Page 39 of The Laird's Dark Obsession

“So, ye were in love with me from the start. My, my. Should have known,” he said smugly.

She shoved him playfully, making him stumble into the water, but he caught himself in time. He was grinning all the same.

“I had very little experience with the sterner sex back then. What could I do but fall for yer charms, even if they were forced?” she defended herself.

Hunter chuckled and pulled her into the water by the waist, Kira squealing in disapproval as the hem of her gown was soiled. He grabbed hold of her face.

“Dinnae mistake me. The efforts were forced by my maither, but there is nae forcing the fondness I felt for ye.Feelfor ye.”

Her heart soared and she thought someone should pinch her to ensure she was awake, but if she was dreaming, she wanted to see where this one ended. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him. She wondered if his parents had been like him before, standing in that water, embracing and confessing feelings of their youthful years. Their end might have been gruesome and ill-fated, but they had a lifetime of joy and love together. And that was all Kira could ever ask for.

“I love ye, Hunter. I always have. I always will,” she whispered to him.

His eyes widened for only a moment and a pained look flashed across his features. There was so much emotion in his eyes that it left her breathless, even if he wasn’t saying anything. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her. And she kissed him back with passion and devotion, hoping that he could taste how pure her love truly was.

After a little more walking around the lake to give their shoes time to dry, the pair headed back to the MacDougal Keep and joined their convoy. The ride home took just as long as it had the day before, but it didn’t feel as terrible. They were riding back with the added protection of MacDougal’s men and the knowledge they weren’t alone anymore.

“We’ve arrived,” Hunter said hours later, his lips against her hair.

Kira sat up straight and yawned as she looked out the window of the carriage. They were already through the gates of the Keep and immediately, she was noticing the lack of fanfare. When Hunter came and went from the Keep, there were always men patrolling and servants rushing to serve him—but there was nothing this time.

“Something’s wrong,” Kira murmured.

“Aye,” Hunter said.

The carriage finally came to a stop and Hunter stepped out first, staying by the door to help her out. Her feet had only met the stone path for a moment before the front doors of the Keep swung open and a pale-faced Calum was rushing toward them. Kira found herself holding her breath, bracing for whatever was coming.

“M’Laird,” he said, his voice weak and rattling. “Lady Edine, she’s… gone.”

17

Hunter instructed Calum to take Kira into the Keep and keep guards posted at her door until he returned. He pressed a kiss to the top of Kira’s head, and he was off. His stallion was already saddled and waiting for him, along with his sword and dirk. With a battle cry, Hunter led the charge toward the fields and the forest that lay beyond. He knew it had to be Fairbairn and he wouldn’t be as tactless as to go through the gates and town. No, he had snuck his way in just like his captain had.

His heart thundered, focused solely on getting his sister back to safety. He should have taken her with them while they traveled. But his mind had always been set that the safest place for his sister was their Keep with guards shadowing her at a distance.

He should have known better.

He should never take his eyes off those he loved while Fairbairn still drew breath.

As the wind stung his eyes and his heart pounded in his ears, his mind couldn’t shake a thought. It wasn’t a whisper or an inkling, it was a loud scream in the back of his head.

It’s a trap. Ye’re being foolish once again. Ye left Kira behind and ye’re playing right into Fairbairn’s hand. He kens ye’re reactive and angry. Ye’re doing exactly what he wants ye to do.

But he couldn’t stop. To turn around would be abandoning his sister and it was simply something he couldn’t do. He didn’t know how Fairbairn had managed access to Edine, but he knew that doubting his men back at the Keep in that moment would only drive him mad.

He would get Edine back and return to Kira.

They would all be safe. He had to believe that.

As they approached the tree line, he spotted signs of an overgrowth being cut through, making a path into the thickest part of the forest. Alarms sounded all through his head, knowing that this was the first evidence it really was a trap. There wasn’t any need to slice through the overgrowth and leave behind a trail, there were plenty of paths through the woods and someone escaping would have used them to slow down any pursuers and force the men to split into groups to cover each path.

Fairbairn wanted Hunter to know exactly where he was.

He rode hard into the fresh path and kept his eyes peeled for any details that would let him know Edine was near. The sun was already starting to set, making the thick forest all the darker with its long shadows. He pushed his horse as fast as he could go andkept himself low on the horse’s back to prevent the overhang of the forest from slowing him down.

And then, the path stopped. His horse halted short of a thicket of trees and Hunter’s head immediately whipped around in all directions.

That’s when he heard it, a low, dark chuckle coming from the darkness before him. Hunter hopped off his horse and drew his sword as his men followed in behind him, ready to face Fairbairn and his men once and for all.