Page 79 of Seduction in a Kilt

“This way’s quicker,” he told her, continuing on his way.

“Well, if ye’re sure.” With reluctance, she followed him, casting glances back over her shoulder as they left the fork in the track behind in the darkness. The moonlight filtering through the canopy above was turning everything around them a dark pinkish shade.

She was starting to get skittish. They were well away from the road, and the trees thickened around them and the track began to grow narrow. This didn’t seem like a path Ivy wanted to ride on and definitely not without Liam.

“I dinnae like this, Evander,” she finally said, not able to hide the edge of fear to her voice. “I think ye’ve taken a wrong turn. We should go back tae the fork and take the other way.”

“Hmm, maybe ye’re right,” he agreed somewhat distracted. At that moment, his horse began whining and shaking its head in discomfort, and Ivy felt bad for the poor steed. “Ach, what’s the matter with the beast? I hope it’s nae goin’ lame,” Evander murmured worriedly, slipping from the saddle and examining the horse’s front leg. He gripped the horse’s leg tightly and it protested loudly, trying to pull away from him.

“Ivy, can ye come and hold the beast fer me while I see what’s wrong with it?”

“Aye, all right.” She slid from her saddle and went over to him, taking the reins from his hand, worried about the poor animal. He bent down and inspected the leg. “I cannae see anythin’’ but perhaps he’s strained a muscle or somethin’. Would ye mind just lookin’ in me saddlebag, Ivy? I have some cloth there and some rub I can put on fer him.”

“Aye, I’ll get them,” she said, but as she turned away, she felt Evander grabbing her, placing his arm across her throat, and pulling her down to the floor.

“What the hell are ye doin’?!” Ivy shouted, spooking his horse. It ran some way ahead, snorting in panic. Her mare stayed put. “Evander, let me go! Get off of me, what are ye playin’ at?!” She screamed, kicking and trying to fight him, but he was heavier than her and managed to hold her down and relieve her of her sword, tossing it to one side. Ivy felt herself getting dizzy.

He roughly turned her on her belly and sat on top of her with all his weight, pinning her arms and legs so she could barely move “I’m takin’ ye back tae yer braither and yer rightful bridegroom,” he told her through gritted teeth, wrenching the bag from his back and emptying the contents onto the ground next to her.

Nay!

“I’ll nae let ye take me,” she cried, thrashing helplessly beneath him as he grabbed the lengths of rope he had prepared and began to bind her hands behind her back.

“Ye bastard! I trusted ye,” she spat, wriggling and thrashing beneath him, but to no avail. Liam was right about him all along.

“Ye’re far too trustin’, Ivy. That’s yer downfall. I never kenned yer parents and all the information I have about ye I got from yer braither.

“When I moved tae Scotland I fell on hard times. I found mesel’ having to take on work, recoverin’ unpaid debts fer people, trackin’ down thieves on the run, dolin’ out a bit of punishment here and there to those who had slighted others. I’m nae proud of it but I had tae dae it tae survive,” Evander explained, seemingly unperturbed by Ivy’s kicking and screaming.

“One day, I found mesel’ sittin’ in a tavern when a stranger sat next tae me and offered tae buy me an ale. He offered me a job as well, workin’ fer the local laird, Carson MacAlister. He needed a man with certain skills, a man who ken how tae be discreet, tae keep his mouth shut. And he’d make it worth me while. He offered me a proper place in his household. I’d have a home and a position, and in time, if I proved mesel’, I could rise. So, I accepted.

“Aye, ye should have trusted yer man. Now, stop fightin’ me, or I’ll be forced tae hurt ye,” he warned her, ignoring her hiss of pain as he pulled the ropes tight around her wrists. He pivoted and tied her legs and ankles, and when he finally stood up and brushed off his hands, she lay helpless before him, wriggling like a landed trout. “Ye filthy yellow-bellied coward,” she shrieked.

“That’s enough of that,” he said, shoving a pad of cotton material into her mouth and binding it in place with a strip of cloth. She continued to shout abuse at him, but her words were now muffled by the gag.

Damn him!

Evander went and retrieved his horse, which had now calmed down, but in the meantime she put all her effort into sliding off her ring and leave it as a clue. The chance someone would find it was small but still better than nothing. He tied the mare to his saddle with a lead line before picking Ivy up and slinging her belly down over the mare’s saddle. “Ye’ll soon be home and will see yer braither. Willnae that be nice, eh? He’s missed ye, and so has Gael. They’re gonnae give ye a warm welcome, I’ll wager,” he said with a chuckle.

Then, he mounted his own horse, kicked it up gently, and moved off down the track amid the deepening red light of the blood moon.