Chapter 20
"Ican do this. I can absolutely do this."
Maia stood outside Ewan's study, her hands clenched at her sides, her heart hammering so hard she thought it might burst from her chest.
She'd been standing here for at least five minutes, gathering her courage, reminding herself of everything Mollie and Aisla had said.
He cares about ye. He's just scared. Ye need to talk to him.
She could do this. She could walk through that door and tell Ewan exactly how she felt. Could be brave for once in her life instead of accepting whatever scraps of affection she was given.
Maia raised her hand to knock—
And froze as she heard voices from inside. Ewan's, deep and firm. And another voice. Female. Familiar.
Laura.
What is she doin' here? He banned her from the castle. Why would she—
"Let me show ye what ye're missin'."
Laura's voice was sultry, seductive. Maia's hand dropped to her side as something cold settled in her stomach.
"Let me prove to ye that I'm better than her in every way."
Maia should leave. Should walk away right now before she heard something that would break her heart completely.
But her feet wouldn't move. She stood rooted to the spot, unable to do anything but listen as the woman she hated most in the world tried to seduce the man Maia had just realized she was in love with.
Through the crack in the door—left slightly ajar, she now noticed—Maia could see movement. Could see Laura circling the desk with that predatory grace, moving toward Ewan with clear intent.
He'll tell her nae. He'll push her away. He wouldnae—he couldnae—
But then Laura was moving faster, slipping between Ewan and the desk, and before Maia's horrified eyes, the woman straddled Ewan's lap.
Her hands went to his shoulders. Her lips aimed for his mouth.
And Maia's world shattered.
She didn't wait to see more. Didn't want to see if Ewan would push Laura away or, God forbid, kiss her back. Didn't want to witness the moment when everything she'd dared to hope for crumbled to dust.
She turned and ran.
Her feet carried her through the corridors, past startled servants who called out to ask if she was alright, past guards who watched her flight with concerned expressions. She didn't stop, didn't slow, just kept running until she reached her chambers and slammed the door behind her.
Mollie and Aisla were still there, sitting by the fire and chatting. They looked up in surprise as Maia burst in, and their expressions immediately shifted to alarm.
"Maia? What's wrong? What happened?" Mollie was on her feet instantly, crossing to Maia's side.
"I'm leavin'." The words came out flat, emotionless. Maia moved to her wardrobe and pulled out the satchel she'd arrived with, still tucked in the corner, unused and forgotten until now.
"What?" Aisla stood as well. "What are ye talkin' about? Ye cannae just—"
Maia started pulling clothes from the wardrobe, shoving them into the satchel with shaking hands. "I should never have stayed this long. Should never have let meself forget that I'm just a prisoner here. Just a—a tool for revenge against me uncle."
"Maia, stop." Mollie grabbed her arm, forcing her to pause. "Tell us what happened. What did ye see?"
"Laura." Maia's voice cracked on the name. "She was in his study. She—she straddled his lap. Was tryin' to kiss him. And I just… I couldnae stay and watch. Couldnae see if he—if he—"
She couldn't finish. The words stuck in her throat, choking her.
"Oh, Maia." Aisla's voice was soft with sympathy. "But did ye see what happened after? Did ye see if he pushed her away?"
"I dinnae stay to watch!" Maia pulled away from Mollie, returning to her frantic packing.
"I couldnae. Daenae ye understand? I was about to walk in there and tell him I love him.
Tell him what I want. That I thought maybe we could—" A sob escaped her throat.
"But he doesnae want me. Nae really. Nae when there are women like Laura available.
Beautiful, perfect women who arenae—who arenae me. "
"That's nae true," Mollie protested. "Maia, ye daenae ken what happened in that room. Ye daenae ken if he did it."
"I ken enough." Maia grabbed her cloak from its peg. "I ken that I'm a fool for thinkin' this could be anythin' more than what it is. I'm his prisoner. His leverage. And whatever happened on that mountain, it was just a moment of weakness. A mistake he's been too polite to acknowledge."
"Ye're wrong," Aisla said firmly. "The laird cares about ye, Maia. I've seen it. Everyone's seen it."
Maia's voice rose, all the hurt and confusion she'd been holding back pouring out. "Why hasnae he come to see me, to talk about what happened between us? Why would he let that woman anywhere near him if he truly cared?"
Neither Mollie nor Aisla had an answer for that.
Maia finished packing—just the essentials, enough to get her somewhere safe—and swung the satchel over her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I ken ye both tried to help. But I cannae stay here. I cannae watch him with her, or with anyone else. I just cannae."
"Where will ye go?" Aisla asked quietly.
"I daenae ken. Anywhere but here." Maia moved toward the door, then paused and turned back. "Thank ye. Both of ye. For bein' me friends. For makin' me feel welcome here. I'll never forget yer kindness."
"I'm comin' with ye," Mollie said suddenly, standing.
"What? Nae, Mollie, ye cannae."
Mollie's jaw was set with determination. "I only came to Castle McGill for ye, Maia. To be with ye. If ye're leavin', then I'm leavin' too."
"But Duncan and yer weddin'."
"Can wait a bit longer. Or happen wherever we end up." Mollie grabbed her own cloak. "Ye're me friend. Me best friend. And I'm nae lettin' ye face this alone."
Tears burned in Maia's eyes. "Thank ye."
Aisla looked between them, her expression torn. "I wish I could come too. But I cannae—me family is here, me whole life. But—" She moved forward and pulled both women into a fierce hug. "Be safe. Both of ye. And Maia, I still think ye're wrong about the laird. I think if ye just talked to him—"
"I cannae," Maia whispered. "I'm sorry. I just cannae."
They held each other for a long moment, three women who'd found friendship in unexpected circumstances. Then Maia pulled back, wiping at her eyes.
"We need to go. Before—before anyone stops us."
"How will ye get past the guards?" Aisla asked.
"The postern gate," Mollie said. "The one near the kitchens. It's usually unmanned this time of day."
They made their way through the castle cautiously, avoiding the main corridors, sticking to the servants' passages that Aisla had shown Maia over the past two weeks.
Maia's heart pounded with every step, terrified that they'd be stopped, that Ewan would appear and demand to know where she was going.
But they made it to the postern gate without incident. The small door stood open, just as Mollie had predicted, allowing kitchen staff to come and go as needed.
"Last chance to change yer mind," Aisla said softly.
Maia shook her head. "I cannae stay. Nae after seein' that."
"Then go quickly. And may God watch over ye both." Aisla hugged them one more time, then stepped back.
Maia and Mollie slipped through the gate and into the fading light of the afternoon. The forest beckoned ahead, dark and promising cover. Behind them, Castle McGill stood proud and beautiful, the place Maia had started to think of as home.
"I should have never mistaken me position here," Maia said quietly as they hurried toward the trees. "That the freedom he gave me was just—just a prettier cage."
"Maia—" Mollie's voice was gentle. "Are ye absolutely sure about what ye saw? Could ye have misunderstood—"
"I'm sure." The words came out harder than Maia intended. "I saw her straddle his lap, Mollie. Saw her hands on his shoulders, saw her leanin' in to kiss him. What else is there to misunderstand?"
"What he did next," Mollie said quietly. "Whether he kissed her back or pushed her away. Whether he wanted her there or was horrified by her presence."
"It doesnae matter." But even as Maia said it, she wondered if that was true. "Even if he did push her away, he's been avoidin' me for days. Clearly, whatever happened between us meant more to me than it did to him."
They reached the edge of the forest and paused, looking back at the castle one last time. Maia felt tears threatening again and blinked them back furiously.
She'd been happy here. Happier than she'd been in six years. Had started to believe that maybe, just maybe, she could have a future. Could have love. Could have everything she'd stopped letting herself dream about.
But she'd been wrong. She'd let hope blind her to reality, had let herself believe in fairy tales when she should have known better.
"Come on," she said to Mollie. "Let's go before I lose me nerve."
They disappeared into the trees just as the sun began to set, leaving Castle McGill behind.
"And if ye ever try somethin' like that again, if ye ever dare to put yer hands on me without permission, I willnae just exile ye. I'll destroy everythin' ye and yer family have built. Do I make meself absolutely clear?"
Ewan's voice was ice as he loomed over Laura, who'd gone pale and trembling after he'd thrown her off his lap.
"I—I dinnae mean—I was just—"
"Get. Out."
Laura fled, the door slamming behind her with enough force to rattle the frame. Ewan stood there for a long moment, his hands still clenched into fists, fury and disgust warring in his chest.
How dare she?
How dare she enter his study uninvited, proposition him despite being explicitly told she wasn't welcome, and then—and then put her hands on him like she had any right.
But beneath the fury was something else. Something that felt uncomfortably like clarity.
Because when Laura had straddled him, when she'd leaned in to kiss him, Ewan's only thought had been wrong.
Wrong woman, wrong touch, wrong everything.
Because she wasn't Maia.
And suddenly, with perfect, terrifying clarity, Ewan knew exactly what he wanted.
He wanted Maia. Wanted her in his life, in his bed, in his future. Wanted to wake up every morning knowing she was his, that she'd chosen him, that they'd built something real together.
Wanted to stop being afraid of what he might become and start focusing on what he already was, a man who'd do anything to protect the woman he loved.
The woman I love.
The thought no longer terrified him. Instead, it felt right. Inevitable. Like something he should have admitted to himself weeks ago.
Ewan strode to the door and yanked it open. He needed to find Maia. Needed to tell her everything—about Laura's unwanted advances, about his fears, about how he felt.
Needed to ask her if she could possibly feel the same way about him.
He made his way through the castle corridors, ignoring the servants who tried to stop him with questions or concerns. Nothing mattered except getting to Maia's chambers, except seeing her face and telling her.
The door to her chambers stood open.
Ewan felt his chest tighten with apprehension as he stepped inside. "Maia?"
No response.
"Maia, are ye here? I need to talk to ye about—"
He stopped abruptly as Aisla emerged from behind the changing screen, her arms full of linens. Her expression when she saw him was strange, guilty and sad and sympathetic all at once.
"Me laird," she said quietly. "I dinnae expect ye so soon."
"Where is she?" Ewan looked around the chambers, noting for the first time how empty they seemed. "Where's Maia?"
Aisla's face crumpled slightly. "She's gone."
The words hit Ewan like a physical blow. "What do ye mean, gone?"
"I mean she left. About twenty minutes ago. She saw somethin' that upset her, and she decided she needed to leave. Mollie went with her."
"What did she see?" But even as Ewan asked, cold dread was settling in his stomach. He knew. Somehow, he knew. "Aisla. What did Maia see?"
"She was comin' to yer study. To talk to ye. And she—" Aisla's voice was gentle but firm. "She saw Lady Laura with ye. Saw her straddle yer lap."
"Christ." Ewan's legs nearly gave out beneath him. "She saw that and she thought—"
"She thought ye wanted Laura. That whatever was between ye and Maia was just—just a moment that dinnae mean anythin'. She was devastated, me laird. Absolutely heartbroken."
"I need to find her." Ewan was already moving toward the door. "How long ago did they leave?"
"Twenty minutes, maybe less. They went out the postern gate near the kitchens."
Twenty minutes. They could be anywhere by now—in the forest, on the road, heading toward God knew where.
But Ewan would find them. He would find her.
He had to.
"If I daenae find her—" he started, then stopped. "Nae. I will find her. I have to."
He left the chambers at a run, his boots pounding on the stone floors. Servants scattered out of his way as he raced through the corridors and out into the courtyard.
The stables were his first destination. He'd need a horse, need to move fast if he had any hope of catching up to them before nightfall.
"Saddle me horse!" he bellowed as he entered the stables. "Now!"
The stable hands jumped to obey, clearly sensing the urgency in his voice. Within minutes, his destrier was ready, and Ewan swung himself into the saddle.
Twenty minutes. That was all the head start they had.
He could catch them. He would catch them.
And when he did—when he found Maia and explained everything, told her the truth about Laura, about his feelings—he would never let her go again.
Never let her doubt how much she meant to him. Never give her reason to run.
"Hold on, lass," he muttered as he urged the horse toward the forest. "I'm comin'. Just hold on."
The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and red. Darkness would be falling soon, making tracking nearly impossible.
But Ewan didn't care. He'd search all night if he had to. He would search for days, weeks, months, however long it took.
Because losing Maia wasn't an option.
Not now. Not ever.
She was his, and he was hers, and somehow he'd make her understand that.
Even if he had to chase her to the ends of the earth to do it.