Hannah & The Highlander [Book 1 in the time travel series]

Chapter Thirteen: Captive

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Copyright © 2013



(Forgive Me For The Long Wait!)



Chapter Thirteen: Captive



@Hannah's P. O. V.@



I awoke with a seriously bad case of cotton mouth. My head felt like a dead weight; I couldn't sum up enough will power to lift my head from the soft cloud like pillow it rested on. I groaned as I attempted to, movement sent my head spinning and my stomach heaving forward. I forced my eyes apart and gazed around the room.



It was plain, the walls bare, the furnishings the bare minimum; a wardrobe, the bed I laid on, and a washing basin and pitcher. A small fire burned in the fireplace, only a few flames continued to flicker. I forced myself up, clutching one of the nearest posts of the bed for support. I gripped the post as if it were my lifeline as the room pivoted around me.



"Ehk," I groaned as my stomach threatened to heave. Gawd, I hadn't felt this nauseous since my first-and last-hangover. No foul tasting drink was worth hours of puking my guts out.



Suddenly, strong hands pressed against my back in a gesture I think was meant to be soothing.



"Steady, lass. We needn't ye gettin' sick now."



The voice jolted back the memories of the night before. The traitor in Cailen's keep, the MacKinnons . . . them grabbing me and then . . . darkness. I jumped away from the MacKinnon laird, falling right off the bed in the process. I scrambled away, all legs and arms as I fought the stinking dress I still wore, and made it to the wall opposite the bed. I pressed myself flat against the wall, my eyes zeroing in on the young laird.



When not in battle, or kidnapping someone, he was nice looking I had to admit. Blond hair, Nordic eyes and a body any California surfer boy would envy til they were green. Any girl would swoon at the sight of his Colgate toothpaste commercial smile, but to me the smile was flat and fake. Just like the rest of him.



"Yer a wily one, eh? Took two doses of that draught to calm ye down-"



"Screw the gloating small talk, Highlander hillbilly," I snapped, crossing my arms across my chest. "Why the hell am I here, and when do you plan on letting me go?"



"Ye are an funny one," MacKinnon said with a low, hearty chuckle. "I donnae plan on lettin' ye go. Not anytime soon, at least. As fer wha' yer doing here . . . call it payin back an old debt."



I frowned at him. "Debt? A debt to who? The guy that grabbed me?"



"Nay, he's MacBain's man. Or, to be honest, Caitriona's man."



The name was like a hard fist delivered to my stomach. I almost fell, but I scrambled to stay up right.



"Caitriona?" I whispered.



"Aye, a comely enough lass with the inner workings of a she-devil. She's got a soul as black as coal, she has." MacKinnon said, his tone humorous, but there was an underlined tremor in it as his eyes flashed like ice in sunlight.



My mind was caught up in a tornado of thoughts; Caitriona was a traitor? Why had she gone through all of this trouble just to get me out of the way? What could I have possibly done to deserve kidnapping?



"What's going to happen to me now?" I asked, my voice hollow, my eyes staring into nothingness.



"She didnae say specifics, but it was clear ta me that she'd be over joyed if ye were ten feet under lass."



I stiffened, a tremor of fear raced through me. I lifted my head meeting his gaze. "Is Caitriona going to be doing cartwheels then?"



"Nay, I hae better notions for you. Ones that will benefit both me as well as Cait."



"Are you going to tell me, or are you going to sit there and watch me squirm," I snapped.



"Do you wish for me to spoil all of my secrets? You'll find out soon enough."



"I'd rather know now, thanks," I growled as I threw him a glare. "Plus I've never liked surprises."



"Well, yer just no fun," McKinnon pouted. "I s'pose there is no trouble telling ye. MacBain won't be comin' ta save ya."



I chose to keep my mouth shut, staring at MacKinnon with a steely gaze.



"There's an English border lord who needs servants. We will travel to the border and sell you to him. You will beyond MacBain's reach and out of Caitriona's hair. Also there will be a fine penny made from you. I reckon when the Sassnech lord sees you he'll want you for . . . other needs instead of cleaning," he flashed a wolffish grin that made my stomach churn.



Something inside me snapped, my vision blurred and the next thing I knew my palm was connecting with MacKinnon's cheek. A resounding slap filled the small, quiet room. I don't know who was more surprised; me or him.



We stood there, frozen, neither one of us sure of what to do. The silence was deafening, it echoed never ending. I couldn't take it, I broke the silence.



"I don't care what you say; Cailen won't let anything happen to me. He l-" I swallowed the word, my heart skipping a beat just at the thought of it. "He won't believe in just got up and left."



"After that little episode ye two shared, you believe he'll jump on his horse and come after ye? He poured his bleeding heart out to ye and ye turned him down. What man in his right mind would subject himself to that again? Yer on your own lass," MacKinnon said as he rose off the bed and strutted towards me.



I ground my teeth as I took his words blow by blow. Was he right? Did Cailen hate me after what I did? I was so wrapped up in my inner musing that I hadn't noticed MacKinnon lifting up his hand; I had no time to defend myself. The blow he delivered knocked me off my feet and right onto the bed, my head knocking against one of the wooden posts. Stars danced across my eyes as flaring streaks of pain swelled through my cheek and head.



"Let that be a lesson on striking yer betters, wench. I'll be glad ta be rid o' ye-the sooner, the better."



And with the thunk, think of footfalls, and the slam of a thick wooden door, he was gone. It was only then I allowed my pissed-off, no nonsense facade to fall away. I buried my face in the covers and allowed myself to cry out every last ounce of anger, sadness, and fear that was bottled up inside. Sometime later I drifted off to sleep, where nostalgic dreams of a home I may never see again awaited me.



@Cailen's P. O. V.@



Cailen's fitful sleep was disturbed by a loud bang and a chorus of cries. His eyes eased open and immediately shut at the onslaught of head splitting pain that attacked him at the sudden contact of sunlight. God's blood he felt bloody damn awful! He rolled onto his side, drawing the covers up and over his head.



"My laird!" Came a cry, followed by the loud creak of his door being thrown open. "My laird you must wake at once! Please, my laird, Hannah is gone!"



Cailen's eyes snapped open and he was on his feet in the space of a blink. He ignored the knives of pain that were digging into his head as he looked at a very distraught Daisy and a frazzled Eileen.



"What do ye mean she is gone? Where could she have possibly gotten to?"



Daisy was in hysterics, her appearance was in shambles, her face flushed an unbecoming shade of red. Eileen was calm on the surface, but beneath that Cailen could see the panic in her gaze.



"We don't know, my laird!" Daisy sobbed. "Went in to help her change into her night clothes and she was nae there! Her bed hadn't been touch."



"Daisy looked all over until she finally came to find me. We have turned the castle upside down, Cailen. She isna here," Eileen said, her voice grave with worry.



"Is anything missing? Her clothes? A horse?" Cailen asked his mind scrambling for an explanation.



"Nay! All of the horses are accounted for. An nothing is missing from her room." Daisy pipped up, sniffling in between pauses. "I do nae think Miss Hannah left by her choice."



Cailen digested all of this his mind staggering. Hannah was gone. Was it because of him? Because he'd professed his feeling to her? Had he repelled her, had his feeling forced her to flee with not but the clothes on her back?



Nay! She would not! She wouldn't! Cailen's heart warred with his brain, defending the woman who occupied its contents.



"MacKinnon!" Cailen growled. "I'll ride out a-"



"Nae! My laird that is suicide! Ye cannae ride into an enemy's fortress. We are still reeling from the invasion, ye cannae leave us now." Eileen argued.



"And what of Hannah? We will just allow her to be tortured, or worse?" Cailen snapped. Both women shrunk away from him. "I swore I'd care for her, protect her. I willnae break my promise."



Cailen turned away and gathered his sword that was hung on a hook on the wall. "Saddle my horse and gather every able bodied man. We ride at once!"



_____________________________Author's Note________________________



Really short! My apologies! Next chapter is going to be super exciting! We'll be going across the border, and Cailen will attempt to rescue her! Anyway, everyone I love you all!! 6,000 something reads, 85 comments and the VOTES!!!!



You're support is humbling! I really want to see H&H succeed. The more popular it gets the more reads :) I want to hear everyone's thoughts! What do you think will happen? Will Cailen succeed? Will Hannah be sold to this Sassnech border lord? Or will there be a divine intervention?



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Farewell!!!! See you next week :*