Claimed by a Laird by Laura Glenn Page B

for his own. Do not question your laird!” he
admonished the younger man.
    Galen flicked his wrist and released Geoffrey, sending his
younger brother flying onto his backside. Geoffrey sprang up and lunged for
Galen.
    Adam stepped between them and shoved Geoffrey backward. “I
am your commander!” he shouted. “I do not care if the laird is your brother,
you will not step outside the chain of command. If you have a problem, you
bring it to me. Do you understand?”
    “Then tell my laird,” Geoffrey spat, peering around Adam, “I
will not play nursemaid to some treacherous English wench simply because his
cock has taken a liking to her!”
    Galen’s control snapped. Nostrils flaring, he shoved Adam
aside and threw back his right elbow. Before Geoffrey could react, Galen’s fist
landed squarely on Geoffrey’s jaw and he was knocked to the ground.
    Galen stepped forward, placed his foot on Geoffrey’s chest and
leaned over him, breathing heavily. “You may not like those who speak her
tongue, but I will not tolerate your disrespect toward Anna. She will be your
sister, make no mistake about it.”
    Geoffrey stared at Galen for several long moments,
Geoffrey’s eyes full of remorse, before he nodded.
    Galen stepped backward, offering Geoffrey his hand. He
pulled himself to his feet, wiggled his jaw back and forth, rubbing it.
    “Galen?” came a small, feminine voice from behind them.
    All three men turned simultaneously. Anna stood before them,
wrapped in a blanket and shivering.
    Galen reached her in two long strides. His breath caught in
his chest as he tucked her hair behind her ears and stared down at her face in
the light of day. The sun bounced off of her gloriously red hair, contrasting
perfectly with her milky flesh. He could not resist running his fingers through
her silky hair, the strands curling around and between his fingers like a
caress.
    “What are you doing out here, lass?” The words caught on the
sudden dryness of his throat. “I told you I would be back for you.”
    The tears threatening to spill from her bewitching
blue-green eyes were nearly his undoing. He caressed her pale cheek with the
back of his hand, wishing he could somehow return the sparkle to her sickly
eyes.
    “The yelling is hurting my ears,” she whispered, casting her
gaze toward his feet.
    She had heard their conversation. Galen had half a mind to
turn around and knock his brother to the ground a second time.
    “Adam and Geoffrey are going to get you to safety,” he
replied, careful to keep the fury out of his voice.
    Anna nodded and, without thinking of his audience, Galen
pressed his lips to the top of her heated forehead, lingering for a moment
longer than necessary. His chest ached at the thought of letting her leave his
arms, but he had no other choice. He motioned Adam forward with a lift of his
chin.
    Solemnly looking down at Anna, Adam placed a gentle arm
around her shoulders. “Come, my lady,” he encouraged. “Let us get you to a warm
bed.”
    Galen’s throat tightened with an unfamiliar emotion as Adam
guided her away. “Ride like hell,” he gruffly commanded, resisting the urge to
push his friend away so he could take her home himself.
    He froze in his tracks as the more reasoned part of his
brain questioned what the hell he was doing. He had actually taken her as his
woman—in front of most of his warriors—and he barely knew her. He had also just
laid his brother out flat for questioning Anna’s intent while he too harbored
doubts about her. He was reacting far too strangely to this woman. She clouded
his thinking and his chest ached at the mere thought of letting her go.
    Was she a witch? Is that how she had gained access to his
dreams?
    Geoffrey approached him, unable to meet his brother’s gaze.
“Galen, I am sorry. I had not realized you felt anything for the woman.”
    Galen shook his head dismissively and turned away, hoping
his brother would allow the matter to drop. For all of Geoffrey’s