Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

“ M iss Everton, I swear, if you keep insisting the stag went this way, we’ll end up chasing shadows,” Alistair exclaimed, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead as he scanned the dense thicket around them.

Cecilia rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with exasperation. “And if you keep doubting me, we’ll miss our chance entirely. I saw my brothers dart off in this direction, Your Grace! The stag went through here!”

The forest was alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant calls of birds, but all Alistair could focus on was Cecilia. She sat on her horse, fiercely arguing with him on the direction they were to take, even going as far as to claim she could wager on finding the quarry and her brothers all at once.

They had been riding for a while to find empty snow stretches however, and strands of her silky hair fell from her braid now, caught the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, framing her face like a halo.

The fitted riding jacket accentuated her slim waist, and the way she moved before him—confidently, with purpose—was mesmerizing. He shook his head, trying to dispel the untoward thoughts racing through his mind.

“Your confidence is admirable, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’ve lost the trail,” he cleared his throat, attempting to maintain a tone of authority.

Cecilia rounded her horse to face him slightly, her chin tilted defiantly. “And stubbornness is going to get us nowhere, Your Grace. We’re not going to find our quarry waiting here arguing.”

Alistair felt a rush of warmth at her snarky response, “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Fancy yourself some siren for the beasts of the field ?” he challenged, crossing his arms over his chest, trying to project an air of indifference.

She smirked, a glimmer of boastfulness in her eyes. “I know I am. And you shall find this to be true as well soon, Your Grace.”

He opened his mouth to retort but paused, frowning as she turned her horse again and pushed forward.

“Cecilia,” he called, his voice softer, almost hesitant. “This isn’t just a game. We’re not going after the stag , we’re here for your brothers. We’re in the woods, and it’s easy to get lost.”

“Perhaps you’re the one who’s lost, Your Grace, I’m well and fine,” she called back.

Frustrated, Alistair pushed forward his steed, falling in step with her, his breath hitching slightly as she gasped at his sudden proximity.

Alistair felt a pang of worry. How had they ended up alone like this? He glanced around, half-expecting Nathaniel or Tristan to return, but the woods were silent, leaving him with only Cecilia’s gaze.

He struggled to keep his composure, battling the urge to get caught up in another argument with this stubborn woman.

“Why can’t you just do as is expected of you for once, Miss Everton?” He growled, his frustration steaming as they were mere inches apart.

“What is expected of me? Which would be what? Again, a relentless pursuit of an animal while ignoring the beauty around me?” she shot back, her voice sharp yet melodic.

She placed her hands on her hips, drawing his attention to them and he clenched his jaw, determined not to let the movement distract him from the argument again.

“You’re not to be out here in the first place!” he gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his composure.

“Perhaps if you weren’t so content on remaining uptight, you’d finally see that there’s more to life for women, Your Grace,” she replied, never breaking eye contact, her breath mingling with his in the frosty air.

“Uptight? Is that how you see me?” incredulity lacing his tone.

“In all honesty? Yes. Would I be wrong?”

She was daring, all too daring. Alistair glared her down yet it did not work. Men would cower simply from his gaze and yet she stood there unfazed.

He felt his heart race with a mixture of his anger and this other dangerous feeling he always had when she was around. “You are terribly infuriating, you know that?”

He could feel the heat radiating off her, and it took every ounce of willpower not to lean in and close the distance that felt unbearable.

“This is not the time for this, Cecilia,” he groaned, his voice strained.

“Then perhaps we should split up,” she suggested, her expression suddenly serious. “Do not allow me to bother you any further, Your Grace. I arrived here by my own choices, so I shall find my way out and to my brothers by myself.”

Why are you staring past me like that?

Alistair felt an anger he could not explain. His thoughts and emotions were completely a mess. Worried about what he would do next, he nodded without another thought.

“Fine,” he replied, halting his steed and making a sharp turn, the cool air rushing in to fill the space between them. “You head that way, and I’ll head this way.”

As they turned to follow their separate paths, Alistair couldn’t shake the feeling of her presence lingering in the air, the argument the familiar spark that left him both frustrated and inexplicably drawn to her.

He urged his horse forward, the biting winter wind stinging his face as he scanned the desolate landscape. Panic gnawed at him before he could head any further forward, an unsettling feeling that something was amiss with Cecilia.

Each beat of his heart echoed the worry. He clenched his jaw, self accusation boiling over—why couldn’t he just let her be?

As he galloped, a rustle in the underbrush caught his attention. His instincts kicked in, adrenaline surging as a loud sound echoed the woods, a large animal stumbling suddenly unto his path.

Alistair drew in a breath. There it was, a massive stag, its majestic antlers rising like a crown against the pale sunlight. The creature snorted and stomped, a fearsome sight, its coat shimmering with a rich, earthy hue as it moved gracefully through the snow.

Alistair’s heart raced, a primal urge to hunt coursing through him, but his thoughts flickered back to Cecilia, and he felt even more panic, hoping she had not come across this animal as he had.

With fierce determination, he spurred his horse forward, intent on capturing the large creature. But as he charged, the stag suddenly turned, its wild eyes locking onto him, and in that instant, chaos erupted. The horse reared, startled by the creature’s defiance, and Alistair lost his grip.

Time seemed to slow as he plummeted, the world spinning around him. He hit the ground hard, snow exploding around him like a cloud. His horse took off, and so did the stag, leaving him all alone in the woods so suddenly.

Pain shot through his body, but to his surprise, his thoughts were barely consumed by the stag’s snorts echoing in his ears from afar and more of the nagging worry for Cecilia lingering around alone, all because he let her leave.

Desperation clawed at him as he struggled to rise, and he realized he had to confront both the physical beast and the one of his own feelings as well.

However, the pain felt more intense the more he applied pressure on it. He lay sprawled in the snow, the cold seeping through his clothes, numbing his limbs. Pain radiated from his shoulder and leg, a sharp reminder of his reckless charge and helplessness.

Each breath felt labored, the icy air stinging his lungs, and he fought the urge to panic. He desperately wished for someone to find him, to pull him from this frigid nightmare.

Perhaps I should call out for help?

The thought flickered through his mind, but hesitation gripped him. What if the stag returned? He was vulnerable, exposed on the ground. The wildness of the forest felt suffocating, the silence amplifying his worries.

Alistair glanced around, half-expecting to see the dark shape of the stag emerge from the trees once again. His heart raced at the thought, each rustle in the distance sending adrenaline coursing through him.

I need to go after her. To ensure she’s safe.

He lay there, shivering, struggling to recoup his strength, when suddenly he heard the distant sound of hooves crunching through the snow. His heart leaped with a mix of hope and dread.

As the figure drew closer, he recognized Cecilia’s silhouette, more strands of her dark hair were out her braid now, whipping around her face as she rode with urgency. When she spotted him on the ground, her expression shifted from determination to shock.

“Oh my goodness, Your Grace!” she exclaimed, dismounting swiftly and rushing toward him. Her voice was laced with concern, and Alistair couldn’t help but feel a flutter of warmth despite the biting cold. He groaned, trying to push himself up, but the pain shot through him again, forcing him back down.

“I’m quite all right, really,” he managed to say, his voice strained, but Cecilia wasn’t having it. She knelt beside him, her eyes scanning his body before landing on the wound on his shoulder, blood seeping through his shirt.

“No, you’re not,” she replied firmly, her brows furrowed in worry. She shook her head, stuttering, “What happened? How are you- What- Why-You’re bleeding! I heard a shout!”

He opened his mouth to explain, but the words caught in his throat as she reached out, her fingers brushing against his skin as she assessed the injury. The warmth of her touch sent a jolt through him..

“Stay still,” she instructed, her voice softening as she searched the area around them.

Alistair watched her in wonder and disbelief, captivated by her fierce determination. “What are you doing?”

“You need to stop the bleeding,” She spoke as she quickly gathered some plants from the snow-covered ground, expertly seeming to identify the ones that would help as she said.

As she hurried over once again and applied the crushed leaves to his wound, their eyes locked, and time seemed to suspend. The world around them seemed to no longer exist, leaving only the two of them, so close that he could feel her breath mingling with his.

What am I doing?

But just as quickly as the moment had arrived, it slipped away. Cecilia finished tending to his injury, her focus shifting back to the task at hand. “All right, let’s get you up,” she said, her voice steady but still tinged with concern.

With careful hands, she helped him rise, her strength surprising him as she guided him toward their horses. Alistair could feel her trembling, even though she never complained.

As they made their way out of the snowy forest, he glanced at her, noting the way her jaw was set, the slight furrow in her brow. He wanted to reassure her, to tell her that he would be fine, but he did not know how to express the words.

The journey back to the estate felt longer than it should have, every step echoing unspoken feelings that seemed to hang between them.

Alistair couldn’t explain why but he wished for the moment to last longer. And as they emerged from the trees, reality settled back in, reminding him of the world outside their shared silence.