Page 82 of The Rogue’s Redemption

His hands began to shake.

“But you don’t need to act that way to get attention. How do I know that? Because I fell in love with you anyway, and everyone in your family loves you as well. We all see you for who you are, not who you pretend to be.”

He was so surprised that he could not move and instead simply stood there and stared at this slip of a woman who was telling him everything he should already know.

She reached up and brushed the single tear off his cheek.

Allie may be right, but he still did not deserve her.

Yet.

He would prove to her, to her sister, to everyone, that he was worthy. He had promised Gillian he would return to Highgate End as Toren’s second, and he knew how he could gain the elders’ trust.

But Allie would not like it. Toren, Alex . . . they would all be angry with him for trying.

If he told her his plan, she would be forced to lie for him, which he would not do to her. Instead, he asked her just one thing.

“Do you trust me, Allie?”

She nodded. “Aye, Reid. I trust you.”

“Remember that, please.”

It was time to earn the trust of his brothers and his clan.

27

“Then he asked me if I trusted him,” Allie told Juliette as they attempted to decode Reid’s words from last eve. No one had seen him all morning, and when it had been discovered that two clansmen loyal to him were also missing, they realized he had left.

But where? And why had he not told anyone—told her—where he was going?

“What does Toren say?”

They walked along the wall-walk, the day an unusually warm and sunny one for September. When Juliette stopped and placed her hand on her stomach, Allie froze. She’d not had any experience with childbirth, even though she’d begged her parents to be allowed to assist the midwife. But she would do whatever was necessary to help her friend when the babe decided it was time to make his or her entrance into the world.

“Is it—”

“Nay.” Juliette took a deep breath. “I don’t believe so.”

When she resumed walking, Allie followed.

“He is furious, of course. Although he is accustomed to being angry with Reid.”

“So I’ve noticed,” Allie said. “And yet they are quite close.”

Juliette chuckled. “I’ve always found it fascinating, the bond they share. Since my only brother is much younger, I cannot say I fully understand it. Toren and Alex act like brothers, but they’ve always treated Catrina and Reid differently.”

“Differently?”

“As if they’re their parents as much as their siblings. I’ve spoken to Toren about it many times, but he does not agree.” She shrugged. “And I know he loves all of them very much.” She gave Allie a sideways look. “You understand that if Reid becomes Toren’s second—”

“When he does so,” Allie corrected.

“Aye, when he does so, it means you will reside here, at Brockburg.”

Juliette was worried. Allie could both hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes. But why?

“Aye, I’ve thought of that,” she said, unsure how to proceed. She’d hoped Juliette would be glad to have her here. Had she been wrong?