Jain, I need ye to promise me that ye’ll be more careful. This cannae happen again. I try to understand and give ye freedom when I can, but this is one thing I cannae bend on.”

  “I will not be his doxy,” Jain spat out angrily, while rising from her seat. “Any woman that married him would be nothing more than that – Conrad is not capable of love. He said that I need to be ‘broken’…like a horse. His friends were laughing about it with him. I won’t let him talk to me like that. I’d rather die than have him touch me.”