Page 4 of Claimed by the Ruthless Highlander (Taming the Highland Devils #2)
CHAPTER FOUR
C aiden could feel the fire of indignation rising in the lass he held close, her body tense against his, breath sharp with defiance as they rode along the road toward his lands.
Daenae let yer thoughts linger there.
He thought this because stirring within him was something dark and satisfying, a hunger not just for the answers he sought but for the game itself, a playful game of cat and mouse.
He was certain this stubborn filly held the knowledge he craved, and by God, he wouldn't let her slip through his fingers. The scent of her fear mixed with anger was intoxicating, and he leaned in, his voice a low growl in her ear.
"If ye tell me what I want, I'll see ye free as the wind on the moors," he murmured, his breath hot against her skin. "But if ye choose silence, lass… well, I'll find other ways to make ye speak."
His words were rough, edged with promise and threat both. The lass spoke, her chin lifting defiantly even though she was bound to his saddle.
"I daenae ken what ye're speakin' of," she said, voice steady, though her pulse betrayed her. "Ye've picked the wrong lass."
He found her tone sharp, even mocking, daring him to press further.
Caiden's lips curved into a dark smirk, eyes narrowing with challenge.
"Ye think ye can play me, do ye?" he taunted, tightening his hold just enough to remind her who held the power.
"Aye, I like a lass who's got fire, who's nae afraid to stand her ground.
But if ye want to play games, then so be it. I'll play along."
"I'm nae the one playin' games. Ye've got the wrong end of the stick."
"Manipulative, this one is," Caiden said as he looked at Eric, who smiled back.
Then Caiden traced a finger along her jaw. "And a liar, too. Ye weave yer words so well." His voice dropped to a growl, the alpha in him savoring the battle of wills. "But I ken better. I can smell the truth beneath the lies, lass."
She jerked her head away, eyes flashing fire. "Ye're as blind as a bat if ye think I'm frightened of ye."
Her bravado was a shield, but Caiden could feel the flicker of doubt lurking beneath as he held her close, her body trembled slightly.
"Aye, ye are frightened. I can feel that much." His hand brushed her hair back, fingers grazing her neck with a rough tenderness that contradicted his harsh words.
"Ye're a rare one. Stubborn, fierce, and far too clever for yer own good."
"So, what now, then?" she asked. "Will ye keep me forever, or do have ye a better plan?"
Caiden's grin was wolfish, his eyes glittering with wicked intent.
"I have a plan, lass. But it'll take more than sharp words and a stubborn spirit to stop me from gettin' what I want. Ye'll talk soon enough, whether ye want to or nae."
The challenge hung thick between them. Caiden reveled in the hunt, the clash of wills sparking something far beyond mere information.
He felt the lass stiffen beneath his hold, her body taut like a drawn bowstring. It was plain to see the fear in her, unsure whether to fight or freeze, and yet he found a begrudging respect for her stubborn spirit.
Few dared stand against him this way, and it made the game more worthwhile. Still, he kept his grip firm but steady, knowing brute force would get him nowhere fast.
Eric's voice cut through the tense silence, sharp and urgent.
"Laird, there's a wagon headin' this way on the main road. We should turn off soon."
Caiden's jaw clenched, annoyance flickering across his face like a dark cloud.
"We'll take the game trail through the forest," Caiden growled, eyes narrowing toward the shadowed treeline. "Slower, aye, but the cover's better. I'll nae have folk spot us on the road."
"It'll add time to the ride, and it's nae exactly easy travelin'. The horses'll tire quicker on that path," Eric said.
"That's a price I'm willin' to pay," Caiden said, voice cold and decisive. "Better the horses wear out than be noticed before we arrive home."
Her voice rose sharp and demanding. "Where exactly is this home of yers, then? What place are ye takin' me to?"
Caiden's lips twisted into a dark smile as he shot back. "Ye shouldnae be askin' questions when ye'll nae answer the questions I ask." His tone was mocking, but there was a hard edge to it that brooked no argument.
She huffed, the annoyance clear in the stiff set of her shoulders. "I daenae like bein' kept in the dark."
Caiden chuckled low, eyes glinting with amusement and challenge. "Nae many do, lass, but life's nae always fair. Ye'll learn that soon enough."
The horses veered off the main road, plunging into the tangled forest where shafts of moonlight filtered through twisted branches.
Caiden's mind sharpened with the knowledge that the cover would keep them hidden, but it also meant the ride would be long and rough.
The forest closed around them like a dark, living wall, branches arching overhead and blotting out the moon.
As they pushed deeper into the woods, Caiden's thoughts drifted inward, the rhythm of the ride steady and relentless. He was a man forged in battle, a great warrior whose strength and skill had earned him his place as laird.
Yet beneath the hardened exterior beat a heart shaped by solitude. He preferred the silence of his own company, trusting few and keeping most at arm's length.
His loyalty, fierce and unyielding, was reserved for those few he deemed worthy, his clan, his kin.
He was possessive not just of his lands and wealth but of the people who called them home.
To those who wronged him or threatened what he held dear, he was swift and merciless, a storm that brooked no defiance.
Ahead, the trees thinned briefly, revealing a patch of pale moonlight pooling on the forest floor. Caiden urged his horse forward, muscles coiled like a spring, eyes sharp for any sign of threat.
The lass sat tensely before him, bound and silent, but still fiery in spirit. He could feel the tension in her like a live wire, and it amused him to know she was not yet broken. Any other lass would be sobbing and hysterical, but this one was strong.
Eric rode close, ever watchful, his rough voice breaking the silence now and then with quiet observations.
"The trail's gettin' narrower," he muttered.
"Aye, we'll be near the clearing soon." Caiden nodded, eyes flicking to the dark shapes around them.
The forest's stillness wrapped tight like a shroud, every snap of a twig or rustle of leaf setting nerves alight. Caiden's grip on the reins tightened, his senses honed sharp by years of war and hardship.
The lass's stubbornness was both a challenge and a prize, a puzzle Caiden intended to solve on his own terms. He would see what secrets she guarded and what truths she hid beneath her sharp tongue.
And when the time came, she would learn that crossing Laird McGibb carried a price no one could escape.
But his mouth watered at the thought of how he would punish her.
Perhaps I will tease her with touch until she begs for a kiss? Oh, to have those long legs wrapped around me.
He felt his body growing heated and knew he had to stop these thoughts. He needed to separate his body from the lass to cool down.
"There's a brook there, let us stop and water the horses," Caiden said.
"Aye. I could use a waterin' meself," Eric said.
Caiden pulled his horse to the brook and dismounted, while pulling the scarf from his neck across the bridge of his nose.
He tied the horse to a low-hanging branch, then looked up at the young lass.
"I suppose ye can stretch ye legs," he said. "But if ye try to escape, I will punish ye."
"I understand," she said.
He untied her wrists from the saddle. A brief flicker of ache came over him as he saw the red markings the rope had left on her.
He placed his hands around her waist and lifted her down from the saddle.
The flask in his satchel filled with whisky called to him. He took a swig, then handed it to her.
"It'll keep ye warm," he said.
She took it and drank it down. Caiden turned to Eric who tossed him a loaf of bread. He broke off a chunk to eat and handed the rest to the lass.
"Why can ye nae let me go? I have done nothin' wrong," she said as she took the bread.
"Ye have said so and yet, I daenae believe it. Of course a thief would lie," he said.
She sighed and sat down on a log as she ate the bread. He looked over her, taking in her quiet beauty. Caiden walked to Eric, who led his horse to water.
"What do ye make of it?" Eric asked.
"I daenae ken what to make of it just yet," Caiden said. He looked at Maisie, who fed his horse a piece of bread and then rubbed its nose.
"We have another two hours' ride ahead, do we stop and set camp here for the night?" Eric asked.
"Nay, 'tis best to get her in front of a warm hearth. She is well-dressed. I daenae think she is used to the conditions of a Scottish night out in the open," Caiden said.
But another thought was tickling his mind, a dark one.
And I want to get her into me own chambers as soon as I can.