“You may take your wife and one of your daughters and leave this place.” Biel continued. “Or you can stay and do my bidding as your new master.”

“I cannot leave without my entire family,” Aengus argued. “I will leave but with my wife, both my daughters, and my nephew.”

“Then you choose to remain.” Biel glanced back at Cait. “And I will take one of your daughters as my woman.”

“You cannot. You will not!” Aengus lunged but two of them grabbed him before he could get to Biel.

“I can and I most certainly will.” Biel’s gaze dragged to Fiona. “But you may choose which.”

“I will not choose,” Aengus refused.

“Take her!” Rebekka suddenly pointed at Cait, pushing Fiona behind her. “Take her and we will leave this place.” Cait stared at Rebekka. She’d known the woman had always resented the love Aengus had for his first wife, her mother, but until that moment she’d never felt unloved herself.

Fiona howled and pulled from her mother’s embrace running to Cait’s embrace. “No!”

“We will not leave. And I will not choose.”

“Then you will die and your wife will make the choice in your stead.” Biel unhooked an ax from his side.

“Me!” Cait stepped forward, despite Fiona’s wail, and waited until Biel turned to look back at her. “He chooses me. Leave him alone.”

“No, Cait,” Ewan argued.

“Cait,” Aengus’ voice was defeated when Biel inclined his head and reattached his weapon.

“Take the rest of them to the tower and keep them there,” Biel commanded and his men moved to do as he bid. Cait watched them as they were taken from the hall and up the stone stairwell. Fiona’s protests and Rebekka’s weeping quieted as they were taken farther into the belly of the castle, leaving an uneasy silence to bounce around the corners of the hall.

“It was a wise choice.”

“Choice?!” Cait whirled to face their captor, leaping forward to assault him. Her fists beat upon the rough leather of his armor until his strong fingers wrapped around her wrist. But she would not settle. Instead she leaned forward and sank her teeth into his solid jaw. She heard him grunt moments before the coppery taste of him filled her mouth. She collapsed to her knees when he shoved her from him.

“Very good, Biel,” one of his men, the largest built of the five, returned and called from the stairwell above them. “You succeed in beating upon a helpless woman the moment I turn my back.” He began descending.

Cait smiled evilly when Biel lifted his hand to his jaw. She would show him just how helpless she could be. Jumping to her feet, she swiped the candelabrum from its place on the table against the wall and whirled, swinging it into his shoulder with a shout. She swung again. And a third time until he grabbed it and wrestled it from her.

Her gaze darted around for the next weapon but she didn’t move quickly enough and the Viking’s thick arm wrapped around her, trapping her hands at her sides. She yelled and kicked at him until he raised his hand. Closing her eyes, she waited for the blow that never came.

“If his men had nearly as much fight as his offspring, we would never have gotten past the gates.”

“What happened to your face, brother? Did she bite you?” The man behind them drew near, but Cait didn’t look behind her. She knew the leader was the real threat. Her father had taught her much about men and war. Biel Vard was the core of the evil that had rained upon them.

“More beast than we,” Biel murmured, shoving her away from him.

“The other girl and the mother are helpless and weak. The father took a crack at Boris. He is not feeble despite his age.” The man’s fingers touched Cait’s arm and she jerked away, placing a few steps between her and the men.

“Neither am I. You will have to kill me before I allow you to touch me with your filthy body.” She took several more steps backwards then turned and started to bolt.

“Then bring me her sister.” Biel’s deep voice stopped her at the doorway. Cold fear slipped through her body. Fiona wasn’t like Cait. This hulking Viking would break her sister.

“Send them away from here and I will do as you wish,” she countered without looking back.

“You are in no position to barter with me.” Biel’s heavy step drew closer and then stopped behind her. When he spoke it was directly next to her ear, causing her to jump despite her attempts to appear unafraid of him.

“It is not that wisp of a sister that I want anyway. I’d rather it be you.”

Cait balled her fists. “Why would you think I cared what you wanted? You and your dogs stormed my home and are ripping my family apart.” She faced him slowly. “I am not stupid. I know what you mean to do and why you mean to do it. By wedding and bedding me it gives you more legal right to claim my home as your own. Is it not enough that you have forced your way in here? That you shall force yourself into me? Are you so weak you feel you cannot accomplish what you mean to do without sending my family away now?”

“Bring the vicar.” Biel’s gaze never left Cait’s.

A few moments later a man in a robe was brought into the room. Biel reached forward, took her by the arm and walked back to the center of the room. He inclined his head as Cait jerked her arm from his grasp.