Page 23 of Taken By the Savage Highlander

“Excellent,” Cameron said. He looked at one of the maids, a little girl that should not be helping in an area so dangerous. He waved her over, and when she stopped in front of him, he said, “Have one of the guards prepare a team of horses to pull the tree away. Then get to work moppin’ up puddles in the corridors. I will send a team of men to secure the broken windows.”

“Aye, me Laird,” she said, seeming relieved to be given direction.

As she rushed out of the room, Margo came inside, followed by a guard. Both of them had their arms full of supplies. She had what looked like every single sheet from her chambers, while the guard was carrying a large stack of boards.

“I told ye to stay in yer chambers,” Cameron said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he crossed the room and stopped in front of her. “It is nae safe here.”

“I am Lady MacLeod, am I not?” she challenged as lightning struck outside, setting the sheets aside and looking over at the work being done. “Is it not my duty to help our people in times of crisis?”

“Nae at risk to yer own life,” he grunted as the thunder rolled through the Land. He heard another gust of wind rising with a painful cry, the trees creaking in response. “Ye should be with yer sister and Tilly.”

Margo ignored him, already rushing over to the dry storage and gathering a large sack of flour in her arms. Quickly, she fell into step with everyone else. It seemed as though she were determined to earn the title despite having already been given it.

I will just keep me eye on her, then. There is too much to be done to argue with her.

As more members of the clan arrived in the area, Cameron assigned each of them duties. The storm seemed to wane, the thunder and lightning growing more distant. They managed to clear the large chunks of debris in almost total darkness, making room for them to begin securing the roof. If they did the job well, removing the tree would not knock anything else loose.

“It’s the oldest structure in the castle,” he yelled up to the men who were nailing boards to the weakest parts of the room. “Daenae move too quickly or ye may fall through!”

“Aye, me Laird,” they called back.

His eyes darted away from the ceiling and over to where Margo was wiping a servant’s face with a dry flannel. She had managed to keep herself relatively dry, mostly staying on the sidelines and organizing the staff with an ease that surprised him. Though he wasn’t happy that she had disobeyed him, he was pleased that she seemed to understand which parts of the task were less dangerous than others.

Less than an hour passed; the rain was going back and forth between coming down in sheets and shooting into the storage area by the time they had steadied the roof. Cameron shifted his attention to the work they were doing, trusting that Margo would not get into trouble. His men had already attached the horses to the tree trunk, and at his mark, they began to pull it away.

The next few moments unfolded so quickly that Cameron would only remember them in flashes.

As the horses surged forward, lightning struck nearby, the thunder crack coming almost immediately afterward. The horses spooked, pulling harder and tearing the trunk to the right. There was a loud crack followed by the stones of the walls rolling hard onto the ground.

Turning around, he saw Margo running toward the mess rather than away. A growl slipped out of his lips, and he went to her, pulling her into his arms and hurrying her toward the far wall. Just as they stepped out of the way, a beam broke and came crashing down in the exact spot she was standing.

I shouldnae have taken me eyes off of her for a single second.

“Ye should have stayed in yer chambers!” Cameron said with more force than necessary, his hand tightening on her forearm. His anger seemed to morph, lashing outwardly at her.

“I wanted to help!” Margo protested, digging her heels in as he began to walk her out of the room. “Where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere that I ken willnae collapse,” he grunted. “Somewhere that I can keep me eye on ye.”

As they left the castle and stepped out into the courtyard, Margo went silent. She did not say another word until they were halfway to the watchtower on the edge of the castle grounds. When she did speak, the words were tight, angry.

“Where could you possibly be taking me?” she demanded, bringing her free hand to her face to wipe away the rain. Lightning struck and, as she continued, the thunder seemed to bolster her anger. “This cannot be any safer than within the castle!”

“The watchtower is the newest buildin’ on the grounds,” he snapped, pulling her faster. “It will withstand the storm, and it is defensible. I can make sure ye stay put.”

When Cameron finally pulled Margo into the watchtower, both of them were soaked to the bone. His hold on her arm was hard enough to bruise. As he led her up the spiral staircase, she tried to yank her arm away. Still, he seemed to refuse to let go.

I do not understand why he is so angry with me. Is it really because I did not listen? He let me be until the beam fell.

It wasn’t until they reached the top floor that he finally let her go. She stumbled a few steps, her wet boots sliding on the smooth stone. When she got her balance back, she whipped around and narrowed her eyes at him.

“You know, for a man that claims I am troublesome, you seem quite determined to keep saving me,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.

Cameron’s face went through a series of emotions that she couldn’t categorize. Then, he said, “Ye are impossible.”

“As are you!” she exclaimed, a shiver running through her.

“Ye’re freezin’,” he scoffed, walking over to the hearth and kneeling in front of it. “Ye should get out of those clothes.”