Page 24 of The Highlander’s Savage Vow

And yet she still flinched if he moved too quickly, still pressed herself against walls when he passed too close in the narrow space.

He reached for his leather jerkin when he caught her watching him from her seat by the window. Her hazel eyes were fixed on his bare chest before the shirt covered it, and when their gazes met, color flooded her cheeks like sunrise over the loch.

Holy Mary.

The sight of her blush sent heat waves through his veins. She looked so tempting sitting there in the morning light, her auburn hair loose around her shoulders, her lips slightly parted in embarrassment.

He cleared his throat roughly, and she immediately turned away, pretending sudden fascination with the view from the window. "What dae ye plan tae dae today?" he asked, needing to fill the charged silence as he fastened his jerkin.

She shrugged, still not meeting his eyes. "Maybe read. There are some books in yer maither's solar I havenae started."

"That’s good. Are ye enjoying the ones ye’ve read?"

"Aye. But what about me duties as yer wife? When can I start those?" she asked, finally turning back to face him though the blush hadn't entirely faded. "I feel like I should be daeing something more than just... existing."

"Ye must remember that me maither is still the lady of this clan," he said carefully. "Fer now, ye should find ways tae assist her and the other staff around the castle. Learn how things are done here."

"I've tried," she said, frustration creeping into her voice.

He glanced at her. Sensing there was more. "And… what?"

"And I get the feeling I'm more hindrance than help. I dinnae ken where I fit."

The defeat in her voice made his chest tighten. He'd been so focused on keeping her safe, on managing clan business and border threats, that he hadn't considered how isolated she might feel.

"Surely there are tasks that need yer input. I'm sure Maither would appreciate⁠—"

"Maither is daeing great," Iona said firmly. "But I can see it in everyone else's eyes. They're waiting tae see if I'll bring disaster down on their heads."

Which isn't entirely wrong, he thought grimly, but kept the observation to himself.

"Give it time, lass. These things⁠—"

"Time," she repeated with a bitter laugh. "Aye, I suppose that's all I have, isn't it? Time tae sit and wait and try nae tae be too much trouble."

The defeat in her voice hit him harder than he cared to admit. He wanted to offer more comfort, to find words that might ease the frustration he could see eating away at her. But what could he say? That she was right to feel useless? That the clan's wariness of her was justified given the danger she'd brought to their doorstep?

Instead, he cleared his throat roughly. "I should... there are patrols tae organize. Border security tae review."

"Of course," she said, turning back to the window with that same listless expression that had greeted him when he'd found her sitting there hours earlier. "Duty calls."

He hesitated at the doorway, watching the dejected set of her shoulders.

There has tae be something she can dae. Some way to make her feel less like a burden and more like... what? A wife? A clan member? What exactly am I trying tae make her intae?

But the questions had no easy answers, and his men would be waiting.

The conversation stayed with him as he made his way to the bailey, where his men were already assembled for the morning patrol. Cormac MacRae, his most trusted lieutenant, approached with the easy stride of a born warrior.

"Any word from the border scouts?" Ruaridh asked, checking his sword belt. “Aye, sir. MacNab riders were spotted near the old mill early today, but they rode off before our men could engage."

"How many?"

"Six, maybe eight. Hard to tell in the mist."

Ruaridh cursed under his breath. "They're testing our defenses, seeing how far they can push without triggering a response."

"What are yer orders?"