Chapter 5 #2
Every sense of his felt heightened, alert—alive. “Nay, princess,” he chuckled darkly. “I’m here to keep ye.” At last, he pulled back the curtain, only to find the woman gone.
No curves, no wide eyes looking up at him with anger and fear, no Kira.
Hunter jerked awake, his hand outstretched as though he truly was reaching for her.
Sitting up in his bed, he groaned and placed his head in his hands.
Frustration and disappointment mounted in his chest. Even in his sleep, he couldn’t escape Kira.
His obsession felt undeniable in that moment, in the wake of devastation that he had woken up before he could touch her even in his dreams.
It had to be some sort of divine punishment.
Punishment for being nothing but vengeance and sin wrapped in flesh.
Because as much as he longed for her, he truly did despise her at the same time.
And the more he longed for her, the more he hated her—and the more he hated her, the more his heart ached and called out for her.
It was as vicious as it was sinful.
If he were a smart, more pragmatic man, he would abandon revenge, set her free, and devote his free time to healing all of his wounds on his own. But where was the satisfaction in that?
Getting out of bed, Hunter washed his face and dressed on his own.
He relished the silence, recalibrating himself to be who he was outside his bedchamber.
By the time that he was heading out into the corridor, he felt more like himself, a version he recognized.
The strong, stern Laird who conquered in battle and decisively ended squabbles between his people.
The man who kidnapped his betrothed to use in a scheme against her father— not the man who woke up shaking in anger and sadness over that same woman.
And yet, like a bee to the hive, Hunter found himself heading for her door.
He hadn’t the slightest clue what he was going to do.
Truthfully, he didn’t have any other plans for her but to keep her there until she could be used in his plot.
But the temptation of her being so accessible…
he couldn’t resist. It was as though he were back in his dream but only this time, he knew she would be there when he pulled back the curtain.
Besides, he was an emotional man when it came to her. He was certain that it wouldn’t take much effort for him to come up with some questions to interrogate her—or to make her squirm.
When he reached her door, however, he had to hold in physical signs of annoyance at the two guards’ faces.
They were long, puppy dog expressions that told him Edine was inside that room.
It was a simple equation to piece together and solve, considering his men were capable and competent.
Had Kira snuck off or been hurt, word would have traveled to him.
Edine was his other soft spot, and mishandling her would invoke unpredictable reactions from Hunter.
His jaw clenched and he braced himself to sentence Edine to her bedchamber until Kira was gone from the Keep.
And yet, as he reached for the door knob, the calm chatter on the other side of the door gave him pause.
Leaning his ear toward the wood, he tried to make out the words from within.
The voices were too soft to make out exact words, but the tones were pleasant enough and there was even the occasional giggle.
He let out a sigh of relief, glad that Edine wasn’t putting his plan in danger.
With that, he took a step back with the decision that he would let them finish their conversation.
For some reason, he felt a little embarrassed to be just outside while they had a private conversation.
Needing to distract himself before wondering why that was, he shifted his attention back to the guards and gave them each a light slap up the side of their heads.
“Eejits,” he muttered. “The least ye two can do is send word as to what was going on. Even if ye let it happen.”
The two said in unison, “Apologies, M’Laird.”
He rolled his eyes but internally, he still understood.
His men didn’t fear enemies on the battlefield, but he wasn’t known to respond in kind when someone offended him over Edine or Kira.
There would never be a greater price to pay than for that.
And he knew the onus was mostly on Edine for putting his men in that difficult position.
The sound of feet nearing the door broke him from his thoughts. Hunter jumped back another step in a last-second decision to stay out of sight from the door.
“Take care,” Kira said sweetly to Edine.
“Ye as well,” Edine replied with a light smile.
The door closed and as Edine turned to leave, which made her face him, he clasped a hand over her mouth to silence any reaction before it could sound from her.
Pulling her down the corridor and away from Kira’s room, he ignored her muffled protests.
Turning a glare her way as a silent warning, he waited for her to let out a sigh of defeat before he uncovered her mouth.
A finger jutted in her face in the next instant. “Dinnae be changing sides, Edine. Never forget what that woman has done to our family.”
Edine batted his accusatory hand away. “Do ye really think yer sister daft enough to forget such a fact?” she snorted.
When all he did was glare in response, she let out another sigh.
“It’s nae like I’m her friend or forgetting what her faither’s done, Hunter…
It just dinnae sit right with me when I thought something had happened to her.
And I saw the panic on yer face as well in that moment, so dinnae bother lying. ”
At last, he looked away from her. He didn’t like being so transparent to others, even if the person was his sister.
He thought about biting out words about not being worried for Kira but for his plan, but it was pointless.
Even if there was some truth to that, Edine knew too much about him and Kira to ever believe it was only his plan he had worried about.
“None of that matters, Edine. Ye need—”
Edine interjected. “Ye care for her, Hunter. That most certainly matters and completely complicates these plans of yers.”
She was stern, matter-of-fact, and royally pissing him off. Something snapped in him like a cornered dog who decided to bite instead of cower, and a side of him he never liked to show in front of Edine was brought out.
“What I care about is what she can do for me. Kira Fairbairn is a tool, nae a pal. Nae an ally. A tool. Dinnae find yerself pitying her, Edine. She is nae longer the fragile girl ye once kenned.”
Edine’s brows grew together and her eyes narrowed. “I dinnae know what version of Kira ye remember, but she’s never been fragile.”
Hunter held in a scream of frustration. Of course Edine still had a little bit of her that idolized Kira, she had been a big-sister figure for her.
“Do ye hear yerself, Edine? Ye’re defending a woman who watched our parents—”
“I dinnae need the reminder,” Edine snapped. “I’m merely pointing out that… that…”
“That what? It’s fine to fraternize with the enemy?” he barked. “She’s already in yer head, Edine. Ye cannae spend time with her.”
Edine scoffed. “Mighty large talk from the man who has a portrait of her hanging in his bedchamber.”
“It’s nae like that,” he growled. “It’s there as motivation. To remind me of my plans.”
Edine rolled her eyes with flair and took a step in his direction, patting his shoulder. “Whatever ye say, brother. Stay out of my affairs until ye sort out yer own. Ye look foolish.”
And with that, his little sister left. Hunter was twitching with anger and frustration, unable to believe that his little sister managed to get the best of him like that.
This was all Kira’s fault.
He wasn’t sure what they had talked about in that room, but he knew his distrust deepened. Kira was charming and beautiful, but dangerous all the same.
A terrible temptation I mustn’t fall for, he told himself before turning his back on her door and storming away.