Chapter 3
He was stronger than her, but if she could get his neck, then it was over. He dodged her aim, arching his neck far away from her blade while his right hand held her wrist up with strength.
Lily’s shoulders started to hurt as he kept pressing her hand back. She could feel the slicing pain cut through to her back, but it didn’t matter. She had to kill him and leave their bodies as a trail so her family could find her if she did not find her way back.
“Ye little…” he cursed as he finally hooked his legs around her waist and flipped her over.
Lily groaned as the back of her head made contact with the ground. She saw white lights as her vision blurred, and he seized the moment to snatch the dagger out of her hands and toss it far away from her.
“Do ye wish to die? Do ye ken I could hurt ye in a second?”
The heat from his body mingled with that from his breath as it fell over her face.
Lily struggled some more, but his body only pressed harder against hers.
In the next second, she felt a pool of warmth slide through her body.
She melted into his body and gasped, confused at what was happening to her.
“It is over,” he said as he pinned both her hands over her head with one of his, then used the other to search her for other weapons.
His large palm glided down her stomach to her waist, and Lily felt her body melt further into the ground as a tingling sensation swept through her.
Her nerves sang because of it, her pulse accelerated, and soon, her lungs constricted, so she had to forcefully gasp for air.
His hands felt hard on her body, and heat burned the back of her neck.
His body pressing against hers should feel uncomfortable, but instead, it felt right. Lily gasped when his hand moved between her thighs and he pulled out another sharpened stick.
Realizing what his touch was doing to her, she writhed on the ground to try and get away from him.
“What are you doing?” she queried and swallowed hard, her eyes darting past him to see if someone was coming. “You should not touch a lady that way. Enough!”
His hand stopped on her thigh, and he shoved her legs together again, ignoring her words as he checked between her hips, then moved his hand down to her ankles.
Lily eyed him as he pulled out the second dagger she had hidden there.
Then, he got to her waist, fumbled around a bit, and put his hands under the léine she was wearing to take out the sharp stick she had hidden there after she had killed his men.
“How many weapons do ye carry around?”
“As many as I can fit on me,” she retorted. “I find the sword too heavy for my hands, and it makes me slow. I rather like to kill swiftly.”
“I see,” he murmured as he met her eyes again, but he did not pull away from her.
When she writhed beneath him again, she heard a harsh growl tear from his lips.
“Be still,” he snapped. “I knew I shouldnae have let ye out of me sight. Ye’re stubborn, and I dinnae ken what to do with ye.”
“Send me away,” she answered almost immediately. “You know I will keep trying to escape.”
“And I will catch ye every time.”
“Why have you not killed me already? Why take me captive? Except, of course, you do not have the courage to stick a knife in my gut? You are weak!” she accused as she felt the heat of her flush reach her cheeks.
His harsh laugh shocked her as she fumed beneath him. “I am merciful. I should have killed ye instead of takin’ ye and tryin’ to keep ye safe so I can bargain yer life for yer brother’s filthy one. No other person will show ye such mercy.”
He still sat on top of her, and his hard legs pressed against her soft thighs. Lily hated the heat spiking through her. It made her uncomfortable, especially because, in this position, she was at his mercy.
Her gaze dropped to his lips when she saw him lick the lower one and harden his jaw. His words were faint now as the heavy thudding of her pulse overpowered every other sound. She could inhale his scent and feel the strength of his legs as they pinned her to the ground.
Horrified at the heat pooling through her, especially between her legs, she kicked into action again and tried to break free from him. Her brief struggle was useless. It only left her panting beneath him.
Lily was certain color rose to her cheeks when he focused on staring at her now. His eyes were unrelenting, scorching.
“Fightin’ me is useless. Yer brother might have taught ye to defend yerself, but ye cannae fight against a skilled warrior.”
Lily’s frown deepened. “What brother? It is the second time you speak of my brother. I am an orphan, and I have no brothers or sisters.”
“I dinnae have time for yer lies, lass, so keep yer mouth shut so we can continue our journey. We have much ground to cover.”
When he dragged her to her feet after he stood up, the force of his pull brought her into his arms. Lily gasped as her chest pressed against his and his right hand wrapped around her waist.
She was too stunned to move. His aura made her feel differently. She ought to be furious and aiming for his throat, but her eyes were locked on his, and she was shivering instead.
“I speak the truth. I have no brother,” Lily insisted, surprised by how shaky her voice sounded. “I am an orphan. I was saved by her ladyship’s father, in England, when I was a child, and I grew up with them. We came to Scotland together.”
“Quit lying, Lady Yvaine,” he snapped, his eyes narrowing and a deep frown marring his features. “I ken ye are Laird McLennan’s sister. I ken the woman with ye was his wife.”
His nostrils flared when Lily tipped her head back and barked out a harsh laugh. “Lady Yvaine? I’m afraid you have kidnapped the wrong lass, my laird,” she told him. “I am no lady… I am simply a maid. And now that you have started a war with Clan McLennan for no reason, you will end up dead.”
“Keep yer mouth shut for once,” he growled, then pulled her with him as he continued towards his horse.
Lily did not think he had heard her right, so she hollered again, “Look at my hands. Do they look like that of a lady who wears the best of silk and spends her days playing the pianoforte or reading some book? I speak the truth.”
“Ye will say anythin’ to make me show ye mercy.”
It was Lily’s turn to growl. “Mercy?” she thundered.
“I killed your men and kept their bodies where my people can find them during their search. They will know who you are and what you have done. I took down one of your men back at the castle. My people will question him and find out who you are once he wakes up. You are doomed… Your plan is doomed to fail too. You are the one who deserves my mercy.”
The stubborn jut of his chin proved he did not listen to a word she said.
“I dinnae care,” he returned as he spared her a glance and a wicked grin. “That is what I want, anyway. Ye are still comin’ with me.”
They got to his horse, and this time, he not only tied her wrists, but he tied her body to the horse, too, so she lay astride it while he climbed the saddle.
“I am of no use to you,” Lily continued, a slight desperation setting in now.
If he took her, she might never be able to find her way back. She did not know how far his clan was or who he even was. And, what if her family could not get any useful information from the man she had left for them to arrest?
“You have the wrong woman.”
“I dinnae care. One more word out of yer mouth, and I shall gag ye again.”
“This will not end well for you. It will not end with you alive. I will stand over your dead body, trust me,” Lily threatened, ignoring his earlier warning. He dismounted again, walked around the horse, and stuffed her mouth with a cloth, shutting her up.
Lily kept on grumbling as the horse galloped through the forest. Her body hurt from all her fighting and falling. Her once-wet clothes had dried up on her body, and the chill from the water had seeped into her bones. She was freezing.
She didn’t know how long they rode for, but soon, the sun set, and the horse slowed its pace. Lily was still lying astride the horse when her captor finally got down, took off the gag from her mouth, then bent to look at her.
“Ye’re much more enjoyable when ye’re not speakin’.”
“Then gag me again, because I will scream.”
When she saw his annoyed but stern look, she pressed her lips together and kept quiet.
It is time to play safe.
Perhaps if she got on his good side, he would not hurt her until they arrived at his castle and she found out who he was.
He untied her from the horse, and as she found balance on her feet again, she realized they were in a small village inn.
“I am a servant. What would you want from me? I can offer you nothing.”
“On the contrary, since ye willnae keep shut, I can think of a few things ye can offer me.”
The wicked gleam that sparkled in his eyes as he said the words sent a terrifying shiver right through her. She shuddered at the thought of what it meant.
What if he hurts me? What if he…
Bile rose in her throat as images of him having his way with her clouded her thoughts. The scandalous thought made her shiver, and a tightening sensation rushed through every muscle in her body.
“No!” she yelled as he took her arm and began dragging her towards the inn.
“No! Please, just let me go. What will you do with me?”
“Now ye plead for mercy?” He laughed. “Trust me, I ken what to do with ye for the night,” he hinted again as he dragged her into the inn, closed the door behind them, greeted the woman sitting alone at a table, then tossed her some silver coins that she caught with ease. “A chamber for the night, Madam.”
“As ye please, m’laird,” the woman answered as she eyed Lily with a knowing smile and walked out of where they stood.
Back in McLennan Castle, Duncan held his wife’s hand after she rushed into his arms. He had just returned home from his ride out to the villages with his sister Yvaine and his friend Arran.
“Duncan!” Amelia cried as soon as he hugged her tight. His heart ached instantly from hearing the distress in her voice.
“What is it? What has happened?”
A few of his guards approached as he pulled away from her and began wiping her cheeks with both hands. “Where are the bairns?”
“They are safe,” Amelia hiccupped as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.
“M’laird,” one of his guards greeted as Arran and Yvaine stood completely still at his side. Both of them wore the same confused expression eating up Duncan’s face.
“Someone tell me what has happened right this instant!”
“The castle was attacked. Two of our guards were killed, and…”
Duncan’s insides fired up the moment the heard about the attack. He took Amelia’s hands in his instantly, concern for her wracking him. “Are ye all right? Did they hurt ye? Did they start the nonsense about ye bein’ cursed again?”
Amelia shook her head. “Lily,” she sobbed and tears slid down her cheeks again. “They knocked me out, but Lily… they took her.”
“Goodness,” Arran rasped at his side, and Yvaine covered her mouth with both hands in shock.
“How did this happen?” Duncan’s blood slowly began to boil over as he clenched his free hand at his side. “Lily is part of this family. She should have been protected at all times,” he roared, feeling tension snap in his veins.
“They killed the guards in the garden, m’laird,” one of his men explained quickly with a bow. “Lily took one of the perpetrators down, so we were able to capture him. He is locked up and ready to be interrogated.”
Duncan had been through a lot over the past five years, attempting to create a peaceful home for everyone he cared about. This was the first attack in five years since his clan’s war against the MacGregors, and he was not going to let anyone ruin the life he had built here.
“Yvaine, stay with Amelia and make certain she is calm,” he said to his sister.
Yvaine nodded quickly, moving to Amelia’s side.
Duncan faced his wife now, drew her in his arms briefly to offer her comfort, and then kissed her forehead. “I shall find Lily. Ye have nothin’ to worry about. Trust me.”
Charged with tension and a resolve to find whoever had done this, Duncan began a steady march towards his dungeons, his friend at his side.
“Who do ye think could have done this?” he asked as they walked with intent. “A new enemy out of nowhere?”
“Well, there is only one way to find out,” Arran told him with a nod. “And we shall get to the bottom of it, together.”