She pulled her arm away from him. “Please! Please wait!”
He stopped and stood to his full height. “I am listening, but I will nae ask ye again. Do ye understand?”
Sybella shook her head. “Aye. I knew about the stone.”
“I gathered that much, lass,” said John dryly.
“My father made this alliance so I could steal back our stone.”
His eyes darkened dangerously, but he stood and listened. “Go on.”
“My father told me that our clan had a seer, but I honestly didnae believe him. I’ve ne’er heard of such a thing, but he insisted Alex’s father stole the stone from our clan.”
“And ye thought to betray your husband and steal back the stone to give to the MacKenzie.”
“Nay!” When her voice rose and he raised his brow, Sybella lowered her voice. “It wasnae like that.”
He waited for her to continue.
She wrung her hands in front of her. “Well, it was like that, but I didnae want to do it. Things changed. I ne’er searched for the stone until my father insisted I retrieve what was taken and return it to my clan.”
“But ye didnae. Why?”
An unwelcome tension stretched even tighter between them.
“I would ne’er harm Alexander. I was trying to keep him safe.”
He took a small step closer. “Ye didnae answer my question.”
She closed her eyes. “I love my husband. And I would rather see the stone destroyed than in the hands of my father.” She paused. “He isnae the man I thought he was.”
“Now that is the smartest thing ye’ve said yet. I could have told ye that, lass.” John shook his head. “I cannae keep this from my laird. Ye must tell him the truth or I will. And he will know before we take our leave to Lewis this morn. Do ye understand?”
She paused. “Ye cannae let Alexander travel to Lewis.”
“The MacLeod tried to kill ye—twice.”
“Nay, he didnae.”
“Lady MacDonell, I’d like to think I’m a verra patient man, but ye have a way of making me become verra impatient.”
“John,” she said, calling him by his Christian name in the hope that he wouldn’t see her as the enemy. She reached out, and the muscles of his forearm hardened beneath her hand. “Ye must believe me. I am loyal to my husband, but if I tell ye…I cannae have harm befall my clan. Nay matter what they have done, they are still my family.”
“And so is your husband.” He sighed. “I am nae the laird, m’lady. I only follow his orders. I can make ye nay such promises. Now tell me why ye think the MacLeod isnae responsible.”
There was a heavy moment of silence.
“Because the man ye held in the dungeon was my father’s man.”
Alex walked into the great hall to break his fast. He finally managed to get some sleep since he knew John watched over his beloved wife. When memories of Sybella started to flood him, he merely reminded himself that she was a deceitful MacKenzie wench. Nothing more.
He was immediately drawn to the clan crest on the floor. He wondered how long it would take for the lass to be tempted to remove the eye of the raven. A small part of him silently hoped that she wouldn’t and perhaps their tender moments were truly that.
He looked down and noticed the rock was loose. Well, it could’ve been the fact that it wasn’t the damn seeing stone. He lifted his eyes to find his wife standing in the entry to the great hall. Her widened eyes couldn’t mask her guilty expression if she tried. Instead of following John’s advice to wait, Alex felt his temper quickly rearing its ugly head.
Thundering toward his wife, Alex grabbed her roughly by the arm. His fingers dug into her soft flesh. “I will speak with ye now.” She practically had to run to keep up with him as he pulled her along behind him.
“Alex, please. Ye are hurting me.”
“Your arm is the least of your worries.” He lessened his grip, and once he closed the study door, he thrust her away from him. “Ye betrayed me.”
“Please calm down. I didnae.”
“Donna tell me to calm down. Where is the stone?” he demanded.
“Alex, please.”
“Where is the stone?” he repeated.
“I donna have it. I—”
“Donna play games with me.”
“I speak the truth. I—”
He threw back his head and roared with laughter. “Ye speak the truth? Since when does a MacKenzie ever speak the truth?”
“I know ye’re angry, but let me explain.”
“Where is the stone? Ye will give it to me. Now.”
“I donna have it. I threw it in the loch.” She took an abrupt step toward him and lifted her hand to his cheek. “Please listen to me. Ye must believe me. I lov—”
He pushed her hand away and his eyes narrowed. “Ye took the stone only to throw it away in the loch? Careful, your lies are becoming tangled, Wife. I was a fool to marry ye, but at least I was wise enough to have my men follow ye. Whether ye tell me or nae, I will find that damn rock. And ye MacKenzies shall ne’er have it.”
She looked hurt and tears welled in her eyes.
“Your game is over, lass. I know everything. The only reason your father arranged this marriage was for ye to steal back the stone.”
“Alex, ye have to believe me. I—”
“Do ye honestly think I care?” He heard his bitterness spill over into his voice.
She hesitated. “How long have ye known? Last eve when ye laid with me…Did ye…Did ye think I could…”
He smirked.
“Alex, after what we shared…”
“I gave the MacKenzie wench a good tupping was all.”
He felt the sting of the slap, and Sybella’s eyes burned with fire. “My father is many things, but he was right about something. Ye are a wicked man, Alexander MacDonell. Lest ye forget, your clan stole my clan’s seeing stone. Your clan burnt our church to the ground…while a piper encircled it playing a bloody melody!”
Alex wasn’t about to tell her the piper had been his idea. He needed to get back to the task at hand. “And ye betrayed me.”
“And that is truly all ye see,” she said as her voice faded. Sybella placed her hand over her heart and looked him in the eye. Her gaze was clouded with tears. “With all of my heart and all that is mine, I truly loved ye, Alexander MacDonell. Mayhap one day ye will nae be blinded by your hatred and will open your eyes to see what was before ye.”
“All I see before me is a damn MacKenzie who feigned herself off as my wife in an attempt to betray me and my clan. Ye are naught more than a MacKenzie whore.”
And with that, she smothered a sob and fled.
Sybella needed time to erase the pain. Ice spread through her veins and she felt an acute sense of loss. Alex’s words had hurt her beyond recognition, and her misery was so prominent that it was actual physical pain. Her anguish controlled her. Trapped in her own lie, she was defeated.
She ran to the stables. When she grabbed her saddle and carried it to her horse’s stall, the stable hand approached her.
“M’lady, please let me do that for ye.”
“Nay, I will saddle him. Thank ye.” She didn’t dare look the man in the eye. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was doing, but she suddenly found Glengarry extremely suffocating. She needed air, needed to breathe, and needed to be as far away from Alexander as possible.
Sybella pulled her mount over to the riding block. With nothing but the clothes on her back, she galloped out the gate and did not look back. Someone called to her in the distance, but she knew the voice was not her husband’s. No matter, she was dead to him.
She rode hard, fast, and her horse thundered beneath her feet. Tears blinded her and she had to trust her mount to see. Alex’s words replayed in her mind and a stab of guilt lay buried in her chest. She pulled on the reins for her horse to stop and covered her face with her trembling hands, giving vent to the agony of her loss. Her breasts rose and fell under her labored breathing. She took deep breaths until she was strong enough to hold her head up.