Page 16 of A Virgin for the Highland Beast
Hunter’s eyes widened, his body stiffening. He stared at her, disbelief etched on his features. “What are ye goin’ on about?”
“Ye ken exactly what I’m talkin’ about, Laird MacRoss. Ye killed me braither a few years ago,” Emma said, her voice trembling with suppressed anger. “And dinnae think for a moment that I dinnae see the irony in all this. How it’s yer castle we stumble across and yer proposal to wed one of us. If ye ask me, it’s a cruel joke that we’re here, seekin’ refuge wit’ the man who caused all our family’s problems, to begin wit’.”
Hunter’s voice turned icy. “I didnae kill anyone. I may have been called many things, but I promise ye this. I will respect ye and yer sisters while ye’re under me roof, but I expect the same from ye.”
Hunter’s shock was visibly etched on his brow as Emma’s accusation hung in the air like dark clouds about to unleash a torrent.
“We have much to consider,” Emma said as she dropped her arms to her sides. “I’ll let me sisters ken what was said in here, and we’ll discuss the matter tonight.”
As she turned on her heel to leave, Hunter’s hand shot out. His strong fingers curled around her arm in a vice-like grip to halt her exit. She whipped around, stunned by the forceful grip.
His face was a mask of disbelief and anger, his voice menacing as he demanded, “Tell me why ye think I was the one who killed yer braither?”
She glared at him, her expression hard and resolute. “Everyone in our clan ken about yer heinous act, Laird MacRoss” she stated, her voice ice-cold. “We all ken what ye had done and why ye had to disappear into thin air. But it seems yer insatiable thirst to sit in the Laird’s chair has brought ye back to this place.”
Her words rang out in the silent room, a damning testimony against him—a monster in the guise of a protector.
Hunter’s anger was palpable, the muscles in his jaw clenching tightly. He swiftly released her arm, his voice filled with a raw edge as he questioned, “Who has been tellin’ ye these lies? Who is spreadin’ such baseless rumors?”
Emma’s expression was one of deep confusion. “Everyone kens this is what happened. Yer disappearance coincided with me parents’ visit to yer clan. They were tryin’ to uncover the truth about me braither and never returned.”
“And did they? Did they uncover the truth?” His voice was low, a dangerous undertone to his words as his brow creased in puzzlement.
Emma’s countenance fell, a veil of sadness clouding her features.
“They never got the chance to tell us. They died in a carriage accident on their return,” she answered, the memory causing her voice to wobble. “The weather was foul that day. The only thing our coachman could tell us was that they didnae manage to find ye.”
For a moment, Hunter remained silent. He stepped back from her as if a light breeze could topple him over.
“Emma, I’ve never met yer braither,” Hunter said clearly, his voice was soft yet firm as the confession poured out of him.
Emma’s eyes widened in confusion. “I dinnae understand. Then why did ye disappear?”
Hunter’s fists clenched at his sides. He took a deep breath, his voice barely above a whisper. “Perhaps it’s best if ye go now.”
“Ye want us to leave? In the storm?”
“Nay,” Hunter said, his eyes meeting hers. “We’ll discuss everythin’ over dinner. I want ye to stay as me guests, for the night. But for now, this conversation is over.”
7
Hunter stood by the fireplace and stared at the flames as they licked and flickered around the logs. He pulled in a deep breath, trying to settle his nerves that seemed to be scrambled like the eggs he had for breakfast. Running his fingers through his already tousled hair, he mulled over Emma’s words.
Several emotions coursed through him, but two continued to resurface again and again as if they were one side of the same coin. Anger and confusion twisted about in his mind. The unfairness of Emma’s accusations gnawed at him like a dog with a bone, relentless and undeterred.
But then again, wasn’t there also a sense of pity? After all, the poor girl had lost her parents, and her brother, and now he was asking her or one of her sisters to give up their freedom, too.
His mind wandered back to the idea of matrimony. Would wedding one of the girls truly bring any good to his clan? Or was it all just wishful thinking? His thoughts, unbidden, drifted towards Emma.
A vision of her radiant beauty crept to the forefront of his mind, pushing aside all other thoughts that plagued him. He let out a heavy sigh as he envisioned the warmth in her eyes burning just for him. For one peaceful moment, he realized that out of all the girls, she was the one he wouldn’t mind calling his wife. But the harsh reality set in.
She had already deemed him a monster.
Of course, she would. I’m exactly the man she thinks I am. Why kid meself?
Hunter pounded at the mantel over the fireplace, causing the small vase to tremble from his outburst. Stepping away, he moved across the room to the window in the hope of some solace to his troubling thoughts.
The only problem was, instead of allowing his eyes to wander through the shadows and rain, he found himself staring at his dark reflection in the window. His features, usually so familiar, seemed foreign in the dim light.
