Page 28 of Claimed by the Obsessed Laird (Highland Bride Hunt #1)

“Camron,” Isla yelled in warning, her voice trembling as she stood there wantching, unable to do anything.

At the last minute, Camron managed to rip his blade from its sheath and toss it out in front of him, cold steel clashing against steel before the glinting metal could tear through his skin.

“I’ve been waiting too long for this moment, cousin. Ye’ve been too distracted with that little wife of yers to take care of yer clan. Belittling Robert like that… you’ve no respect for everything that yer father did for this place!”

Camron sprang to his feet, ducking out of the way of another one of Archie’s attacks, and Archie tried to rush him, attempting to knock him off his feet and onto the dirt road beyond.

But Camron stepped aside, sending him sprawling forward, swinging around to face him before he had a chance to gather himself.

Isla could see it in his eyes, the doubt, the anger, the grief, even, that one of his own would have turned on him like this.

He might never have cared for Archie or trusted him in the slightest, but he was still family.

Whatever blood beat in his veins was the same that ran through Archie’s, and he knew that spilling it would change everything.

But when his gaze flashed to Isla, something shifted within him, a certainty getting the better of him, and he drew his sword back and launched an attack on Archie that forced his cousin to parry a storm of blows.

“Yer father would be ashamed of the man ye’ve become," Archie panted. "And you cannae think that yer worthy of a wife like her, not with-"

Camron lunged forward again, refusing to so much as hear him out.

The sound of metal against metal filled the air around them, and all Isla could do was watch, petrified.

Camron was vicious and precise, but Archie had trained with him before, and seemed to know where every one of his attacks would come from before it landed.

When Camron came in from the right, his sword would already be raised to parry him; when Camron ducked and ran towards Archie to take him off his feet, Archie was swift to dive to the side, stumbling as he caught himself.

Isla’s heart pounded in her chest, and she silently prayed to whoever was watching over them that her husband would win, because if he didn’t…

Camron forced Archie back into the cave, driving him towards the rock wall where Isla was still bound.

Camron swung a blow to his belly, and Archie caught it just before the blade buried itself into his stomach, the sharp edge nicking through his clothing and causing him to leap back to avoid further damage… straight into Isla’s path.

Her eyes widened as it suddenly struck her that she could help; she could do something to seal her fate. She knew what she would be condemning Archie to if she did, but she had no choice. She had to do what was right for her, her husband, her Laird—her love.

So, before she could allow her mind to question it any further, she lunged her foot out towards him and kicked the back of his leg.

It buckled for a moment and then gave out beneath him.

Archie crashed to the ground, the blade gliding along the side of his throat, cutting a sharp wound into his skin.

He gasped and grabbed for it as blood poured from between his fingers, and Camron grabbed him by the collar and yanked him upright.

Isla could see that Camron was ready to end his cousin’s life for the danger he put her.

“Let him be, my love. Let him life with his failure,” she pleaded, not wanting to let her husband have his family’s blood on his hands.

For a moment Camron looked at her with murderous rage in his gaze, but quickly he realized that Isla was safe. And Archie was nothing more than a greedy, power-hungry man who had failed in all ways.

“A flesh wound,” Camron growled in his cousin’s face. “Go, now. Find a healer in the village. And then leave like the coward ye are. If I ever see yer face on my land again, I’ll make sure ye get what yer deserve for yer treachery.”

Archie looked at Camron with disbelief in his eyes.

He wasted no time before he scrambled to his feet, fingers slick with blood, and dragged himself painfully onto his horse before he took off.

The sound of hooves soon vanished into the distance, his arrogance giving way swiftly to terror at Camron’s fearful warning.

Isla felt tears spring to her throat, but these were not tears of guilt or doubt, no. They were tears of relief.

Camron drew his sword back and turned his attention to Isla.

“Are ye…”

“I’m fine,” she breathed back to him, her voice shaky.

“I’m here and ye’re safe,” he promised her, his voice low and certain. He wound his arms around her, reaching behind her to undo the bindings that held her. As soon as her hands were loose, she crashed against him, clinging to him as though it was the only thing keeping her alive.

“Och, God, Camron, I thought I?—”

“I should never have let ye walk out of my study,” he told her. “I should have told ye that I loved ye, Isla. Because… because I do. I love ye. And I willnae let anything happen to ye. If ye ever forgive me… I’m yours.”

She laughed; a sweet, bubbling sound that ran like a fresh stream from her lips. She tossed her arms around him and pressed her head to his, inhaling the scent of him like her life depended on it.

“About time, my Laird.”