Blood of the Highland Moon

Chapter 6: Fine

Eallair's P.O.V.

"Lass, wake up, our food is here." I brushed her hair back, gently waking her up. She's stretched and sat up. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she said in a grumpy tone as she reached for the bread. "Tell me you're not going to watch me eat."

I stood out of my crouched position, my knees cracking. "I just wanted to be sure you were alright. Thank you for resting." She looked at me like I was crazy, but I smiled and walked to my desk.

I'd worried about her as she'd slept on the couch and was tempted to have her spend the rest if the day in the dark with my mother, just to be safe. I knew if I did that, though, she'd be even harder to deal with, and that would have made things even more difficult. The best thing I could do was keep her comfortable while she was here. If she ended up hating me the she had the power to ruin everything.

I looked back at her, taking in her dark hair and the now healthy tones of her skin. She was absolutely beautiful. Beautiful women always meant trouble. Would she pit her father against me in the end? Was she that kind of woman?

"What are you looking at? I told you I'm fine." She said in an agitated tone.

"I was just making sure your color had returned."

"Would it make you happy if I stayed away from the windows until the sun goes down?

Shock washed over me. "Yes, I didn't expect that from you, but it would make me feel better."

She rolled her eyes. "I only fight with you when you're in the wrong. Being concerned for my safety isn't wrong, it's kind." She tilted her head to the side. "Unless you're not concerned for my safety pur of kindness, but self-preservation. Then it's smart. If something happens to me, you have no hope that this will work. Not that it will work now."

"Now that you mention it, if something had happened to you, it would be somewhat of a problem. Honestly, I don't wish you harm because I never wish harm to a lass there are times I wish to hold your mouth closed, but not to harm you."

She shrugged. "You'll get over it, because if you hold my mouth shut, I'll have to harm you."

I laughed. "You think you can?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I can. I may not be able to overpower you, but I can hurt you if I really try."

"It's good we won't be finding that out anytime soon."

"Are you going to be sending me home, then?"

"No, nothing has changed, lass. You're still my out way of talking peace with your dad."

She rolled her eyes. "You know how I feel about that. Now stop watching me so I can eat."

The rest of the day had been quiet, with little said from Catriona. I had kept a close watch in her ever since the little incident of her being in the sun too long. I was going to have to watch her more closely from now on, although she seemed to get disgusted with me when she found me watching her. She had opened a book and turned her back to me shortly after lunch.

I stood and stretched, as it was now time for dinner. "Catriona, do you think you could behave yourself at the table with the rest of my pack?"

"Only because your mother is there and I do not want to upset her. You've brought enough unrest of her with all of this."

I gritted my teeth and refused to act upon what she had said. I wasn't going to let her aggravate me. "Good. Shall we head to the great hall?"

"Look, the dog has manners," she said as she closed the book and stood, her back still to me. She stretched her arms above her head arching her back in a delicious curve. Damn, if the lass wasn't a bonnie one. She glanced at me, then walked to the shelf and put the book back where she'd gotten it.

"Lass, will you never warm up to me?"

She smiled. "Dogs have fur to fight off the chill."

I sighed. "Eventually you will run out of dog comments."

"And some day you will be able to ignore your fleas."

"You just keep pushing me, lass," I said in a warning voice as I walked toward her.

"Dogs need encouragement, it's how they are trained."

"I'm not the one who needs training."

"Let's work on you first before we start on Alex."

I laughed. "I'll be sure to tell him you said that."

"And I'll be sure to let him know that his training isn't going to take as long as yours. He learns faster than you, I think."

"I am not going to let you upset me, lass."

"It's only a matter of time before you start barking at me again; right now I think you're slobbering too much over the thought if dinner to bite."

"I think you need to have some blood tonight, after today," I said, becoming serious.

"I don't need you telling me what I need. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." She said defiantly.

"Is that why I captured you so easily?" I countered.

She glared at me. "I didn't want to catch your fleas."

"You didn't know I was a werewolf until after that, lass."

"Dog," she mumbled as she walked to the doors. "Are we going to dinner or not?"

I shook my head. The lass could get under my skin like no one else. "Let's go." I walked over and opened the door for her. She didn't even look at me as she walked by. Closing my eyes, I told myself I wouldn't let her bother me.

Once she was out of the library she paused and glanced back at me with a smile. She gave a short whistle and patted her thigh, "here boy, come."

"Catriona," I said in a warning voice.

"Bad dog, I didn't say speak, I said come."

Before she could move, I had her pinned against the wall and was inches from her face. "You had best stop, lass, while I can still control my anger."

"Bad dog, down," she said as she glared at me.

"Lass," I growled.

"Oh, alright; good boy, come," she said smugly.

I gripped her shin and looked her in the eyes. "Stop."

"Now look, I was right, you do need training. You do something right, and then you turn around and do bad; bad dog." Just as the word left her lips, I kissed her, pulling her body into mine ans asserting my dominance.

"Enough," I growled against her lips.

"B******," she hissed back and shoved against me.

I stepped back only a fraction; she was still pinned against the wall. "You will listen to me when I tell you to stop."

"Let go of me."

"Not until you understand who's castle you are in."

"I'm in the castle of the man who kidnapped me."

"Yes, my castle, and you will start treating me like it's my castle."

"Look around you, Eallair; there isn't anyone else around to see us. You told me I was not to undermind you in front of your pack, and I haven't. You cannot blame me for the way I am."

I gritted my teeth, knowing she was right. "Can you at least try to get along with me?"

I watch we d as her jaw tightened. "It's not in my nature to get along with the man who kidnapped me."

"You were getting along with me just fine before we reached my castle, why do you not try to be like that again?"

"I had hopes of escape then; I have none now, that changes things."

"I will give you back to your father when this is all over."

"And he will kill you."

"Not if you talk to him first and agree to help me."

"You keep thinking he will listen to me. He will be too angry to listen to me."

"No, he will listen to you when you are let go and he sees that you are unharmed and not even shaken. I will do my best to keep you somewhat happy and completely comfortable here, but I'll not have you trying to override my authority."

She looked away angrily. "I'll do my best to respect you in your castle, but I can't promise anything."

I patted her cheek. "Good enough." I let go of her and gestured toward the great hall. "Now that everything is settled, I am hungry."

She walked quietly alongside me to the great hall. When we reached the table, I pulled out her chair for her, and watched as the muscle in her jaw twitched. "I would like a bit of blood." She said it so softly that I had barley heard her.

"I think I would like some as well." She shot a glare at me then settled herself at the table. My mother, who had been waiting for us at the table, narrowed her eyes as she observed the two of us. With a shrug, I took my own seat.

Catriona's P.O.V.

I wanted to simply beat the smug look off his handsome face, the bloody mutt b******. I had to calm down and be decent to him if I wanted to make it to my room tonight without him pinning me to a wall. I gritted my teeth at the thought of him kissing me again. The thing that really irritated me was that a werewolf was a better kisser than my fiancé.

Not that it mattered. I was going to find a way out if that one if I could. i***t want to marry Mathew. I had tried to talk myself into it, but no matter how good-looking he was, or how nice he was, I just didn't want to marry him. It could be that he was too much like an uncle, what with him being my father's adviser from the time I was born.

"Catriona, are you alright, lass?" Madeline asked, jarring me from my thoughts. "You are being unusually quiet."

"I was just thinking." I smiled at her. "I think dinner is my favorite time of day here."

She smiled at me. "Why is that?"

"You are much better company than your son. Then again, he is a man."

She glanced at Eallair and gave a small laugh at the same time. "I think you just need to get to know him better."

"I don't think I'll be here long enough enough get to know him better."

"You could be surprised with what happens."

I frowned at her. "Don't take this the wrong way, I enjoy my time with you, but I hope I'm not here much longer. My mother must be sick with worry, and my dad has no doubt started an angry rampage."

She gave me a sad smile. "I know of a mother's worry." She looked at Eallair, who was no doubt listening to us, even though he wasn't watching us. "I also know of a father's anger. It will all fade when they know you are safe."

"I hope so." A small lass quietly sat a plate down in front of me with some slightly bloody meat. She had acted as though I would bite her. I frowned and glanced at her. She was already halfway back to the kitchens.

"Do not take it personally. She did the same with me at first. Some of the younger ones in the pack are afraid of vampires."

I nodded and began to eat. The rest of dinner was filled with small conversations here and there. I didn't talk to Eallair, so that I could avoid insulting him.