“Tell Sarah to bring up water and broth for Rionna,” he called after Gannon.

Gannon held up a hand in acknowledgment before disappearing down the stairs.

Caelen quietly reentered the chamber to check on Rionna. She hadn’t moved from where he’d put her on the bed. The furs were pulled over her shoulders and her eyes were closed.

Wanting to see if she was truly sleeping, he leaned close and listened to her soft, even breathing. When she didn’t stir, he drew away and went to add more wood to the fire so she’d be warm.

When the flames were blazing once more, he sank into the chair and bowed his head. He’d been so cavalier in leaving for the hunt. Food had seemed like the most important priority. He’d thought to feed his clan and then see to its protection. His first action and decision as laird and he’d made a huge mistake. A mistake his wife had paid dearly for.

CHAPTER 17

Chapter 18

Rionna pressed gingerly at her still swollen eye, wincing when she touched a particularly sore spot. Caelen was below in the courtyard directing the training of the men. He’d left her after making sure she ate a good meal and instructing her to rest.

’Twas the truth, she’d had more rest over the last week than she could bear. She’d wallowed. She’d sulked. She’d dealt with her fear and her sense of failure. Now … Now she was just furious.

Furious with the men who’d trespassed on her lands. Furious with the cowardice of Duncan Cameron. Furious that she’d been rendered helpless against a vicious attack.

No longer could she accept her husband’s decree that she become a meek, feminine version of whatever fantasy he’d built in his mind of the perfect wife. That wasn’t who she was. He should have given more thought to stepping in to marry her if he wasn’t prepared to accept a wife he considered wholly unsuitable.

She dressed in trews and a tunic she saved for what she viewed as special occasions. It was soft. No holes, no stains, and the hem was finely stitched.

It was overlayed in red velvet with gold stitching. It had taken every coin she’d saved for three years, but it was the finest thing she’d ever owned.

She wiped at the dirt on her boots and rubbed a finger over the toe where the leather was so thin that a hole had nearly been worn. She had need of a new pair, but it was a luxury she couldn’t contemplate, not when everyone else in her clan had shoes and boots just as worn, if not worse.

Still, she could dream of how a new pair would feel on her feet. Fur lined. She could practically feel the softness surrounding her toes.