Lured to the Night (The Brotherhood Series Book 4) Read Online Free PDF

his weak mind drifted to the one person he always tried to avoid thinking of — Isla Maclean. When he’d visited her on the night before her wedding, she had been so clear in her intentions. She’d told him quite clearly that she planned to spend her life with Nikolai. Had there been even a glimmer of doubt in her determined eyes, he would not have left.
    Keen to focus on something other than a tempting beauty with golden hair, he raised the collar of his coat to shield his neck from the biting wind and stared at the castle’s facade. A silvery stream of light had broken through the mass of grey clouds, casting an eerie mist over the whole scene. Any passerby would only need to glance once at the ominous-looking building before bowing their head and hurrying on their way.
    It was not difficult to notice the shadowy figure crossing the bridge towards him. The faint light from the lantern shone like a single star in the night sky. Even with the hood of her cape raised, he knew it was Isla. She had a unique way of walking. Her short yet purposeful strides brought a smile to his lips which faded as soon as his mind began to question her intention.
    Why would a woman go out alone at night, knowing that half the village believed her responsible for a whole host of evil deeds? It didn’t make any sense. Perhaps Douglas was right, and Nikolai had poisoned her mind. Perhaps she was the one responsible for these wicked things and had done them at her husband’s behest.
    He shook his head and muttered an obscenity, refusing to believe the ridiculous train of his thoughts.
    As she closed the iron gate at the end of the bridge, Lachlan shrank back into the shadows and waited for her to pass. He would give her time to walk ahead before following stealthily behind. Taking a moment to glance back over her shoulder, she exited the muddy road to follow the path leading through the thick forest of pine trees.
    One thing was certain; she did not fear being alone in the dense woodland at night.
    With her lantern held aloft to illuminate her way, she stepped over scattered branches, moved quickly along the carpet of shed vegetation. The crunching underfoot disguised the sound of his measured steps trailing after her. The wind whistled through the trees to offer its assistance, the noise accompanied by an animal orchestra of scuttling and scratching. Once or twice she hesitated and glanced back over her shoulder, forcing him to stop. Wrapped in his over-sized coat, he knew he would appear as nothing more than another dark shadow.
    The path led out of the forest and towards the village. Isla stopped at the edge just before the canopy broke to an open sky, at a point where she had a perfect view of Fraser’s field. A small number of cattle were resting: ruminating or dozing where they lay. No doubt the villagers had herded as many as possible into the barns as a means of limiting their losses.
    She bent down and cleared a space on the forest floor, somewhere safe to place her lantern, before straightening and staring out across the field.
    “I know you’re there, Lachlan.” Her soft whisper drifted over him.
    The shock of discovery made him gasp. “You heard me?” He stepped out from his redundant hiding place, feeling a little foolish that his hunting skills had proved to be far too amateurish.
    Isla did not turn around but continued to watch the cattle. “I heard you the moment you entered the forest.”
    Lachlan snorted as he came to stand at her shoulder. “Perhaps I am not as agile or as light on my feet as I used to be.”
    “Oh, you are. I heard your thoughts and the sound of your breathing. And I can feel your presence. The air sparks and crackles when you’re near.”
    Heard his thoughts?
    Lachlan dismissed the comment and swallowed deeply. He recognised the charged feeling of excitement she spoke of so openly. “Why did you not confront me, ask me what I was doing stalking you through the woods?”
    She chuckled. “I know