Page 113 of Dark Seduction

He began to tremble with anger. “I ken ye didna break yer vows. Why was my bastard brother in here with ye? Did he try to seduce ye while I was locked up in the tower?”

“No!” she cried. She seized his hands. “He was watching over me, Malcolm—for you.” Impossibly, she was defending Aidan now. “I did find pleasure tonight,” she whispered, blushing. “It was only a dream, but I was with you and it was wonderful. He heard me from the hall and thought I might be with a demon. He barged in to rescue me. That is all,” she said firmly.

Malcolm stared at her. Claire hated lying by omission. “Please forgive him,” she said hoarsely. “He’s your brother. The two of you should be allies, friends.”

Malcolm’s gaze turned ice-cold. “He’ll stay away from ye now. I’ve had enough of his lustin’ fer ye.”

“He doesn’t lust for me,” she cried.

He raised both brows.

“Malcolm! All the Masters are impossibly oversexed. Aidan lusts for anything young, pretty and female!”

Some of his tension eased. “Ye wish fer us to be friends?” He was clearly disbelieving.

“Yes, I do.”

“He be Moray’s son. He be a rogue.” He was grim, and from his expression, she saw that he did not trust Aidan. And how could he, when Aidan chose to behave so erratically and selfishly? At times she liked him and trusted him, but at other times she did not.

Malcolm had pulled away. He lifted his gaze to her. “I need ye, Claire. In bed, the way ye want it. Slow.”

Claire’s eyes widened. Was he telling her he wanted to make love to her? Or that he wanted to have sex, just in a less frenzied way?

She began to nod. The tension that was pulsing now felt right, not dark, not evil.

“Well,” she said softly, breathless now, “there’s a few hours before dawn.”

He slowly smiled, the most seductive smile she had ever seen. Her body erupted into flames.

Past his shoulder, through the open door, she saw Aidan coming down the hall. Claire was filled with dismay. It was too late. Malcolm turned. Aidan glanced inside and faltered, starting as he saw Malcolm.

Go away! Claire thought silently, praying Aidan might hear.

But he only glanced briefly at her as he stepped to the threshold of the room. “Ye been released?” he exclaimed to Malcolm, his relief evident.

“Aye.” Malcolm smiled coldly. “An’ I be tired o’ watchin’ ye lust fer what is mine.”

Aidan’s relief vanished. He smiled coolly. “I’d never touch yer woman.” He turned and walked up the hall, toward the chamber he shared with Isabel.

Claire leaped past Malcolm and slammed their door closed. “I am proud of you,” she began, when a sudden sense of dread began and she knew something terrible was about to happen.

Malcolm felt it, too, because he tensed, his expression becoming one of alarm, an expression she now hated.

“What is it? Is it evil?” she gasped hoarsely.

Before Malcolm could answer, a horrible cry sounded. It was anguished, a cry of protest, of outrage.

“Aidan!” Malcolm exclaimed.

He seized the door, flinging it open. Claire followed him, uncertain that he had correctly identified the cry, because she could not recognize Aidan’s voice in that raw sound. And now there was only a terrible, frightening silence.

Malcolm ran past several doors, Claire on his heels. Aidan’s door was ajar and Malcolm barged inside, Claire with him. She saw Aidan on his knees, head bowed. For a split second she thought he was praying.

And then she saw Isabel.

She lay on her back, naked, hair streaming, eyes wide and sightless.

Claire gasped in horror. And then she saw the slight smile on her face.