Flynn leaned closer, his tone more serious now. “That ties to the other matter, Ian.”
Ian looked toward him sharply. "What matter?"
I willnae speak of Arianna and the contract.
“Rumors of raiders moving through the hills again.”
Ian’s expression hardened instantly.
“Raiders,” he repeated coldly.
Flynn nodded grimly. “Aye. Farms south of the river say items have gone missing, though none claim to have seen the thieves.”
George sighed heavily beside them. “It’s as if the devils appear in the night and vanish come morning.”
“They’re no ghosts,” Ian growled.
Nearby guards glanced toward the dais at the sudden rise of his voice.
Ian leaned forward, his voice lowering but carrying a dangerous edge.
“Send more riders along the border. Double the watch on the roads.”
Flynn raised a brow slightly but nodded. “Aye, we can do that.”
“I want them found,” Ian continued. “Dragged before the clan if need be.”
George spread his hands calmly. “We’ll see to it, me Laird.”
The conversation carried on around him with less important matters, but Ian’s attention drifted again.
His gaze slid toward the great doors of the hall.
Where is she?
The clan continued pouring inside, warriors laughing and servants weaving between benches, filling goblets. Yet the one face he searched for had not yet appeared. The heat rose in him as the memory of the carriage returned unbidden.
Her flushed cheeks. The softness of her lips. The way she had trembled beneath me touch. Will I be able to keep my restraint?
The thought lingered uneasily in his mind. Yet another fear crept in beside it, quieter but far more troubling.
Or worse… Will she look at me with fear after what I did in the carriage?
George finished the last of his ale and pushed back from the table with a respectful nod.
“Well then, me Laird, I’ll leave ye now.”
Ian gave a small nod in return. “Good evenin’, George.”
The older councilman stepped away into the bustle of the hall, leaving Flynn seated beside Ian with an oddly satisfied look upon his face.
Flynn leaned closer, lowering his voice. “There’s somethin’ I’ve been meaning to tell ye, Ian.”
Ian glanced at him curiously. “Aye? What news have ye got that puts such a grin on yer face?”
Flynn scratched the back of his neck before saying quietly, “Melissa’s with child.”
Ian blinked once in surprise before breaking into a rare grin. “Is she now?” he said, then clapped Flynn hard on the shoulder.
