Page 67 of Hunted By the Hard Highlander

“Aye, and yer own clothin’,” Hendry muttered, wiping away a streak of dirt from her cheek. “Ye are a warrior’s wife. Nay one can doubt that.”

“I daenae think they were goin’ to,” she whispered back, her cheeks turning pink, almost as if she were finally allowing herself to feel more than fear.

“Ye are right, they werenae,” Hendry confirmed. He grabbed her hand, threading his fingers through hers. “And I dinnae get the chance to tell ye just how bonnie ye looked in yer weddin’ gown. It brings out yer eyes.”

His words caused her entire face to flush. A little giggle escaped her. Then, she glanced toward the exit, staring for a few seconds before looking back at Hendry and nodding. He accepted her encouragement and stepped forward into the light, pulling him along with him.

Squinting against the bright sunlight, Hendry saw the way a sigh of relief worked its way through those that had gathered. When a cheer rose through the crowd, he looked pointedly at Aurora. She was the one who deserved to be honored for her bravery, for doing more than what duty demanded of her.

As the sound of their joy echoed across the glen, Hendry walked the two of them toward the priest. The man was watching the two of them with a serene look on his face, one that spoke of faith in good always overcoming evil. The priest stepped forward, giving Hendry a nod.

“Ye ken,” he said, his voice just loud enough for the two of them to hear him over the roar of the crowd, “the Highlands have witnessed much stranger weddin’s. This one will be takin’ place in light of clearin’ out someone that posed a real threat to ye and yer family.”

The word family landed in Hendry’s chest. He had not considered himself the kind of man that had one, not after losing nearly everyone to illness all those years ago. Now though, with Aurora’s hand in his and Adair safe with Sebastian, it felt more like the comfort of a hearthfire than the raw danger of a blaze consuming the forest.

Clearing his throat, Hendry stepped forward, his hand tightening on Aurora’s as he did. The action was claiming, drawing the attention of the entire gathering and showing them that Aurora was his undeniably. He could feel her trying to shy away, and despite the impulse inside him to do the same, he only stood taller.

“The threat has been eliminated," he announced, his voice booming and carrying over the lands, ensuring that each and every person heard his decree. “Clan Anderson is experiencin’ a time of peace. Today, we will celebrate not only me marriage to Lady Aurora, but the prosperity that will come to our land and our allies.”

Another roaring cheer worked its way through the crowd. In the distance, Hendry spotted Sebastian leaving the castle with Adair. The joy in the air, the vocalizations of celebration- it was the signal that the hiding was over, that the boy could see daylight again. Beside Hendry, Aurora made a soft noise in her throat. She had seen him too.

“Come,” Hendry said, his voice soft as he spoke directly into her ear. “The chapel awaits us.”

* * *

Aurora could barely keep her eyes from roaming over the inside of the chapel as Hendry led her to the altar. The household and all of their guests had moved inside swiftly, all of them clearly eager for the first part of the celebration to begin. She desperately wanted to memorize all of their faces, the way the light filtered in through the tall windows, the feeling in the air.

Then, Hendry stopped, and her entire world narrowed to him.

“It is nearly time,” he whispered, his voice low and warm, just for her.

She nodded, the earnestness on his face taking her breath away. He was smiling down at her, a sight so rare she had to resist the urge to pinch herself to be sure that she was not dreaming. The warm sunlight caressed the hard line of his jaw, illuminating his hair.

He is so much more handsome than anyone else I have ever seen.

Her eyes stayed firmly on him until the priest took his spot and cleared his throat. The congregation quieted, but Aurora’s ears still buzzed with the remnants of danger and now the heady realization that she was finally safe. Even when the priest spoke, she only made out the few things he said about love, respect, and duty.

She was sure that the service was very moving, but she was still completely enchanted by her savior, the man she loved.

When he grabbed her hand, his grip tight but not painful, she blinked down at the connection. As the priest bound their hands, blessing their union and the prosperity that it would bring, she felt tears beginning to collect in the corners of her eyes. She blinked away the moisture, forcing herself to raise her chin.

“This isnae because of an edict or promise to keep ye safe,” Hendry whispered, his voice nearly swallowed by the sound of the priest’s sermon. “It is because I wish for ye to be here. There is nay one else that I would wish to spend the rest of me life with. Only ye, Aurora.”

The words were too much. The tears that she had been barely keeping at bay fell. She smiled, though. She looked Hendry directly in the eye and absorbed every single emotion, every single feeling that he had not spoken aloud. There was nowhere else that she would rather be, either.

As the last Gaelic blessing filled the small walls of the chapel, Aurora felt herself being pulled forward. Hendry waited until the priest gave his word to pull her into a kiss. It was chaste, completely appropriate for the audience that was watching them, but it still stole all the breath from Aurora’s lungs.

When they parted, she could not hear the sounds of celebration. She only heard the pounding of her own heart beating in time with Hendry’s. For a few moments, they stood there, the rest of the world falling away beside them.

“I now present to the congregation Laird and Lady Anderson,” the priest announced when the cheers finally faded. “I wish them a blessed and prosperous union.”

Another round of cheers took over the crowd, but Hendry leaned in close to speak to her once more. “Will ye obey me now… wife?”

She pulled back, looking up at him with unconcealed amusement. For a few beats, she made a show of considering his question. Then, when she felt that she had given him enough time to anticipate her response, she said, “Only when ye are worth obeyin’... husband.”

Hendry laughed, the sound of his joy mixing with the sounds of their guests. Then, he pulled her against him once more, giving her a kiss that made her knees weak. She returned it, not caring about their audience. If there was ever a time for anyone to bear witness to her feelings, this was it. She wanted them to know just how much she loved the man standing in front of her.

When they parted once more, she was grinning, showing all of her teeth. She could not stop the excitement from radiating out of her pores. And, upon seeing the way each and every face was watching her with bright, unguarded expressions, she knew that she had truly been welcomed into the fold.