Page 43 of Wedded to the Heartless Highlander
“Ye are sayin’ that I’m actin’ like a child, and I dinnae appreciate it.”
“I said nay such thing, Erica. Ye twist me words to feel better about yerself, and I willnae have it.”
“I dinnae!” she hissed, stepping away from him.
“Ye do, and ye would do well to take responsibility,” he said pointedly, refusing to back down.
The silence between them grew thick with fury. Hunter’s eyes fell to her lips once more, and he felt an invisible thread pulling him to her.
Stopping short, he released her shoulder reluctantly, the loss of contact like a cold shock. “Come,” he said, his voice softer now. “Let’s get ye back before ye cause any more trouble, wife.”
“After ye, husband.”
He paused, realizing that there was not as much malice in her voice as he had anticipated, and he felt himself relax as he turned around and led them back toward the castle.
As they made their way back through the village, he remained close, a silent protector, his mind racing with thoughts of their next conversation because this was far from over.
12
On their way back to the castle, Erica’s fingers ached from Hunter’s unyielding grip. His hand was strong and warm around hers, but the tension radiating from him was impossible to ignore, each step dragging her forward. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her frustration was mounting as he led her briskly, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed ahead.
“Slow down!” she huffed, yanking her hand back, but his grip only tightened in response.
He hadn’t said a word since they left the village, and every attempt she’d made at conversation had only made him walk faster, a dark energy radiating off him. His grip on her hand didn’t hurt, but it was firm, as though he didn’t trust her not to run away again.
Suddenly, the sounds of horses galloping approached them from behind and then rushed past them. She immediately recognized Kara and Calvin riding away from them.
I hope I didnae get Kara in trouble…
She noticed that Hunter’s strides had shortened and his pace had slowed as the horses passed.
She glanced up, trying to read his expression, but his face was a mask of stoic anger, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. Something about that single-minded focus, the unbreakable strength of his grip, made her pulse race even faster, tinged with excitement and something darker, more electric.
The closer they got to the castle, the more she felt it—the tension between them building like a storm, her heart beating in time with his hurried steps.
She was torn between feeling indignation at his anger and a strange thrill that grew with every unspoken word. By the time they reached the castle and he ushered her through the doors without so much as a word of acknowledgment, her nerves were fraying.
As soon as they reached the upper landing and stopped in front of a large, ornate door, he released her hand. “In,” he said firmly, unlatching the door. His eyes flashed with frustration and something she couldn’t quite place.
The corridors were eerily silent.
Calvin must have cleared the castle for this, and Kara probably helped.
She held her breath, balling her hands into fists as she braced herself, refusing to be cowed by the sharpness of his stare. “Where are we?”
“Me study. In,” was all he said.
She walked in silently, and he followed. The sound of the key turning in the lock startled her, and she spun around to face him.
“What were ye thinkin’, Erica?” His voice was low and tight, barely controlled, as if he was holding back a torrent of words that had been building since they left the village.
“What was I thinkin’?” she echoed, anger lacing her voice. “I was thinkin’ that I wanted to make Lily happy. That she deserves joy and magic in her life.”
Hunter’s jaw tightened, and he took a single, deliberate step toward her. “And ye thought that was worth riskin’ yer safety?” His voice was quiet, but every word was laced with steel. “Takin’ that much coin with ye, flauntin’ it—did ye even consider that ye would make a target of yerself?”
“I wasnae flauntin’ anythin’!” she shot back, standing her ground, refusing to be intimidated. Her heart was pounding, each beat sending a thrill through her. “And it wasmemoney, Hunter.Mesavings, earned over the years—nae that ye would care.”
“Och, I do care,” he replied, a dark, mocking smile tugging at the corners of his lips, though his eyes were anything but amused. He took another step toward her, closing the distance between them, his presence filling the room. “I care that ye were reckless. That ye thought it wise to bring all that coin to the village as if ye were untouchable, as if nay one would dare harm the Laird’s wife. And maybe nay one would—but it almost happened.”
