Chapter 11

Pleasuring Lilith had left Aaden with a peculiar problem he hadn't encountered since he was a teenager. Usually, he was more than eager to find relief himself with the woman he had in his bed—or in this case, he supposed, by the lake—but he wanted the night to be focused on Lilith, not himself. Though he had expected her to have at least some experience with men, she had quickly proven him wrong and Aaden didn't want to throw her in the deep end their very first time.

He didn't know if there would be another time, of course. It wouldn't surprise him if Lilith never spoke to him again after this.

Guilt gripped him like a vice at the knowledge that he had lied to her about the reasons behind his desire to marry her. Not all of it was a lie—it was true that he had never met anyone like her before and that he wanted her, not only for her looks but for who she was; this maddening, intelligent woman, who was so much sweeter and kinder than she wanted others to think. Still, if she knew why he had come there and who had sent him there in the first place, he doubted she would ever forgive him, and Aaden would understand.

He would simply have to deal with this guilt and the discomfort that came with the neglected hardness under his plaid until he returned to his chambers and had the chance to take care of it. The memory of Lilith writhing under him, moaning so sweetly for him as she opened to his fingers was already replaying in his mind, at least until Lilith shushed him harshly, returning him back to reality.

"What if someone sees us?" she hissed. "We cannae show ourselves."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Aaden assured her. They could stay hidden behind the shrubbery and blend into the shadows. In the darkness of the night, it would be easy to stay out of sight. "Come."

Before Lilith could stop him, Aaden slipped away from her and into the thick bushes that grew near the path back to the main part of the castle. He kept his feet light, stepping carefully so as to avoid any twigs and leaves that could crunch under his boots and betray his presence, and when he turned to look over his shoulder, he found Lilith already behind him, having caught up to him silently.

The sight of her made him jump in surprise, but he managed to swallow the gasp that threatened to tumble past his lips. Instead, he motioned at her to follow him even farther, the two of them all but slithering through the tree trunks until they could get a good look at whoever it was who had interrupted them.

The moment Aaden's eyes found the source of the noise, he wished he had never suggested they investigate.

Ye fool! Ye'll ruin it all fer us both!

There, by the south walls of the castle, stood Evander. But he wasn't alone. There was a woman with him, one of the servants, judging by her simple dress, giggling as Evander pushed her against the stone and kissed her. Momentarily, Aaden held the hope that he could steer Lilith away before she would see them, but when he turned to look at her once more, he found her right behind him, just like before.

There was no hope she wouldn't see them. Aaden knew the very moment her gaze found them and she realized what she was looking at. Her mouth fell open in shock, a strangled, barely suppressed sound breaking the silence around them.

It was Aaden's turn to shush her. There was nothing he could do to fix this, though, now that Evander's true character had been revealed.

"Come now," he heard Evander say in a sweet, goading voice. "Why willnae ye come tae me chambers?"

Next to Aaden, Lilith was practically vibrating with rage. He could feel her shaking where their arms touched and when he looked down, her hands were clenched into fists, nails biting into the skin of her palm.

"We should go," he told her quietly. "We should… I will deal with this later, I promise ye."

It was far from the right thing to do, but if he only managed to get himself some time to calm Lilith down and knock some sense into his cousin, then perhaps Ruadh's plan could still be salvaged. He didn't even want to imagine what would happen if Lilith created a scene and not only ruined Evander's and Freya's engagement but also changed her mind about letting Aaden pursue her, too.

Would he ever see his mother again? Would Ruadh have enough regard for her to keep her a prisoner, but unharmed, or would he truly kill her?

Aaden didn't know and he didn't want to take the chance, not when he still hadn't found a different way to rescue her.

"Go?" Lilith said, mouth twisting into a hateful grimace. "How can ye tell me tae go? Dinnae ye see what he is doin'? He has fooled me sister, but he never fooled me. I always kent the kind o' man he is an' now I have proof."

"Lilith, please," Aaden said, grabbing her arm to stop her as she made to move. She turned her glare on him then, her blue eyes wild with rage.

"I willnae stand here an' watch while yer cousin makes a fool o' me sister," she said. "If ye wish tae dae naething, then dae naething, but I willnae allow this."

Before Aaden could say anything else, Lilith was stomping out of the bushes and towards Evander. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the confrontation, Aaden followed her swiftly, grinding his teeth at the shocked look Evander gave them.

What did he expect? That he would never be caught?

"How dare ye?" Lilith shouted at Evander, her voice so loud that Aaden couldn't help but fear she would alert the guards or, even worse, wake up her father or Freya. He could only hope that their chambers were far from that part of the castle and that he could at least convince her to speak quietly.

"Lilith, keep yer voice down," he warned, but she paid him no mind, as though she hardly registered his presence.

"How dare ye say all those things tae me sister an' then try tae bed every lass ye find in yer way?" she asked, pointing an accusatory finger at Evander, who was foolish enough to appear entirely unfazed by Lilith's outburst. He only stood there, looking at her and Aaden impassively now that the initial shock had passed.

At least the servant had the common sense to avert her gaze, shrinking into herself as though she was trying to disappear. Aaden doubted she would have such luck, though, when Lilith was on a war path.

"I was only tendin' tae me needs," Evander said, and Aaden groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. He couldn't believe Evander had the gall to stand there and try to defend himself like this, as though what he was doing should be perfectly acceptable.

Then again, to him, it probably was. He had talked plenty of times on their way there about women and about how he treated them. Perhaps Aaden shouldn't be as surprised as he was by his foul behavior, when Evander himself had revealed it to him.

It was one thing, though, to act like this when he couldn't be caught and another to do it in the home of the woman he was to wed. Evander didn't know about Ruadh's plan, that much was certain, at least not the full extent of it. What he did know, though, was that he needed to marry Freya and he was putting his entire future in danger knowingly.

All he had tae dae was wait until the weddin'. But he couldnae even dae that.

Aaden, too, was overtaken by a wave of rage at the mere sight of his cousin. The only thing that kept him from delivering a lecture of his own was that he needed to keep Lilith calm, but it was difficult to do so when all he wanted was to punch that smirk off Evander's face.

"Evander, shut yer mouth," Aaden warned him, his gaze hardening as they stared each other down.

"Nay," Lilith said. "Let him speak. Let us hear what he has tae say."

"I'm a man," Evander said with a small shrug. "I have needs. An' this doesnae mean anythin'. I still wish tae wed Freya, but it's been a while since I was last with a lass. Surely, ye understand that I need this."

Whirling around, Lilith turned her glare to Aaden as though she expected him to agree with his cousin. "Is that so?" she asked. "Is that what ye believe too, Aaden?"

"I never said anythin' like that," Aaden pointed out and that answer seemed to satisfy Lilith enough to get her scrutiny off him.

"He never said anythin' like that," Lilith repeated to Evander. "So it seems tae me that ye're the only one who thinks ye have the right tae betray me sister."

"I didnae betray her," Evander scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "We're nae even wedded yet."

"Ye tell her ye love her an' she believes ye!" Lilith threw her hands in the air in exasperation, exhaling in a rush of air. "Ye have managed tae blind her with yer words an' now ye think ye may dae as ye please. This is who ye are, is it nae? I could tell from the beginnin' there was somethin' insidious about ye an' I ken now what it was. Ye'll never stop. Even if ye had me sister, ye would still run after others."

"I wouldnae dae that," Evander said, but he didn't even sound convincing to Aaden.

"I dinnae believe ye," Lilith said. "An' neither will me sister an' me faither when I tell them what I saw here tonight."

That was precisely what Aaden had been fearing it. A chill ran down his spine at the thought that Lilith would let everyone know about this, effectively ruining Ruadh's plan.

Can I tell her about me maither? Can I tell her the real reason why I'm here?

No, Aaden couldn't reveal the plan to anyone. He had to find another way to deescalate the situation, difficult as that seemed. If he told the truth, especially now, he would only make things worse. Lilith could have been persuaded to help, perhaps, had she known from the start that his mother was in danger, but Aaden had already lied to her so much that she would undoubtedly be furious with him too.

Evander seemed to harbor the same fear. He blanched at the mention of Laird Stewart, the color draining entirely from his face and making him look ghostly under the moonlight. His eyes widened and he looked to Aaden for support, but there was nothing Aaden could give him.

He deserved this. They both did. And now there were no tricks up Aaden's sleeve that he could use to get them out of this situation.

Then, Evander looked at Lilith, his cockiness returning in his posture. "Ye willnae tell them anythin'," he said. "Because if ye dae, I will tell them ye were doin' the same thing with Aaden an' then ye will never find a proper suitor."

"Ye dare threaten me?" Lilith growled as she took a few steps towards Evander, who stumbled back in surprise. "Ye think I care? Go ahead an' tell the world. I dinnae wish fer a suitor at all."

"Evander," Aaden tried again, holding out a hand to make him stop talking, but there was no hope of it anymore.

"Ye think it will only affect ye?" Evander asked with a mocking laugh. "Yer family's reputation will be destroyed. Yer sister will never find a husband either."

That seemed to give Lilith pause if only for a moment. If she had to choose between a life of lies and a life of loneliness for her sister, Aaden didn't know what she would settle for in the end. He was certain she wanted the best for Freya but she couldn't bear to see her upset.

The worst o' this is that he's right. Even a rumor can cause irreparable damage.

"Stop it," Aaden demanded, stepping between Lilith and his cousin. "Ye've done enough, Evander, dinnae ye think? If ye tell anyone about this?—"

"What will ye dae, cousin?" Evander challenged him with a raised eyebrow, this time stepping forward to make a threat of his own. He was emboldened by his plan, knowing that there was little Aaden or Lilith could do to expose him if they didn't want to be exposed themselves.

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a few long seconds, breathing in each other's space. Then Lilith spoke again, dragging their attention back to her.

"It doesnae matter," she said, sounding perfectly determined. "I cannae allow me sister tae marry a man like ye. She will be miserable fer the rest o' her life with ye. Dae ye think she willnae ken? Dae ye think ye can fool her fer years? Eventually, she'll find out an' she will hate ye an' she will hate us fer never tellin' her. So nay, I willnae stay silent."

Barking out a laugh, Evander made to approach Lilith but Aaden slapped a hand on his chest, pushing him back. The gesture didn't seem to bother him, though. In fact, it hardly registered with Evander, convinced as he was of his victory.

"They'll never believe ye," he said. "Why would they? It's yer word against the word o' a man an' ye think they'll believe ye? Someone as hysterical as ye are?"

Fer a moment, Aaden feared that Lilith would try to murder Evander on the spot. He also feared he wouldn't even try to stop her. Slowly, her expression morphed into one Aaden hadn't seen before on her. She had been cold before, distant, but now her mouth twisted in a cruel snarl, reminding Aaden of a predator circling its prey.

"Ye truly are a fool," she said, looking at Evander as though she was truly seeing him for the first time. "Ye believe that, dae ye nae? Ye think everyone will believe ye over me. Me own faither an' me sister… o' course they'll believe me!"

"Yer faither, perhaps," Evander said. "But Freya will never believe ye. She loves me. An' she has proof o' how much I love her, ye can read all me letters tae her. What proof dae ye have that anythin' happened here tonight?"

Aaden hardly thought that was good enough. Even if Freya believed Evander, if Laird Stewart didn't, then there was no way he would allow this marriage.

Then again, he does love his daughters very much. He doesnae seem tae say nay tae them.

If Freya insisted she wanted to marry Evander, even after her father and her sister told her he wasn't good enough for her, would her father forbid it or would he give in and allow her to have what she wanted, regardless of what was right for her?

"Proof? I have proof right here!" Lilith said, pointing at the maid, who was doing her best to become one with the wall behind her back. "Ye. Ye'll tell me faither what happened, will ye nae?"

The maid didn't even have to speak for Aaden to know that she would never reveal anything to anyone. Her hesitation was obvious as she glanced between Lilith and Evander, trying to gather the courage to speak.

"Forgive me, me lady, but I… I'm afraid I will be sent away," the young woman said. Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she looked at Lilith imploringly, hands clasped in front of her as if in prayer. "Please, I never wished tae cause harm, but Mr. MacEwan insisted an' I didnae ken what else tae dae."

Evander looked terribly pleased with himself then, though Aaden thought he should be anything but proud of this. When their gazes met, Aaden stared at him with a look he hoped would convey just how much of an idiot he thought Evander was, but it didn't seem to faze his cousin at all.

"Well, Aaden saw what happened," Lilith said, refusing to let this go. When she turned to him, she looked at him with such certainty that Aaden didn't know how he could ever refuse. She was right, after all; Freya didn't deserve the pain that Evander would cause her.

Before he could respond, though, Evander said, "I think ye should dae what ye came here tae dae, Aaden, instead o' meddlin' with what I am doin'."

His stomach sank at Evander's words. It didn't surprise him, though; if Evander was going to fail his mission, then so would Aaden. Evander would make sure of it.

But there was more at stake for them both than Evander knew. For a moment, Aaden considered revealing the whole truth to him, telling him about their mother and the danger in which Ruadh had put her. After all, she was Evander's mother, too. Surely, he wouldn't let his father treat her with such cruelty if he knew.

It wasn't the right time or place, though, not with Lilith and the maid there. If he was going to reveal the truth to him, he had to do it when the two of them were alone and he had to do it gently. The news would be a shock to him.

Unless he already knows.

Could it be that he knew everything and simply didn't care about their mother? Could it be that he was even helping Ruadh with all this?

Nay… nay, he is a fool but he isnae that cruel.

"Well?" Lilith demanded when Aaden's silence stretched for a little too long. "What does this mean, Aaden? What is Evander sayin'?"

Aaden took a deep, steadying breath. He hated it but, for now at least, he would have to keep lying to Lilith. He would have to take his cousin's side. For his mother's sake.

"Naething," he said. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Lilith as he spoke, his gaze instead glued to the ground beneath his feet. "We should forget what we saw, Lilith. It's the best thing we can dae."

"The best thing?" Lilith stepped right in front of him, chasing his gaze. Her lips were curled back in a snarl and she pointed an accusatory finger at Aaden, her rage palpable, like a living thing between them. "How can it be the best thing? Dinnae ye care about Freya at all?"

"I care about her," Aaden was quick to say, desperately trying to think of something that would placate Lilith. But what was there to say? She was right and the only reason he was trying to stop her from telling Freya the truth was so that he could save his own skin. "But Evander willnae dae this again. Trust me."

As he spoke, he turned to pin his cousin with a stern look, one that dared him to contradict his words. Thankfully, he was smart enough to keep his lips sealed instead of running his mouth again.

"It's already been done," Lilith pointed out. "Yer cousin has already deceived Freya. Why dae ye refuse tae tell the truth now when ye were honest with me ‘afore?"

There was nothing Aaden could say to that. Lilith had backed him up against a corner and the only way for him to get out of it was by telling her the truth—but that was impossible.

"Unless ye werenae honest with me," she said, a small, betrayed gasp escaping her. "Unless ye've been lyin' tae me all this time an' this is… this is simply what ye dae."

"Lilith, please," Aaden said, reaching for her only to have her pull out of his grasp.

What will I even say tae her? There is naething I can say.

Aaden looked at her in silence and for a few moments, so did Lilith. In the end, she only let out a short, humorless, hollow laugh and shook her head, turning away from him. As she walked away, she didn't even bother turning around as she spat, "I hate ye. Ye're just as cruel an' heartless as yer cousin."

With that, she was gone and Aaden was left to pick up the pieces.