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“Is yer uncle such a pious man now?” Alisdair scoffed.

“If he believes God will strike him, he willnae show it.”

“Then we prepare.”

Isla looked away. She had expected her uncle to react, but now it had become a reality.

“He calls ye a thief,” she said. “As if I were cattle or worse, a thing he possessed.”

“It matters nae what he thinks.”

“Nay.” She swallowed, looking back at him. “But what he does matters.”

“He willnae get inside this castle,” he snapped.

She started, and regret immediately flashed across his face. He looked over her head, inhaling before meeting her eyes again.

“Ye are Lady MacLeod. Ye are under me protection. Ye are safe.”

Isla chuckled cruelly and looked away again. She inhaled deeply, trying to push down the panic.

“I did this,” she choked out. “I brought this upon ye. All of ye.”

“Isla—”

“I should never have come here.”

He grabbed her arms and squeezed, forcing her to look up at him. “Listen to me, and listen to me well,” he growled.

She gasped at the dark look in his eyes, and her heart fluttered.

“I willnae allow yer uncle to touch ye ever again,” he promised.

“I thought…” She bit her lip. “I thought that marrying ye would free me of him.”

“It did. Ye are no longer his pawn; ye are me wife.”

Isla shook her head. “I still see his scowl every time I make a mistake. I still feel his iron grip whenever I drift too far for his liking.” Her lower lip trembled. “I can still hear his voice.”

She dropped her gaze, not ready to see whatever judgment might be waiting in his.

“Foolish, I ken,” she huffed.

Alisdair took one step closer. “That man was supposed to be yer family and yer protector. Instead, he abused ye and made ye live in fear,” he rumbled. “Nay, Isla. Ye arenae foolish. Ye survived.”

“All I did was run.”

“Ye came to me. That took courage.”

Isla scoffed. “And look what me courage got ye. Now me uncle is coming. I brought this upon all of us.”

They stayed locked in a stare.

Isla wanted to break down, but not in front of him. He was already doing the decent thing of pretending he cared for her emotions.

“Ye think that this is yer fault?” He frowned.

“He is coming for me!”