She almost glanced behind herself to see if one of his brothers stood there, but Cain stared directly into her face. Her eyes widened, her lips parting. Before his clan, he was asking a prisoner to organize the blessing?

Ella pressed Gilla forward to come beside him. She cleared her throat and blinked against the smoke that wafted into her eyes. “I would send the wildest horses, one at a time, through first with two strong attendants each and then take them back to their stables to make way for the gentler ones and then the mothers and their foals.”

Cain nodded and turned back to the crowd. “This is Lady Ella Sutherland, who will be my wife in a fortnight. Her advice is sound.” Cain turned to Hamish, whose frantic look had changed to utter bewilderment, his gaze bouncing between him and Ella.

“Lord of the Beasts,” Cain said. “I know that ye, too, have thoughts on making this work smoothly. The two of ye will discuss the order, and ye will see it carried out with the efficiency and masterfulness that ye always employ.”

The man’s chest puffed up, and he managed to close his mouth and nod. Cain looked to Ella. “Can ye work with Hamish to improve this bloody idiotic tradition?” It was a question, not a command, and Ella nodded.

…

Within minutes, Hamish was lining up the stallions with two men each to help hold lead lines. Ella stood with him, pointing, nodding, and listening to Hamish. Whatever she said to him seemed to make the man accept her help. It seemed that she was good at diplomacy.

Cain stood apart, next to Seraph, waiting for their turn to walk between the flames. Joshua sauntered up, a teasing grin on his face. “Very nice, brother.” He nodded to where Ella and Hamish stood. Ella said something, and Hamish actually smiled. Well, it wasn’t a smile exactly, but his usual frown softened.

“Showing her respect,” Joshua continued. “Lasses love it. And before the clan… She will be in your bed before ye know it.”

Was that his intent? “She is quite clever,” Cain said, thinking over her words on the moor. “And I agree that Da’s wild ways need improvement.” Cain slid a hand down Seraph’s neck.

Joshua came around the horse. “Now to make her jealous.”

Cain huffed. “How would that make her more biddable to me?”

Joshua shook his head. “Do ye know nothing about lasses? They can resist carnal temptation much longer than we men, but put another woman in the picture, and they will do anything to keep the man they’ve decided they want.”

“I would not put Ella Sutherland in the category of women who want me,” Cain said.

“Ye have declared that she will be your wife,” Joshua said. “Therefore, she is already seeing ye as her territory. We have our games of war, and lasses have their own games.”