“Raven!” her da shouted again.
“I’m warning you, Purity,” Bayne called out.
Raven held her hands out for the kitten.
Purity kissed the top of the kitten’s head. “Go with Raven, I’ll be back to visit soon.”
The kitten meowed softly and didn’t protest when Purity handed him to Raven. It was as if he understood her.
“Go!” Raven urged again and Purity took off.
Raven made her way out of the woods to hear Arran arguing with Bayne.
“Purity has not been here. She has not asked me to wed her again,” Arran said, exasperated at repeating it.
“Raven, have you seen Purity?” her da asked as soon as he spotted her, which had Bayne and Arran turning her way.
“No, I haven’t,” she said.
“You’re lying,” Bayne snapped. “You’re holding that kitten I caught Purity with one time when I was here.”
“King is my kitten,” Raven said and the look Arran sent her told her he knew she was lying. At least he didn’t betray her, but Arran wouldn’t do that to family. “Purity may like the kitten, but King’s mine.”
“You lie easily,” Bayne accused again.
“That’s enough, Bayne,” her da threatened. “I won’t permit you to call my daughter a liar.”
Raven could have sworn she saw a storm brewing in Bayne’s blue eyes and when they narrowed, she knew he was trying to keep hold of his temper.
Bayne settled his stormy blue eyes on Raven, and she rushed to speak before he could.
“Purity and I have become friends and she is welcome to visit here whenever,”—she settled a defiant glare on Bayne— “she wants.”
The storm brewing in his eyes looked about to burst and the way he clenched his hands, Raven imagined he wished he could strangle her.
Though she and Bayne were a distance apart, her da stepped between them. “What my daughter meant to say was that Purity is welcome to visit here anytime with your permission.”
Raven smiled sweetly at Bayne, purposely claiming victory and it spread wider when he turned a deep scowl on her. Though, a twinge of fear struck when the storm in his eyes suddenly settled. She often heard the men and women alike claim, beware the calm before the storm. Was he about to unleash a storm?
Bayne kept his eyes on her while addressing her da. “Chieftain Parlan, Raven will be of marriage age soon and I think the time has come for us to seriously discuss my offer of marriage to your daughter.”
Raven walked past her da so fast that he couldn’t stop her and she shocked everyone when she raised her hand and jabbed Bayne in the chest as she declared, “There’s no way in hell I would marry you—ever!”
“Raven!” her da scolded.
To Raven’s surprise Bayne smiled, though it wasn’t a sweet smile.
“That’s not your decision,” he said. “And dare jab me again and you’ll be sorry.”
That was a challenge Raven couldn’t ignore, so she jabbed him again. “Wrong, arsehole, I decide who I wed.”
She was yanked so fast away from Bayne that King flew out of her arm, screeching and ran off. It took Raven a moment to realize it had been Arran who had pulled her away from Bayne. And probably none too soon since he looked ready to kill her.
“She needs a firm hand and I have one,” Bayne said, looking to her da.
Raven went to speak.
“Don’t dare open your mouth,” Arran warned with a harsh whisper in her ear.
She reluctantly clamped her mouth shut.
“I don’t take a hand or a stick to my daughter and I won’t wed her to a man that does,” her da said.
Raven was proud of her da’s response, though she wasn’t happy with Bayne’s reply.
“I don’t need to raise my hand or use a stick to tame a wife,” Bayne said and when her da went to speak, he raised his hand to stop him. “I doubt you will have men falling over themselves eager to wed Raven and you know as well as I do what joining our two clans would mean. It isn’t only our two clans that would benefit. The other clans would benefit from our combined strength and wealth as well.”
He unknowingly answered her question without her having to ask. She wondered why he would even consider marrying her. Now she knew. What she hadn’t known was that Bayne had already approached her da with the idea.
“There are more important things to presently discuss. Marriage to my daughter can wait,” Parlan said. “Let’s talk in my solar.” He looked to his daughter. “Go to your bedchamber, Raven.”
Not again. She couldn’t stand being stuck there for the day. “Please, Da, let me check on the kitten first.”
“Then to your bedchamber,” her da ordered.
Raven nodded.
“I must join them, but I will check to make sure you do as Da says,” Arran warned.
“I will,” Raven assured him.
Arran let go of her arm. “You need to learn to hold your tongue.”
Raven held it at that moment, not wanting to spar with her brother and make her situation worse. It would take her a while to find King and she’d start her search in places the kitten wouldn’t go.
As she walked, not bothering to glance around for King, she thought of Bayne’s reason for his proposal of marriage. He was right about the benefit of a union between them and she worried her da might consider it. Her da had to have at least given it thought with the Clan MacDonnegal having been attacked.
She shuddered thinking of Purity and how restricted it was for her at home. She could never live like that, never have a husband who commanded her like a servant. Bayne was also known for his strength. Tall and lean, many a large warrior thought him easy to defeat and were surprised to suffer defeat at his hands. It was said that many a warrior prayed they’d never meet him on the battlefield.
She had always avoided Bayne when he visited. He forever wore a stern expression and appeared ready to command when he looked at you. Others thought differently, since many a woman sent an inviting smile his way, which he ignored. He was a man bent on power and command and she wanted nothing to do with him.
Raven thought about what she had discussed with Purity only a short time ago.
Women are used as pawns to gain that power.
She didn’t want to be a pawn. She had always believed she would wed a man of her choice. But what if she truly had no choice? What if she needed to make a choice for the benefit and safety of her father, brothers, and her clan? Would she have the strength to do so?
Raven cast a glance at the sky. Gray clouds had gathered, though the air was still and unusually warm for the end of spring. She looked around the village that spread out not far from the keep. It seemed quiet to her today. There were not many people to be seen or children running about, not even the occasional bark of a dog.
The calm before the storm.
Was there a storm coming?
Raven shuddered and turned toward the keep, surprisingly feeling the need to be alone in her bedchamber. She hurried her footsteps, turning her head toward the woods as she went, hoping Purity would be there tomorrow and they could once again talk.
She almost stumbled when she caught a glimpse of a woman in a dark cloak walking just inside the edge of the woods. Raven stopped and so did the woman.