Page 83 of Surrendering to her Highland Captor
EPILOGUE
Once more, Taryn was floating as she rode through the Highlands with James seated behind her. But this time, it was for entirely different reasons. She let her thoughts drift towards what life with James would look like, what she hoped it would turn into. It felt strange to think that before James had captured her, before he had reappeared in her life, she had been so convinced that her life would never include love, not like this. Now, she couldn’t imagine her future without him.
“Tell me what ye are thinking about,” James whispered in her ear.
She did nothing to try to stop the smile from spreading across her face as he did so.
“Ye. And our wedding. And what the future holds.”
He hummed thoughtfully, intrigued by her answer.
“All good thoughts, I hope?”
“Aye. I ken that we have a long road ahead of us,” she conceded. “But it all feels so much more manageable, kenning that I dinnae have to do it alone. That I will have ye by my side to help me.”
“Always,” he promised.
Ready to ask him an endless list of questions about their future, Taryn opened her mouth but was promptly cut off by the sound of horses rushing towards them from behind. Her heart rate doubled as both their horse and Knight picked up their speed.
James turned in his seat, scanning the trees behind them, sword already in hand. Lachlan had his bow notched and ready in the span of just a few seconds. Taryn’s fingers gripped the reins until her fingers were white. The very last thing she was expecting was the friendly greeting Lachlan called out.
“I was beginning to wonder when we would see ye.”
James relaxed back into the saddle and sheathed his sword without explanation. Taryn was craning her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the new arrival, her grip on the reins still tight. She didn’t recognize any of the faces that made up the squadron of riders who had caught up to them, nor could she place their tartan. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t know where they were or where they were headed.
She flushed with embarrassment at not having asked earlier. Having been too caught up in her daydreams, Taryn had been content to let Lachlan and Aila lead the way. She wished now that she had been a little more aware and prepared.
“We were out rounding up the warriors from the outer villages,” the eldest man at the front of the riders answered. “Laird McKenzie will be pleased to have such numbers to offer.”
“McKenzie?” Taryn whispered to James.
“Aye,” he said, his lips pressed on the shell of her ear. “I will have to explain it all to ye later, but we have allied ourselves with the McKenzie Clan. We are almost to their Keep now.”
She barely had time to let the thought settle in before they made it to the McKenzie Castle doorstep, and she was ushered down from her horse and into the warmth of the castle.
Keeping a tight grip on James’ hand, she followed Aila and Lachlan inside, her friends having a seemingly good idea as to where they were going. When they came to the Great Hall, filled with McKenzie clansmen, Taryn suddenly realized the disheveled state she was in.
“I cannae greet the Laird like this,” she told James in a panic. “He will think me rude. He will think he has allied himself with the wrong side.”
“Trust me,” a comforting feminine voice answered her. “I will think nothing of the sort. Yer friends here have explained all that ye have been through already.”
“Taryn,” Lachlan said, stepping closer to the friendly looking woman. “Allow me to introduce Laird Iona McKenzie. Laird McKenzie, this is Taryn McGregor, heir to the McGregor Clan and integral part of my own clan.”
“I am so relieved that James was able to get to ye in time. It does me good to see a man willing to fight for a woman the way yer James did,” Iona said with a kind smile. “It is even better when these things turn out well.”
Taryn blinked in surprise. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing—first that there was a woman for a Laird and that this impressive woman was her ally. Before Taryn could conjure up an adequate response, shouts came from the other side of the hall.
“Taryn!”
“Ye are back!”
“Ye saved her!”
She had barely managed to spin in the direction of the voices before two pairs of small arms wrapped around her, nearly knocking her to the ground. James’ hands went to her shoulders, steadying her, as she looked down to see her favorite two boys hugging her.
“Arran! Christopher!”
Giving up trying to stand completely, Taryn knelt to the ground and pulled the boys in close.
