The Runaway Bride

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

AN- so I found this man on Pinterest and he blessed my life. At first glance I knew that he was perfect to portray how Aidan looks in my head. I don't know who this model is. If anyone does please let me know. It would be greatly appreciated.
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After introducing himself, a bit dramatically too if I may add, Aidan turned to his men.

"Mount up. We are heading back tae our clan. These lasses need tae be brought tae safety."

I quickly shook myself out of the trance I had been seduced into and stomped over to Angus. When I reached his side, Angus immediately shoved his nose into my neck and began to nuzzle it, nickering softly.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and moved my mouth close to his ear. "I'm alright now my love. Thank ye fer trying tae save me. I can always count on ye my dear Angus."

After I finished reassuring him I moved to his side and swung myself onto his back. When I was settled in my saddle I turned to face the men. My eyes made contact with Aidan's and I thought that I caught just a glimpse of admiration before it disappeared to be quickly replaced with annoyance.

"If ye are done blabbering on tae yer horse we can mayhap be on our way. It tis a long way tae Skye," the irritation was very clear in Aidan's voice when he spoke to me. Although what I did to cause him to act so irritable to me, I have no idea.

I gave him my best glare and only received an amused smirk in return. Mumbling angrily to myself I turned Angus around to face the rest of the men. "Weel, are ye ready? Let's be on our way then." I then urged Angus on. Out of the clearing and into the forest. After a few short few seconds of riding, I realized that the only one chasing after me was Aidan. Sighing, I reigned Angus in, slowing to a stop.

"I took off in the wrong direction. Didn't I?" He stopped a few feet behind of me and I didn't turn to face him, already knowing the answer to my question.

And then came a sound I won't soon forget. The blasted, beautiful, bastard laughed. A full out laugh, he held nothing back. It was throaty, it was husky, and it was strangely beautiful. It also did something unfamiliar to my insides. My stomach clenched, tightening. And yet at the same time, it felt as if someone let a thousand tiny birds loose inside of my gut and they were now swarming inside trying to find a way out.

When he finally finished destroying my insides with his outburst of a laugh I directed Angus around so that I could face him. He was staring at me his face pensive as if he was considering something. What that thing was, I had no idea. However, he soon resumed his normal smirking expression.

"Aye, this tis the wrong direction. Skye is northward, not to the east. Mayhap you should have allowed me to lead the way first instead of rushing off too a place ye've never been tae."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Ye'll never allow me tae forget this moment will ye?"

He chuckled again and under my breath, I cursed him and the God who created such a tempting human. It just wasn't right to us women. What did we ever do to deserve this? I'll never know.

"I mayhap will, I mayhap won't. I'll just have to see how I feel about it in the future." And then he winked at me. I was in such a shocked state that I didn't realize until he was nearly back at the clearing that he had started riding. I quickly recovered as well as I could, pretending I had been occupied urging Angus on. I certainly hadn't been staring at his back, that simple wink replaying in my head. That would be absolutely absurd.

Bah!

By the time we reentered the clearing everyone was mounted and waiting to ride. Aidan gave his men and nod and then directed his horse around to face the north and he was off, his men following. I shook my head at Fiona in exasperation to which she only gave me a small amused smile, a hint of trauma still lingering in her eyes.I made a note to talk to her when we stopped for the night, sighed and gave Angus's withers a light squeeze. He immediately took off after the other horses in response to my instruction, with Molly following close behind.

••••••••

We traveled through the dark for a few more hours with only the light of the full moon to guide our way. It was only when Fiona and I, so exhausted from our ordeal and the hard ride could barely stay in our saddles, that we decided to stop for a few hours rest.

We tethered our horses to trees close to where they would have access to plenty of grass. Aidan then sent Kennan and Kade out on a mission to bring back some game. While they were gone, I started to build a fire so that we could begin cooking the meat when it was brought back.

I crouched down in front of the pile of brush and began grinding two rocks against each other, trying to create a spark that I could grow into a flame. After a few attempts I actually managed to create a tiny spark but as soon as it hit the brush it dwindled into nothing. I cursed under my breath and starting striking the rocks together again. This time with a little more force. When again I failed I began to become frustrated.

"Damn this!" I threw the rocks down on the forest floor in complete frustration. I sat back on my rear end and fixed the pile of brush with a glare so fiery that it very well could have started the fire all by itself.

I heard an amused chuckle from behind me. "What's wrong Catrióna? Can ye noo manage to get a fire started?"

I tilted my head back until I made eye contact with a very amused Aidan.

"Och hell Aidan, go away. I donnae need yer help, or your comments. I'm just fine tae go without." I told him this while giving him a glare that had an intensity that could easily rival my previous one.

Paying my threat no mind, Aidan stepped beside me and sank down into a crouch. He was so close that I could smell his woodsy scent. It did something to my head and made me want to do things a proper lady would never do. Hell, I thought, I am in nae way a proper lady and I donnae want to be one.

"Here, let me show ye how to dae this properly. Ye were nae doing it the right way," he reached over and gently relieved my hands of the stones. In the process, our hands grazed each other just barely. But it was just enough so that I was able to feel the heat of his skin. I gave a small shiver as a wave of energy sparked through my body as a result of our brief contact.

I was suddenly brought out of my thoughts when I heard my name being called from beside me. I glanced over and saw Aidan looking at me with an impatient expression.

"Are ye ready to pay attention? I will only show ye how tae do this once."

I nodded my head and focused on his hands. His very tan, large, and strong looking hands. Looking closer I noticed a few scars on them, all healed. They just added to his beautiful ruggedness. As I stared I started to imagine what those hands would feel like - Och! Stop it!

"Did ye get tha'?" I glanced up at Aidan's face and realized that he had already begun to show me how to strike the rocks together when my mind had been otherwise occupied.

I lowered my head to hide my embarrassingly pink cheeks from his view. "Ooh, I am sorry, one more time please? I wasn't focusing there for a wee minute."

He gave me an exasperated sigh but preceded to demonstrate again. This time I focused as he took the two stones and began to strike the pointed side of one against the flat side of the other. After a few tries, a spark was made and it fell onto the pile of brush. Aidan then leaned over and began to blow softly on the spark. I watched as with the gentle coaxing of Aidan's steady flow of air the spark began to increase in size until it became a tiny flame. Aidan then say back on his haunches next to me and we sat in silence and watched as the small flame caught on the brush pile and soon grew into a larger blaze.

AN~ So this is finally the last chapter I had to edit!! I plan on starting on Chapter Nine tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have it up in a few days.
Enjoy and please vote and comment!! I'll seriously love you forever if you do. 😁😁💗

~Love Alayna~

12/15/17