But it was Kai. He pulled up the horse in front of her, his expression unreadable but his eyes conveying something deep and fierce.
“We need to get out of here.”
He held out his arm. With a gulp, Caitlin grabbed it and Kai hauled her into the saddle in front of him.
He held the reins in one hand, the other circling Caitlin’s waist to steady her as he kicked his heels into the horse’s sides, spurring the beast into a gallop. They passed out of the trees and down the road, vanishing into the night like wraiths in the wind.
Finally, Kai slowed their pace to a canter and eventually brought them to a stop in a small clearing surrounded by trees. He jumped down, leaving Caitlin perched awkwardly on the horse’s back, and jogged back to the road where he stood listening. If Caitlin hadn’t known he was there she would never have noticed him. He was as still as stone, just a darker shadow in the night as he studied the road with an intense gaze.
Finally satisfied, he returned to Caitlin. “I dinna think they are following. I gave their horses a good enough scare to send them running halfway to Aberdeen. It will be a long time before those raiders recapture them, if at all.”
Without another word, Kai climbed back into the saddle and clucked to the horse, guiding the beast back onto the road. They traveled more slowly this time, at little more than a brisk trot, but even so, Kai kept his arm tightly clamped around Caitlin’s waist. To keep her safe? Or to make sure she didn’t try to run off again?
They rode on in silence for a while, the only sound the steady rhythm of the horse’s hooves on the road. Then he pulled the horse to a halt and swung down. Taking the reins, he walked the horse while Caitlin rode. He seemed lost in thought.
Finally, he asked the question she knew was coming. “Why did ye do it, lass? Why did ye run away?”
Chapter 6
Kai watched Caitlinintently. In the darkness, she was little more than a shadow among shadows, her dark hair blending with the background so that he could barely see her. But he couldfeelher. Damn it all, the lass’s nearness brushed against his senses like a lightning storm. If he closed his eyes and spun around a few times, he would still be able to pinpoint where she was.
She shifted uncomfortably. “I...I panicked. I was trying to get home,” she said at last.
“Alone? In the dark? In a hostile place like this?” Dear God, she was either insanely brave or just plain insane. “Do ye have any idea of what could have happened to ye?”
The question came out rougher than he intended, and he realized he’d curled his hands into fists, keeping them by his side with an effort. He wanted to reach out and grab her, to shake her for being so damned stupid. Didn’t she realize what she could have done?
She frowned. “Yes, I’ve got a very good idea of what could have happened to me. I could have run into a bunch of strange men who would have taken me captive, forced me to go with them into the wilds, and refused to let me go.” Her eyes widened in mock-surprise. “Oh, wait. That’s already happened, hasn’t it?”
Kai growled deep in his throat. “That’s unfair, lass. It wasnae me that brought ye back in time. I promised I would help ye didnae I? I thought we were beginning to trust each other.”
Caitlin bit her lip, looking away. For a long time, she stared off into the trees. Finally, she turned back to him. “Trust each other?” she said, as though trying out the notion. “I...I would like that.”
Kai paused. There was something in her eyes, something that hadn’t been there before. She looked almost...hopeful.
He found himself wanting to reach out and touch her, but he forced himself back from the edge of recklessness and instead asked carefully, “Then why did ye run?”
