Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Seven.

Colt held her head high as she all but stomped her way to the bar, her anger quickly escalating within her. Her face was impassive as she manoeuvred her way through the crowd, concealing how she was struggling internally with the need to shift into her lupine form, just so she could hunt down that arrogant asshole of a wildcat, to rip out his throat, preferably in a slow and drawn out manner. To say she was livid would be an understatement, Colt was all but boiling over with rage right now.

Ignoring the crowd of men at the bar who were trying to get her attention, while shouting mock congratulations on her cancelled engagement, and genuine adulation on the accuracy and speed of her right hook, she eventually caught the bar maid's eye, and sighed with relief.

"A double vodka and coke, and a Glenmorangie if you have it, please." She asked politely, wondering where the hell she rustled up the ability to keep her voice steady.

Colt normally only drank whisky with her Mom, and maybe it was partly because she missed her presence sorely as well, but somehow, vodka just wasn't going to cut it right now. Especially when she had the gut wrenching reality to face that she may have to come clean with her parents. Because, judging by all the noise around her, and the random snippets of conversations she could hear throughout the hall, she had certainly caused quite a stir, and she may not be able to get out of this on her own.

"Sure thing." The woman replied, "Ice or water, with the malt?" she asked politely.

Colt just shook her head silently, as the woman placed the amber liquid in front of her, and turned to get the other drink from the optics hanging on the back wall. When she returned with Iona's drink, Colt pushed back the now, empty glass of whisky across the bar towards her.

"Another please." She asked, then she reached for her purse to pay the woman when she returned.

The woman, placed the next drink beside the other and smiled at Colt. "Is that everything, Honey?" She asked, almost sympathetically.

"Yeah that's great, thank you. How much do I owe you?" She asked, feeling slightly better, as the burn of the alcohol leaked a steady heat into her upper body.

"It's fine, it's been taken care of." The middle aged human lady responded, nodding her head in Alasdair Dougal's direction, who was currently stood about three metres away watching Colt silently.

Colt approached the blonde decisively, with a slight frown etched upon her face. "Thanks." She snapped assertively. "However, next time someone is man handling your mate, and talking to her like she is a piece of shit, pull your head out your ass and fucking sort it out." She growled at him, giving her rage a slightly safer outlet, than one she might not be able to pull it back from, should she indulge herself by beating on Angus further.

Alasdair at least had the decency to look ashamed of himself, in Colt's opinion. She couldn't believe just how messed up and outdated this society of shifters were. But, when he spoke, his next words utterly surprised her.

"I would of, if I could of. Bloody hell, even Iona has told me herself to stay away." He admitted dejectedly. "She chose Samuel, she made that very clear." He sounded physically wounded

Ignoring the colloquial grammar, that made her shiver intetnally, Colt's line of vision darted across to her cousin, who was completely ignoring their very worked up grandmother, her eyes glued on Colt and Alasdair instead. Iona desperately wanted to be where Colt was, it was written as clear as day all over her face, and body. She even looked jealous of the mere conversation going on between her mate and her cousin.

"Open your eyes." Colt responded. "Does that look like the face of a girl who wants another man?" She pointed out with a scoff, causing Alastair's head to snap around to face Iona. Colt sighed as she watched them. "Figure it out. Because, and you can trust me on this," She said while tapping Elijah's mark, "The reality of losing your true mate is absolutely fucking shit."

"Aye, maybe so, but you're still talking to the wrong person on the subject." Alasdair said, eyeing Colt's collar curiously. "Wait. If you are mated, then why is Angus under the impression that, you and he..." He drifted off, changing the subject again "And, where exactly have they been hiding you?" He asked the last part almost accusingly.

"Because, Angus is an idiot." Colt replied flatly, causing not only Alasdair to snort out a laugh, but a few of the men eavesdropping around them as well. "But, no one has been hiding me. I have just been busy renovating an old crofter's cottage." Colt shrugged, unaffectedby her audience or the change of subject.

"Must be pretty deep in Campbell lands, for no other clan to know about you being here? Wildcats are pretty rare, females tend to be outnumbered by at least four to one, and are usually married by twenty-two at the latest." Alasdair shrugged.

Colt laughed at the absurdity of this. "You sound like you're either pressing me for information, or propositioning me." She stated candidly, with one eyebrow raised.

Alasdair just shrugged, and sipped his beer. "I am." He answered with a smile. "Pressing you for information, that is."

"I can respect that." Colt nodded, then threw her better judgement to the side and answered him. "I live on the South-western side of the Ardair Peninsula. I bought the old croft down on the beach there. The house needed a lot of work. But the views and the land are perfect for me." She concluded.

"Shit!" Alasdair remarked, almost choking on his beer. "How the fuck did you pull that off? That's Macgregor territory. Christ! Colin will have a fit." He snorted, trying to catch his breath, and inevitably pulling the attention of his other friends more blatantly toward the duo.

"Hell Woman! You didn't even touch him." Laughed one of Alasdair's friends, as he slapped the man on the back.

Colt shrugged, and took a sip of her whisky before responding to Alasdair, "I may have Campbell grandparents. But, make no mistake, I am my father's daughter. Merrier is my name, and the family I belong to." She said decisively, not noticing how the group's eyes lit up at her declaration, and zeroed in on her empty ring finger. "Now if you will excuse me, my cousin is waiting on her drink."

The group parted instantly, suddenly the six extra men, that had joined the conversation were standing just a bit straighter and taller. They all watched as she walked across the hall, to where her cousin was sat with her father, each of them fast forming their own designs on her. Colt had basically just served herself up as a free meal to a group of starving men. Declaring she had no clan loyalties, pretty much made Colt fair game for any man to press his claim for marriage.

"Well, this just got interesting." Alasdair remarked. "Just wait until Calum hears about her."

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter