Heart of the Highlands: The Beast (Protectors of the Crown Book 1) by April Holthaus

leave?”
    “My mum’s new husband beats her, so we ran away where the bastard can ne’er find us.”
    “Does yer mother ken ye steal?”
    “Nay.”
    “Rylan,” Ian nodded to him to mete out the lad’s punishment.
    Keira bolted straight up, ready to defend the young lad.
    “Surely, ye have enough food to spare this child a meager meal!” she spat.
    “Ye stay out of this,” Rylan growled. “Punishment must be given fer such disrespect.”
    “Then give him my share!”
    “Dinna worry lass. A sound lashing can no’ cause permanent damage,” Ian said, trying to console her.
    “He’s just a child who is scared and hungry! Where is yer sense of honor?” 
    Ian looked at Rylan before turning his attention to the lass. Arguing with Rylan, nicknamed the Wolf , for his fierce growling voice, never ended well. Though it was honorable of the lass to offer to sacrifice her meal, the provisions were not hers to give away, nor would it save the lad from a good thrashing or two. Regardless of the situation, the lad would not learn his lesson without honest discipline behind it. He must not only hear and understand the lesson but feel it as well, therefore the next time the lad mustered the courage to go thieving, he would think twice about from whom he stole.
    After Ian heard the first two strikes of the leather belt making contact with the lad’s rump, he stopped Rylan from going any further. The tears in the lass’s eyes were as unnerving as if she held a knife to his heart. Had she never witnessed a thrashing before? For a moment, he found himself wanting to hold her and comfort her. Given what the lass had already been through, he couldn’t stand to be the cause of anymore pain.
    “That’ll be enough lad,” he said, looking to Rylan, devoid of emotion. “As fer ye, wee Robbie. Ye may take the meat ye have stolen and nay more. Best ye think twice the next time ye decide to steal a mon’s bounty,” Ian said, hoping the lad would heed his warning.
    Rylan released the lad from his hold and Robbie dropped to the ground, obviously nervous and in some pain. Scurrying away from Rylan and Ian, he picked up his satchel and hobbled off into the woods.
    “Ye are getting soft,” Rylan accused Ian.
    “The lad got what he deserved,” Leland muttered.
    “Aye, but the lass is right. We have plenty of provisions to last us until tomorrow,” Ian said.
    “ The lass ? What say does she have? Is that the way of it, then? She’s the one givin’ the orders?”
    Rylan stood nearly toe to toe with Ian and boldly held his gaze.
    “Back down Rylan,” Leland warned, stepping in between the two angry men.
    “I told ye the lass would be nothing but trouble!” Rylan said, kicking up dust as he walked away.
    Fury burned in Ian’s veins. Never had Rylan questioned him before and disrespect was not going to be tolerated. Had they not been such good friends, Ian would have sliced him through. Rylan was as reckless and defiant as his nickname, Wolf , implied.
    “Dinna mind him,” Leland said to Ian as he and Ian watched Rylan saunter off.
    It wasn’t just Rylan that angered him but the lass as well. Ian was a man of logic and reason. He did not make decisions based on emotions. Allowing his heart to choose for him was not only dangerous but foolish. But this lass made him feel as if the walls he’d erected to protect his emotions were beginning to soften. He felt pity rather than resolve, and that did not sit well with him.
    He hated the way she questioned and argued with him. Not only was she becoming a sore on his arse, but she was beginning to make him question himself. If he made decisions based on the lass’s tender heart, he would accomplish nothing. Every time he was around her, he felt as if he walked on glass, stepping carefully to prevent injury. He needed to draw a line separating his duties from his feelings toward the lass.
    “Ian, I got her tent ready as ye asked,” Daven announced.
    Ian glanced back over at