Page 33 of Tempted By a Highland Beast
Her face had gone white as fresh snow, her eyes wide with the kind of shock that came from having the ground ripped out from beneath one’s feet. She stood frozen among the celebrating crowd like a deer that had just spotted the hunter’s arrow.
“Rowena,” he breathed, understanding crashing over him like a cold wave.
He watched as she whispered something to Lilias, her expression shifting from shock to something far worse—betrayal. Constantine’s chest tightened with guilt he hadn’t earned.
She thinks I’ve planned this. Of course she daes.
“I need tae—” Constantine started, but Rowena was already moving, pushing through the crowd with desperate urgency.
“Go,” Theo said quietly. “I’ll handle things here.”
Constantine didn’t wait for further permission. He cut through the celebrating crowd, ignoring the congratulations called out to him, the slaps on his back from clansmen who thought they were witnessing a joyous occasion.
The library doors stood ajar, candlelight spilling into the dim corridor like a beacon. Constantine paused at the threshold, his hand resting on the worn wood as he watched Rowena pace before the hearth. Her red hair caught the firelight with each sharp turn, and the rigid set of her shoulders told him everything he needed to know about her mood.
She hadn’t noticed him yet, too consumed by her fury to sense his presence. It was a mistake he’d seen cost men their lives, but here, in the safety of Duart’s walls, it only made her look vulnerable.
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The soft click made her spin toward him, her hazel eyes blazing with the kind of fire that could burn a man alive.
“What was yer faither talking about Constantine?” Her voice was sharp as any blade he’d ever carried.
Constantine didn’t move closer, but he said nothing in answer and kept his hands loose at his sides.
She seemed to take his silence for confirmation, and a bitter laugh escaped her. “So ye ken.”
“Nay.”
“Then what are ye daeing here?” She crossed her arms, the gesture pulling her dress tight across her chest. He forced his gaze to remain on her face, though the effort cost him more than he cared to admit.
“I came tae offer ye an explanation because I didnae want ye tae get the wrong idea.” He kept his tone level, the same voice he’d used to broker deals in smoky taverns and blood-soaked battlefields. “The announcement was Niall’s daeing, nae mine.”
Her laugh was bitter, cutting through the space between them. “And I suppose ye had nay knowledge of it? Nay part in the planning?”
“I ken the logic behind it.” He took a measured step forward, watching her tense. “A noble marriage solidifies me claim. Makes me more than just a bastard playing at being laird.”
“How convenient fer ye.”
“Aye, it is.” The blunt admission seemed to catch her off guard. Her pacing stopped, and she studied his face. “But I didnae help ye with such a promise in mind, Rowena.” He moved closer, close enough to catch the faint scent of lavender that clung to her skin.
“I think ye’re a man who sees opportunity and takes it.” She stepped back until her shoulders hit the stone mantel, trapped between his advancing presence and the wall. “Just like every other man who’s tried tae use me fer his own ends.”
The comparison stung. “I am naethin’ like yer uncle.”
“Enlighten me.”
He saw her flinch at the mention of Alpin, but the challenge in her voice remained, making him continue.
He stopped just within arm’s reach, close enough that he could see the rapid pulse at her throat, the way her breathing had quickened. “I’m offering ye partnership, nae ownership,” he said, voice low.
“Aye, I’ll gain legitimacy through the match, none would deny that. But this could be yer way tae stop runnin’ from yer uncle.”
Rowena’s brow furrowed, her mind likely racing over every option, weighing each cost. Constantine watched her closely, knowing she hadn’t missed the truth in his words, even if she hadn’t yet decided what to do with it.
“But I need something in return.”
“What would that be?”
“Transparency. I willnae move forward blind, lass. If I’m tae protect ye, tae bind me fate tae yers, I need tae ken what I’m facing."
