The mare nickered, warm breath puffing against her palm, and something in Mhairi's chest eased. Animals were honest. Trustworthy in a way people could never be.
"What's her name?"
"Mist. She's gentle." Alpin was watching her with an odd expression. "Ye're good with horses."
" I used tae ride every day." The words came out soft, almost wistful. "Before."
Before her father had sold her. Before her entire world had shattered.
Alpin's expression darkened, but he didn’t push. Just asked quietly, "Ready?"
Mhairi nodded. When he moved to help her mount, she tensed instinctively—but his hands were careful, impersonal. Helping her up and then stepping away immediately.
Her hands shook slightly as she gathered the reins, but her seat was solid. Years of riding had made it second nature.
"We'll ride through the night and most of tomorrow," Alpin explained, mounting his own horse. "There's an inn about halfway where we can rest fer a few hours. After that, straight through tae MacDougal lands."
"And if Ashcombe follows?" The question came out steadier than she felt.
Alpin's eyes met hers, and there was something fierce and protective in them that made her breath catch. "Then I'll kill him. I let him go once, but willnae make that mistake twice if he comes back fer ye."
Mhairi believed him.
They rode out, leaving the clearing and the nightmare behind them. Alpin positioned himself on one side of her, Callum on the other, protecting her. She kept her spine straight despite her exhaustion, refusing to show weakness.
But as the miles passed and the stars wheeled overhead, she found herself relaxing slightly. The steady rhythm of Mist's gait, the quiet jingle of tack. The knowledge that for the first time since that nightmare had begun, she wasn’t alone.
She glanced sideways at Alpin. He was watching the road ahead, alert for danger. But every few minutes, his gaze would flick to her—checking on her, she realized. Making sure she was all right.
When had anyone last done that? When had anyone cared whether she was all right?
Mhairi quickly looked away, focusing on the path ahead. She didn’t know what waited for her at MacDougal Castle. Didn’t know if she could truly trust Alpin's promises.
But for that night, she had a choice. She had her freedom. And she had a man who'd risked his life to give it back to her.
CHAPTER FOUR
"Ye're starin' at me horse's arse more than ye're watchin' the road, lass."
Mhairi's head snapped up. Alpin was riding just ahead of her, his broad shoulders relaxed despite the sword strapped to his back. He glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised, and she caught the ghost of a smile.
"I wasnae starin' at anythin'," she said, heat rising to her cheeks. "I was just... thinkin'."
"Dangerous pastime, that." Callum spoke up from her other side, his weathered face creased with amusement. "Especially on roads like these."
"Roads like what?" Mhairi looked around. They'd been riding for hours now, the sun climbing higher through breaks in the trees. The path was well-worn, wide enough for two horses abreast, and aside from the steady clip of hooves and the occasional bird call, perfectly quiet.
"Roads that look peaceful," Alpin said. "Those are always the ones where somethin' goes wrong."
"Ye're just tryin' tae frighten me."
"Am I succeedin'?"
Despite herself, Mhairi felt her mouth twitch. "Nay."
"Pity." He shifted in his saddle, turning enough that she could see his profile properly. The scar on his face caught the light, a pale line against tanned skin. "I was hopin' fer at least a wee bit of terror. Makes the journey more interestin'."
"If ye want terror, ye should've seen yerself when ye were chasin' me through that forest last night," Mhairi shot back before she could think better of it. "Ye looked like ye'd seen a ghost."
