Page 4 of Taken By the Exiled Laird

"Me lady?" the driver, Allan, called. "Should I stop the carriage?"

The stranger—no, Theon—raised an eyebrow. Briana huffed and, knowing she had little choice, called back, "No, Allan. Faster, please. We need tae get tae the far end of the village."

"Aye, miss," Allan replied, and the carriage lurched as the horses picked up speed.

Theon bowed his head in thanks. Briana glared at him, folding her arms across her chest. What was he doing here? She didn't know what the story was with the people he'd been running from, but she knew it could be no coincidence that he'd found her. She couldn't quite understand why he was playing this part when it was just the two of them alone, but he could not fool her.

"What—" she started, but Theon shook his head. He was staring out of the window, brow furrowed, eyes intent, and Briana understood with some annoyance that he wasn't going to answer any of her questions until they had gotten further from the village.

They trundled along the road until they had cleared the village, a few miles down the road where the forest looped ahead. The road to the left was a sharp turn that would take Briana on to her new home. This was as good a spot as any to get the truth out of Theon. Anticipation was biting at Briana's skin, making it impossible to sit still.

"Allan! Stop here!" she called.

Theon whipped his head around to stare at her, but he didn't say anything.

A moment later, Allan pulled open the door to let Briana out of the carriage. She accepted the driver's offered hand to help her down the large step between her level and the ground. Taking a few steps away, she turned around with her arms folded but was surprised and even more annoyed to see that Theon wasn't following her. Instead, he remained in the carriage, fully visible, nodding politely to Allan but not moving at all.

"Get out!" Briana demanded, all but stamping her foot. "Whatever do ye mean by this? Do ye expect us tae take ye all the way tae the next clanlands? This isnae a public carriage, ye ken."

Theon's eyes flicked to her at that, the ghost of a smile on his lips. A moment later, she was sure she must have imagined it, because he was as stonefaced as ever. He remained in the carriage, settling more comfortably in the seat.

Allan cleared his throat. "Sir, I think ye should disembark," he suggested.

"Och, never mind that, Allan. Take a walk and leave us be," Briana ordered. She realized how sharp her tone was immediately, and softening her voice, she added, "Please. I just need a moment tae meself."

Allan didn't look convinced, but he nodded and wandered off just past the tree line. There was a long, long pause. Then, after a few more moments, Theon eventually exited the carriage. He looked left and right and then moved forward, stopping in front of Briana.

Her breath caught as she took him in. He'd gotten more toned since she last saw him a decade before. His shoulders were broad, his beard thick—so different from the clean-shaven young man she remembered—and there were small crinkles at the side of his eyes that added intrigue to his face.

Danger shivered through her. This wasn't Theon, her first love—it was Theon, son of the traitorous clan who had tried to destroy everything the alliance held dear. She had to be careful, and yet… yet she couldn't stop looking.

She noticed a small scar right under his eye and had to fight the urge to touch it, to run her fingers down his face and ask him how he got it. The closer he stood to her, the more her body reacted. It had been so, so long since she'd felt this way, a feeling that she'd consigned to childhood memories and hadn't dared believe she'd feel again.

But now Theon was here.

He'd come for her, just as she'd hoped and prayed he would for so long before she'd learned the truth of the evil that surrounded his family. He'd heard about the wedding and he'd come to steal her away.

It was improper. Scandalous, even.

She must do her duty and run from him, away from the darkness he'd caused. Her family would be heartbroken. But Briana knew that if her name fell from his lips, she'd be under his spell just as much now as she had been at fourteen. The roughness of him now only added to that dark swirl inside of her that longed to touch, to explore, to find a new kind of freedom.

He met her eyes and her breath caught in anticipation. "Well," he said.

"Aye?" she breathed, her voice strangled.

"It's time I was on me way. Thank ye for the lift. I much appreciate it, miss."

Thunderstruck, Briana could do nothing but gape. What was he talking about? He intended to just… leave? After everything—after bursting into her carriage, delaying her journey, he was just going to walk away?

"Is this a jest?" she demanded. "Will ye deny that ye came here tae steal me away?"

Theon paused. "Steal ye away?"

"From me wedding! Dinnae deny that it's why ye are here. Dinnae ye dare try tae fool me in such a way, nae after all this. Ye've come here tae claim me, have ye nae? Ye've come tae stop the marriage and take me for yerself! What else could ye possibly mean by comin' here, now?"

She could not believe that he was toying with her. Anger and hurt and complicated fury swirled inside her, and she clenched her fists so hard she could feel the nails digging into her skin.

But the look on his face wasn't amused nor angry. He took a step away from her, speaking very, very carefully, like someone talking to a child.