The Clan MacDougall Series Read Free Page A

’Twas then that Aishlinn realized he had made his first mistake. He had both hands upon her breasts. Where was the dagger? She turned her head and saw it lying upon the mattress and realized it was within her reach. She could still fight! Perhaps if she could grab the knife, she could threaten him with it. She could threaten to cut off his manly parts or stab him in the heart if he did not stop.
    Slowly, she reached for the dagger. She would pretend for a moment, repulsive as the thought was, to enjoy what the earl was doing. Pretend just long enough to grab the dagger. When she feigned a soft moan of pleasure the earl mushed his face into her neck and bit her. She could feel his manhood growing as she carefully wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the knife.
    ’Twas then that the earl made is second mistake; he believed she was truly enjoying his hands and mouth upon her. With his face still buried in her neck he said, “I told you that you would enjoy this.” ’Twas then that he moved his mouth to her breast and bit.
    The pain was unbearable. A low growl escaped her throat and without thinking, she plunged the dagger into his back, pulled it out and thrust it in a second time. She had not intended to harm him but she could take no more. The earl lifted his head and looked at her. The victorious grin had been replaced with a look of complete bewilderment.
    “You whore!” he muttered as he let out a long, slow breath then collapsed upon her.

Two

    I t took every ounce of strength Aishlinn had left to wriggle out from under the earl. Blood oozed from his back and soaked into his shirt. Her stomach churned violently as the coppery smell of blood and sweat assaulted her senses. Her hands trembled while her mind raced, fighting hard to regain her wits. She needed to flee this room and this castle and she needed to flee it quickly.
    With trembling fingers she unbarred the door as quietly as she could. Taking a deep breath, she pulled it open just a crack, enough to peer into the hallway. ’Twas empty and dark, save for the few lit torches that lined the walls. She tried not to look at the dead man in the bed as she grabbed her dress and hurried out of the room. Blood rushed in her ears and her heart pounded as she tiptoed down the dark hallway.
    As she rounded a corner, she caught sight of a guard slumped over in a chair. She prayed for him to be either passed out from too much drink or a sound sleeper, she cared not which. A jolt of pain shot through her chest as she took a deep breath. Clutching her dress to her chest as if it were a shield, she dared not breathe as she held herself close to the wall and tiptoed past the guard. She prayed God would show her some mercy and would not let her encounter anyone else this night.
    Through the semi-darkness, she crept quietly down the three levels of stairs as quickly as she could. She paused at the last step to listen for sounds of life and tried to think the best way of escape. To her left was the large gathering room that led to the kitchens. She knew that area well, for that had been the portion of the castle where she had worked since arriving less than a month ago. To her right was the earl’s library and an area of the castle she was not at all familiar with.
    The gathering room was filled with sleeping men, passed out from drinking too much wine consumed throughout the night. Some of the men lay upon the massive tables while others slept on the cold stone floor. A few of them snored heavily, while others ground their teeth or mumbled in their drunken sleep. If she took the route she knew best, she risked stumbling over one of the drunkards and waking them. If she went in the opposite direction, she risked getting lost in parts of the castle she did not know.
    She decided the best route to freedom was the one she knew. But before her foot could touch the floor, a large hand suddenly clamped around her mouth while an arm grabbed her around her waist. She was lifted off