Page 63 of A Virgin for the Highland Beast
“Are ye all right?” he asked as he gently brushed a fallen strand of hair from her cheek.
His eyes scanned her from head to toe, ensuring she was unscathed. Although Geoffrey was dead, Hunter didn’t want to think of what he had gotten away with.
“I’m fine,” Emma answered, cupping her hand to his face and drawing his eyes to meet hers. Hunter let out a heavy sigh as he noticed the confidence and bravery rising from her. “I swear it.”
“To think of what he was goin’ to do to ye,” Hunter said through clenched teeth.
“But he didnae, thanks to ye,” Emma said, holding his gaze. Her eyes were soft, but instead of pity, he saw nothing but love.
“I made ye a promise,” Hunter said, glancing at Geoffrey. “I swore to ye I’d protect ye. I failed ye.”
Emma shook her head as she drew her face closer to his. “Nay, ye didnae. Ye’ve held up yer end of the deal. Now, I never have to see him again, and me sisters will be safe.”
Hunter’s heart pounded as Emma closed the scant distance between their lips.
Their lips met in a fiery kiss, a passionate pledge that merged their breaths and fused their spirits. It wasn’t just a kiss, it was the binding of two forces that had weathered the storm of malice together. In that tender yet fervent embrace, Hunter’s heart sang a warrior’s hymn, a victor not in battle, but in love.
Emma pulled away and glanced at the leather bindings around her wrists. Hunter pulled his dirk and sawed away at the leather straps around her wrists. He couldn’t stop the emotions from flooding his mind. He couldn’t imagine Emma going through what he had gone through.
“Ye dinnae think this will start a war between our clans?” Hunter asked as the consequences of his actions came crashing down on his shoulders.
“Nay,” Emma answered. “Geoffrey said the clan was startin’ to rebel against him. ‘Tis why he needed a Knox. He thought if he married one of us, he’d secure his place as Laird.”
Hunter’s eyes widened. “Does that make me Laird Clyde?”
The flash of realization twinkled in her gaze. Emma threw her arms around Hunter’s neck. He kissed her deeply, pressing her body against his.
Hunter pulled away first and brushed the back of his fingers over her cheeks. “Forgive me,” he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.
“Whatever for?” Emma asked, her voice soft and delicate.
“I may have killed a few of yer clansmen while tryin’ to get to ye. I wanted to tell ye before ye see them, when we leave,” Hunter explained, trying to keep his eyes off her.
“If ye’re talkin’ about Brandon and Duncan, I’m glad of it,” Emma answered. “They were traitors. That’s aIhere is to it.”
Hunter glanced at Emma. The resolution and conviction in her eyes was enough to convince him. He gestured towards the opening of the tent.
“We should get goin’,” he said. “Dinnae ken if Geoffrey is expectin’ more men to meet him here, and I dinnae think it’d be wise to be here if they do.”
Hunter gently took Emma’s hand, guiding her away from the remnants of the camp with a cautious urgency.
Shadows danced around them as they moved stealthily out of the camp, guided by the pale moonlight. As they reached the edge and started out into the clearing, Hunter’s keen eyes spotted a pair of horses tied to a low-hanging branch.
With a practiced hand, Hunter untangled the reins and helped Emma up into the saddle. She settled with ease, her posture revealing her familiarity with the creature. Hunter slipped behind to her, wrapping his arms around her small frame. Emma snuggled into him, and he couldn’t help but savor the heat radiating off her body.
Emma’s voice broke the silence, tinged with a mixture of worry, “This is Geoffrey’s horse.”
“Well, I doubt he’ll be needin’ it any longer,” Hunter answered as he watched Emma scan the area.
“Where’s yer horse, Hunter?”
He glanced at the back of her head, grateful she couldn’t see his face as a half-smile formed on his lips.
Running his fingers through the stallion’s mane, Hunter’s teeth grazed Emma’s ears as he spoke.
“It’s a long story,” he responded with a chuckle that betrayed his exhaustion and exhilaration, “one I’ll be glad to tell once we are back on MacRoss land, safe and sound. For now, let’s focus on the horizon and put as much distance between us and this place as we can.”
Emma nodded, and with a quick kick, Hunter urged the horse into a brisk canter.
