Free Taken By The Highland Wolf (The Clan MacGregor Book 2) by Stephanie Marks

The sound of it poured over my skin, crashing over me like a wave. Camden would never make it out of the area alive. Of that I had no doubt. They would find him, and they would bring him pain.
    I watched as the wolves took off into the trees and disappeared like shadows. A peace settled over me as they disappeared one by one. There was nothing for me to do now but wait.
    ***
    I paced back and forth in Alastair's study for the better part of three hours before I heard a loud commotion in the hallway. It wasn't long before the door to the study burst open and Alastair strode forward. His plaid was in disarray, betraying how hastily he had redressed himself after shifting back to human form. Behind him, Camden Holme was being dragged between Donald and Gregory.
    Alastair stood beside me and together we watched as the men threw Camden down on the floor in front of them. I thought that I would feel something at the sight of him. Fear, anger, or disgust. Instead, I found myself devoid of all emotion. I examined him with cool disinterest. He had obviously been beaten very badly. His lip was newly split, and someone had re-bloodied his nose. There was no doubt now that it was broken. Kneeling before me, he cradled his hand to his chest and blood trickled through his fingers.
    "What is wrong with his hand?" I asked.
    "One of the men took two of his fingers," said Donald smugly.
    I raised my eyebrow at this, but Donald simply shrugged and said nothing more.
    "Well, you wanted him alive, Glenna. He's alive. Ye said nothing about him being whole," said Alastair gruffly.
    "Oh, I don't mind," I told him, my voice flat and emotionless. "I was merely curious."
    Camden eyed me and chuckled. "Look at ye now, Glenna. So brave. Ye weren't nearly this calm when I had ye on your whore back. I see you're much stronger with the MacGregor at your side."
    I took a step forward, but Donald beat me to him and kicked him swiftly in the ribs.
    "The only reason we didn't tear ye limb from limb when we found ye is because Miss Gordon wished it," Donald said.
    Camden chuckled again and winced as he came to his knees. "Sounds as if sweet Glenna is more fond of me than she would care to admit."
    Alastair stepped forward but I put a hand on his arm to stop him. I still needed Camden alive.
    "How did you find out about us?" I asked the man I had once called friend.
    "Ye have enemies who know your secret. They were more than willing to share it with those they thought would have the best chance of bringing ye down."
    "I have always had enemies," Alastair told him. But none among them would have known about our curse to tell.
    Camden shook his head and smirked. "No, not you, MacGregor. Her," he said, nodding in my direction. "Our sweet Glenna has made someone very, very angry. So angry, in fact, that they are determined to destroy the entire MacGregor clan and all ye hold dear. After that it didn't take much for them to find people to help bring ye MacGregors down. Your people haven't made many friends over the last few centuries, have ye?"
    "Who would do this?" I asked. "Who would hate me so much that they would do this to us? I have harmed no one!"
    "Are ye sure about that, now, lass? Because Allina wanted me to pass on the message that she looks forward to seeing ye again very soon."
    The blood froze in my veins. There was no way what he was saying could be true.
    "Allina is dead," I told him. "I saw her killed with my own eyes."
    "Did ye stop to check? Because she's obviously not so dead as ye might think. That little lass is holding quite the grudge against ye."
    "She would destroy her own people out of petty jealously?" I hissed, not believing what it was I was hearing.
    He shrugged as casually as possible while wincing in pain. "I dinna care what it was that drove her to do what she did. All that matters to me is that my people now have what we need to hunt ye down and wipe your cursed existence off the face of the earth. Your days are numbered, MacGregor.