Page 2 of A Wife for the Ruthless Highlander
Councilman Shaw, who stood directly in the center, shifted his weight from foot to foot. But it was not he who spoke. It was the councilman to the far right, Councilman McKellen, who took a step forward.
“Welcome home, Laird Reid,” McKellen sneered.
Arthur stared at him, forcing steel into his gaze. His father, flawed as he may have been, had taught him better than that.
Footsteps sounded behind him, followed by Joseph’s voice.
“Do ye think they’ll start preparin’ the feast?”
His question echoed through the atrium, but he heard his brother stop short. The tail end of his question trailed off, dying out before the final word had fully formed as he spotted the councilmen.
“What a warm welcome,” Joseph mused.
Arthur could feel his brother’s eyes on him. But, as he still did not know entirely what was happening, he had no words to offer him.
“We were just welcomin’ yer braither home,” Councilman McKellen said, his voice more curt as he addressed Joseph. “And we wished to inquire about when we would get to meet yer new bride?”
Arthur stared at the men, refusing to allow any of his confusion to seep through.
What are they yappin’ about?
To his credit, Joseph also remained silent at his side, the pair staring down the men before them as a unified front.
Councilman Shaw sighed, clearly wanting nothing more than for this conversation to end.
“We’ve heard about yer bride,” he explained, glaring at Councilman McKellen. “And, as ye ken what occurred with yer faither, we dinnae want the same reputation to tarnish the clan.”
Immediately, the councilmen’s eyes flicked to Joseph. If Arthur had thought he was angry before, it was nothing compared to the icy rage running through his veins now.
A low, menacing growl sounded in the back of his throat as he advanced on the councilman. Straightening to his full height, he towered over McKellen—towered over all of them.
“I willnae be spoken to like that in me own home,” he hissed, allowing all of his fury to seep into his words. “I willnae be questioned by the likes of ye. Nae when I’ve just returned home after fightin’ a war for our clan. I’ve risked me life every day for five years, and this is the thanks I get?”
McKellen eyed him, a gesture filled with insolence. Arthur had every desire to pummel the man, but he restrained himself.
“One week.” McKellen said the words as if it was a foregone conclusion. “We would like to meet yer bride nay later than one week from today. We understand ye’ve just returned home and need to get settled. That should be more than enough time.”
“Ye will meet me bride when I want ye to meet her,” Arthur retorted.
A hand fell on his shoulder, and he glanced back to find his brother standing there, shaking his head.
And his brother was asking him to stop.
“We will meet yer bride within the week.” McKellen’s voice drew Arthur’s attention once more, and Arthur’s eyes snapped back to him. “We willnae have a laird like yer faither. Our clan cannae abide by that again.”
Hot as fire, anger rose within Arthur all over again. He had been about to step back, about to let everything die out. But not now.
He stepped forward, glaring down at the men before him.
“Ye dare threaten me,” he growled, clenching his fists at his sides. “I fight for ye for five years—fight for yer families to remain safe, riskin’ me life every single day—and this is how ye repay me?”
He was almost chest to chest with McKellen, and for the very first time since Arthur had entered the castle, the councilmen who stood before him looked unsure.
“Ye think ye have the right to come in here and threaten what is mine by blood?”
Despite the uncertainty flickering across McKellen’s face, he still glared up at Arthur. For a moment, Arthur wondered what the repercussions would be if he refused to let them meet his bride. Or rather, the bride they thought he had.
But he would have to figure out one thing at a time. The first thing he needed to do was remove the council from his home so he could figure out what was going on.
