Across the room, Mairin rose and instantly put her hand to her back. She looked tired, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Ewan. He frowned and quickly stood up. He was across the room in a moment, and leaned down to murmur in her ear. She smiled up at him, and soon Ewan was walking her toward the stairs leading to their chamber.

Alaric gripped his goblet and stared at the swirl of ale still left. He set it down on the table, unable to stomach the thought of swilling more of the stout brew.

“I hate seeing you like this,” Caelen muttered. “Go have a tumble with one of the women more than willing to warm your bed. You’ll forget the healer. ’Tis unseemly to allow a woman so much power over you.”

Alaric smiled faintly. “Clearly you’ve never wanted a woman in the way I want Keeley.”

Caelen’s expression darkened and Alaric immediately wished he could call back the ill-spoken words. ’Twas the truth that years ago Caelen had been thoroughly besotted by a woman. He’d declared his love openly for her. He would have died for her. Instead, she betrayed them to Duncan Cameron and their clan lost all, Ewan’s young wife and their father. Caelen had never allowed himself to fall under the spell of a woman again. Alaric wasn’t even sure if Caelen ever bedded a woman. If he did, he was extremely discreet.

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t well done of me,” Alaric said.

Caelen raised his goblet to his mouth and stared stonily toward the fire. “ ’Tis no matter. My mistakes should serve as a warning to you never to allow a woman to lead you about by the cock.”

Alaric sighed. “Not all women are of Elsepeth’s ilk. Look at Mairin. She serves Ewan well. She is loyal and steadfast. She is a good mother to Crispen and would die for Ewan.”

“Mairin is a woman above others,” Caelen said stubbornly. “Ewan is fortunate. Most men go a lifetime and will never find a woman who places her husband and clan above herself.”

“And Keeley did none of those things by caring for me? How was she to know I wasn’t some monster who’d rape and abuse her? She was abducted from her home and brought to live with strangers and yet she still tended me to exhaustion.”