Page 33 of Saved By the Highland Beast
“I can hear somebody cryin’,” she explained and gently pushed him away until he loosened his grip on her.
Looking around, she tried to pinpoint the noise until she saw a tiny movement beneath a nearby bush. The underbrush rustled as whatever it was tried to hide.
“Sophia, dinnae go an’ look. It could be a wild animal,” he cautioned as she walked toward the area.
The bush was situated just a few steps away from the forest that spread out behind the castle.
“I’ll be careful. I just want to make sure that it isn’t an animal that needs our help,” she said as she quietly approached the bush. The whimpering grew louder the closer she got.
Dean swore under his breath and followed behind just as she lifted one of the snow-covered branches and peered beneath it.
“You poor thing,” she cooed sympathetically. “You must be so cold out here all by yourself. Don’t you have a family to go home to? Dean, look.” She turned around and gestured for the laird to come closer. “The poor thing is cold and all alone. He’s probably hungry too.”
Dean peered over her shoulder at the tiny dog that was curled up into a ball. Its long grey hair was matted and dirty as its tiny body shook from the cold.
He pulled a face and placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to draw her away. “It’s an Aberdeen Terrier. He probably just lost his way. I ken a few lairds that breed them for hunting.”
“That’s awful,” she breathed. “He’s just a sweet little baby. He can’t kill anything.”
He tightened his hold a little more in an attempt to coax her away. “He will soon find his way back to where he came from.”
“But we need to help him.” She shrugged off his grip and reached for the dog. “He doesn’t have anyone else.”
“Sophia, don’t touch him. He could bite ye or give ye some kind of disease,’’ he warned her again.
The dog yelped and jumped to its feet just as she reached for it.
“Oh, no,” she said with concern as he backed away even further. “Don’t be scared, little angel, I only want to help you.”
She ignored everything Dean had said and reached out to touch the dog again, but it turned on its heels and began yelping as it ran through the snow and into the forest beyond.
“Sophia, no!” Dean gripped her shoulders, spinning her around when she attempted to go after the dog. “Ye cannae go into the forest with snow like this!” he yelled. “Do ye see how the snow is fallin’? There’s a blizzard on the way. Ye will surely die out there.”
Sophia froze in his grip as he gently shook her back and forth. The anger in his eyes frightened her. “But the dog might die out there all by himself.” She sniffled as tears filled her eyes.
Dean loosened his grip on her arms and softened his voice. “Ye cannae go after the dog, Sophia. I ken that ye care, but it’s far too dangerous.” He gently rubbed her arms in an attempt to soothe her. “Come here,” he said as she began to cry. “The dog probably has a home he can go to,” he explained as he pulled her against his chest and hugged her tight. “He probably just wandered a little too far from his home. Dogs are resilient creatures.” He stroked her hair.
“I just want him to be all right.” She sniffled again against his chest. The warmth of his arms around her shoulders brought her comfort but did little to stop her from crying.
“I’ll tell ye what.” He placed a finger under her chin and gently tilted her face until she was looking at him. “I’ll send some of the men to search for the dog in the mornin’.”
“But he’ll be out here all alone and cold for the night—” she began, but Dean silenced her by shaking his head and pursing his lips.
“Sorry, lass, I cannae risk people’s lives to find a dog.”
She took a deep breath and swallowed, resigning herself to the fact that the dog would not be going home with her. “All right,” she said and dried her eyes.
“That’s my girl.” Dean nodded and turned her around to face the castle. “We can have another look in the morning.”
Sophia felt her heart sinking as they trudged through the snow in the fading light.
* * *
Sophia opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Day had broken and the snow had eased, but she knew in her heart that there was little hope of finding the tiny dog. The poor thing had probably frozen to death in the night. Pushing the thoughts aside, she swung her legs off the bed. She was tired and groggy from lack of sleep, having spent the entire night worrying about the dog.
Yawning, she was about to stand when the door to her bedroom suddenly burst open. “Dean?!” she gasped as she placed her hands over her mouth.
“Here is the blasted beast,” Dean said with a wild look in his eyes. He was covered from head to toe in melting snow, and he had a wild, disheveled look in his eyes as if he had been up all night.
