My Highlander Laird

Chapter five- The Highlander Laird

~●Alana's POV●~
In the middle of the night I could feel the thrashing of my head from side to side. Sweat coated my hairline and brow and my breathing was laboured.   All of a sudden, I jolted into a sitting position on my bed, heaving and panting. Fear clawed up my throat, momentarily choking me. The nightmare had been horrible. I had seen the dead eyes of my parents staring aimlessly at me. The blood on them was dry and their flesh putrid.
Maggots had started eating up the bodies of my dead clasmen. I gagged and threw the covers off me. With shaky steps, i found myself to the window, filling my lungs with as much oxygen as I could. It was still not enough. I needed the warm comfort of my sister. She was my only kin left.

I hastened my footsteps, taking a candle and opened the door of my bedchambers. It was eerily quiet and sombre. The flame of the lit candle casted glows and shadows around my petite frame . I realised I was barefoot and forgot to wear my slippers. However,I continued my way to her room. I did not know where she was sleeping so i was walking aimlessly along the corridors. I turned corners, went past rooms and the manor got even gloomier. My heart pounded into my chest and finding my sister was no longer my aim...because I was lost. I just wanted to find my way back to my chambers. I found an opened window on my left and saw how it was a moonless night. My heart rate spiked. I got even more scared. Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew from the window and unceremoniously made my flame go out. I gasped aloud, the candle falling. I was submerged in the darkness. Paranoia filled me and i felt how my stomach cramped because of my fright. My hands sought the darkness, flailing around me. My feet scrambled around, looking for leverage. I neared the wall and plastered my palms flat onto it. I found comfort for a minute in this bottomless pit of abyss. My tearducts burnt. I should have stayed. I should not have left the safe walls of my chambers.
What do I do? The tears started cascading down my cheeks and I clutched at my heart as my vision got blurred and out of the blue-or should I say black-my mind started messing with me. I could envision how Ferguson's people murdered mine. I could see the decapitation of heads, the mutilation of body parts, the crimson blood and the flames swallowing everything on its passage. Desperation struck me hard and in a flash, I was running, my hands still on the walls. I patted everywhere, trying to feel the texture of wood under my palm but all I got was the cold surface of the stone walls. I was a quivering mess.

Luckily, I came across a structure looking like a door and immediately, my fist started fighting with the door. I pounded, pounded with all i had. Seconds later, the door opened and revealed a tall towering figure in front of me. I could not see his face since the candle was far back into the spacious room. Everything turned into a blur. I threw myself into him. I heard a male grunt and he stumbled back but as he regained his footing, his arms came around me.

I started crying and trembling. My limbs shook and I was so so relieved I finally found someone. His body was bulky and firm, even comforting while I had my breakdown .

"H-help me please," I whispered, clutching his shoulders. My head went only till his torso.

His arms around me tightened and he dragged me into his room. I compiled without thought, following him. When we were in the middle of the room, I rose my head to look at the man. My breath hitched and my eyes went wide. Laird Alistair MacTaggart was looking at me with tenderness