Reclaimed (A Highland Historical Trilogy) (The MacKay Banshees 1-3) Read Online Free PDF

her more than a little. Katriona was used to men’s notice bouncing off of her to hone in on her sister. But not Rory. Big and silent, he’d stared at her while she piled soiled armor, tartans, and such onto the shelves, trying to remember which belonged to whom.
    “This is Eagan’s,” he’d corrected when she’d added a coat of mail to a wrong pile. Bending past her to lift it, he put it over near Eagan’s things. “And this,” taking an unwieldy and soiled tartan from her, he folded it and placed it on another pile. “Is Bran’s.”
    “You don’t have to help me,” she’d snapped, embarrassed that his regard had thrown her off. She never forgot orders. Ever. But with his huge body taking up most of the entryway, there’d barely been enough room to breathe, let alone think.
    “I want to,” he’d rumbled, stepping even closer, crowding her and overwhelming her senses.
    Backing away from him, her toe had tangled with someone’s leather sword belt and she’d pitched to the side, falling toward a boiling rinse cauldron over a bellow-fed fire.
    In a lightning-fast movement, he’d caught her, his arms locking around her like bands of iron, but not pulling her into his dirty chest. Frozen like they’d been, bent over the dirt floor, Katriona could distinctly recall what he’d smelled like. Earth, blood, sweat, and something sharper, very distinctly male.
    Katriona had liked it, despite herself. Her body had responded to it in a way that had vexed and excited her. She’d been entranced by his bold and grungy face suspended above hers.
    Their lips parted. Their breath mingled. And every part of Katriona’s body had come alive in that moment.
    “Sod it, Rory, are ye goin’ ta take her virginity here in front of us and her mother?” Angus’s cruel, bawdy taunt had broken the spell. “Because ye’d have ta marry the spinster for certain if there be witnesses.”
    He’d blushed then, too, as he’d pulled her upright and steadied her on her feet before turning away. He’d murmured something about payment, tossed coin on the table, and left.
    The feast that night had been the first time Angus asked for Kylah’s hand in marriage. Their mother had refused.
    “I’ll never give any of ye to Angus or Rory MacKay,” she’d vowed. “There’s something wrong with that family. A streak of cruelty and evil. I don’t want you going near them, promise me.”
    They’d promised, of course.
    But Katriona had never forgotten those few brief moments in Rory MacKays arms.
    And now they steadied another.

Chapter Four
    “The sheep are dying.” Lorne strode into the great room of the keep where Rory shared a post-feast toddy with Kathryn and her father. “Maybe fifteen of Kevin’s herd and there are reports of fresh milk curdling in the village of Tongue.”
    The serving woman, Bridget, paused in her pouring of whiskey and shuddered, her abundant cleavage drawing Fraser’s notice. “I swear to ye, Laird, it’s that washer-woman, Elspeth. She’s put some kind of Fae curse on the clan like she promised to do.” Crossing herself, Bridget also made olde signs to ward off evil before running fingers through her glossy brown hair and straightening her gown. Rory imagined a lot of women felt compelled to do such while standing next to a beauty like Kathryn Fraser.
    “Perhaps we can address this tomorrow ,” Rory hissed at Lorne. “It’s half ‘till midnight and I have guests. ” The last word he forced through his teeth. What was his steward thinking? Next he’d be telling them about the Banshee.
    “What’s this?” Kathryn’s soft, honeyed voice poured over them all. “Are you plagued with a witch?” She turned from handing a pastry to Albert, her lovely blue eyes alight with gentle curiosity.
    “Nay,” was Rory’s instinctive denial, but then he thought the better of it. “Maybe.” It would be foolish to admit it to his intended, lest she change her mind. “I doona know.” What was it about