Arran's lips pressed together, and he clung a little tighter, as if the words themselves could shield him from the fear that lingered.
Caiden felt a warmth in his chest at the trust in the boy's eyes, and it strengthened his resolve.
He hoisted himself onto his horse. The courtyard was busy with the distant calls of servants and the rustle of the wind through the battlements.
Then he left the castle in the capable hands of his man-at-arms and rode out toward McGowan lands. Every beat of the horse's hooves echoed in his chest, reminding him of the urgency of his mission, the stakes that could not be ignored. He felt the weight of the day's events, the near loss of Arran, pressing on him like a physical burden.
As he rode toward the forest edge, Caiden's thoughts returned to Maisie, the memory of her fiery spirit and the quiet moments they had shared flooding his mind.
He realized that he could never risk losing her, not as he had almost lost Arran, and certainly not to the cruel machinations of the world or the arrogance of men who thought to possess her.
The thought of her married to another filled him with a determination sharper than any sword, a resolve to act without hesitation.
And with that understanding, he spurred his horse forward.
She will be mine once again, and no one will get in me way.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Caiden 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.
