Chapter 16
The next morning, Hunter and Kira set off to the northern clan of MacDougal.
Laird MacDougal was his father’s closest friend all those years ago and if they were to have any ally for the pending war, it would be him.
The carriage ride was long, taking well into the afternoon until they reached the gates of the Keep.
He had visited that place a few times in his youth and it looked the exact same from all those years ago.
They stepped out of the carriage and after a few words with the head guard, they were ushered through the gates.
For each man who traveled with the Galbraiths, there were two MacDougal men.
The air was tense and Hunter knew it wasn’t because of him but because of Kira.
He might as well have been carrying in a poisonous viper in their eyes.
Fairbairn wasn’t only infamous in Hunter’s clan, and Kira was seen as his devout disciple.
The wide-eyed child that hardly left her father’s side.
He kept her hand tightly closed in his. No harm would befall her, ever. Not as long as he was still breathing.
From a distance, he locked eyes with Frazer MacDougal as he stood with arms folded over his chest at his front door.
The years since Hunter had last seen him had been kind.
He was still strong and tall, without the telltale signs of age other than more gray hairs pushing back from his face and making his black hair gradient.
His gray eyes were narrowed in on Kira, though.
When the Galbraith group came to a stop just short of the stairs, Hunter positioned himself a step ahead of Kira, tucking her behind him without blocking her completely from view.
Frazer narrowed his gaze, finally assessing Hunter for the first time. Hunter’s own eyes remained as steady as his heartrate. He was in control, his senses were alert, and he was ready for even this peaceful visit to turn violent.
“So it’s true then. Ye wed the Fairbairn lass,” Frazer said, the surname uttered with sheer disgust.
“Aye,” Hunter confirmed. “She’s my wife. She’s a Galbraith.”
Frazer sneered and his gaze bounced between the two of them. “It is more unsettling to see ye with her than if ye were to charge my Keep, Hunter.”
The unspoken words hung in the air. Why would he marry the daughter of Fairbairn? Time was of the essence and Hunter was going to get right to the point and answer it regardless of whether Frazer would speak it aloud.
“Kira Galbraith is nae the enemy and never has been,” he said confidently.
“Dinnae let yer lust speak above logic, lad,” Frazer warned Hunter.
It was Hunter’s turn to glare, murderous warning burning in his hazel hues. He wasn’t going to stand for anyone reducing Kira to a piece of meat that Hunter was bewitched by. He had to tread carefully instead of lashing out, though. He was there for help, not trouble.
Speaking again, he kept his voice even. “I will nae soften the past, nor do I surrender my hatred for Fairbairn. What transpired years ago will have its retribution before my last breath. On that I swear my name and life. But that hatred and lust for revenge also blinded me to other facts. Like how Lady Kira had nothing to do with those deaths. And if there is anyone who has more right to fear Laird Fairbairn, it is her. Her loyalty lies with me,” Hunter stated firmly.
“Foolish lad,” Frazer spat. “Ye’ve been deceived by a woman who studied at the hand of yer enemy. Lust has clouded yer judgment in marrying this girl.”
Hunter took a step forward and Kira squeezed his hand to keep him near.
“I understand that marrying Kira is controversial from the outside looking in, but I can assure ye it was nae a weakness. It was strength that I gained. And with only a bit of conversation, ye will see that she is a good woman. And she wants revenge on her faither just as much. Let us all work together to finally bring down Fairbairn, once and for all.”
Frazer was silent, studying the couple closely, the way they clung together, how Kira held her head high instead of cowering with shame. A long while passed with him just staring at them, and then he sighed.
“Ye may rest here tonight. We will talk over breakfast, in private.” Hunter bowed his head in respect. “Ye remind me of yer faither, Hunter. For better or worse. Well-spoken even when ye’re spouting nonsense.”
“A compliment I dinnae deserve, but I accept in gratitude,” Hunter said before raising his head.
Frazer then signaled to his men to disperse, and servants were brought forth to guide them to their chambers for the night.
The Laird disappeared without another word, but Hunter was feeling hopeful.
If he was letting them spend the night, it meant he was open to being allies.
He just needed some time to accept Kira and their marriage.
Considering the man her father was, Hunter couldn’t blame him for needing a night to sleep on it.
The guest bedchamber was modest but well-kept, with only a bed, small desk, and a wardrobe in the room.
The maid let them know that their supper would be served in the room before she took her leave.
Hunter sighed and when he turned to face Kira, her arms wrapped around him.
Her arms were tight around him, her face pressed into his chest. Slowly, he brought his arms around her, resting his chin atop her head.
“Thank ye,” she whispered. “For standing up for me like that.”
“Always,” he promised. “I’ll stand for ye against anyone. Always.”
Kira managed to hold her head high at breakfast the next morning, with Hunter’s reassuring touch on her knee under the table. Laird MacDougal sat right across from them, eating in silence as he studied the pair.
It was only when he wiped his face with a cloth napkin and tossed it over his place that he spoke.
“I’ve given it much thought, and I suppose ye are right.
Lady Kira should nae be punished for her faither’s crimes.
And given that ye are both so serious about this union,” his eyes hesitated on Kira, who confirmed with a nod.
“I will give ye my blessing. And with my blessing comes my alliance.”
Hunter let out a long, relieved breath. “Thank ye,” he said.
“There will never be a day that I dinnae remember the valor of yer faither,” the Laird said, looking at Hunter. “And the nefariousness of yers,” he said to Kira. “And so with that, I think it is in everyone’s best interest to neutralize the threat one way or another.”
Neutralize was a kind way of saying “kill”—Kira wondered if she should feel anything in that moment. Her father had always been the dark shadow cast over the trajectory of her future. For that to be gone… Well, it was a very enticing thought.
Laird MacDougal went on, “My men need only a bit to prepare for departure. Set course for home, and my men will follow.”
“Ye have my endless thanks,” Hunter said, putting a fist to his heart.
The Laird waved away the gesture. “Yer faither and I were good friends, Hunter. I would nae be serving his memory if I dinnae step in and help his son.”
Kira was elated but she remained placid externally. With MacDougal’s help, they wouldn’t be standing against her father alone. He was known for being brutal and his men were trained to be much the same.
The meal eased into chatter about MacDougal’s own children and how they were faring, his annoyance that his son had yet to wed, as well as some memories of the past with Hunter’s parents.
They were idyllic not only to her childhood mind, but it seemed to all those who had known them.
Their marriage had been arranged, but their love was strong and real and bound them together in more than law and name.
And for the first time since their deaths, Kira didn’t feel riddled with guilt hearing about them.
Was it possible that through Hunter’s acceptance, she was learning to forgive herself?
One could hope, she thought.
After they had their fill and had sat for a while with drinks and chatter, Laird MacDougal walked them to the entrance of the castle. “Do stop by the loch before ye go, for old times sake. Nae much has changed there, and the same goes for the memories.”
“Aye, we shall take a walk before departing. Many thanks, my Laird,” Hunter said.
The men shook hands and held one another’s wrists. A look of understanding passed over both of their faces and Kira hoped that this was not only the beginning of the end of her father’s torment but also the beginning of close bonds forged for Hunter in his lairdom.
The path to the loch was a simple dirt one, with large flat stones to help the way in case of rain and its muck. Her arm was resting in the crook of Hunter’s, the air between them as light as the morning breeze.
“This has nae been as painful as I thought it would be,” he confessed. “Coming here, I mean.”
“Because of asking for help?” she queried.
Hunter shook his head. “Nay. I am a proud and stubborn man, but I can humble myself to ask for help when it’s needed.” He nodded ahead at the loch coming into view through reeds and swaying willows. “My family made a pilgrimage here every year. It’s where my faither asked for my maither’s hand.”
Her brow furrowed. “I thought that their marriage had been arranged.”
“It was. But love predated the arrangement.” His eyes were gleaming as he looked over the lake.
“They were childhood lovers. My maither had been promised to another Laird, nearly twice her age. Faither stormed to her faither’s study and demanded for her to be his just a week before maither was to wed. ”
He sighed and continued. “Of course, Grandfather appeased him and Faither rode right here, where MacDougal had been keeping my maither safe from the stunt he knew my faither was about to pull. And it was on this very bank that Faither told her they were to be wed in a week’s time.”
They stood in the sand, looking out over the tranquil water as the sun rose higher above the horizon. “We came for a visit each year to mark the anniversary of their marriage. To celebrate the fact we had been a family in spite of it all.”
“That’s so romantic,” Kira breathed, a hand placed over her beating heart. “I hate that I never knew their story. Yer faither was always very stern but warm.”
“He had his hands full so he could be a bit rough around the edges. But he was a good, loving man.”
“It is nae right to have favorites, but yer maither has a very dear place in my heart,” she commented as they walked along the edge of the lake. “It felt as though she was always pushing us together, while I was too shy to do it on my own.”
He crinkled his nose. “She was kind but meddled far too much in others’ affairs.”
“What else is a Lady to do but meddle?” Kira giggled.
“True,” he said with a chuckle of his own. “But ordering her angsty teenage son to bring flowers to a young lady is going too far.”
“It meant the world to me when ye would bring me flowers. Does nae surprise me in the slightest that she was the mastermind behind it. Ye and Edine were the only ones who ever made me feel… seen. And ye always talked to me like I mattered. It was intoxicating.”
“So, ye were in love with me from the start. My, my. Should have known,” he said smugly.
She shoved him playfully, making him stumble into the water, but he caught himself in time. He was grinning all the same.
“I had very little experience with the sterner sex back then. What could I do but fall for yer charms, even if they were forced?” she defended herself.
Hunter chuckled and pulled her into the water by the waist, Kira squealing in disapproval as the hem of her gown was soiled. He grabbed hold of her face.
“Dinnae mistake me. The efforts were forced by my maither, but there is nae forcing the fondness I felt for ye. Feel for ye.”
Her heart soared and she thought someone should pinch her to ensure she was awake, but if she was dreaming, she wanted to see where this one ended.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him.
She wondered if his parents had been like him before, standing in that water, embracing and confessing feelings of their youthful years.
Their end might have been gruesome and ill-fated, but they had a lifetime of joy and love together.
And that was all Kira could ever ask for.
“I love ye, Hunter. I always have. I always will,” she whispered to him.
His eyes widened for only a moment and a pained look flashed across his features.
There was so much emotion in his eyes that it left her breathless, even if he wasn’t saying anything.
Instead, he leaned in and kissed her. And she kissed him back with passion and devotion, hoping that he could taste how pure her love truly was.
After a little more walking around the lake to give their shoes time to dry, the pair headed back to the MacDougal Keep and joined their convoy.
The ride home took just as long as it had the day before, but it didn’t feel as terrible.
They were riding back with the added protection of MacDougal’s men and the knowledge they weren’t alone anymore.
“We’ve arrived,” Hunter said hours later, his lips against her hair.
Kira sat up straight and yawned as she looked out the window of the carriage.
They were already through the gates of the Keep and immediately, she was noticing the lack of fanfare.
When Hunter came and went from the Keep, there were always men patrolling and servants rushing to serve him—but there was nothing this time.
“Something’s wrong,” Kira murmured.
“Aye,” Hunter said.
The carriage finally came to a stop and Hunter stepped out first, staying by the door to help her out.
Her feet had only met the stone path for a moment before the front doors of the Keep swung open and a pale-faced Calum was rushing toward them.
Kira found herself holding her breath, bracing for whatever was coming.
“M’Laird,” he said, his voice weak and rattling. “Lady Edine, she’s… gone.”