Page 45 of A Virgin for the Highland Beast
“Ye dinnae ken the meanin’ of the word,” Emma hissed, as Geoffrey seemed uninterested in a word that came out of her.
“The way I see it, I’m owed retribution. Ye see, to marry outside the clan, a price is to be paid, is it nae?”
“Whatever ye want, ye’ll nae get it,” Hunter stated.
“Come now, I wouldnae be so hasty. What I want is small, and I dinnae want it from ye, Laird MacRoss,” Geoffrey said as he glanced at Emma.
“Can ye nae see ye’re nae welcome here,” Emma said as Hunter heard the fear in her voice.
“A dance,” Geoffrey stated as he wagged his arms around, as if dancing with an invisible partner. “Just one, and I’ll leave ye in peace.”
Emma glanced at Hunter. The fear in her eyes stung him, but he had to admit the request wasn’t unreasonable. If it meant that no blood would be spilled, he was willing to allow it.
Shaking her head, Emma clung to Hunter. “Please, dinnae make me do this.”
“It’s just a dance,” Hunter whispered as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.
He hated the thought of his tormentor holding her, touching her, but he had to think of more than just his wants.
“If it means he leaves in peace, would ye do it?”
“And if he puts a blade in me side for defyin’ him?” Emma countered as tears pooled in her eyes.
“I’ll strike him dead.” Hunter’s tone was absolute and rang as true as ever. Emma swallowed hard as he prized her fingers off his arm. “Trust me. Ye’ll see the life leave his body if he tries anythin’.”
“I dance wit’ ye, and then ye leave,” Emma said to Geoffrey.
“That’s the arrangement,” he answered with a malicious grin that rattled Hunter’s nerves. “After all, it’s the least I could do for the memory of me uncle. I’m sure he would have wanted the chance to dance wit’ ye.”
“Dinnae ye dare bring me faither into this,” Emma warned as she slowly made her way to Geoffrey.
Every fiber in Hunter’s body tensed as he walked next to her, ensuring her safety at every moment.
Hunter’s heart pounded in his chest as he processed what was happening and calculated his next move. If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that putting a face to a voice only made his resolve stronger.
Had he known Emma and her sisters were under Geoffrey’s roof, he would have married Emma even sooner to protect her and her sisters.
Emma leaned in towards Hunter, her voice barely above a whisper as she confided, “I dinnae want to do this.”
Hunter’s gaze softened, and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Nay harm will come to ye, wife” he promised, his voice steady yet laced with conviction as he handed her over to Geoffrey. The act made his stomach twist and turn.
“I kenned ye’d see it me way sooner or later,” Geoffrey said as he snatched Emma’s wrist. “But one cannae dance without music.”
Hunter’s heart pounded in his ears as his blood boiled. Giving a nod to the musicians to play, he stood by, his arms folded over his chest itching for a reason to kill Geoffrey.
One false move, one cry of distress from Emma, and Hunter would end him right then and there.
With a deep breath, Emma stepped towards Geoffrey, her eyes never leaving Hunter’s.
As the music began, Hunter’s gaze remained locked on them, watching over Emma like a hawk. The tension was palpable, but he stood his ground, ready to intervene at the t sign of trouble.
The tension escalated as Geoffrey twirled Emma around. She wished she could slap the smug look off his face.
“Tell me, dearest cousin, did the beast force ye into this marriage? If so, say the word, and I’ll have me men plow them down like wheat and set ye all free,” Geoffrey hissed in her ear.
Emma’s eyes flared with defiance. “The only one who has ever held us captive is ye, Geoffrey,” she retorted. “We’re safe now, and ye cannae harm us anymore. Now, if ye dinnae want me to tell Laird MacRoss why we had to run in the first place, I suggest ye leave, now.”
Geoffrey scoffed as his eyes narrowed. Emma could tell her words cut through his smugness. His grip around her wrist eased.
