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They were only a few feet apart from one another. Finn never flinched from her gaze. Aye, she was angry, but there was longing there too.
Arabella’s voice was quiet and full of steel when she said, “I think you should leave.”
His inner beast roared, but Finn ignored him. “I’ll leave, but think on it, lass. Lochguard may not be perfect, but it could be a fresh start for you.”
Provided, of course, he hadn’t fucked up the alliance with Stonefire.
Before the dragonwoman could reply, there was a knock on the door followed by Bram shouting, “Finlay Stewart, I know you’re in there. We need to talk.”
Arabella retreated to the far side of the room. It took everything Finn had not to walk over and corner her against the wall to provoke her fire again. Both man and beast liked her fire, maybe a little too much.
There was more pounding on the door and Finn sighed. “It looks like you’re getting your wish, lass.”
He waited a beat, but Arabella remained silent. Rather than push too far, he gave a flourishing bow and went to the door. Opening it, Bram glared up at him and said, “Where’s Arabella? Is she okay?”
Finn motioned behind him. “She’s back there. Lass, care to shout out so he doesn’t kill me?”
Arabella peeked her head around the corner. “I’m fine, Bram. Finn was just leaving.”
Bram looked between him and Arabella, but if the Stonefire leader expected an explanation, he wasn’t going to get one.
Finn raised an eyebrow. “You’re letting the heat out. If we’re walking and talking, then let’s go.”
Bram gave him one more assessing stare before he turned around and started walking. Finn took one last look at Arabella and dared to say, “Think on it, lass. I mean it.”
Then he was out the door. As he lengthened his stride to catch up with Bram, Finn hoped that wasn’t the last he saw of Arabella MacLeod. The lass deserved to have laughter and light in her life and Finn wanted to be the one to give it to her.
When he caught up with Bram, Finn decided not to delay the inevitable. “Care to tell me if the alliance still stands or not?”
Bram stopped and turned toward him. “As much as my dragon doesn’t like it, I can handle you being the one to rescue Evie. She’s alive and I thank you.”
Finn raised an eyebrow. “But?”
“But killing Neil Westhaven was never part of the plan. You were supposed to help capture him and bring him back alive.”
Finn’s dragon huffed. Why would he want the traitor alive? It’s better that he’s dead.
He likes to play by the rules.
Hmph. Sometimes the rules are meant to be broken.
Finn agreed, but from what he’d learned of Bram Moore-Llewellyn over the last week, it would take a different way of thinking to preserve the alliance. “He had your mate in his arms, a talon at her throat, and was one slice away from killing her. The idiot had his back to me and I took advantage. Wouldn’t you have done the same?”
Bram stared at him a second before he answered. “Maybe. My concern is you acting out of turn and ignoring what we agreed upon for the alliance. You being unpredictable could hurt my clan.”
Finn’s dragon snarled and he pushed back his beast. “The foundation of the alliance is helping each other out and protecting one another when needed. I plan on doing that. My ways may differ from yours, but after what happened today, I reckon you and I need to stick together. The rescue was too easy.”
Bram’s tension eased a bit. “I feel the same. Simon Bourne isn’t an idiot. I can almost guarantee he allowed us to rescue Evie, Nikki, and wee Murray. I just don’t know why.”
“Right now, neither do I. But think about it—if we’re both gathering intelligence and keeping an eye on the dragon hunters, then our clans both have a greater chance of surviving whatever Simon Bourne may throw at us.”
The Stonefire leader assessed him, but Finn didn’t waiver. While the alliance would make his life easier, he could find another way to protect his clan if it came to that. Giving up wasn’t in Finlay Stewart’s vocabulary.
Another second passed and then Bram nodded. “Right, we’ll keep the alliance for now, but on one condition.”
“What?”
“Leave Arabella MacLeod alone.”
