MacNachton Vampires: Born To Bite Part 28

"What?" Ellie choked out, at the same moment her mother exclaimed, "What?"

After a long moment, Cain gave a short nod, as if responding to some argument raging deep within himself instead of at the two women gawping openmouthed alongside him. He squared his shoulders, straightened, and turned to face Ellie's mother.

"As I understand, it is human tradition to request permission to wed from the bride's father."

Ellie blinked at him stupidly.

"As he is no longer present," Cain continued without taking his focus from her mother, "it is my fervent hope that her mother will acquiesce. Agnes Munro, will you grant me the honor of marrying your daughter, Elspeth Ramsay?"

"What?" Mama repeated blankly, the word barely audible above the hoofbeats and howling wind.

Ellie let the reins slacken as she turned to face Cain dead-on. "Is this a jest?"

"Not in the slightest," he answered simply. When the corner of his mouth lifted in an uncertain smile, there was no doubting the sincerity of his words.

A vicious, dangerous, swirl of hope began to unfurl in Ellie's heart. "But you were so angry-"

"I was startled." He gently touched his knuckles against the curve of her cheek. "You breathe, Ellie. Your heart beats. Your human blood rushes in your veins. And you bit me."

Mama clutched at her throat. "Elspeth!"

"It was an accident," Ellie mumbled guiltily.

"It was instinct," Cain corrected, "and absolutely incredible. I hope you do it again."

"But you said you would tell the Elders-"

"-that our race may not be on the verge of extinction after all," he said with a self-chastising shake of the head. "I should have made that clearer. You are a miracle, Ellie. Very few of our kind still survive. A handful in Pitreavie Castle, a dozen or so in Foulis ..."

Mama gasped. "But you said it burnt down!"

Cain grinned at her. "I lied."

"You what?" Mother's voice rose to a shriek powerful enough to rival the wind. "Do you have any idea how much sorrow-"

"Don't pretend you've never told a falsehood, Aggie." Cain's voice was serious, his gaze hard. "I had to know the truth."

Ellie hesitantly touched her fingertips to the back of his hand. "And now that you do?"

"As far as I'm concerned, the terms of an honorable hunt are these: Return with the prey, or not at all." He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a warm kiss against the back of her fingers. "If it means losing you, then I choose not at all."

Ellie pulled her hand away from Cain's mouth in order to press her lips to his. He responded by pulling her into his lap and sinking his fingers into her hair to deepen the kiss. Ellie didn't pull away until her fogged brain finally realized that the reins had fallen from her grip and the carriage had meandered to a complete stop.

And that she was kissing a vampire warrior in full view of her mother.

Still human enough to be incapable of fighting the blush flaming across her cheeks, Ellie slid off Cain's lap to her own seat. She retrieved the fallen ribbons, cleared her throat, and stared fixedly ahead so as not to witness whatever expression her mother currently wore.

Cain brushed her ear softly with the pad of his thumb and nuzzled a kiss across her forehead. He settled his arm about Ellie's shoulders, then lifted his head to meet her mother's gaze.

"What do you say, Lady Munro? May I wed your daughter?"

Ellie's entire body tensed to the point of shattering as her mother took her precious time deciding her response.

"You may court her," Mama said at last, unable to keep a mischievous chuckle from her voice. "Whether she'll wed you is up to her."

Cain smiled down at Ellie, his gaze s.h.i.+ning with hope and vulnerability. "I love you, Elspeth Ramsay. I would like to spend the rest of infinity at your side. Will you be mine?"

With love and joy overflowing her heart, Ellie returned his gaze with a saucy look. "Do you think me such easy prey as that?" she said with mock affront. "You may spend the rest of infinity trying to catch me, hunter."

"No," he corrected softly, "it is you who have caught me."

She gazed up at him with a smile. "I love you, too."

This time when he reached for her, she melted blissfully into his arms.

ISBN: 978-0-7582-7886-9.

Books by Hannah Howell.

ONLY FOR YOU * MY VALIANT KNIGHT.

UNCONQUERED * WILD ROSES.

A TASTE OF FIRE * HIGHLAND DESTINY.

HIGHLAND HONOR * HIGHLAND PROMISE.

A STOCKINGFUL OF JOY * HIGHLAND VOW.

HIGHLAND KNIGHT * HIGHLAND HEARTS.

HIGHLAND BRIDE * HIGHLAND ANGEL.

HIGHLAND GROOM * HIGHLAND WARRIOR.

RECKLESS * HIGHLAND CONQUEROR.

HIGHLAND CHAMPION * HIGHLAND LOVER.

HIGHLAND VAMPIRE * THE ETERNAL HIGHLANDER.

MY IMMORTAL HIGHLANDER * CONQUEROR'S KISS

HIGHLAND BARBARIAN * BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

HIGHLAND SAVAGE * HIGHLAND THIRST.

HIGHLAND WEDDING * HIGHLAND WOLF.

SILVER FLAME * HIGHLAND FIRE.

NATURE OF THE BEAST * HIGHLAND CAPTIVE.

HIGHLAND SINNER * MY LADY CAPTOR.

IF HE'S WICKED * WILD CONQUEST

IF HE'S SINFUL * KENTUCKY BRIDE * IF HE'S WILD

YOURS FOR ETERNITY * COMPROMISED HEARTS.

HIGHLAND PROTECTOR * STOLEN ECSTACY.