Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
"Ye're starin' at me horse's arse more than ye're watchin' the road, lass."
Mhairi's head snapped up. Alpin was riding just ahead of her, his broad shoulders relaxed despite the sword strapped to his back. He glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised, and she caught the ghost of a smile.
"I wasnae starin' at anythin'," she said, heat rising to her cheeks. "I was just... thinkin'."
"Dangerous pastime, that." Callum spoke up from her other side, his weathered face creased with amusement. "Especially on roads like these."
"Roads like what?" Mhairi looked around. They'd been riding for hours now, the sun climbing higher through breaks in the trees. The path was well-worn, wide enough for two horses abreast, and aside from the steady clip of hooves and the occasional bird call, perfectly quiet.
"Roads that look peaceful," Alpin said. "Those are always the ones where somethin' goes wrong."
"Ye're just tryin' tae frighten me."
"Am I succeedin'?"
Despite herself, Mhairi felt her mouth twitch. "Nay."
"Pity." He shifted in his saddle, turning enough that she could see his profile properly. The scar on his face caught the light, a pale line against tanned skin. "I was hopin' fer at least a wee bit of terror. Makes the journey more interestin'."
"If ye want terror, ye should've seen yerself when ye were chasin' me through that forest last night," Mhairi shot back before she could think better of it. "Ye looked like ye'd seen a ghost."
Callum barked out a laugh. "She's got ye there, me laird."
Alpin's mouth curved into a proper smile now, transforming his whole face. "Aye, well. Ye were runnin' like the devil himself was after ye. I had tae work fer it."
"Ye did," Mhairi admitted quietly. The memory was still too fresh, the panic, the darkness, the way she'd fought him even when he was tryin' to help. "I'm... I'm sorry fer that, me laird. Fer hittin' ye."
"Dinnae apologize fer defendin' yerself." His voice lost its teasing edge. "Ye had every reason tae be afraid. And call me Alpin."
Silence fell between them. Mhairi found herself studying him more carefully now—the way he sat on his horse with easy confidence, the way his hand rested casually near his sword hilt, ready but not tense. The way his men rode around them in loose formation, alert but not rigid.
"How long tae yer castle?" she asked, breaking the quiet.
"Another day, if the weather holds." Alpin glanced up at the sky, which was clearing nicely after the gloom of the previous day. "We might stop at an inn tonight. Get proper rest."
"An inn." Mhairi tested the word. It felt almost normal. Like something from her old life.
"Aye. Clean beds, hot food, and ale that willnae poison ye. What more could ye want?"
"A bath," she said without thinking. Then flushed when both Alpin and Callum grinned. "I didnae mean—I just meant that I—"
"Ye're covered in dirt and worse," Alpin said easily. "We all are. The inn should have a bath. Ye can scrub yerself raw if ye like."
The thought was almost unbearably appealing. Mhairi could still feel the auction house on her skin—the hands that had grabbed her, the rope burns on her wrists, the stale smell of that underground chamber. A bath sounded like heaven.
"Thank ye," she said quietly.
"Ye keep thankin' me." Alpin's tone was gentler now. "Ye dinnae have tae."
"Aye, I dae." Mhairi met his eyes when he looked back at her. "Ye saved me life. That deserves thanks."
"I did what any decent man would dae."
"Nay." The word came out harder than she'd intended. "Most men wouldnae have done anythin'. Most men were in that room, biddin' on me like I was livestock. Ye're the only one who followed. The only one who fought fer me."
Alpin's jaw tightened. He turned back to face the road, but not before she saw something fierce flash in his eyes. "Then most men are bastards."
Callum cleared his throat. "Speakin' of bastards, what are we daein' about Ashcombe?"
"Hopin' he took the lesson and stays in England where he belongs," Alpin said flatly. "But prepared in case he daesnae."
Mhairi's stomach twisted at the name. She could still see Ashcombe's face—cold, entitled, certain of his ownership. "Ye think he'll come after me?"
"I think he's a man who daesnae like losin' what he considers his." Alpin's voice was calm, but there was steel underneath. "And I think if he's fool enough tae try, he'll regret it."
The certainty in his tone should've been comfortin'. Instead, it just made Mhairi aware of how much danger she'd brought to his doorstep. "I'm sorry. I didnae mean tae cause trouble fer ye and yer clan."
"Ye're nae causin' trouble." Alpin slowed his horse until they were riding side by side. "Graham and Ashcombe are the ones causing trouble. Ye're just the lass who had the misfortune tae get caught in it."
"Still…"
"Mhairi." He waited until she looked at him. "I meant what I said last night. Ye're under me protection now. That means anyone who comes fer ye has tae go through me first. And I promise ye—" His lips pressed together in a frown. "I'm a lot harder tae get through than Ashcombe thinks."
Warmth bloomed in Mhairi's chest. Something deep, something that felt dangerously close to trust.
"Ye dinnae even ken me," she said quietly. "Why would ye risk so much?"
Alpin's jaw tightened. "Because women have been disappearin' from me lands.
Three lasses in the past two months—taken from their homes, from the fields, vanished without a trace.
I'd been hearin' rumors about an auction, about women bein' sold.
I had tae see it fer meself, tae gather proof of what was happenin' so I could stop it. "
"And did ye?" Mhairi asked quietly. "Find yer lasses?"
"Nay." The word came out heavy with regret. "They'd already been sold and moved on before I got there. But I saw enough tae ken what Graham's daein'. And I saw ye."
Their eyes met, and something passed between them.
"So ye went there tae save yer people," Mhairi said softly. "And instead ye saved me."
"I'd dae it again," Alpin said firmly. "Because nay one deserves what was done tae ye."
Mhairi's throat tightened. She looked away quickly, blinking against the sudden burn in her eyes.
"I'm nae brave. I was terrified the whole time."
"Bravery isnae the absence of fear, lass. It's fightin' even when ye're scared senseless." Alpin's voice was gentle now. "Ye fought on that platform. Ye fought when they tried tae take ye away. Ye fought me in the forest until ye were certain I wasnae goin' tae hurt ye. That's brave."
They rode in silence for a while after that. The sun continued climbing, warm on Mhairi's face. Birds sang in the trees. The steady rhythm of hoofbeats was almost soothing.
Almost.
Because there was one thing Mhairi couldn’t stop thinking about. One thing that gnawed at her with every mile they traveled.
"Alpin?"
"Aye?"
"Graham said..." She had to force the words out. "He said me faither sold me sister too. Isobel. She's only sixteen, but he said in another year or two..."
She couldn’t finish. Couldn’t say the rest of it out loud.
Alpin's expression darkened. "He said this at the auction?"
"Aye. When I was pleadin' with him tae let me go." Mhairi's hands tightened on the reins until her knuckles went white. "I dinnae ken if it's true. Graham could've been lyin' just tae hurt me. But what if he wasnae? What if Isobel—"
"We'll find out." Alpin's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. "As soon as we reach the castle, I'll send men tae investigate. Quietly. If yer sister has been sold, we'll locate her."
"And then what?" Mhairi's voice cracked. "If me faither truly did this, if he sold both his daughters, what can anyone dae He's the laird. He has rights over us."
"Rights." Alpin spat the word like it tasted foul. "A father has a duty to protect his children, nae sell them like cattle. If he's done what ye fear, then he's broken every law of kinship and clan. And I'll make damned sure everyone kens it."
The vehemence in his tone startled her. "Ye'd go against another laird? Fer me sister?"
"Fer any lass bein' sold against her will." Alpin's jaw was set, his eyes hard.
Alpin opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else, but Callum suddenly raised a hand, cuttin' him off.
"Hold."
The group came to an immediate stop. Mhairi's heart lurched into her throat as she watched Alpin's demeanor shift in an instant—from thoughtful to alert, his whole body going still and focused.
"What is it?" His voice was low, barely carrying beyond Callum.
"Noise in the trees. East side." Callum was already scanning the forest, his hand on his sword. "Could be naethin'. Could be—"
"Movement!" One of the rear guards called out softly. "Signs of recent travel. Multiple horses."
Alpin's jaw tightened. Without raising his voice, he made a series of quick hand signals. Immediately, his men spread out—two moving to flank their left, two to the right, the rest closing in tighter around Mhairi.
The precision of it was stunning. No one questioned. No one hesitated. They just... moved. Like they'd practiced this a hundred times.
"Callum." Alpin kept his voice low and controlled. "Take two men and scout ahead. I want tae ken what we're dealin' with."
"Aye, me laird." Callum gestured to two warriors, and they peeled off from the group, disappearin' intae the trees as silently as ghosts.
Alpin maneuvered his horse closer to Mhairi's. "Stay between me and the others. If anythin' happens—"
"I ken." Mhairi's mouth was dry, but she kept her voice steady. "Stay down. Dinnae get in the way."
His eyes softened slightly. "I was goin' tae say run, if ye get the chance. But aye. That too."
They waited.
The forest around them was suddenly too quiet. Even the birds had stopped singing. Mhairi could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, she could feel the tension radiating from every man in their group.
Was it Ashcombe? Had he followed them after all?
Mhairi found herself holding her breath, watching the tree line for any sign of movement. The warriors around her were utterly still, weapons ready but not drawn. Waiting for Alpin's signal.
Finally, Callum emerged from the trees with the men, his expression carefully neutral.
"Well?" Alpin's voice was still quiet, still controlled.
"Hunters." Callum reined his horse in beside them. "Local, by the look of their gear. They were tracking a deer that went through here about an hour ago. They startled when they heard us coming and hid till they could see who we were."
The tension didnae completely leave Alpin's shoulders, but some of the coiled readiness eased. "They say where they're from?"
"Village about two miles east. They recognized our colors." Callum's mouth twitched. "Nearly pissed themselves when they realized they'd been hidin' from ye, me laird."
"Good." Alpin's tone was dry. "Keeps people honest when they're properly terrified of their laird."
Despite the fear still churning in her stomach, Mhairi felt a surprised laugh bubble up. "Ye're terrible."
"I'm practical." But there was humor in his eyes now. "If people think I'm fearsome, they're less likely tae cause trouble."
"Are ye? Fearsome?"
"When I need tae be." He glanced at her.
Callum cleared his throat. "Should we... continue ridin', me laird?”
He raised his voice slightly, addressing all his men. "False alarm. Resume positions. We ride on."
The warriors moved back into formation with the same smooth efficiency they'd shown before. Within moments, they were riding again, the incident already behind them.
But Mhairi couldnae stop thinking about what she'd just witnessed.
The way Alpin's men had responded to him—instant, unquestioning obedience born not from fear but from trust. The way he'd given orders calmly, clearly, without ever raising his voice or showing panic. The way he'd positioned himself between her and potential danger without even thinkin' about it.
This wasn’t just a man who'd rescued her on impulse. This was a laird. A leader. Someone his people followed because they believed in him.
And for reasons Mhairi couldn’t quite name, that realization made her chest feel tight and warm at the same time.
"Ye're starin' again," Alpin said without looking at her.
"I'm allowed tae stare," Mhairi shot back. "Ye saved me life. That comes with starin' privileges."
"Daes it now?"
"Aye. It's in the rules."
"What rules?"
"The rules of..." She waved a hand vaguely. "Rescue etiquette."
Callum was laughing. Even some of the other warriors were grinnin' now, though they were tryin' to hide it.
Alpin shook his head, but he was smiling too. "Rescue etiquette. Christ. What am I goin' tae dae with ye?"
"Keep me safe," Mhairi said, her tone shifting from playful to serious. "That's all I'm askin'."
His smile faded into something more intense. More focused. "Aye," he said quietly. "That I can dae."
And as they rode on through the afternoon sun, Mhairi found herself believing him.