Page 39 of Claimed by the Ruthless Highlander (Taming the Highland Devils #2)
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
C aiden spurred his horse onward, hooves thundering against the uneven ground as the Scottish landscape blurred past him.
The heather-strewn hills rolled in waves beneath the grey skies, and the distant mountains rose like silent sentinels, their peaks shrouded in mist. The wind whipped past him, tangling his hair and biting at his cheeks, carrying the scent of sea salt from the distant coast. Every stride of his horse brought him closer to McGowan, yet each beat of his heart was heavy with worry.
He rode through narrow glens where ancient stone walls lined the paths, remnants of clans long gone, and over babbling streams that sparkled under the weak sun breaking through the clouds.
Trees arched over the trail, their branches like fingers brushing the sky, and the distant cries of gulls echoed across the hills.
Caiden felt the weight of clan lands pressing in around him, as he was in territory that was not his.
He clenched his jaw, focusing on the path ahead while his mind remained consumed with Maisie.
As he galloped past a cluster of white-washed cottages, smoke curling lazily from chimneys, a pang of fear struck him.
What if Maisie has already been claimed by another?
The thought was unbearable, twisting his chest in knots that made it hard to breathe. He imagined the worst: her hand given to some suitor, her laughter no longer meant for him, and the realization that he had been too slow to claim what his heart had already chosen.
Caiden's horse thundered across the final stretch of the road, the high walls of McGowan Castle looming ahead like a fortress of defiance. The banners snapped in the wind, and the gates stood tall, guarded by men in tartans who narrowed their eyes at the stranger approaching at such speed.
Without hesitation, Caiden swung down from his horse and strode to the front, his presence demanding attention. His voice carried across the courtyard, sharp and commanding.
"I am Laird McGibb," he called, eyes blazing. "I request to see Lady Maisie at once."
A moment of silence passed, and then the gates creaked open, revealing Lavina, Maisie's sister, her hands on her hips and a frown etched deep across her face.
"Ye have some nerve, comin' here after all ye've done to me sister," Lavina said, her voice sharp as a dagger. "Think ye can just ride in and demand she see ye?"
Caiden met her gaze without flinching, his jaw set. "I willnae leave without seein' her," he said, his voice low but unwavering. "She must ken the truth of me heart, and nay other shall keep me from her."
Lavina's eyes narrowed further, suspicion and anger warring across her features. "If ye dare hurt her again, Laird McGibb, I swear ye willnae live to see another day," she spat, stepping closer to make sure he felt the weight of her warning.
Caiden's chest heaved with emotion, a mixture of longing and despair. "I am dead without her already," he said quietly, the steel in his voice softening with vulnerability.
Lavina studied him for a long, tense moment, her arms crossing over her chest.
"Fine," she said at last, stepping aside. "I will let ye in, but ye ken me warnin' still stands."
Caiden nodded once and without another word followed her through the massive wooden gates. The castle courtyard stretched wide, cobblestones worn smooth by generations, with guards standing at attention yet giving them space.
As they walked, Lavina's gaze flicked over him constantly, measuring, judging, and yet something in her softened. "Ye truly think ye can walk in and make amends?" she asked, her voice a mixture of incredulity and curiosity.
"I daenae ask for amends," Caiden said, his eyes scanning the walls, the windows, every shadow. "I only ask for the chance to speak to her, to tell her that she is all that matters in me life."
Lavina shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Ye are brave, Laird McGibb, but… Maisie deserves to ken if ye care so deeply."
Caiden's heart leapt at her words, and he followed her up the stone path to the great hall where Maisie's chambers lay. Every step brought a mix of dread and hope; he feared she might reject him, yet he knew he could not turn back.
The guards at the hall doors stepped aside at Lavina's command, and she paused, looking at Caiden with a warning glance.
"Do nay harm, and perhaps ye shall speak to her," she said, then opened the door wide and gestured for him to enter.
Caiden's gaze swept the interior as he stepped in, the familiar warmth of the castle contrasting sharply with the storm raging in his chest. His eyes sought Maisie immediately, and he whispered under his breath, almost to himself, "At last, I am here, and I willnae leave without ye."
Lavina lingered at the door, her presence a shield and a reminder, but she allowed him to advance.
The moment was tense, electric with the promise of confrontation and confession.
And as Caiden moved further into the hall, his every thought centered on the one person who mattered above all else: Maisie.
Maisie froze as she stepped into the hall, her eyes widening in disbelief.
There, standing before her, was Caiden, his dark eyes fixed on her with a storm of emotion she could feel in her bones.
Her heart pounded so fiercely she feared it would burst from her chest, a mix of fear and exhilaration coursing through her like fire.
She had resigned herself to never seeing him again, yet here he was, tangible and impossibly close, and every part of her body ached with longing.
"Caiden…" she breathed, her voice trembling, barely a whisper.
"Maisie," he said, his own voice low and urgent, cutting through the tension of the hall. "I've made a mistake. A terrible one, and I cannae bear the thought of ye being anywhere but with me."
Her stomach twisted, a mixture of hope and caution. "And ye think I should just come back with ye? After… after ye hurt me like this?"
He stepped closer, closing the distance between them, his gaze never leaving hers. "I ken what I did, and I ken how cruel I was," he admitted, his voice thick with regret. "I was a fool, Maisie, and I will do anythin' to make it right. I love ye… more than I've ever cared for anyone in me life."
Maisie's chest tightened as she studied him, searching for any hint of deceit, any sign that this was another cruel trick.
"I want to trust ye, Caiden," she said quietly, "but how can I believe ye willnae push me away again?"
He took a deep breath, his jaw set, and reached out to take her hands in his. "Ye're right to doubt me, lass. And I'll spend the rest of me days proving I'm worthy of yer trust, if that's what it takes. I will never push ye away, Maisie. I swear it by everythin' I am. Ye have made me a better man."
"I have?" she asked.
"Aye, ye showed me that I can be a better man than me faither and brother. I ken that now. I want ye at me side always."
"What are ye sayin'?"
"I'm sayin'… will ye be me wife? Will ye be the Lady of Clan McGibb?" he asked.
"Ye have a great deal to make up for, Caiden. Do ye understand that?"
"I ken, and I will," he said, his expression fierce with devotion. "Ye'll see, Maisie. I willnae fail ye again. I want to give ye the gallery in the castle to treasure. It is yers."
"I ken how much it means to ye," she said.
"Aye, and to share it with ye would be a great honor."
Her lips trembled, her resolve softening under the weight of his sincerity. "Then… I will marry ye," she said, her voice still cautious but determined.
A small smile broke across her face, a spark of joy peeking through her lingering doubts.
"The gallery in the castle?" she asked, a playful glint in her eye.
He laughed softly, relief and excitement evident in his tone. "It's yers. All of it. Paint, create, make it yer own sanctuary. I want ye to have everythin' that brings ye joy."
Maisie's heart soared at the offer, and without a moment's hesitation, she leapt into his arms. "Ye truly are impossible," she said with a laugh, though her eyes shimmered with tears of happiness.
He held her close, their foreheads touching as he whispered against her hair, "Impossible for anyone but ye, Maisie. Only ye."
Their lips met in a kiss that was both tender and fervent, a clash of longing and relief, sealing their hearts together in a promise that had been too long delayed.
Every pulse in her body sang with the intensity of the moment, a wildfire of emotion consuming them both. For Maisie, it was both terrifying and exhilarating, the culmination of desire, fear, and the certainty that she was finally where she belonged.
As they slowly pulled back, breath mingling and hearts racing, Caiden rested his forehead against hers. "I've waited for this, Maisie. I'll never let ye go again."
"And I'll hold ye to that, Laird McGibb. Just daenae betray me trust again," she whispered, a smile breaking through the tears.
His hand brushed her cheek gently, his thumb caressing the warmth of her skin. "I'll spend me life earnin' it, Maisie. Startin' now."
The hall around them faded into insignificance, the world narrowing to just the two of them, their hearts beating in tandem as the promise of a future together hung in the air, as electric and alive as the first spark of a fire.