Page 21 of Taken By the Ruthless Highlander
Blast it all to hell. Get out of my head.
Ryder quickened his pace as if he had spotted a rival ahead of him. With his legs already burning, he mustered more strength to go even faster.
With each stride, an unquenchable fire shot through the veins in his legs. Yet, the harder he pushed himself, the more vivid her presence became. Not even being out on the open moor, with the crisp morning air filling his nostrils, could push every trace of Morgana out of his mind.
What is it about ye, lass?
His heart pounded relentlessly, mixed with a pinch of frustration and a heavy load of desire.
There was no doubt that the raven-haired lass had caught his eye. But it was her boldness in the face of death that intrigued him the most. Seeing her on the barrel, stoic and resigned to her fate, had moved him. It was as if she held the answers to the darkest questions he dared not ask. Yet, he had to know.
Making the circuit around the training camp, Ryder couldn’t help but notice the small number of men in the yard. Either the clan was on strike, or they had grown so lazy under his father’s rule that they had forgotten the pride to wake up so early.
As he jogged along the border, he tried not to look at the place with contempt or malice. After all, this was his clan to rule, and these were his soldiers to lead.
As he approached the glade beyond the stone wall of the castle, he slowed to a halt and leaned against a sturdy oak to catch his breath.
The sound of the birds singing merrily in the boughs of the trees only reminded him of Morgana’s melodic voice. He wondered if she could sound intimidating. A small chuckle escaped his lips at the thought.
“So, this is how ye decide ye’re goin’ to waste yer time,” Angus drawled as he poked his head around the stone archway. The gaurd winked. “Well, while ye’re makin’ the lap to hell and back, the council is settlin’ matters with yer wife.”
The news rattled Ryder to his core. He pushed off the wall and started for the castle, Felix hot on his heels.
“A secret meetin’? Is there anyone I can trust?” he grumbled.
“Most of these men were very loyal to yer faither. I dinnae think such a courtesy extends to ye,” Felix said.
Ryder stormed through the main entrance. The moan of the door hinges grated on his nerves, but as long as it echoed and drifted into the bowels of the castle, he didn’t care.
“Where?” he snapped as Angus took the lead.
Without hesitation, Ryder followed him through one corridor after another. If he hadn’t played in every nook and cranny of the castle, trying to steer clear of his father, he wouldn’t have a clue as to where he was. But the shadows were his friends, as were the secrets that lingered like phantoms in the corners of the castle.
“This is treason!” he shouted and barged into the storeroom.
The seven men there froze. And as he glared at each one in turn, sizing them up, his gaze fell on Nathan.
“What is the meanin’ of this? Ye think ye can stage a coup? It might have worked when my faither was Laird, but it’ll nae happen under my rule. Call the guards, I want these men thrown in the dungeons.”
“My Laird, please,” Nathan sputtered as he bowed low. “We merely wish to ensure our safety.”
“From what? Or from whom? If ye’re goin’ to mention Morgana, ye can keep silent,” Ryder snapped.
“Please humor me, My Laird, but that woman killed the previous Laird. Ye think she willnae do the same to ye?” Nathan countered.
“And if she does, what’s it to me? She’ll have done the deed, and ye’ll be able to kill two birds with one stone. That’s what ye’re tryin’ to do, is it nae? Ye’re all here to find a way to get me out of the picture. Which one of ye is eyein’ my seat? Is it ye, Nathan?” Ryder asked. “Aye. It is isnae, is it? Well, I can tell ye, it willnae be easy.”
“What in the world is goin’ on here? Are ye tryin’ to damage the grain?” Orella grumbled the moment she rounded the corner.
Ryder stepped out of the room, just as Angus came rushing down the corridor with a few guards he recognized. Disgust festered deep within his soul as Angus ordered the guards to restrain the seven councilmen.
“My Laird, ye cannae jail the councilmen. The clan will think ye’ve gone mad,” Angus whispered, before marching into the room.
“Take them all to the dungeons. Let them spend a night or two in the mire—maybe then ye’ll remember yer places,” Ryder barked.
He watched as Angus and the guards dragged Nathan and the other traitorous councilmen out of the room.
“How long did ye want to keep them in the dungeons?” Angus asked. “Ye ken they have the means to get out in a matter of hours.”
