Chapter 24

24

T he tension in the castle was palpable. Every flickering light and every creak of the old stones seemed amplified. Erica paced the length of Hunter’s chambers, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as if to shield herself from the weight of the past few days.

Hunter had ordered a dozen of his men to remain with her, and their silent, stoic presence made her feel more trapped than protected. She glanced at the heavy wooden door, her heart lurching every time she thought she heard a sound beyond it.

Hunter stood near the window, his tall frame rigid as he surveyed the courtyard below. His gray eyes were sharp and unyielding, but there was something softer in them when they flicked to her. It was fleeting, gone before she could decide whether it was concern, guilt, or something else entirely.

Eventually, the silence between them became too much.

“How much longer are we supposed to wait like this?” she asked, her voice tight with unease.

“As long as it takes,” Hunter replied without looking at her. His voice was clipped, but not unkind. “Until I’m certain ye and Lily are safe.”

Erica stopped pacing, her eyes narrowing on him. “Ye dinnae ken how long it’ll take? Am I just meant to stay here like this forever?”

Hunter turned to her then, his expression unreadable. “It’s nae about how ye feel , Erica. It’s about keeping ye alive. And, nay, this willnae take forever.”

His words stung, but she didn’t back down. “And what about ye? Where will ye be when this threat comes for me?”

“In the thick of it,” he said simply. “Where I belong.”

Her chest tightened at his response. She wanted to yell at him, to tell him that his stubborn sense of duty didn’t make her feel any better. But before she could say anything, he strode toward her, closing the distance between them.

The atmosphere shifted drastically.

“I ken ye are angry,” he murmured, his voice low and steady. “And ye have every right to be. We’ve both made mistakes… but this isnae one of them. Keepin’ ye and Lily safe is the only thing that matters to me.”

Erica swallowed hard, searching his face. “Ye have made mistakes? Is that supposed to be an apology?”

Hunter’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he might retreat into his usual stoicism. But then he exhaled heavily and ran a hand through his hair.

“Look,” he began plainly. “I ken well enough that it was wrong of me to put the blame on ye. In the heat of the moment, I accused ye of leadin’ someone on, when it’s clear to me now that this… bastard is delusional. I just—It’s just that…”

Before Erica could even think to respond, he captured her lips in a kiss that was tender but full of frustration. The moment his lips brushed against hers, time seemed to stand still. The tension, the arguments, and the hurt all dissolved in that single touch, replaced by something raw and unspoken.

His kiss was gentle at first, tentative as if testing the waters, but it quickly deepened, becoming a fervent claim that sent a shiver through her. Erica’s hand instinctively rose to his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heart beneath her palm.

Hunter pulled her closer, his hands settling on her waist. His touch was firm yet reverent, as if she might slip away if he didn’t hold her tight enough. Erica melted into him, her body betraying her desire.

How could someone so infuriatin’, so guarded, make me feel this bare, this wanted?

When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing hard, their foreheads resting against one another.

Erica opened her eyes, meeting his stormy gray gaze. She could see the conflict there, the mix of longing and guilt that mirrored her own.

“And then ye go and do somethin’ like that,” she murmured, her voice trembling.

Hunter let out a breathless chuckle, his lips curling into a small, reluctant smile. “Aye, I imagine I’m nae easy to follow either.”

“Easy isnae the word I’d use,” she quipped.

“Nor I,” he said, his insinuation plain.

Erica nodded. “Fair,” she relented. “What explanation do ye have for this, then? One minute ye blame me for everythin’ and make me feel so small and insignificant, the next… ye do this?”

His expression turned serious, his hands tightening on her waist as he searched her face. “Because I cannae let this night pass without ye understandin’. I was wrong to doubt ye. Wrong to think for even a moment that ye had betrayed me.” His voice grew quieter, heavy with emotion. “I said some hurtful things in the heat of the moment. It was all wrong. I let me fears blind me to the truth—that ye have done nothin’ but try to make this… arrangement work, even when I’ve made it nearly impossible.”

Erica swallowed hard, the lump in her throat growing. “And what truth is that?”

“That ye deserve better than what I’ve given ye,” he admitted. “And yet, selfishly, I dinnae want to let ye go.”

Her heart twisted at the vulnerability in his words. “Hunter?—”

He brushed a thumb over her cheek, cutting her off. “Nay, let me say this. I’ve been a fool, Erica. Ye have been nothin’ but loyal, and yet I let me insecurities cast a shadow over us. I see that now.”

Erica blinked back tears, her heart aching at his confession. “Ye think I dinnae have insecurities too? That I dinnae wonder every day if I’m enough for ye, for this life?”

Hunter furrowed his brow and cupped her face in his hands. “That’s just foolish. Ye are more than enough,” he said fiercely. “I just… I have been too stubborn to admit it.”

The raw honesty in his voice broke something inside her. Erica couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, and they rolled down her cheeks as she leaned into him.

“Then stop pullin’ away,” she whispered. “If ye want this—if ye want me —then stop denyin’ yerself out of some irrational sense of guilt.”

Hunter’s thumb brushed away her tears, and he pressed another kiss to her lips—this one softer, almost tender. “God help me, I’ll try?—”

A sharp knock at the door shattered the intimacy, and Hunter pulled back, his expression hardening once more. “Stay here,” he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

She grabbed his arm before he could move away. “Hunter, wait.”

He paused, looking down at her with a mix of frustration and concern.

“If something happens to ye…” Her voice faltered, but she forced herself to continue. “What am I supposed to do? I cannae just wait here.”

Hunter’s gaze softened, and he reached for her hand again. He led her to the far corner of the room and pressed his hand against a panel in the wall, revealing the hidden passage once again. “Ye will take Lily and run. Ye will take the horses—already saddled—and ride to McFair Keep. I have men stationed along the path to ensure ye both get there if it comes to it.”

He planted a kiss on her forehead before leaving the room without another word.

Erica began pacing again, her nerves fraying with every passing second. Suddenly, shouting and the clash of steel against steel shattered the stillness.

One of the guards on the other side of the door spoke quickly, “Stay here, Me Lady,” he urged.

Erica’s heart pounded as the sounds of battle grew louder. She moved to the window and peered down into the courtyard. Shadows moved in the torchlight—men locked in fierce combat, their identities obscured by dark cloaks and masks. Her stomach churned at the sight.

Hunter was out there, fighting, risking his life for her and Lily.

She gripped the windowsill, her knuckles white.

Please be safe. Please come back to me.

The door burst open, and Calvin stumbled inside, his face streaked with blood and his sword drawn. “The attackers are inside the castle,” he panted. “We need to move ye to safety.”

Erica’s heart sank. “This is the safest room in the castle! What about Hunter? What about Lily?” she demanded.

“He’s fine—holdin’ them off,” Calvin said grimly. “But ye dinnae have much time.”

Erica hesitated, torn between her promise to Hunter and the overwhelming urge to run to his side. But his words—his insistence that she protect herself and Lily—kept her rooted to the spot.

Calvin pointed his sword toward the hidden passage. “Go, Me Lady. Ye have to go, now! I’ll go the other way and clear the corridors for ye both. Go!”

He slammed the door shut behind him, leaving her alone once more.

As she stepped into the dark, narrow passageway, a single thought echoed in her mind.

Find Lily. Get to safety.

The sound of battle grew louder as she approached Lily’s chambers, the clash of steel against steel and loud cries echoing off the stone walls. Every instinct told her to turn back, to retreat to the safety of Hunter’s chambers, but she pressed on.

Lily needed her.

When she reached the door to Lily’s room, a cold dread settled over her. The door was ajar, swinging slightly on its hinges.

“Lily?” she called out, her voice trembling.

There was no response.

Erica stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room with growing panic. The bed was empty, the covers thrown back as if Lily had left in a hurry—or been taken. The toys scattered across the floor looked undisturbed, their cheerful colors a sharp contrast to the ominous stillness.

Her gaze landed on the window, which was wide open, the curtains billowing in the night breeze.

“Nay,” she whispered, a cold chill running down her spine. “Nay, nay, nay.”

She turned on her heel and dashed into the hallway, her heart hammering against her ribs. That was when she saw him—Calvin, slumped against the wall a few paces from the door. His head lolled to the side, blood trickling from a gash in his temple.

“Calvin!” Erica cried, dropping to her knees beside him. She shook his shoulder, her fingers gripping his tunic. “Calvin, wake up!”

He groaned softly, his eyelids fluttering but not opening. She scanned him for injuries, her hands trembling as she felt the sticky warmth of blood on his side. The wound wasn’t deep, she thought, but it was enough to leave him incapacitated.

“Please, wake up,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

Calvin stirred slightly, his lips moving as if to speak. She leaned in close, desperate to catch his words.

“Gone…” he rasped, his voice barely audible. “They… took her.”

Erica’s stomach sank, her blood turning to ice. Her mind raced, panic clawing at her throat.

Lily was gone. Someone had taken her right from under their noses.

“Who?” she demanded, gripping his tunic tighter. “Who took her?”

But Calvin’s head lolled again, his strength leaving him.

Erica sat back on her heels, her chest heaving as she tried to think. She couldn’t stay here. She had to find Lily.

The sounds of fighting down the corridor grew louder, and she realized with sickening clarity that this attack had been a diversion. Whoever had taken Lily had used the chaos to cover their tracks.

She stood up, brushing her hands over her skirts as she forced herself to focus. She couldn’t let fear paralyze her. She had to act.

She hurried back into Lily’s room, her eyes scanning for any clue, any sign of where they might have gone. Her gaze landed on the window again, and she moved toward it, leaning out into the night air. The drop below was too steep for a child, but a rope hung from the ledge, swaying gently in the breeze.

“They went this way,” Erica murmured to herself, her mind racing.

She turned back toward the door, clenching her hands into fists. She needed to find Hunter. He would know what to do. But she also knew she couldn’t waste time. If she waited too long, they might lose any chance of catching up to Lily’s captors.

She hurried down the hall, her steps quick and purposeful. The guards she passed tried to stop her, but she brushed them off with a sharp command.

“Tell the Laird that his niece has been taken,” she ordered one of them. “And tell him I’m goin’ after her.”

“Aye, Lady MacKinnon,” the man said quickly. He looked stunned, but then he immediately broke into a run in the opposite direction.

Erica continued toward the main hall, her mind a whirlwind of fear and determination.

I will find Lily. And heaven help the men who had taken her when I do.