That was it, he realized with sudden, shocking clarity. The feeling in his chest was desire, but it was the desire to give all of himself to her and take all of her. Not just the lust. Not just the yearning.
As his pleasure subsided and she collapsed against the bed, smiling up at him, cold fear gripped him, washing away the searing warmth of seconds ago. He could not be so foolish as to let lust be his downfall. His body wanted her, but he could never allow himself to need her. She was deceitful.
“I will have my proof now!” Brothwell ordered.
Ada’s eyes widened, then narrowed with irritation. “William, I—”
“Get dressed,” he ordered, desperate to take control of himself and the situation once more. He rolled off her and stood, glancing down at her.
Her confused frown, followed swiftly by a hurt look, struck him like a blow, but he’d been hit before, physically and mentally, by men who wished to kill him, by men who he’d trusted, by his mother who’d left him. He could take those powerful hits and decimating betrayals and still keep going. He had to stay detached because that’s how one proceeded, even when one had been shredded by others.
She scooted off the bed, and he scooped up her gown and handed it to her. “Ye will do as I say from this moment forward,” he told her.
She nodded, and it seemed almost absentminded as the door began to rattle. “William, I must tell ye—”
“Save yer breath. I ken ye are responsible for my brother being sent away,” he growled, filling with anger at himself for all the control he’d lost when she was in his arms.
“What?” Her frown deepened as Brothwell started yelling.
William ignored her feigned confusion and concentrated on the most important matter. “I’ve wed ye and I’ve bed ye, so tell me now, Wife, who are the traitors to King David and how can we save my brother? I ken ye told Brothwell that my brother was a traitor. I ken ye are responsible for Bram being sent away. Brothwell told me so.”
The color drained from her face, revealing her guilt, but then, for a breath, she looked scared. It took every bit of control not to reassure her, soothe her, and the fact that he wanted to made him livid.
She stared at him for a moment. “This was all a game? It was all a ploy? All of it?” Her voice held a ring of incredulity.
“Aye. Of course. And ye are going to help me whether ye like it or nae, or so help me God—”
Her palm connected with his cheek—hard. Surprisingly so for such a delicate-looking woman. Her eyes danced with anger. “Ye are a beast and a fool,” she whispered furiously. She turned from him, marched to the door, unlocked it, and swung it open.
Brothwell and two guards immediately poured in. “Ada?” Brothwell was asking an unspoken question and came to a halt in front of her.
William could do no more than stare. He’d not even considered that Ada could betray him. It was a grave error. One he would have never made before meeting her. She was his wife. Surely, her powers were given to serve him.
She swept a hand toward the bed. “There is yer proof that the marriage has been consummated, and there—” she turned to William, giving him a cold look “—is the key to defeating King David.”
William moved toward his sword, which he’d foolishly not picked up, but Brothwell’s guards were upon him. He could have fought but he’d never escape. He’d not live to help Bram, Thomas, or the king if he died here and now.
Brothwell grinned as he moved to Ada’s side. “Ye have yer powers,” he said, looking down at her with a pleased expression.
“I do, Brother.” The smile she gave Brothwell made hatred flare brightly inside William. “And I dunnae have to use it, it seems, to serve the man I’ve wed, nor who he serves, so ye best take a care.”
Shock slammed William in the chest.
“Take a care to treat me well, Brother, lest I decide nae to serve ye and the Steward,” Ada threatened.
William clenched his hands into fists.
“I will lavish ye with all ye desire,” Brothwell vowed, making William’s gut twist.
“Oh, I ken,” Ada replied, a smug smile coming to her treacherous lips.
“Do ye?” Brothwell said. “What’s it like? How does the power work?”
She cocked her head, turning her gaze to William once more. His flesh prickled with a searing physical memory of what they had just shared, even as her eyes seemed to sharpen like shards of ice. “’Tis a gut feeling,” she said, “an intuition of what must be done. My gut tells me to lock William up. He is for King David. Oh—” she turned and bestowed a sweet smile upon Brothwell “—and dunnae attack Glen Brittle. I have a feeling it will nae go yer way. Ye must hold.”
William shook with his rage as the guards gripped his arms tighter.
“Take him to the cave and chain him with the others,” Brothwell demanded, never taking his gaze from Ada.
As William was dragged toward Brothwell and Ada, her focus once more returned to him. “Dunnae kill him, Brother. I’m certain we can use him.”
“I’ll nae kill him,” Brothwell said, an anticipatory expression sweeping his face as he looked at William, “but I vow to ye that he will suffer.”
Ignoring Brothwell, William dug in his heels when he was face-to-face with his treacherous wife. “I underestimated ye,” he bit out.
“Aye,” she said, her tone like jagged ice. “Ye did.”
