Page 23 of The Highlander's Auctioned Virgin
CHAPTER 6
Elinor staredat her reflection in the lake. She slowly dipped her hand in the water, watching the ripples move across the lake and finally disappear ahead of her.
The water was cool around her hand, and she could swear she saw a frog leap away from her. The moon hung high in the sky, unhindered by clouds. It cast a silvery light over the trees around her, giving them somewhat creepy shadows that stretched across the soft soil.
Normally, she would be terrified, extremely scared out of her mind, but she knew this place. This was where she came whenever she wanted to escape, even if for a while.
Ever since Murdock died, she had grown more accustomed to this part of the woods, and when she was organizing the challenges, she had thought this would be a great place to hide. Aside from Thomas and Katherine, no one else knew where she was, and she preferred it to remain that way.
Here, she could easily hide from the lairds. And this spot would be harder to find, especially at night. She knew what she was doing, and she knew it well. At least here, she would be away from them and able to focus on herself at least for a while.
Her mind flashed back to the state she had found Ciaran in earlier this evening. He was right. Sending him away without letting him participate in the challenges would lead to war, and while she probably had three times his men, she didn’t want to risk their lives by battling the Hound for a petty reason.
Yet a part of her hated the way he had pointed that out. She hated how he was able to read her mind and understand what was going on in her head. She hated the fact that she had let him distract her with his body.
His body.
She dug her feet into the lakebed, feeling the cold rush up her limbs. She closed her eyes, listening intently to the sound of the nearby crickets and the low whistle of the cold night air. This was relaxing.
When the lairds failed to find her, she would leave. Now, that would wrap up this whole ordeal rather swiftly.
She must not have noticed the change in the weather. She must not have noticed the smell of incoming rain, but the next thing she heard was the rumble of thunder overhead.
She froze, her feet still in the lake.
Nay.
She could not go back. Not yet, and especially not now. Not when she still had to determine who would get close enough. This was about her future; some measly little storm was not going to stop her from claiming what was hers.
Thunder rumbled overhead again.
“Oh, dear Lord,” she whispered to herself, her shock beginning to settle. “Is anyone out there?!” she called out loudly. “Can anyone hear me?!”
Silence greeted her, and a loud groan escaped her lips. This was not happening to her now. Not today of all days. Thunder, like a blade, cracked the sky and released its contents. The water poured in torrents .
“Is every single laird out there deaf?!” she yelled and moved out of the lake.
She hurried towards a tree and leaned back against it, but it did little to protect her. She got drenched anyway.
“That was a stupid trial,” a voice suddenly called behind her, gentle yet frustratingly familiar.
Nay. Nae him.
She slowly turned around to face him. He was looking at her through a gap in the branches, his hair clinging to his head. The rain seemed not to affect him as he stood there and let his body be pelted.
“I apologize. I meant to say, that was a stupid trial, M’Lady,” he repeated, the snark in his voice unmistakable.
“It was ye who found me?” Elinor huffed, disbelief heightening the cold that had seeped into her body.
“Do ye see anyone else here?” he asked, mild annoyance bleeding into his voice. “Are ye hurt?”
Elinor shook her head.
“Come, let us get out of here.”
He held out his hand, and she took it, despite every part of her urging and screaming at her to run the other way. His grip was tight on her hand as he led her away from the tree and the lake while the rain continued to fall in torrents.
“Of course it had to be the damn Hound who found me.”
