Chapter 16 #2
“Daenae ken. Ye’ll have to ask them when we find them.”
“Do ye really think we’ll find them?”
“Aye, they’re out there. We just need a bit of patience,” he said as the light from the fire kissed her cheekbones.
She was beautiful, like a dream he shouldn’t have been allowed to witness, much less touch.
His gaze shifted to her mouth, enthralled by the way it moved as she spoke of her family.
How he wanted to pay attention, but she was too enchanting.
Before he knew it, his mind had shifted to their stolen kiss.
His breath caught. He shouldn’t be thinking of such things.
He wasn’t supposed to want her. Yet at every passing moment, his body betrayed him.
As much as he wanted to give into her siren call, he resisted.
Theodore glanced to the sky. The low rumble of thunder rumbled through the cave sounding more like a stomach grumbling for food than a tempest.
“It would appear the rain is lettin’ up.
I suggest we make a break for the castle and pray there’s nae another one comin’ behind it,” Theodore said as he turned to Madison.
She stepped back from the fire. Theodore dusted the fire covering it with the loose soil from the cave and scooping wet sand from outside.
Once the fire was vanquished, he reached for Madison.
“Ye ready?” he asked as she took his hand.
They stepped out of the cave to find the horse he’d tied off long gone.
He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose as he beat down the frustration that was rising.
“Well, we’ve got our feet. The castle isnae that far up.
We can make it within the hour if we hurry. ”
Theodore helped Madison along the soggy ridge. The waves had crashed against the shore, beating it relentlessly. Theodore had seen that pattern before and all he could was hope to reach the castle before the next round came crashing down on them.
Madison winced, her steps slow, her injury still a weight on her body, but she was determined not to show too much weakness. She had insisted on walking, though her limp was growing more pronounced.
Theodore’s patience was running thin. He turned sharply toward her, his voice low but firm. “Enough, Madison,” he said, his tone leaving little room for argument. “Ye cannae go on like this.”
Her brow furrowed in protest. “I’m fine, Theodore. I can walk.”
“Aye, ye can,” he muttered, “but ye’ll nae make it far like this. And if ye don’t mind me sayin’, ye look like ye’re about to drop.”
Before she could protest further, Theodore bent down, his large hands easily lifting her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. She gasped, more from the shock than the weight, her arms instinctively wrapping around him.
“Theodore!” she hissed, her voice strained with both indignation and the strain of the injury. “Put me down. I can walk. I told ye—”
“Ye dinnae have a choice,” he muttered under his breath, moving swiftly through the soggy grass. “Best not argue.”
Madison’s protests died as she settled into his arms, her face flushed with frustration but also an odd sense of safety she had not expected.
She could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath his heavy coat, his breath warm against her cheek.
She closed her eyes for a moment, the only sound the howling wind and the rush of waves.
They rushed through the open field, their footsteps pounding against the soft earth, their path lit by the flicker of distant lightning.
The winds kicked up, the first cold bite of the coming storm reaching them.
Theodore’s pace quickened, determined to get them inside before the full force of the storm descended.
Finally, they made it to the castle gates, just as the first crack of thunder rang out and the winds howled around them.
Madison’s face lit up despite the exhaustion, her eyes sparkling as the lightning flashed between the clouds. She was smiling, a small victory over the storm, and Theodore couldn’t help but smile in return.
“We made it,” she said, her voice breathless and pleased, as if she had won some small battle against the storm itself.
Theodore brushed a wet strand of hair from her face, his hand lingering for a moment, the connection between them stronger than the wind that howled around them. His smile was small but genuine, and for this moment, he allowed himself to savor her lightness.
“Aye,” he muttered, his voice low. “We made it.”
“Aye, that we did,” he said with a tilt of his head. “But I think we have both had a very big day. Go inside and rest,” he said as he caught Boyd in the corner of his eye. The expression on the man’s face wasn’t one Theodore had hoped to see.
“Thank ye for allowin’ me to come with ye today,” she said. “Seein’ the children brought a joy to me I thought I had lost.”
He smiled and watched as she turned and started for the door. She turned and glanced over her shoulder flashing him a weak, timid smile.
She’ll be the death of me. And I’ll go to it willingly.