Page 16 of Tempted By a Highland Beast
His chamber was one of the few places in the castle that felt truly his. He had claimed it upon his arrival, filling it with the few possessions that mattered to him—weapons, books, and a small wooden horse his mother had carved for him before she had died. It was there that he could shed the mantle of future leadership, if only for a few hours.
And that night, he needed the stillness. His mind, usually quick to file away encounters and move on, kept drifting back to the woman he’d left behind in the hall. There was no reason she should linger in his mind, he knew better.
Theo and Finlay were waiting for him, as he had expected. They had made themselves comfortable by the fire, Theo nursing a cup of ale while Finlay cleaned his weapons with the methodicalprecision he did everything with. Both men looked up as he entered.
“That well, was it?” Theo asked dryly, setting his cup down.
“About as expected.” Constantine took a seat beside his most trusted men, the closest things he had to friends.
Theo sat to his right, broad shoulders filling out his plain woolen shirt, a testament to twenty years of shared battles. The man had been with him since the early days, when Constantine was just another sellsword with more ambition than sense. They’d found each other in the aftermath of a clan raid that had left Theo’s farming family dead and Constantine nursing wounds from his first real taste of Highland politics. Two men with nothing left to lose had proven to be exactly what the other needed.
Finlay occupied the seat to his left, his lean frame almost lost in the shadows. The lad had been raised by monks until Constantine’s company had found him half-starved on a mountain path three years before. What the holy men had taught him of letters and healing, Constantine had supplemented with lessons in survival and strategy. Now Finlay could track a man across stone and disappear into terrain that would swallow lesser scouts whole.
These two knew him better than anyone alive. They’d followed him not because of bloodlines or titles, but because he’d given them something worth following. Purpose. Belonging. The kind of loyalty that couldn’t be bought or inherited, only earned through shared hardship and mutual trust.
He poured himself a glass of wine, needing the warmth it would bring. “As ye both ken, he wants me tae find a lass tae marry and secure an alliance, proving tae me capability tae become their leader the Council.” Constantine took a sip, needing a moment to gather his thoughts. “Only now, he has set his sight upon our guest.”
He told the men about what had happened by the loch and who the lass really was.
“Found her this morning when I was bathing at the loch. She came crashing through the trees on horseback, two men in pursuit.”
“A MacKenzie lass?” Finlay’s voice was quiet, but Constantine heard the knowing tone beneath it.
“Aye. She may be the answer tae me problem.” Constantine eased back in his chair, the weight of the day pressing heavy on his shoulders.
Theo’s expression sharpened with interest. “Who were the men?”
“Her uncle’s men. She was running from them, half-wild with fear but determined nae tae be taken.” Constantine’s mouth tightened slightly at the memory. “The fools interrupted me bath and had the audacity tae threaten me when I wouldnae tell them where she’d gone.”
“And they lived?” Finlay asked with dry amusement.
“They lived,” Constantine said. “Though they’ll be nursing their wounds fer some time. Naethin’ fatal, but enough tae send a message.”
“So ye brought her here out of the goodness of yer heart, nay doubt.”
Constantine’s mouth quirked slightly at that. “She asked for help, and I was in a position tae give it. I didnae ken who she was until we arrived here at the castle. Her faither’s dead, her clan’s been scattered, and her uncle clearly has plans fer her she wants nay part of. She needs protection. I need legitimacy. ‘Tis tidy, if naethin’ else.”
“Tidy.” Theo’s brows lifted. “Strange word tae use fer a marriage, would ye nae say?”
“Well I didnae think of marriage when I rescued her, of course. But I’d be a fool nae tae see the value in keeping her close.” Constantine said, his tone sharp.
“Is it only strategy though?” Finlay spoke quietly, but there was an edge in it that made Constantine glance up. “Because I saw how ye were looking at her when ye brought her here.”
Constantine had noticed she was beautiful, he wasn’t blind, but that wasn’t the sort of thing he intended to voice aloud. Least of all to his men.
“I’ve only considered what her presence might mean. Naethin’ more.”
“The meanin’ of her presence… And that would be?” Theo asked.
“She’s noble. Unwed, far as I can tell. She’s runnin’ from something, which makes her vulnerable. She might take tae an arrangement, one that serves us both.”
“An arrangement,” Finlay repeated, setting his dagger aside. “Ye make it sound like a trade deal.”
“And is it nae?” Constantine’s voice cut harder than he meant it to.
“When has marriage ever been about anythin’ else fer men like us? Love’s a fool’s luxury, fit fer people with naethin’ tae lose.” The words tasted bitter on his tongue, but he forced himself to believe them.
He had learned long ago that sentiment was weakness, that survival required calculation rather than emotion.
