Page 42 of The Laird's Dark Obsession

Rory sighed and looked back down to Calum, who was still struggling for air as he writhed. “Sorry, my beloved. This man stood in my way. I simply cannae let that go.”

The sound that followed was gut wrenching, her entire body flinched and her eyes squeezed shut a moment too late. The image of the silver blade piercing Calum’s chest was seared into her memory. And then the shock wore off and she was racing toward him.

“Calum! Calum!”she screamed.

An arm snaked around her and held her back from reaching him. “It’s unbecoming for a Lady to touch the dead,” Rory said in her ear.

She fought against his hold, trying to free herself to get to Calum. When she managed out of his arms’ hold, his fingers wrapped around the roots of her hair and he began todragher from Galbraith Keep as she kicked and screamed for Calum, for her freedom, for Hunter.

18

Hunter brought his horse to a stop at the outer yard to take a moment to assess the scene. Finding Kira in the midst of the mayhem with only a glance. She was dragged by her hair by none other than Rory Barclay.

“Take Edine to the stables and barricade yerselves in there,” he commanded the warriors at his side. “The rest of us will deal with Barclay’s and Fairbairn’s men.”

And he was off again, riding hard toward his Keep. He didn’t have to get near to see that it wasn’t a battle and more so a slaughter. They were greatly outnumbered and Hunter wasn’t sure how much longer his warriors could hold out, no matter how strong and well-trained they were. And it was his fault for being too distracted by emotion to see through the scheme.

Once near enough to the action, Hunter dismounted his horse and dove into the fight, heading right for Barclay and Kira. He was a one-man army, all of his senses sharp and focused to dodge attacks and land his own with brutal strength and precision. They came at him in waves to protect their Laird, but Hunter was too skilled, too practiced. All of those years of grief where all he could do to prevent madness was to train endlessly, they were finally not in vain. Finally, he felt like the man capable of protecting those he loved.

His sword sliced through sides and impaled his attackers almost mindlessly, his mind focusing on his breath and staying clear-headed. The odds were against them, but he had to believe that destiny was not.

Horns blared.Hunter’s head whipped around to see horses with riders carrying flags of the MacDougal tartan charging at the Keep. Help was here. MacDougal’s men moved in a circular formation, surrounding the Keep and applying pressure to prevent Fairbairn or Barclay from withdrawing.

It truly was going to come to an end today, once and for all.

He was going to make sure of it. Hunter pressed on, a new surge of motivation and hope coursing through him.

One last warrior fell to his feet and he was face-to-face with Laird Barclay at last. He raised his sword and stared the man down. “Let go of my wife,” he said, venom in every syllable.

Barclay’s face split with a grin and he brought his hand up, dragging Kira to her knees and tilting her head back to show her face. Hunter’s entire body ached with the pain on her face and watched as her hands pawed at Barclay, trying to free herself.

“Sorry, lad. This marriage of yers isn’t lawful. Nae when the bride was kidnapped and forced.”

“Funny,” Hunter spat. “I dinnae have to drag her down the aisle by the hair.”

“Even the most tortured of birds learn to appreciate the hand providing the seed when they believe freedom to be out of reach,” Rory chuckled.

“She’s nae a bird. She’s my wife and I’m ordering ye one last time to unhand her,” Hunter barked.

Rory smirked and dragged Kira to her feet before shoving her into the arms of two of his men. “Very well, Galbraith. Let us settle this as men. Shall we?” he said, reaching down. When he stood straight, there was a bow and arrow in his hold.

Hunter ducked to the side, managing to let the arrow soar by him. And there was a smile on his face when he locked eyes with Kira. She was confident, no longer looking afraid though her eyes were red and swollen from crying. There was a reason for that: she believed in him.

Without wasting another moment, Hunter charged at Rory, forcing him to abandon the arrow he was attempting to string and reach for his dirk. Rory parried Hunter and slashed at him wildly, all with a wicked smirk on his face. He was fighting confidently, like a man who believed he had already won. But he was against Hunter, a man who would always have Kira’s heart. And for that, he couldn’t lose.

Hunter dodged the dirk and brought his sword down in angled blows so that Barclay had to use all of his body to parry with his meager dirk. And each time that happened, Hunter got closer. As he towered over him at last, Hunter didn’t have to use his sword. Instead, he jutted a hand out and captured the blade ofthe dirk and took hold, tossing it to the ground behind him. Hunter stared Barclay down, murder and vengeance returning to the hazel hues once again. There was nothing Barclay could do but surrender to death or run.

Like the coward he was, Barclay let out a trembling breath before turning and running away, yelling for his men to follow and protect him. At once, the guards let go of Kira and shoved her away so they could follow after their pathetic Laird.

Hunter caught Kira and hugged her as tight as he could. She clung to him, her breathing labored and her body trembling. And the chaos around them started to settle, Barclay’s men retreating, and Fairbairn’s men overwhelmed with the new numbers and without the direction of their Laird.

Only after a long while, Hunter pulled her back so he could get a good look at her. “Are ye hurt? Let me see—”

Kira took hold of his hand and pressed it to her cheek, her fingers gently rubbing the back of his hand. “I’m fine. Where is Edine? Did ye find her? Is she safe?”

Hunter nodded. “She’s safe and guarded. It was only a trap set by yer faither that I foolishly fell for.”

Kira nodded but her lip was trembling. He squeezed her shoulders and looked for understanding. At the sight of tears in her eyes yet again, he knew something was wrong. “Calum… He’s… He’s dead.”