Bear Mountain Bride: Shifter Romance by Sky Winters (37)

“Heath, you can’t! We can’t!”

Her voice was little more than a whisper as she protested, only half-heartedly pushing him away. This was risky, but she wanted it. She wanted him to take her right there, right beneath everyone’s noses. He didn’t disappoint her by holding back. Her teeth bit into her lip deeply as he thrust into her forcefully, taking what he knew could only belong to him. There was nothing soft or sweet about their lovemaking. It was rough and animalistic. He slammed into her again and again as she stifled her cries of delight.

Afterwards, they returned to the upper levels of the castle separately. Alva could do nothing to temper the huge smile that adorned her face the rest of the evening. It only grew larger at dinner as Heath, once again, decided to toy with her at the table.

“You seem particularly pleased today, Lady MacEwan. Did you have a good day?”

“I had a most splendid day. Thank you for asking.”

“Of course. It is always nice to enjoy my dinner with such pleasant company, especially when she exudes such radiance with a grand smile like yours.”

“Flattery. All flattery.”

“All truth. What do you have planned tomorrow? Will you be going out to ride again? I will be happy to accompany you again if you like.”

“That would be very nice of you. Thank you again.”

Alva saw the two servants that had been talking about Heath previously exchange glances. Was it possible that they knew? Could they tell from the way she and Heath spoke? Or had someone unknowingly seen them in the cellar? As much as it pained her, this had to come to an end before things went badly.

“Well, if it isn’t my lovely wife and my beloved brother breaking bread with one another.”

Alva whirled around at the sound of Lord MacEwan’s voice behind her. When had he gotten home? Why had no one told her? She felt a sense of panic that she couldn’t’ quite explain knowing that he was back from this trip. Then it hit her why it was so upsetting. How would she be able to sneak off to be with Heath if he were underfoot? She was right. This had to end.

Several days passed during which she avoided Heath. She had been pretty successful until he finally caught her in the stables, sneaking away for a ride.

“I thought you would want to know that I’m leaving in the morning.”

“What? Leaving fo where?”

“I don’t know. Anywhere but here.”

“Very well.”

Alva’s heart felt as if it might stop, but what could she say? She wanted him to stay, but knew they had no future together here. It was best that he go. So, why did she feel like she might die if he did? The last few days without him had been torture enough. The idea of never seeing him again was devastating.

“Damn it, Alva. That is all you have to say? I love you and leaving is tearing me apart, but you just don’t care at all?”

“What am I supposed to say, Heath? We have no future. I’m married to your brother. Just go!”

Tears ran down her face as she jumped on the horse she had been preparing for a ride and directed it out of the barn, past him. She was well into the woods, letting the horse lead the way. Her tears were so heavy that she couldn’t see her way. Once out into the clearing, she became dimly aware of the sound of galloping behind her. She turned to see Heath in close pursuit, having grabbed the horse that one of the stable boys had been bringing in as she had left.

“Alva, stop!”

Instead, she dug in hard, sending the horse galloping wildly across the field. Heath still called to her from behind, but she ignored him. Then, everything was upside down, whirling about her head as the horse reared and tossed her to one side. Her body hit the ground with a solid thump. She lay there stunned, the sun going black above her as Heath came running to her side and leaned over, blocking the light.

“My God, are you okay? Are you alright, Alva?”

“Yes. Yes. I’m fine. Just jarred me a bit.”

“Something startled the horse. He’s calm now. Standing nearby. Are you sure you are okay?”

“I’m fine. Help me up.”

Heath wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to her feet, brushing off the debris from the ground as she stood. He looked down at her, his face full of concern. Alva melted against him, holding onto him as if her life depended on it and sobbing.

“Take me with you, Heath. We can’t be together here. I know that, but we can go away together. We can be with one another somewhere else.”

“Thank God. I thought I had lost you. Yes, Alva. Yes. We’ll get far away from here.”

Their lips met once again out in the field where they stood. A renewed urgency overtook them as they lost all sight of anything around them and drank each other in completely. This was right, the way things were meant to be.

“Well, what do we have here?”

Alva and Heath sprang apart. They were so involved with one another that they hadn’t heard the approach of the horse riding toward them. They both looked up at Lord MacEwan, his face a red mask of anger.

“I should have expected as much from such an ill raced trollop as yourself, my dear wife, but I should think better of my own brother! I’m barely married a week and you’ve decided to take my bride for yourself? Are you really so jealous of me that you would stoop this low as to soil what is mine?”

“Yours? I am not yours. I was forced here by my father. I don’t love you. I will never love you. I love Heath!”

“Love? So, this isn’t the first time the two of you have stolen away with one another I take it? How long has this been going on? Love? I’ve not been gone more than a handful of days!”

“There is no accounting for love, brother. Of course, you would know nothing about that. I’m not sure one of such a deviant nature could ever understand it. Father will be sorely disappointed when you cannot provide him with an heir.”

“Provide him with an heir? I think you are very incorrect about that, Heath. My preferences have nothing to do with my abilities. In fact, I think that I will be taking my bride back to the castle right now to get started on that very thing. No doubt you’ll not want her when she fat and swollen with my seed.”

“Over my dead body will you touch Alva.”

“Well, that can certainly be arranged, little brother.”

Alva watched as Lord MacEwan jumped down from his horse and drew his sword. Heath pushed her away and drew his own, brandishing it lavishly.

“Swords, eh? You surprise me. I had thought for sure that you would have gone with fire.”

“Where is your sense of adventure, Heath? Sword fight to the death? To the winner goes the spoils.”

“Alva is hardly spoils. She is the woman I love and I will not let you hold her hostage in exchange for peace that you could freely give if you weren’t so greedy and self-centered.”

The two men danced around one another, waiting for just the right moment to strike as Alva stood to one side, shaking all over out of fear. She was not afraid of what would happen to her, but she was terrified of what he would do to Heath. Heath was a fantastic swordsman, but he was emotional and his brother was more focused, driven by rage.

“I think it is a fairly generous offer considering she is my wife and nothing to you but a common whore for the taking.”

It was enough to set Heath off as he lunged forward and took the first strike. Lord MacEwan countered and blocked him, the swords glancing off one another as they moved back into fighting position. Everything seemed to move very fast after that, the two men exchanging blow after blow. It was way too fast for Alva to keep up with as they fought violently in front of her eyes, Lord MacEwan shouting taunts the entire time.

Suddenly, they were locked into a blow, their bodies pressed against one another as they struggled for control of the battle. Then, Heath was flying backward and Lord MacEwan was standing over him with his sword at his chest. Alva screamed.

“NO!”

“Oh, Alva. You hurt me. I thought for sure that here in the end, you would rally around your husband rather than your lover. You truly are a harlot to the end. I had thought that I would let you watch my brother die for your adulterous ways, but he’s my brother. He’s just a man and he has needs that your wickedness took advantage of. I think maybe it is best that he watches you bleed into the ground instead.”

His attention was focused on her, just enough for Heath to take advantage and jump to his feet, quickly driving his sword into Lord MacEwan’s side. Blood spurted everywhere as he stumbled forward a few steps and staggered. Alva’s eyes grew wide, looking from him to Heath and then everything seemed to shift. He began to change, to grow, right before her eyes. The sword went shooting backwards as his skin rippled and scaled, his nose turning to snout and a tail forming behind him. She took an involuntarily step backwards as she found herself looking at a very large, foul smelling dragon.

It advanced toward her menacingly, drawing its head back and breathing in deeply. Alva realized what was happening and ran, just seconds before a long flame shot from his mouth, scorching the trees that had been directly behind her. An errant thought that she was surprised he shot fire rather than ice crossed her mind. She was dimly aware of the fact that behind him, Heath too had transformed into a similar beast. Suddenly, he was on his brother’s back, tearing at him as they shook the earth beneath them with their large bodies.

Alva ran as far away as she could get, hiding in a grove of trees as the two dragons rolled about the moors, their teeth and claws flashing. Fire shot from each of them, attempting to roast the other as they continued their fight to the death. Alva realized that they looked very much alike and that with the constant moving around, she no longer knew which was which. Her heart pounded against her chest as she waited and watched, afraid for Heath and afraid for herself.

It seemed to go on forever as they fought mightily, attempting to tear one another apart. It all seemed so surreal watching two actual dragons go at it out in the open meadow on a summer day. This was her fault. If she had resisted Heath, he wouldn’t be in danger. She should have just said no and accepted her unfortunate lot in life. Instead, she had behaved like a prostitute and would now pay the price with the loss of the only real love she’d ever known.

Their bodies rolled across the ground in a terrifying fight. She watched as one suddenly shot down, clamping his powerful jaws shut on the neck of the other. He tore furiously from side to side, ripping open the scales and flesh as the blood poured everywhere. Her heart almost stopped beating as the dragon on the ground grew limp and lifeless. It was over and she was overtaken by fear as she waited.

Looking around, the victorious dragon stumbled a bit and fell to the ground, exhausted. Alva was afraid to move as she waited. The temptation to see if it was alive was great, but she had yet to know which brother lay dead and which brother just lay. If it was Lord MacEwan that lived, surely she would meet her death if he came to while she was near. Then again, if Heath was dead, what reason was there for her to live?

Timidly, she made her way from the grove of trees and examined the living dragon for any sign of its condition and identity. Finding none, her fear only grew worse. Tears fell as she glanced over at the lifeless body of the other dragon and wondered what to do next. Beneath her the ground shifted as the dragon by her side suddenly stood and stumbled again. She began backing away, but stopped as she watched it change, shrink, turn back into a man.

“Heath!”

“Alva, my love.”

His voice was weak and he had a look in his eyes she couldn’t quite describe as she ran back to him and pulled him into her arms. He held her tightly, holding onto her as if she were a much needed life source. They remained that way for quite some time, just trying to regroup and sort what happened in their heads and hearts before finally pulling apart.

“I’m so sorry, Heath.”

“It’s not your fault, Alva. It’s done now.”

Heath glanced over toward the dragon that lay just beyond them and cast his eyes downward for a moment in prayer.

“Will he change back?”

“No. His heart is stopped. He will remain that way.”

“Then it will just appear that you have killed a dragon.”

“To the outside world, I will have slain a dragon, but my family will know. I will have to explain to them what has happened and accept their punishment.”

“Why? It wasn’t your fault. He came after you.”

“He came after me because I committed adultery with his wife.”

Alva looked at him. He was right. In the end, they would be the ones judged. Their love for one another was the most wonderful thing she had ever felt, but in the eyes of others, it was wrong.

“We were going to run away. We can just go. We can get far away from here.”

Heath looked at her and smiled a knowing smile. Brushing her hair away from her face, he kissed her forehead and held her some more.

“Let’s get back. It will be dark soon and we’ll have a lot to deal with. When we get back to the castle, you need to go directly to your chambers. Don’t speak to anyone. I will come for you as soon as I can.”

“What do you mean you will come for me? What are you going to do?”

“It will be okay, Alva. Just let me take care of it.”

They made their way back to the castle in silence, riding side by side through the woods and back into the stable before returning to the castle separately. Alva did as she had been asked, taking to her bed and crying throughout the night. When the morning sun began beaming into the window, she flung herself from bed and dressed hastily before heading downstairs in search of Heath, but he was nowhere to be found. Days passed and he was still absent. Alva’s fears grew and her heart faltered. By the end of the week, she had taken to the bed completely, unable to raise her head.

“Lady MacEwan, please eat some soup. You have to keep up your strength.”

Alva looked at the nurse wearily and nodded. She had no appetite. Truly, there was nothing really wrong with her but a broken heart. She could only assume Heath had gone to confess to his family and paid a price from which there was no returning. There was nothing left for her here. The only thing she wanted was to join him.

In her dreams, she could hear his voice calling to her. He was holding her hand and smoothing her hair softly, whispering her name.

“Alva, my love. Come back to me. I love you.”

“I’m coming, Heath. I will be there soon.”

She could feel herself getting closer, nearing the darkness at the edge of where life ceased and eternity began. It was here that she would find him again. Here that she would find herself in his arms. Their love had been fleeting, but it had been true and she would take it with her when her mortal coil fell free and released her from this hellish life without him.

“Alva, I’m here. Don’t go, Alva. Wake up. Wake up!”

His voice was so far away. How could she ever catch him? She was drifting along, nothing to speed her along the path to him. It felt like the most awful torment to be so near and not be able to get to him.

“Alva! Stop this! Wake up!”

He was louder now and all around her, coming from another direction. Why had he moved when she was getting nearer? She tried to call out to him, but no words would come and then everything seem to move, her body shook though she was standing still in the nothingness that seemed to be all around her.

“Alva! I need you to listen to me! I need you to come back to me. Follow my voice. Alva! I love you!”

There was something wet on her face. Was she crying? She didn’t think she was. There had been no tears for a while now as she refused food or drink. Her eyes fluttered open, barely slits as they met those of Heath, looking down at her. His tears fell on her cheek as she realized he was here, not in her dreams, but by her bed.

“Heath.”

It was all she managed to whisper before collapsing again into the darkness. Her body tried to pull away, return to the dream, but her head and her heart screamed, waking her back into the light.

“There you are. There is my love.”

Alva smiled weakly. He was here. He was really here.

“Are we okay?”

It was all she could manage. All the questions she could ask.

“I am okay. You are not. You have to eat and drink for me now, Alva. I need you. We are going to be okay.”

Weeks later, Alva was back up and around, her body recovered from the days of not eating and drinking she had forced upon yourself. Heath stayed by her side, never leaving her for a moment, bringing her back to him. When she was well enough, they left for his home. His family had understood the nature of his love for Alva and forgiven him for his brother’s death, one they considered self-defense, despite the circumstances from which it evolved. Heath had left as the new leader of the dragon clan, his rightful place with the demise of his brother.

This was what love was meant to be, Alva thought to herself as they set on the cliffs surrounding their new home and admired the sun sinking deep into the canyon below. She put her hand to her midsection. There was not yet anything to tell, but she knew that there soon would be. She could already feel a certain warm springing forth from their earlier lovemaking. A tiny dragon seed had been planted and a new generation would emerge.

The End.

 

 

 

DRAGON FIRE

Adair McKordia scowled off into the distance. There was smoke rising from the trees to the north, and he was concerned that it would somehow affect his clansmen. This was alarming, but he wasn't sure if he should sound the alarms, or investigate it himself. However, if he went alone, the clan could be left vulnerable. He summoned his most trusted friend to him.

“What is it, Adair?” he asked, his eyes flashing with concern.

“I have a potential situation to the North, but I don't want to alarm any of the men. Do you think you could keep an eye on things until I come back?”

“Of course. If they ask where you've gone, I can just say you had something to tend to.”

“Atta lad,” Adair said, patting him on the shoulder before bounding off. As soon as he was out of sight, he gritted his teeth and allowed himself to shift into his dragon form. He kept his head down low, because he didn't want anybody to see him, but he knew that in his enormous dragon form he could cover more ground quickly.

He raced to the scene, sniffing wildly for some indication of what might be causing the smoke. Nobody entered the north woods without his knowing about it. This was his turf, and anybody who was there uninvited was a threat. He was the last of his kind, and his clan carried on a special bloodline. If he wanted any chance of keeping his blood line of dragon shifters alive in the future, he would have to give his life for them. The key to his form was somewhere in his clan's blood, and unless it was unlocked somehow, there would be no dragons left once he was gone. It was a tragedy worse than anything else he could have ever comprehended.

He closed his eyes and felt the cool air rushing under his wings. To imagine the end of the McKordia clan was a fate worse than death. There was nothing he loved more about life than the fact that he could change whenever he pleased, and provide the ultimate protection for his people. If there was a threat, he would find it.

***
Iona Carmichael trotted pleasantly through the forest. It was much better than being back home, where everybody treated her like a burden. She was just the female pup in her family, and her brothers constantly spoke over her and got all of the attention. She was constantly frustrated by their tendency to act as if she wasn't important, simply because she didn't have the same depth of howl that they had. She couldn't stand how self-important her brothers had turned out to be. They were a rather large family, and most of the time she felt like just another mouth to feed.

The one rule she and her brothers had all been told to follow was to stay within their limits in the south. They hadn't been told why, only that it wasn't their territory and it may be unsafe for them to travel far. It was much better for them if they could all just stay safe and sound in the area they had already secured for themselves. Iona felt that this was extremely boring and longed for something to set her apart from the rest of the pack. They all just listened to the leader's instructions, and never questioned it. The whole unexplored world summoned her and brought excitement to her soul.

That morning, she had been trying to tell her father about something that she had been thinking about–her marriage prospects in the clan–but nobody wanted to listen to her. Her brothers were speaking over each other over their breakfast and interrupting her any time she tried to get a word in edgewise. Her father had looked at her with patient tolerance, but it was clear that he wasn't interested in what she was saying either. He would choose her betrothed and nothing she had to say about it would make one little bit of difference.

 

After she ate, she decided to get some fresh air by herself. She thought of her mother, who had passed away a few years earlier. There had never been a more beautiful wolf shifter, and her form was unbelievably strong and powerful. Iona remembered being impressed by her mother and hoping to grow up to be just as strong and majestic. She'd been getting far too much male attention from the clan lately though, and wondered why in the world she would ever have wanted that type of attention in the first place. She caught the leering stare of one of the men in her clan and clenched her teeth. She didn't want to marry any of them, and she didn't want to go back home where she was constantly ignored by her brothers and father.

 

Suddenly, an idea struck her–she would go off on her own. Nobody would notice her absence anyway. They were all so obsessed with themselves that it wouldn't make any difference. And she would go in the direction she had always wanted to go. North. With a heart full of adventure, she hurried off into the trees and transformed into her wolf form, galloping north as quickly as she could go.

Chapter 2

The smell of smoke suddenly struck Iona's sensitive nostrils. Her ears perked up as the sound of a fearful cry reached her. Her heart swelled with panic, and she raced off as quickly as she could toward the sound. As she neared it, the smell of smoke burned her nose and eyes, and she squinted to find the source of the loud cries. A child was sprawled out on the ground, a small hut behind him in flames. She lunged toward him, her teeth bared, and transformed quickly into her human form so she could grab him. Before she reached him though, she was hit by a huge burst of air, and a huge black dragon intercepted them, roaring ferociously.

She shrank back, intimidated.

“There's a boy!” she yelled, trying to match his volume with her voice. She quickly became annoyed, feeling exactly the same as she did when she was trying to speak over her loud brothers. The dragon made no indication of hearing her, and quickly transformed into his human form. They stood facing each other, both completely naked and breathing heavily in front of the small boy. The man pointed at her and backed away, not turning his back to her, until he was cradling the small boy against his broad, muscular chest.

“Don't you harm a hair on this lad's head!” he cried, lifting the child gingerly. “You're coming with me, you're officially a prisoner of the McKordia clan.”

Her jaw dropped in disbelief and she felt the hackles on her skin rising.

“If you dare to think about shifting against me, I will have you for a snack!” he snarled, preventing her from acting before she realized it was exactly what she had intended to do. She groaned and knew he would have her beat easily and powerfully, and didn't want to make a scene in front of the child, who was shivering and crying in the man's strong arms.

“Fine,” she said. “I was just trying to help him though.”

“I'm sure you were,” he said, blowing her off. She was beautiful, but he had known many beautiful creatures to contain a fierce venom that could bring a man to his knees. He would not try to listen to her based on beauty alone. That was for sure.

He glared at her and gestured in front of himself, silently ordering her to walk ahead of him as he lifted the boy and cradled him against his chest. Iona sighed to herself, knowing that anything she said would be ignored. She was a stranger to these lands, and if she were to try too hard to prove her innocence, she would never be able to do so. It would be worse than if she had kept her mouth shut. At the very least she could keep herself from appearing to be too guilty.

They marched for a long time until finally they arrived at a settlement. She suddenly became acutely aware of her nakedness. It was a normal state in her wolf clan, but in a new place, where people had never seen her body before, she was apprehensive.

“March forward and meet the eyes of nobody,” the man behind her said in a low voice. She was surprised by the softness of his tone, despite his fierce appearance. She realized it must have something to do with the boy nestled against his chest. She would have been angry but she was touched by his protectiveness.

She could feel the eyes of the men and women of his clan upon her as they walked. It made her somewhat uncomfortable, but she lifted her chin high and squared her shoulders, walking confidently. Adair watched her move gracefully in front of him, his eyes roaming her perfect proportions, unable to help himself. Her confidence was alluring but he could not let himself be swayed. As far as he was concerned, she was the enemy. Who knew what happened between her and that boy, and he had seen her in her wolf form himself, coming toward him as if to attack. He gripped the child more tightly in his hands. He had been whimpering the whole time, and Adair was frightened for him.

“I need the healer,” he ordered loudly, looking down into the boy's face. The boy would be able to tell him what had happened, so he would have all the evidence he needed to bring down the woman who had destroyed his home and killed his family. He couldn't believe somebody so beautiful was capable of something so treacherous, and yet nothing in the world surprised him. He was the leader of the clan, he had seen many evils in the world. One woman's petty vengeance was nothing to him, and yet she had destroyed the life of this child.

 

“Lock her up somewhere out of sight, I will deal with her later," He said viciously as an elderly man with a long white beard rushed forward from the crowd and took the child from Adair's arms.

Iona glared at him as two men gripped her shoulders and wrists on either side of her body and whipped her around. She faced the Dragon man head on, and a deep electricity was exchanged between them. Her eyes bore into his, and he watched as she was dragged off by the arms, staring at him steadily with a look that was hard to pinpoint until she disappeared behind the flap of a tent.

 

He felt it shake his confidence. What if she truly was innocent? That would change everything. She would have to really earn his trust if that were the case though, there was no other explanation for what he had witnessed in the forest. She was very aggressive, and had lunged at the child as if to strike. Upon remembering the child, he followed the healer to another tent, where he laid the boy down and was examining him.

“He has breathed in much smoke, and his voice is raspy, but he is going to be okay. I would give it a couple of days and make sure that he drinks plenty of fluids. Do you know this boy?"

 

“Yes,” Adair said quietly. “I met his parents a few years ago when they wanted to settle in the north. They did not know that this was Dragon territory, and I had to make sure that they were well prepared for whatever may happen here. There is magic in these woods, and many types of shifters all over the world. Our prisoner happens to be one as well. This family was not magical, but they were kind. I wanted people just like them to populate my land. They were very hard-working, and they built their settlement in the hopes of building a new future for their young son. They had escaped war and poverty, and chose to be self-sufficient here. I will have to go and look for them to see if what I fear is true.”

 

“And what do you fear, Adair?” The healer asked, his voice drawn and concerned.

“I fear that the wolf shifter I've imprisoned killed his family and set fire to the home, and was about to go after him as well. Through some quirk of fate I was able to save the boy, but I was not able to save his parents.”

“That's truly a shame," the healer said. “Fortunately, his injuries are slight. He was able to escape somehow, and with your help and mine he will be fine. If what you fear is true, he will be safe in our clan. He won't know any of the different. We will keep the memory of his family alive for him, and he will soon grow accustomed to our ways.”

“Yes, that is very true. Thank you for your words and your service to this child. I don't know what I would do without you.”

Adair gave the healer's arm a firm pat and headed out the door. The boy gave a weak cry as he left, and so he turned and gave him a confident smile. The boy returned the smile and he left to go talk to the wolf shifter. His blood was boiling at the thought of anybody who could harm such an innocent and kind face.

Chapter 3

“I'm not the kind of person you seem to think I am," Iona said with a groan.

She was tied up to a stake in a tent that was guarded by two burly men in kilts. They had not given her anything to wear yet, and she gritted her teeth down at the ground before looking back up at the man who had brought her here.

“What did you do with the boy's family? We will find out eventually one way or the other. Soon you will be able to speak and we will know the whole story. So don't even think about lying.”

“I already told you that I didn't do anything to the boy's family, I was just trying to help them. I could smell the fire from far away and when I saw the boy on the ground crying, I wanted to go and help him.”

“Lies, you left them for dead didn't you?" Adair growled.

 

Iona couldn't help but feel a deep attraction to the man as he paced in front of her. He had dressed into a regal looking kilt, and his long, sandy brown hair cascaded down his back and floated behind him as he paced quickly.

“I'm telling you the truth, and you're going to find that out for yourself."

Iona looked up at him, her eyes flashing with annoyance. “I know you have no reason to believe this, but the fact is that you are wrong about my intentions. Eventually the boy will tell you this himself, so why don't you just save us both the trouble and let me go? What's the point of wasting two guards on an innocent, nude woman?”

Adair scowled, suddenly realizing that his two guards wouldn't do any good if she chose to shape shift into her wolf form. He was going to have to keep an eye on her himself, he was the only person powerful enough to stop her if she decided to turn on them.

“You're right, I have no reason to believe you.”

He summoned the guards into the room and dismissed them.

“She's going to be staying with me until this whole mess is cleared up. I would like to keep an eye on this myself. Thank you very much for your help so far.”

She looked at him in disbelief. He really wasn't going to back down about this. She wondered what his clan would do to her for believing that she killed an innocent family. The family been part of their clan? She couldn't be sure, but she just knew that she was going to suffer for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe she should have just stayed home annoying her brothers. But no, she had longed for freedom and adventure, and had done exactly what she had been forbidden to do. Now she was paying for it. Still, she couldn't help but feel she would rather be prisoner of the Dragon clan than the only daughter of self-important wolves.

“I'm going to untie you and take you to my own personal tent,” he said. “I doubt any of the men here would be able to handle you. I saw the way they were looking at you, the dumb lads would be just as soon to bed you as to kill you."

She rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder as she untied her. She let her roughly by the hands, which were still bound, and into his personal quarters. Her hypersensitive senses picked up on many smiles, and she was intrigued by them all. He was a man who smelled of the forest, and of many types of trees and smoke. Suddenly, she wondered if dragons could breathe fire, as the whole area smelled very charred. The idea intrigued her, she couldn't help but ask.

“Do dragons breathe fire?" Iona asked, looking around at his personal belongings

“We can bring you all types of dark and dreary death, lass,” he said. “I wouldn't exactly recommend testing that out though.”

She gazed at him quietly, but didn't speak. He felt himself getting nervous under her scrutiny, and realized that he couldn't seem to distract himself from her perfect skin and flawless body. Her unwavering gaze just seemed to make him feel more drawn to her, and he avoided her eyes, looking around his abode for something that she could wear. Eventually, he found a dress that his mother had made but had never gotten a chance to wear. He wanted to go out and find something from one of the women in his clan, but something stopped him. He tossed the dress over to her and turned toward the doorway of his tent.

“Put on that, won't you? We don't want you dying of a cold before we execute you now do we?"

“I think I would rather die of a cold than be killed at the hands of any man,” Iona said stubbornly. “Besides, how do you expect me to put this on with my hands tied up?"

Adair sighed in annoyance and had no choice but to go toward the woman and untie her. His breath caught in his throat at her nearness, and he tried to think of anything but how good it would feel to bed her right then and there. He swallowed hard the thought, and soon the sound of her breathing was driving him crazy. He had to leave. He untied her quickly, trying not to reveal his hands shaking in anticipation of something that would never happen. He waited patiently, trying hard not to watch her as she dressed, but not being able to help it.

The dress was loose on her muscular body, and hung over her shoulders, the neck line low and revealing the ample beginnings of her breasts. Still, it was better than her nakedness, and once she was finished dressing, he tied her hands together against the frame of his tent. He would have to keep a close eye on her, especially in the event that she might shift back into her wolf form and kill all of his men. It wouldn't surprise him if she did so, after seeing what she was capable of. Imagine what she might do with a grudge. Although she was beautiful, she was also lethal.

“I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you," he said. It was to his advantage that she didn't know he was the only person in the clan who could shape shift into a dragon. All the other people lacked that ability, which was why he was the ultimate protector. However, she knew nothing of their hierarchy, and that she had been watching. He seems to do that though, normally he could sense another shifter from a mile away. No, this girl had just been the wrong place at just the right time to unleash her evil instincts.

 

“I may be powerful, but I would never hurt anybody. At least not on purpose."

“What, so you hurt the boy and killed his parents by accident? Started at fire out of nowhere?”

“If dragons can breathe fire, how do you know it wasn't one of them who ruined the house? Why are you so insistent on blaming me?"

It sounded as if she was beginning to suspect that there were fewer dragons there than he was letting on. He would have to be more careful about what he told her. She found out the secret, everybody would be in danger. The moment she was vulnerable or out of sight, she would be able to strike. Fortunately, he still held the advantage, and he was used to staying up late at night. He could have another one of the men staying in the tent with them when he slept and rouse him should anything happen.

“I never said that dragons could breathe fire," he said, although they could. “But you should beware, we are even more powerful than we might seem.”

“So there's little bite to your bark," she said with a challenging smile. He could feel himself being drawn closer to her, lured in like a simple man to her attractiveness and confidence, but the idea of being swayed by her charm infuriated him. He would not allow himself to forget the evils that she had unleashed on that innocent boy and his family.

“All I can really say honestly is that if you are not telling the truth, and you are responsible for the death of that boy's parents, you will suffer. And you will suffer by my hands," he said, looking at her evenly. He sat down on his bad and leaned back against the frame, folding his hands behind his head and staring at her. He watched her until she fell asleep, twisted and uncomfortable on the floor. She whimpered like a scared pup, and his heart felt a twinge of remorse and concern. If she was innocent, he wasn't treating her very well. He would have to account for that in the morning. In the meantime, he didn't care how well she slept.

And that's exactly what he told himself as he took the blanket off his bed and covered her gently with it.

Chapter 4

 

Iona awoke the next morning to the smell of food beside her face. The ground had been uncomfortable, but nothing she wouldn't have been able to handle if she shifted into her wolf form. As she sat up she drew her eyebrows in confusion. A heavy chain was dragging behind her as she sat up. A large collar had been placed around her neck, anchored to a large boulder that hadn't been there the night before.

“It's in case you turn on us and decide to shift into a wolf,” Adair said to her. “Now eat.”

“How's the boy?” she asked, genuinely concerned for his well-being. “Were your healers able to do any good for him?”

Adair opened and closed his mouth, unsure as how to respond.

“He is well, but he is asking for his parents.”

He said this pointedly, as if trying to elicit some form of guilt from her. She leaned over her plate and grabbed a piece of bread with her teeth, tearing off a chunk expertly without using her hands. Adair shifted uncomfortably, but continued watching her.

“You do know I had nothing to do with that, right? I mentioned that once or twice but you didn't quite seem to hear me.”

“I know nothing,” Adair said. “And I will know nothing until the boy is ready to talk about what happened that day.”

 

Iona sighed loudly and took another bite of her bread.

“Think I could have some water?” she asked. He gestured toward the bowl on the floor beside her. She rolled her eyes. “You want me to shift?”

“How else will I know if the restraints will hold?” he asked pointedly.

“Right, yes, of course,” she said with a sigh. “You know it will ruin this dress though. It seemed significant to you so you might want to take it first. What was it, an old lover's?” she asked, unable to hide an irrational twinge of jealousy.

 

“No,” he said firmly, and she felt sorry for asking. It was obviously a sore subject for him, and he turned around quickly to hide his face. “I suppose you should just remove it then. I will untie your hands just for now. Take the dress off and hand it to me slowly.”

She knew that he would be able to bite her in half no matter what she did to try and escape, and so she did as she was told. He watched her undress steadily, and she suddenly felt very embarrassed to show her body to him. It was different when she shifted, because she didn't really have control over what might happen to her wardrobe. However, there was something more intimate about the act of undressing in front of somebody in her human form. It made her want to hide, and she began to resent him for watching her.

“I hope you like what you see," she said sarcastically as she slipped her arms through the sleeves of the dress and let it drop to the ground. He pursed his lips but said nothing, and she felt a little thrill. Obviously he did. Of course he wouldn't say anything like that to her, and she was glad for his silence. She decided to shift into her wolf form as quickly as possible. She would be more comfortable that way, and could sleep on the floor without any problem.

Iona closed her eyes and felt the change began to take form within her. Adair watched with wide eyes as a glow began to emanate from within her, before the entire room was bathed in light. When the light lowered, standing before her was a majestic white wolf. The wolf stared steadily, and he had the strangest feeling that there was nothing aggressive about this wolf. She was tame, and not interested in picking trivial or petty fights. Maybe he had been wrong about her all along. It was a lot easier to sense the truth from animals that it was from people, and because of his Dragon shifter blood, he had a feeling that she was more herself in this form then she was in human form.

The collar around her neck was a little bit loose, and he approached cautiously to tighten it. She watched him warily, but didn't move, and allowed to graze her soft mane with his strong hands after he completed tightening the collar. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, both in human and in animal form. This train of thought was troubling him, and he knew he had to take a break. Otherwise, she might get into his head. He decided that it would be a good time to have the men watch her, so that he could go investigate the area where the fire was and make sure that it was true that the boy's parents were truly dead.

She watched as he left the tent. After she was left alone, three men entered and sat around her. She knew she shouldn't shift back into her human form if they were around. For some reason, she was not comfortable exposing her body to them, at least not as comfortable as she was with their leader. As they spoke amongst each other and waited for him to return, she gathered that his name was Adair, and that he was the clan’s leader. The men seemed to adore him, and she felt somewhat privileged to be sharing and abode with him. Even though she thought he was arrogant, he was very handsome and well mannered. If he wasn't so against her, she might actually like him as a person. She sighed and laid her head on her paws, staring at the door, anxious for him to return.

***
Adair flew toward the scene where he had found the child and the wolf. He realized on the way there that he still did not know her name. He could only think of her in terms of her physical appearance. She was unbelievably beautiful, and if she wasn't such an unusual case of potential evil, he would have liked to get to know her better. Unfortunately, he cannot trust her, and he would have to discover for himself whether or not the boy's parents had survived whatever had befallen. He kicked himself for not checking sooner, but in the heat of the moment, all he could think about was tending to the boy's wounds.

When he reached the hut, he was disturbed to find that it had all turned to ash. On the ground there was the remains of a man, he could only assume that it was the boy's father, the same strong and proud man who had come to him years before and asked for permission to settle in the forest. Adair had admired his spunk and his tenacity, and his very pregnant wife was absolutely lovely. They were the kind of family that he had wished to have one day, but he could not envision himself having such a family with anybody in his own clan. Everybody there he knew too well, almost as if they were already family. He was never able to sexually express himself with any of the women there, it just felt too strange.

For some reason, his mind turned to the woman in his heart. She had awakened something deep within him that had remained dormant and sleeping for many years. Although the man was dead, Adair envied him for finding a woman that made him feel that way and being able to keep her. Of course the only woman Adair had ever felt such longing for was a wolf woman who probably had killed such a kind person. Adair looked around in the ashes for the remains of a woman, but found nothing. He frowned, wondering what had become of the man's wife. Perhaps the wolf had eaten her. The thought brought Adair's blood to boiling, and he rushed back to the encampment, ready to confront the woman.

He ordered the men out of his hut, and noticed the wolf's tail start wagging when she saw him. She glowered fiercely into her face, and her ears laid back in apprehension and confusion. The wolf got to her feet and tilted her head at him, expecting him to speak and listening closely.

“You did it, didn't you?" he snarled at her, a small flame trickling from his nose. “I saw the father's corpse, what did you do with the boy's mother? Did you eat her? Did you gobble her up? You do realize that humans are not food right? Nobody deserves to be eaten like that, or orphaned and left alone to die! And you were even going to kill the child. I don't know what's wrong with you!”

She tried to speak, but realized that he wouldn't be able to understand her Wolf dialect in his human form. Instead, she transformed back into human form and sat naked on the blanket that he had given to her the night before. He watched her as he paced around, fuming with rage and indignation.

“I did not kill anybody, but I could probably help you find the boy's mother. If she disappeared, she's got to be somewhere out in the woods.”

 

“I'm not taking you anywhere until the boy tells us what he saw. As far as I'm concerned, you are my enemy. You are an enemy to humanity. You are a danger to my clan. I want to execute you, but because I believe in fairness, I will wait to see what proof there is of your innocence or your guilt before I act. You don't understand just how lucky you are that I am able to keep my head right now, lass.”

Iona watched him pacing, his handsome face contorted with rage. She tried to put herself into his shoes, and imagined that she had seen an angry man lunging toward a small and helpless child. This helped her to relax, and she bowed her head, closing her eyes and a meditative attempt to find the right words to calm the man down and soothe his anger toward her.

“Maybe you could take me to the boy now or bring the boy to me," she said thoughtfully. "If he is truly able to understand what had happened to his family, and he thought that I was the one responsible, would he not cower in fear of me? If he recognizes me despite his inability to speak, but may react physically to my presence?”

“I would never do that to the poor child," Adair snarled. “For I know you would just treat him as a snack to get the last laugh on me. You could snatch him up before I have the chance to kill you out right. No, we are going to wait into the boy can speak. If he says his mother is out there somewhere and you did not kill her and eat her, maybe then you can help us to look for her. Otherwise, I am convinced that she is rotting in your belly as we speak."

“That is the most disgusting thing I've ever heard," Iona laughed scornfully. "I would never eat human flesh. Do you know how bad it smells?”

Adair did know how bad human flesh smelled, in fact, and he was often surprised by it when he was in his Dragon form. He paused and stared at her for a moment, unsure of himself. Maybe she really was telling the truth. He would not touch the flesh of any creature either, he was a devout herbalist because of his ability to sympathize with the rest of the animal kingdom. Now he thought about it, when he was in his Dragon form, she had not smelled the same as other humans. Did that mean that she was less than human, or that she did not eat the flesh of others just as he would not?

“You cannot fool me with your words, Wolf," he said, sitting heavily down on his cot. “I am weary of you, and although I would like to believe the best in every creature, I know what I have seen and it did not look favorably upon you.”

“I know what you saw, and I also know what you think you saw," she said, sitting back against the pole that she was tethered to. The collar around her neck dangled loosely over her bare breasts, and he suddenly realized that she was no longer tied up. However, she made no move to run. He had to fight another powerful urge to touch her body, and he gestured toward the dress on the floor beside her.

“Please cover yourself, it gets cold at night." He said in a low voice, looking down at the bed. "I will tie you back up afterwards.”

She said nothing, but did his words and slipped the dress on over her naked body.

“I am Iona by the way. Your name is Adair, right?" She asked him. When he looked with a paranoid glint in his eyes, she laughed and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "The men who were here were talking about you. They think you're quite incredible. It makes you wonder what it might be like if I wasn't your prisoner."

 

“If you were smart, you wouldn't be in the north woods. You would have stayed down south where you belong with your clan."

“You are going to discover that I am innocent, and you are going to feel very guilty about the way that you have been treating me. However, I understand and I am likely to forgive you. I am concerned about the child’s safety as well, as I keep trying to tell you. Unfortunately, sometimes it is just very difficult when miscommunications arise. But don't worry, we’re going to be all right once this blows over. Maybe I'll just go back home and you'll never have to see me again."

For some reason, the mention of Iona heading back to the south caused Adair to feel very unhappy. He frowned deeply and she gazed at the deep crease in his eyebrows as he thought. Finally, his striking blue eyes looked up into her green ones.

“Well if you weren't here to kill the child, what in the world were you doing going outside of your limits? It is completely unsafe and dangerous. Don't tell me nobody has ever told you that. I have killed you on site, everybody knows the understanding between the territories here.”

“I knew there were boundaries in the territories, but I never knew why," she said to him. “My family doesn't really understand me, or care what I have to say about anything. I was just curious about what else was in the world. I wanted some kind of an adventure. And now I'm somebody's prisoner, I guess I got what I wished for.”

“So it would seem," he said with a small laugh. “Well lass, how are you liking your freedom?"

“If that was some kind of a joke, it wasn't funny," Iona said, smiling despite herself as Adair burst into ripples of deep laughter.

“Assuming that you are innocent as you claim, I would like to extend my humblest apologies for any inconvenience. Still, you are within my territory and I could do whatever I please with you."

“Is that so?” she said, an unexpectedly flirtatious smile spreading across her lips. She had never forwardly flirted with a man before, and it was clear that she had taken Adair by surprise. A deep smile crossed his cheeks, and she realized that he had already seen everything there was to see about her body. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to flirt with him. But she had surprised herself, and didn't expect the comment to escape her lips. She had never actually wanted to flirt with anybody before, but for some reason this man held a distinct appeal to her. His reaction to her forwardness brought a flash of heat to her loins, but she ignored it and held his gaze once more.

“We will see how your trial goes," he said to her, carefully avoiding her loaded question. He stood from the cot and approached her now that she was fully dressed, and tied her slender wrists behind her to the pole. She sighed and leaned back against it, the sound of her voice bringing another deep flush to his cheeks. She watched him curiously, surprised by the power her own body had over others. She didn't want to use that power unwisely, but it was intriguing to her to discover it there nonetheless. For some reason, Adair's attention was not as disgusting as the attention of other men that she had known throughout her life.

Soon, it was time for dinner, and Adair was served at his bedside and Iona's dishes were refilled. This then the rest of the night and silence, and she quickly fell asleep, snuggled into the blanket he had laid over her the night before, curious about what was going to happen next.

Chapter 5

 

Over the course of the next week, Adair and Iona spent a lot of time together. Adair couldn't help but feel drawn to the magnetic personality of the woman in his hand, and she found herself returning his gaze, conflicted and confused about the feelings that she was developing for him. She loved watching him taking care of his clan, and working hard to protect them all. She couldn't help but remember how enormous he was in his Dragon form, and all of that raw power seem to be bridled and bouncing energetically behind his broad and muscular chest when he was in his human form. She felt lucky to be able to shift into an animal of a reasonable size, such as a wolf. It didn't seem that Adair had that same freedom, but he certainly exercised it out in the wilderness whenever he had the chance to.

Finally, the young boy was feeling well enough to talk about what had happened to his family. It was the day Iona had been waiting for expectantly, concerned that his mother may have been ill or died by the time she was finally allowed to go and help her. She begged Adair to try and find the woman if they would not use her nose to help them, and he had listened and sent men out to search for her. The search had turned up nothing, and she was very frustrated with the fact that he did not trust her or her senses to help in time of crisis. Especially if it meant that the boy didn't necessarily have to be an orphan. Unfortunately, Adair was still suspicious of her, and now that the boy could speak, he was going to find out the truth.

Adair was summoned to the boy's bedside, and he stroked the young lad's hair, trying to soothe him.

“Do you remember me, lad?” He asked with a grin.

The boy nodded. “Where's the girl?" He asked.

“What girl?" Adair asked him.

“The girl who was with you. She can turn into a wolf. Is she okay?”

Adair swallowed the lump in his throat. If the boy was concerned about her safety, which meant that maybe he had acted a little bit too rashly.

“She's fine lad, don't worry. How are you feeling?"

 

“I feel a lot better. But I want to see the girl.”

“Why do you want to see the girl?" Adair asked him.

“I think she can help find my mom. My dad always talked about dogs being able to smell things out. My mom was missing for a day or two and my dad was trying to cook me dinner. A big fire started and he told me to get out of the house while he tried to fix it. I don't think he fixed it. It burned for a long time. When I called him he didn't answer me. Do you think he's okay?”

“He's not okay lad," Adair said, honest but sad. “Your dad didn't make it. But I bet you're right about that woman, she can probably help us find your mom. Do want to go talk to her with me?"

 

The boy nodded enthusiastically and Adair lifted him easily and carried him to his tent.

“Hi!" The boy said to her brightly. He didn't seem to realize that she was tied up.

“Well hello there," Iona said happily. It was a relief to see the boy was safe and able to speak again.

“Can you me find my mom?" he asked.

“I can certainly try," she said with a warm smile. When she looked away from the boy and up to Adair, her eyes were shimmering as if to tell him I told you so. He offered her a sheepish smile and then patted the boy on the back.

 

“Let's get you some grub, lad," he said with a grin. The boy nodded enthusiastically and ran out of the tent, leaving Adair and Iona alone. Adair inhaled, preparing to speak, but Iona stopped him.

“It's all right," she said soothingly. “You were just protecting the boy and your clan. I respect that."

He gave her a faltering smile and knelt down quickly to release her from her findings. Their faces nearly touched, and they were both surprised by the deep magnetism between them. Iona pulled away and inhaled sharply before Adair gave her a grin and a hearty laugh.

“How does this sound to eat with your hands for a change?" He asked her, his eyes glimmering. "It's about dinner time, you can eat with me and the rest of the clan tonight if you would like. I'm really sorry. Thank you for being so understanding. Do you mind setting out to find the boy's mother as soon as possible? I fear we've lost a lot of time."

“We can head out after we eat if that's okay,” she agreed, standing up and stretching. She hadn't been allowed to walk for a while, so she stumbled as she tried to move forward. Adair caught her in his strong arms.

“Easy lass," he said quietly, helping her back to her feet. “It may take some time to get the blood moving again.”

Iona nodded, her cheeks a bright red. Her heart thudded, both from the fear of falling and from the adrenaline that was released when she was cradled into Adair's strong body. She felt that she should say something, but when she looked into his eyes, she lost all ability to speak. She straightened up, and they walked out of the tent together, the air between them gentle and peaceful.

She felt suddenly insecure when she was led to the campfire where Adair's clan was sitting with the child. They were all talking to him, but at the site of her, the conversation ceased. They looked toward Adair for instructions, before saying anything. She wished that she was anywhere else, and although she had always wanted more attention from her family, this is not the kind of attention that she had in mind. She wished in fact, that she could disappear, away from all of their curious and skeptical glances.

“This young lady here is going to help us find the boy's mother," Adair said firmly. "We're all going to accept her into the clan as if she were one of our own. Anything that anybody has done to offend her, should be apologized for now. She was under suspicion, but those suspicions have been long cleared with the boy's ability to recall the events of the day we met.”

“Well what's her name then?” One of the men called out.

“Yes, what do we call the lass?" another said loudly.

“Her name is -”

 

“If it's all the same to you, I would rather speak for myself," Iona said firmly, touching Adair's shoulder gently.

“Of course lass," he said with a grin.

“My name is Iona, and I'm from a tribe of wolf shifters down south. I crossed over the territory looking for a new life, and maybe I found one and maybe not. Either way, we're going to help the child find his mother. Thank you all for your patience with me and for treating me kindly despite not knowing whether or not I was a murderer."

Adair looked at her fondly, and gave the men a nod.

 

“The lass need some food, before we go out to fetch the boy's mother.”

“All right then," one of the men said, standing up and bringing her a bowl of food. She took it gratefully and sat down on a tree stump, and began to eat heartily.

Soon, everybody was speaking amongst themselves again as if nothing had changed. She found herself feeling more at home and more included than she ever had at her family's dinner table, and breathed a sigh of relief for the fact that she was finally out of chains for good.

Chapter 6

Soon after dinner, Adair took her by the arm and let her out of the encampment. She shifted into her wolf form immediately, after slipping out of the dress that Adair had given to her. She left the dress by a tree outside of the encampment walls, and followed Adair to the hut where the boy’s father laid dead. She needed a good general idea of what the boy's mother might smell like. Although the boy smelled a lot like her, it wasn't enough for her to get the scent.

Adair had changed into his Dragon form, and was flying around in the sky, looking out over the area for the woman. Now that he trusted her, they kept each other in much better company. Suddenly, Iona found a shawl a little ways away from the hut. She gave a howl and soon Adair was landing powerfully beside her. He glanced at the shawl and saw the direction that she must have been heading in after she left the house. Iona sniffed it and took off immediately in the direction where Adair was looking.

She ran as fast as the carrier, until she reached a lake. The woman had probably gone to get some water, and maybe she had fallen into the lake. The rapids were strong, and could easily have carried away the boy’s mother. Adair and Iona exchanged worried looks, and quickly she crouched, signaling her to climb onto his back. She changed into human form and mounted him, and he took off flying over the landscape.

“Do you smell anything?" He asked her. “I'll take you in any direction. Just tell me if you find anything.”

 

Iona furled her brow and continued smelling the air, until finally she caught wind of the same scent of the boy's mother's shawl.

“Go more to the east!" Iona cried. "I smell her in this area.”

Adair flew down, swooping into the trees, and lo and behold, there was the figure of a woman and tattered clothing, shivering in front of a small fire. Adair landed beside her, and her eyes widened until she recognized the familiar shape of Adair as he transformed back into human shape. He studied with Iona in front of the woman, and held his strong arms out to comfort her. She ran toward him sobbing.

 

“My boy, my husband. I miss my family! I need them so much," she cried.

“I've bad news about your husband, but your boy is fine there's some twist of fate, he was able to survive. There was a terrible house fire and your husband was not able to make it out. However, we were able to save your boy. I will take you to him now.”

Adair transformed back into his Dragon form, and Iona offered her hand gently to the woman, who climbed onto his back beside her. They held on tightly as Adair rushed her to the encampment, and he landed outside the gates. The woman rushed in calling for her son, and he ran to her, his face lit up and shining brightly. Adair and Iona watched the reunion from afar, before retreating into his tent to give the family some time alone.

It was late in the evening, and the sky was dark. Adair lit a torch in his tent and looked at Iona.

“Seems I don't quite know what to do with you now lass, you've outgrown your chains here.”

“I'm going to take that as a good thing," she said with a grin.

“Yes, I would certainly say so," Adair said, his handsome, broad face breaking out into a large smile.

“Should I head back to the South now?" Iona asked. "I already caused too much trouble here, I don't want to be anymore."

 

“You were never any trouble lass, I was just concerned about the boy and my clan. I have to be careful you know. Our type are rare now."

“I'm very sorry to hear that," Iona said softly, approaching him slowly. “The dragons are very beautiful, it would be a shame for them to die out.”

Adair sat heavily onto the cot and sighed. “I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned,” he admitted. “But that's enough draft talk for now. Sit down and tell me more about yourself now that you're no longer my enemy."

She studied him, shamelessly naked and sitting on the cot, offering a seat beside him to her. If she did, they would both be on his bed in the nude, and she wasn't sure what would happen after that. All she knew was that she was curious about it and willing to find out. She approached the bed cautiously before sitting, and noticed his eyes rest upon her round breasts. She swallowed hard, and thought quickly about how she could make more conversation.

“Thank you for your help today," Adair said, before she had to try to speak. She looked down at her hands and laughed nervously.

“It was no problem, I'm just glad that she's okay now. I was worried that something might happen to her by the time you actually let me go out and look for her."

 

Adair laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I just couldn't be too careful. If my clan is in danger, there may be no dragons left after myself."

“You mean you're the last Dragon here?" She asked, her face contorting in surprise and concern. "That's terrible. You must feel so lonely!"

"Well it's a big job to fill, but I have to do it. I don't mind protecting everybody, I'm just concerned about the future. And it's not like I like anybody here enough to sire an heir, so who knows. There may be no dragons from here on out."

“You don't like anybody enough?” She asked, her bold, flirtatious smile tracing her face again. Adair stared at her, his desire for her welling up stronger than it had ever been before. Now that he knew that she was not a murderer, her eyes widened in surprise as she saw his member swell along the length of his leg. She had never been with a man before, nor has she heard much about what to expect, but seeing this change in his body brought a change in hers as well. She bit her lip and looked him in the eye, and before she knew what was happening, he lifted her with his strong arms by the hips until she was nestled on top of him.

“Well I may like somebody, but she's not from my clan," he said with a sly grin.

“Well that sounds inconvenient," she said, slowly touching him and sending sharp thrills down his body. She felt the effect it had on him between her thighs, and she groaned as her desire for him swelled and pulsated. She thrust into him gently, and he gasped quietly as his strong hands around her body sent pleasure all throughout her. She closed her eyes and experienced the pleasure that he gave her, her hips buckling against him as he began to push himself slowly into the folds of her body. She had never experienced such ecstasy before, and soon she was throwing her head back and pleasure coursed through her powerfully.

He grinned at her and ran his hands through her long hair, before holding her hips with his hands and pushing her body the rest of the way down his shaft. She cried out as he began rocking against her, answering her with slow and steady thrusts that drove her mad. Finally, she couldn't help herself any longer, and gave a wolfish growl of excitement into his ear. This seemed to arouse something deep and primal within him, and he let go of all of his human inhibitions. She began to smell the crackling impressions of embers burning in the fireplace, and she knew that dragons could create fire without a doubt as he turned her on her backside and began thrusting powerfully into her, losing all sense of gentleness and purely satiating a deep need in both of them.

She cried out softly in pleasure, gripping his hard muscles in her hands and sighing with pleasure as his mouth found her sensitive nipples and sucked them gingerly as he made love to her. Suddenly, she felt herself being overwhelmed by a sense of sheer ecstasy that she didn't know her body was capable of reaching. Her entire body cleaved in his grip, and she could feel herself contracting around him as he pushed and pulled inside of her. She could tell that it felt good for her to squeeze him that way, and he gritted his teeth and groaned deeply with the masculine timber as he unleashed a flood of liquid desire deep inside of her.

They both collapsed onto the cot, panting and satisfied. He held her tightly in his arms, and she fell asleep against him, feeling more at peace than she had ever felt in her life.

Epilogue

Ten months later, the young child and his mother had both recovered completely from the unfortunate incident in their home. Adair and Iona took special care of them, treating them with great kindness and love. They made up for the family that the boy lost when his father died, and his mother was eternally grateful for their rescue.

This is why Iona had begged for her to be her midwife as she delivered Adair's first child. The boy kept their company outside as she gave birth, and the woman was ecstatic to be able to return any kind of favor to the woman who had helped to save her and her son. With one final cry, Iona was able to push out the child completely, and she heard a strangled cry as the woman held the baby up for her examination. Tears sprang up in Iona's eyes, and she called immediately for Adair to share this special moment with her.

He rushed in, and immediately fell to his strong knees. It was more than he could have ever hoped for. The child was a dragon shifter just like he was. They watched it off as the child shimmered and the midwife's arms, going from baby to wolf pup to Dragon pup, resembling his father's Dragon form with his mother is wolf color, and his father's Dragon color with his mother's wolf form. The midwife gave the child to Adair, who walked quickly over to cradle the baby with his new wife. They cried over the child and everything that he represented for the McKordia clan's future. Their leader had an heir, and everything was going to be all right from then on out.

The end.

LORD OF THE WOLF

Chapter 1

I squinted my eyes and looked about me. The place I was in was a hazy, purple world, full of flames and fury. Violence was everywhere. Suddenly, I saw what I must have been looking for. I ran toward my brother Kain's silhouette. He seemed to be further away from me with every step that I took toward him, and I knew that I would never reach him in time. It was the same, endless battle, the same gruelling images playing in my mind since the day he died. I heard his murderous cry, and I knew what was going to happen before it ever did.

He was fighting for his life – a battle he had lost once, three years ago, and again, over and over in my dreams many nights since. Suddenly,the image of Kain disappeared, and standing in front of me, as if keeping me from reaching him, was a great, white wolf. It was the most majestic and beautiful creature I had ever seen, and seemed to have no place among such violence. We stared at each other for a moment, and I had the silly impulse to reach out and touch it. I had no idea what it might want, or whether or not to be afraid. The war was loud in my ears, and the sounds of death surrounded me. The wolf howled, and I was startled into wakefulness.

I sat up in my bed panting, my heart racing in fear. Kain's name was on the tip of my tongue and I cried out, reaching my hands into the darkness and touching nothing. My nightmare had stirred the servants down the hall, and the woman who had cared for me since childhood burst through the heavy doors of my room. I looked down at myself, the vision of my chest, heaving against the thin fabric of my nightcloths, surreal. All I could see was my brother Kain, my twin. The person I'd loved the most in the world and the only friend I'd ever had. That is, until he was taken from me by the highlanders, slaughtered in cold blood.

“Lady Bethia, are you all right?” Rose asked, fanning me from the bedside. “You must have been having one of those dreams again. Kain?”

My heart lurched at the sound of my brother's name and I nodded, holding back tears.

“Everything's all right now, my Lady. He's made it to the west, and will be taken care of in Tir nan Og. Many men would envy him for his residence in the land of eternal youth, my Lady, and he is waiting there for you still. Do not shed tears for him. Time will heal your wounds, and reunite you to him inevitably.”

 

Rose, normally a quiet and simple woman, was the only one who could console me when my brother's death racked my frail body with sobs. She knew just what to say, and took comfort in the tales of the west of Scotland, where the souls of the dead were said to dwell. Her quiet faith brought me peace when nothing else ever could.

“Now lay back down with you, miss, you don't want to catch your death of cold. Your dreams were a fright, but everything is all right now.”

She gently pushed my shoulders against the soft down of my bed and tucked the covers over me. I nestled into them and returned her kind smile.

“I'll be down the hall if you need me,” she whispered, and picked her candle up off the bedside table and headed from my room, casting lengthy shadows in her wake until my door closed on the candle light and left me alone in the darkness.

***

The next morning, the halls were in a flurry of activity. I dressed and was suddenly whisked away to speak with my parents, who were sitting autocratically at the large banquet table where we usually dined with guests. I opened my mouth to ask what the occasion was when they told me to take my place at the table.

“This is the last meal you will be sharing with us for quite some time. Tensions between the highlanders and the lowlanders has been high for far too long. Finally, we have a chance to change the course of our history together. We can bring peace between these clans. We have made a deal, one that can finally unify the land again.”

I stared at my father in disbelief as he spoke. What was he talking about? Our last meal together?

“What kind of deal?” I asked, suddenly nauseated. The servants were bringing out dishes of food and the smell wafting in my nostrils brought bile to my throat. I was afraid I knew what was coming.

“You are to be wed to Lord Lachlan. Your betrothed is to send his emissaries here to retrieve you and take you to your new home. He requested the wedding be held in the highlands, where he feels most comfortable.”

“The highlands?!” I exclaimed, rising from my seat. For the first time in my life, I was yelling at my father. “I am betrothed to a highlander? It was the highlanders who killed Kain! My brother, your only son! Or did you forget that?”

“Know your place, child! Sit down at once.”

My father's steely gaze piereced through me. I seethed, tempted by years of training to sit down and shut up, but I held my ground.

“I understand your distaste for the highlanders,” he said. “But it is this union that could prevent another war like that which your brother died in. Your hand to Lord Lachlan could mean that no other men have to die for the sake of our disagreements. Do you not understand that there are bigger things at work in this world than yourself? You silly, selfish girl. Now sit down and eat your breakfast.”

I opened my mouth to retort, but my father made the kind of stern sense that he always made, and all I could do was sit down and poke at my food, waiting for the moment when my life would change forever.

Chapter 2

Breakfast had been very uncomfortable, like most meals with my parents were. We didn't have the closest of relationships. They were both frequently busy with the toils of the kingdom. My father was always cooped up in his office, signing documents and chattering passionately with his advisers. As a child I used to sneak in with Kain to spy on him. It was the only way we felt close to our father. We would listen in from our hiding place in the curtains, but the older we got the harder it was to remain concealed. And the bleak nature of our father's conversations began to leave me with a heavy heart, full of doubts and concerns for the future of our kingdom. Directly after breakfast, he told me to ready myself to meet my betrothed and locked himself away into his study.

I quietly mourned the distance between my father and myself, and turned to my mother, who was eyeing me sternly. I knew exactly what she was thinking; I was hardly presentable to be wed in the outfit I had chosen for breakfast. I wasn't close to my mother either. My father, of course, busied himself constantly with the affairs of the kingdom. In the meantime, my mother had taken pity upon the impoverished, and spent much of her time out in the world, accompanied by servants as she made it her business to feed and clothe the sick and hungry. She had recently made a name for herself for feeding a small group of vagabonds who had made their camp just outside the limits of our kingdom.

Most of the villagers were disapproving of her tendency to take pity on that group. They had caused trouble just weeks beforehand when they raided a few farms of food and mead. My mother announced that they would not be punished – instead, they would be fed. Time revealed that the group were an unfortunate band of highlanders who had lost their supplies to bandits on the road as they headed back home. My mother took care to show them all great kindness, something I privately resented her for. I wasn't alone, but I still felt defensive of her when she was heckled for it.

The vagabonds had escaped back to the highland not long ago, undoubtedly boasting about my mother's great naivety. It was undoubtedly the message of her kindness that had caused Lord Lachlan to reconsider peace with the lowlanders. Perhaps he saw a window of opportunity to take something valuable from the poor woman. His kind had taken her son, perhaps now they could take her daughter as well.

My blood boiled as I stared into my mother's regal face. She was certainly beautiful, and had passed on her stunning looks to me. What good would they do anyone now if I were to be enslaved to wed Lord Lachlan? There couldn't be a fate worse than that. Except perhaps to be slayed by him.

Again, my thoughts returned to my brother Kain, and I suddenly remembered the white wolf in my dream. It had appeared there many times before, and I still had yet to make any sense of what it might mean. For some reason, the wolf's image in my mind pacified me, and I allowed my mother to whisk me off to my chambers to help prepare me for my journey.

***

I inhaled as shallowly as I could, grimacing at the sharp pain I felt in my ribs from the tight corset my mother had laced for me. She claimed that I had to be presentable to meet Lord Lachlan for the first time, and when I had rolled my emerald green eyes toward the ceiling she gave me a resigned smile.

“He is rumored to be quite handsome,” she said as comfortingly as she could.

“He is a brute, I shall hate him until I die,” I vowed, jutting my lip out. Mother laughed quietly.

 

“It may not be so bad as you think,” she said before spritzing me with scented water and walking out of the room. “Pack a small bag and be down soon with it. Don't make poor Rose drag you down for me. You know she will.”

I sighed and glowered out the window, annoyed that she would use my warm feelings toward Rose against me. Whatever would I do without Rose by my side in the night, comforting me from the horrific nightmares of Kain that I was haunted by? Nothing about this was right. Everything was all wrong. I wasn't supposed to marry a disgusting highlander. Even if mother was right and he was attractive, I would rather die. Maybe I could find some way to escape.

Kain's fierce face flashed before my eyes disapprovingly. If I wanted to protect other men like him, I would have to go. I owed it to the memory of my twin, and to all the other families out there who could be divided by the ravages of war if I did not comply to my father's demands. Kain would have died in vain. I felt powerless to stop this cruel union, and waited with my stomach rolling in fear for the escort that was to be sent by the highlanders.

My father and mother were standing on either side of me, their faces stern and emotionless. I couldn't stand it anymore and turned to face them.

“How do you know they will keep their word? They are nothing but dirty heathens! What if they just take me to double cross you? Do you not care about my safety? My happiness?”

My furious pleas fell on deaf ears, and I was silenced by the dreaded footfalls of horses outside the door.

“Please don't make me go,” I begged my mother, clinging to her dress. Her face didn't waver and I turned to my father. “Please, don't! I want to stay with you. I want to stay in the lowlands!”

“Silence,” my father commanded. A rapping sound fell upon my ears and soon I was hit with a gust of cold wind as the escort entered. He was unkempt and had a long beard, and glowered at me from the doorway.

“That the girl?” he asked in a low, gruff voice.

My father nodded.

“How 'bout her dowry then?” he demanded, his grubby hands extended toward my face, as if to touch me. I flinched and had to do everything I could not to spit on him.

“It will be as we discussed with Lord Lachlan. See to it that she is safe for the next year and the dowry is all his. He is free to come and collect it himself, barring proof that Lady Bethia is all right.”

So my father did intend to secure my well-being. I sighed silently, my shoulders slumping forward. It was a small comfort considering my fate. I glared at the man in our doorway. He seemed to know exactly what I was thinking and leered at me. It sent another spike of nausea through my body.

My parents bantered with the man briefly and saw me off. I was led to the man's carriage. He took his seat near the horses and we left unceremoniously, my parents standing firmly in front of the door. The terror on my face had to have been obvious, but they made no sign that they recognized it. I glared at them until they were out of sight, feeling as if they had betrayed me in the deepest, worst respect.

I watched as the familiar landscape around me passed before my eyes. The familiar haunts of my childhood were all left behind me as I was moved past the limits of our kingdom. The landscape turned more and more unrecognizable, and all I could do was look off into the distance, mourning the land where I had grown up and dreading my venture into the highlands.

Chapter 3

We rode for all of daylight without stopping. At dark, the carriage suddenly stopped and the unkempt driver jumped out of his seat. I watched him curiously, suddenly afraid. There was nothing around for miles.

“I 'ave to piss. Don't move.”

I stared at him, horrified by his lack of propriety. He seemed to sense this and a big ugly grin spread across his face.

“You're a pretty little thing,” he said, eyeing me up and down. I clenched my teeth, unsure of how to respond. “If I wasn't to deliver you to Lord Lachlan safe n' sound, virginity in tact, you bet I'd 'ave my hands all over ye. Ah well.”

“I'll be sure to let him know you said so,” I said, lifting my chin with the same regal air I had learned from my mother. This sobered him and he backed away, scurrying off into the darkened woods. I shuddered as I heard his stream of urine hitting the dried leaves of the forest floor, wishing I was anywhere but there.

Suddenly, I heard commotion in the forest. A strangled cry reached my ears, and I looked around, terrified. It was too dark to see anything, so I gripped my bag tightly, straining my eyes and ears. I stifled a scream when a huge black figure approached me.

“Look what I found,” he said in a deep voice. “A pretty little princess.” As he came closer, I saw that the man was huge and beastly. He was missing teeth, and had wild hair. His mouth was twisted into a cruel smile, and I squirmed into the furthest corner of the carriage as he reached his hand out to me. It was wrapped in some kind of a bandage. My night could not have gotten any worse.

“Stay away from me,” I growled, kicking at him. He didn't flinch. Instead, he laughed.

“Feisty,” he said approvingly, grabbing my ankle and sliding me down the seat, until our bodies were touching.

“Let go of me!” I shrieked, hitting him with all my strength. His eyes were evil and glared down at me, and I was sure that I was doomed. If this man had his way with me, it would be my fault that the peace treaty between the highlands and the lowlands was broken. I would be a defective bride, and more men like Kain were sure to die.

The ugly sneer on the man's face grew closer. Before I could tell what was happening, a blinding white streak flew between us. It was large and snarling, and I watched in a daze as the man was torn away from me, his advances intercepted by a majestic white wolf. Soon, the large beast's perfect mane was stained red with blood, and the cruel man lay on the ground, shrieking in more womanly a voice than I'd ever heard.

“Princess, help me!” he cried, reaching his bandaged hand to me once again.

My heart grew hard and suddenly I was incapable of pity.

“Save yourself,” I growled. His wide eyes lost all light of hope, and the white wolf finished the job, tearing out the man's throat. The huge creature took a glance at me trembling in the carriage and then disappeared, bounding deep into the woods.

***

 

I don't know how long it was that I sat amongst the carnage, in shock and terrified to move lest the wolf see me and change its mind about attacking. I whispered for help, wishing that the escort might hear me. The bandit had surely slit his throat, and I gazed into the full, round moon, wishing more than anything that I could return home to the lowlands.

Suddenly, I heard a twig snap and gasped involuntarily. Another man was coming toward me. I squinted into the darkness, sure that I was about to encounter another enemy. As the man entered my view, I was taken aback. I had never seen a creature like this before. He glanced in concern from me to the corpse of the man lying on the ground.

“Are you all right?” he asked, in a low, rumbling voice. Somehow I was instantly comforted.

“I want to go home,” I said, purposely avoiding the question. I didn't know if I was all right or not. I just knew I was tired.

A gentle grin creased his broad, handsome face. I stared at him, unable to take my eyes away. He approached me cautiously, stepping over the brute's body.

“And where is that, love?” he asked.

“The lowlands,” I said, my eyes brimming with tears.

He glided into the seat beside me and wrapped his muscular arm comfortingly around me.

“You're a long way from home, love,” he said softly, pressing me close against his firm chest. He laid his cheek against me, and although I had never been so near a man like this before, I didn't feel threatened. I could feel his stubble against my skin, and the friction sent a small thrill through me. “But I can take you to the closest settlement to here. You're going to be all right. I'll see to it.”

He squeezed my shoulder and abruptly stood, climbing into the driver's seat of the carriage. I felt suddenly cold without the warmth of his body near me, and the absurd thought crossed my mind then that I had never before felt so lonely. I considered telling him that Lord Lachlan was expecting me, but I felt reluctant to unveil the importance of my rank, just in case the man was untrustworthy.

 

I heard a whinney and the carriage jolted forward. I sighed, staring at the man's golden hair as it swayed against his shoulders. It was long, thick and curly, braided on one side. I gazed at him, my eyes growing heavier and heavier until I was lulled into a deep sleep by the gentle rocking of the carriage.

Chapter 4

When I awoke, I was in a cot. The chill in my bones was unbelievable. I sat up quickly, disoriented and looked about me. I was in a small tent. There was rustling outside, and I groaned, wishing I could remove my corset. It was bound far too tightly for my comfort.

“Good morning, miss,” a shrill woman's voice said to me. Somehow I had missed her sitting in the corner of the tent. She stood, offering me a dirty cup full of milk. I was tempted to resist it, but suddenly felt overwhelmed with thirst.

I drank deeply and handed the empty cup back to her.

“Thank you,” I said, looking down at the ground. It embarrassed me to look at her, dressed as strangely as she was. It appeared she wore no corset at all, and had a simple dress of white plaid, bound with a brass buckle over her breasts. She saw me looking and quirked an eyebrow. Suddenly I realized that she could help me. “I was wondering...can you help me out of my corset? I can hardly breathe.”

A pink blush colored her cheeks and she nodded.

“D'you want the flap drawn then?” she asked, gesturing to the opening in the tent. I nodded and she closed it quickly. Her fingers worked nimbly on the strings of my corset and I was suddenly exposed in the cool morning air.

“I'm afraid none of my clothes will be warm enough,” I mumbled, digging through my bag. The woman quirked a smile.

“I suppose we could get you a spare tartan,” she said thoughtfully. “You got a lowlander's constitution.”

I couldn't help but feel offended as she disappeared out of the tent. She appeared a few moments later with bulky fabric in her arms.

“I'll show you how,” she said. “My name's Winny, by the way.”

“Thank you,” I said. “My name is Bethia. Do you know where I am?”

 

“You're right where you're supposed to be,” Winny said.

I pursed my lips. That wasn't the answer I'd been hoping for.

“Well there you are,” she said, studying her handiwork. “Let's get you out to breakfast before they start asking questions.”

I followed Winny out of the tent and toward a large camp fire. The smell of meat cooking brought rumbles of hunger to my stomach, and she gestured for me to take my place on a felled tree. There were several people sitting around us, and many of the men stared at me as I gazed around the circle. Their inappropriate interest made me uncomfortable. I could tell what most of them were thinking. It was no different from what other men and boys had always thought of me. Fortunately I'd had Kain to protect me most of our lives. Now I was alone.

Finally, Winny returned to my side. She brought me a bowl full of porridge and I ate ravenously. I heard a chuckle from across the fire and looked up to meet the eyes of the man who had saved me the night before.

“Easy, love, you don't want to choke.”

The grin on his face brought a blush to my own, and the men around him laughed quietly.

“Welcome to my clan, Lady Bethia,” he said with a low bow.

I froze, realization suddenly dawning on me.

“Lord Lachlan?” I asked, nearly choking on the bite of porridge I had in my mouth.

The men surrounding us cackled. Lord Lachlan's eyes danced behind the firelight. Suddenly I no longer felt hungry. I stood and glared at him.

“I'll have you know I didn't agree to this union. If it were up to me, I'd still be back home, where it's warm. Not out here with you and your band of heathens. Did you see how they were looking at me? But what do you care – you have what you want. Yes, you may be able to marry me but I'd like you to do me a favor and leave me alone.”

I turned my back on him and headed back to the safety of the tent where I had woken up. I could feel his eyes burning into my back, but I didn't turn around. The men were in a clamor now.

 

“You should put that whelp in her place,” one man exclaimed. “She shouldn't be talking to you like that, Lord Lachlan.”

“No,” I heard his low voice murmur. “She's been through a lot. Let her be.”

Chapter 5

As the week went by, I slowly realized that living in the camp with none of the civil luxuries of the lowlands was going to be my life. It was very cold, but nobody seemed to care or suggest we take shelter in a more heated abode. The men were all larger and more broad and muscular than any other people I had ever seen, and even the women were thick and sturdy, beautiful in their own fierce way. One of them, Jeila, had her eyes on Lord Lachlan, and seethed at me any chance she could.

“I hear you two are going to tie the knot,” she said, sitting a little too close to me one evening at the fire, her dark eyes narrowed.

“I hear the same thing,” I said, not looking up from the plate of fish and cheese on my plate.

“He's not going to be happy with you for long,” she laughed. “You're too small. Most times the little ones like you don't get any husbands. You make poor, weak stock. Not cut out for the mountains.”

“Great, maybe I'll get to go home then,” I said, glaring at Lord Lachlan from across the fire. He stopped chewing and stared levelly at me. He hadn't approached me since my outburst the week before, though I knew that wedding plans were in the works whether I was involved in them or not.

Lord Lachlan looked away from me, distracted by a question from the man beside him.

“Did you hear the ghosts talking last night?” the man asked. “They've been restless since Lady Bethia arrived. Maybe they think the lowlanders are bad luck.”

I glowered down at my food. It wasn't bad enough that I didn't want to be there. If nobody else wanted me to be there either, I had a hard time seeing the point of staying. It was generally terrible for everybody involved. But the peace treaty had been signed, and as decreed, my life was now in the mountains.

“I did,” Lord Lachlan answered, to my surprise. The strange superstitions of the highlanders was peculiar, but they all seemed to believe in the ghosts in the hills. Even with all their might, the ghosts held power over their conduct. And they were certainly mighty. I had seen the men training a few days beforehand. Their rippling muscles and fierce expressions were intimidating to me.

“I spoke with one of them. A bad omen. It has nothing to do with the lowlanders, this much I am sure of.”

The group quietly mulled the news over, looking down into their plates.

“He's probably just saying that because you're right here,” Jelia hissed to me. “He doesn't want to hurt your delicate lowlander feelings.”

“Lord Lachlan has no reason to flatter me,” I said, looking squarely into her eyes. For some reason this woman would not let up on me, and her foolish, immature games were starting to wear on my nerves.

Lord Lachlan seemed to sense his name rolling off my lips, because he looked again at me.

“The spirits told me that Lady Bethia would bring us good fortune, actually,” he said, directly to me, his handsome face glowing gold in the firelight. “I have no reason to believe otherwise.”

We gazed at each other and I felt a tugging deep within me to go to him and take my rightful place beside my betrothed. It certainly would make Jelia seethe with jealousy if I did so. But still, I didn't trust him, and resented more than anything that I was to be traded as if I were some pawn in a game I wanted nothing to do with. The only reason I was there was to save people like Kain, not to be some blushing bride to a brutish highlander. What did I care if I brought them luck? They could all rot for all I cared.

Unfortunately, the power of my anger was waning the longer I was in their camp. Everybody had been more than accomodating, and many were even apologetic about their lifestyle, begging my forgiveness for their peculiar habits and customs. They claimed to hate lowlanders, but they were more courteous and thoughtful of me than even my own parents had been. It must have been something in their breeding.

***

Because of their kind treatment toward me, I thought that perhaps they were all very welcoming of outsiders, until one day my opinion of this changed. I was in my tent with Winny, who had taken to keeping me company as I attempted to avoid the rest of the highlanders. Suddenly, a loud rallying cry roused us to our feet.

“It's the O'Connell clan,” Winny said, pale-faced. “We don't allow any encroachment here, no, that's not allowed.”

The fierce men ran past the open flap of the tent. I approached the opening to watch as they sped off together toward the breach. Following up behind the men was Lord Lachlan, who had just finished bathing. He had barely put his kilt on before following the men to the disturbance. I couldn't take my eyes off his broad chest as he ran toward me, his eyes fully focused on the scene ahead of him. I was entranced, despite myself, by his hulking, rippling body barreling forward, his bare muscles tense and threatening to tear apart any threat to his clan.

He passed the tent without any indication of having seen me, and I watched his long hair swaying, still wet from bathing. It flew behind him, some strands slapping against his muscular back. I turned to Winny, who was watching the men running off with a look I found difficult to pinpoint. It seemed there were elements of fear, certainly, but there was also an unmistakable thrill behind her eyes. This was what they were bred for – fighting and protecting what was theirs. I never felt more out of place, me and my frail lowlander's body, than in that moment.

I felt restless all of a sudden, and longed to go and see the action.

“Lady Bethia, no!” Winny cried, reaching out to grab me as I ran out of the tent. She was too late, and I followed the commotion, my breath coming in short gasps as I tried to catch up with the men. Although they were huge, they were incredibly fast, and it took everything I had just to get far enough ahead to find where they were going. I followed them as they climbed a large hill in the camp, and heard metal clanking as the men prepared to brawl.

I was fully panting by the time I climbed the hill, my legs shaky from the unexpected exertion. Once I reached the top of the hill, my eyes widened.

“Wolves!” I shouted.

All of the men, both O'Connells' and Lachlans', turned toward the sound of my voice. It was too late. Some of the O'Connell men were already being attacked by a small pack of wolves. Two of them were grey, and knocked the leader of the rival clan down to the ground. They began gnawing at the man, putting their giant grey paws on his suddenly vulnerable body. In the lead was another great white wolf, much like the one that had saved me on my journey to meet Lord Lachlan.

I watched in awe as the white wolf stood upright and backed away from the man on the ground, who was trembling and batting at the beasts in a futile effort to drive them away. The two grey wolves followed the white wolf's lead and backed away from the man. He got to his feet and gave an order, calling off the men who were attacking Lord Lachlan's clan.

“They don't know no better,” one of the highlander's said to me as both clans retreated from bloodshed.

They didn't know any better about what? Not encroaching on Lord Lachlan's clan? It seemed like such a silly dispute. The leader of the rival clan caught my eye as I watched the scene in a daze. He leered at me and sneered. Suddenly, I felt very vulnerable and I looked around for Lord Lachlan. For some reason, when I felt unsafe, he was the first person I thought to turn to. However, he was nowhere to be found. I figured that he must have snuck off while I was watching the wolves. I frowned and left the scene, eager to get away from the man as quickly as possible. I returned to my tent, shaken by the sudden violence and thankful that it had passed swiftly.

Chapter 6

After that incident, my view of the highlanders changed once again. Now I didn't see them as welcoming of outsiders, I saw them as unreasonable and thick-headed, unable to keep peace even among each other. That night, Winny explained how the clans worked. If we didn't take care of ourselves, she had said, then nobody would. We had to protect what was ours, at all costs. You didn't know who you could trust – all you had in this world was yourself. The O'Connells were bandits that had been terrorizing the roads in the highlands for ages. Lord Lachlan's clan had been lucky to escape their attentions for this long, but now they had finally been targeted.

The highlanders were a difficult brood to understand, but the fierce loyalty they had toward each other made me feel vaguely warm. It must have been nice to feel as if you belonged somewhere. Especially with someone as powerful as Lord Lachlan there to protect you. I had never felt very concerned for my life being raised in the lowlands, but I knew none of the peasants in our kingdom loved my parents the way the highlanders under Lord Lachlan's watchful eye seemed to love him. Even the men spoke fondly of him, praising his extraordinary talents. I had heard plenty of the women admiring his looks and his strength, each of them casting a jealous eye on me, especially after publicly scorning him as I had.

One afternoon, after lunch, I was surprised to see him approach me.

“Let's go for a walk,” he said. It was an offer but it didn't seem like one that I could say no to. If Lord Lachlan asked you to walk with him, you walked. I could feel all eyes on us as we left the camp. Even though I was a little bit tall for my sex and my mother frequently reminded me of this, I felt dwarfed by the huge man. He seemed to feel perfectly at ease as he led me from the safety of the settlement and down a path I had never noticed into the woods.

We walked quietly and I found myself deeply enjoying the solitude that the forest provided us. It was as if I were alone for the first time with the same gentle man who had rescued me. He showed a peculiar reverance for the plants and trees as we walked, greeting some of them as if they were people, or touching their trunks gingerly as he passed. I had never seen anything like it, and realized that there was much more to the highlander way of life than I had ever imagined.

We reached a small stream and he crouched beside it, cupping some of the fresh spring water in his hands and sipping it. He offered his hands to me and I find myself fumbling over my words in an effort to avoid drinking from his hands. He quirked his eyebrow at me with a playful smile and I laughed, unable to resist his charms. I knelt in front of him, my knee pushed into the muddy bank beside him. For the first time in my life I realized I didn't have to worry about whether or not there was mud on my clothes, and it felt great.

I put my slender hands on top of his thick wrists to steady his hands. We gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before I drank deeply. The water was cold and refreshing. I could see Lord Lachlan's chest rising and falling. I was alarmingly close to his thighs, and I couldn't help but wonder if the rumors were true about the savage way highlander men refused to wear briefs under their kilts. I could feel a blush creep across my cheeks and Lord Lachlan looked at me as if he could see right through my curiosity.

He let the rest of the water drip through his hands and took my hands in his own. He looked at me intently, and I was captivated by his warm presence and the flecks of gold and green in his blue eyes.

“I don't wish to keep you here against your will,” he said. “This marriage was a gesture of good will toward us to seal a treaty of peace. I will keep my word to your family even if you choose to return to the lowlands.”

He brought my pale hand to his bronzed face and kissed it tenderly. His lips were warm and soft on my cool hands, igniting a fire I didn't know I was capable of stoking. The intensity of the longing I felt for him shocked me, and I stood quickly and hid my face from him.

“Let's not talk about this right now,” I said, my back turned to him. Suddenly, Kain was in my mind again and I remembered my hatred of the highlanders. There was no way I could be lured in by his sweet words. If he would let me go home, then that was exactly what I was going to do.

Suddenly, his arms were around my waist and the whole of his body was pressed behind me. I felt small and safe, and he nuzzled his face into my neck, sending a deep thrill down my spine. I bit my lip in confusion and he turned me by the shoulder to face him. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could get a word out, his mouth was pressed against my own, and I felt myself surrendering to the fire within me. He kissed with passionate abandon, holding me firmly in his strong arms. When we broke away from each other, I stared at him for a moment before turning on my heel and running away.

Chapter 7

I could hear his heavy footfalls as he went after me, chasing me through the forest. I groaned in frustration, knowing he would be able to catch up with me right away if that's what he wanted to do. Suddenly, I was halted by a strong hand gripping my arm.

“Never run through here like that!” Lord Lachlan barked. “Do you know how much harm could come to you? The O'Connells saw you here last time, if they knew you were vulnerable they would take you in an instant! Don't underestimate their knowledge of your value to me.”

My value to him? What did I mean to him except a potential marriage? A fragile peace treaty between two powers at odds? A pretty and available woman for him to use as he pleased? All for a contract I had nothing to do with. I jutted my chin at him defiantly. He was a rogue and a brute, and now he was manhandling me.

 

“I didn't agree to marry you and I certainly didn't agree to take your orders!” I exclaimed, wriggling free from his grasp.

“It's dangerous, my Lady,” he said in a low, serious voice, casting his eyes quickly away from me. I wondered in surprise if perhaps I had hurt his feelings. Until that moment he had seemed so invincible.

Again, I remembered Kain dying on the battlefield with the highlanders. Good. If I hurt his feelings that meant I had at least some small advantage over the brute. It was my only form of power in this situation. Everybody was thicker and stronger than I was, I may as well resort to the power my looks and sharp tongue awarded me, just like the jealous and vile women in my own kingdom would have done. I used to wonder why they were so harsh with their husbands and suitors, and now I thought I might understand why.

“Very well. Can we please go to back now?” I asked, resigning myself to a malicious nature. If it gave me any control over my life, I might as well give it a try. I couldn't be at Lord Lachlan's mercy.

“All right,” he said.

I followed him back to the encampment quietly. My emotions were all over the place. He was acting as if I had stricken him, and although I took secret pleasure in hurting a highlander, I couldn't help but feel guilty about it. This just served to make me angrier though, so I went back to the tent where Winny was sipping on a glass of mead and laid down in my cot to get some sleep.

***

I woke up in the middle of the night from another dream about Kain in battle. Again, he was fighting for his life, and before I could reach him, a white wolf appeared in the distance and held my gaze. I wanted to shout at it for answers but instead, I woke myself up with a little gasp. I couldn't handle being in the highlands for another second.

My stomach grumbled painfully. In my haughtiness, I had refused to take to dinner with the others, pretending to be sleeping deeply when they asked me to join them. I didn't like how I was acting, but I didn't know how else to get everybody to leave me alone. Nobody could run my life anymore – I was an adult and I had every right to go wherever I wanted.

 

I sat bolt upright in bed. That's right – Lord Lachlan said I was free to return home any time I wanted. And I wanted nothing more in that instant than to be in the lowlands, back in my own bed. Where people were cultured and refined and didn't talk to trees. I glowered and got quietly out of my cot, careful not to wake Winny, who had been sharing her tent with me since I arrived. I would miss her. I would miss most of them, really, but I couldn't handle being a pawn in Lord Lachlan's games anymore.

I grabbed my satchel and filled it with the rest of my possessions, packing quickly and slinging it over my shoulder. I buttoned up my nightclothes and dressed in the tartan that Winny had given me. I gazed at her sleeping peacefully before I headed quietly out the tent and toward the road that led, inevitably, toward home.

I snuck past the guards and into the deep darkness of the night. I headed toward the stables, situated further out of the encampment to give the horses more solitude. I would take one and go home, nobody could stop me, and I'd be returning my parent's investment with interest. I would have a highlander's horse.

I fumed at the thought of myself as an investment. I was making the right decision. I was about to mount the horse when suddenly I was grabbed from behind. I was whipped forcfully around. I expected to be peering into Lord Lachlan's stern face, but I had slipped even beneath his awareness and into the night. Instead, I was face to face with the leader of the O'Connell bandits. He sneered at me and clapped a dirty hand over my face before I had the chance to scream.

“We're going to have some fun, princess,” the man said. His breath smelled as if his teeth were rotting in his mouth, and I quirmed, attempting to cry out. Nobody heard me though, and I was dragged away into the darkness.

Chapter 8

I was taken hostage by the O'Connell clan, and realized that these men were everything I thought I had hated about highlanders. Lord Lachlan and his people were nothing like these hedonistic monsters. Each of them took turns touching and leering at me as I was led away into the leader's tent, where he tied me to a stake in the corner.

“We been waiting for you,” he said, licking his blackened teeth. “Heard a lot about you, Princess.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, glowering down at the floor. “Where would you hear anything about me?”

“From your brother,” he said. “You look just bloody like him.”

I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, how he might have known my brother, but before I could get the words out, he shoved a dirty piece of cloth in my mouth and tied another one around it to kep it in place. I furrowed my eyebrows, sensing that the man would like it even better if I struggled, and did my best to keep my composure. I tilted my chin up at him, again borrowing my mother's regal expression. The grin faded from his face and he left the tent.

“Send Lachlan the message of ransom!” he shouted to the men.

I heard the clatter of hooves as horses headed to the camp. I had been foolish to think I could make my way safely home even after Lachlan's warnings. I worried now, after my unkindness toward him, if he would even want to come for me at all. I didn't see why he would. Everything was hopeless.

***

The bandit's leader, presumably O'Connell, disappeared from the tent for a few hours. I was exhausted and hungry, which made me miserable. And on top of it all, my hands and feet were bound too tightly and I could scarcely move. I wondered how it could get any worse, when O'Connell stepped inside the tent with a sickening smirk on his face.

“C'mon lass, the fellas want to have a little fun with ye,” he said, roughly pulling me up and leading me out to the fire, where about sixteen men were leering at me, devilish looks in their eyes.

“I'll start off the festivities,” O'Connell said, gripping my knee and sliding his hand up under my dress. I spit on him and the others laughed. He raised his hand to strike me. I flinched, expecting searing pain, but his blow never reached my face. The great white wolf I had seen before raced out of the dark woods and lept at O'Connell's throat. I hid my face as the sounds of him choking on his last breaths filled the air.

Several of the men began advancing toward the wolf, grabbing weapons of all shapes and sizes. Fear gripped my heart, and for the first time I realized that I didn't want the wolf to die – it had become the same as the wolf in my dreams, and somehow it was connected to the fate of my twin. I knew nothing more truly than I knew this. I watched in horror and awe as the beautiful creature became stained with blood as its enormous body massacred the slew of men trying to kill it.

I cried out as a man, one of the last alive, approached the wolf from behind as it tore out another man's throat. He was holding a huge club over his head and smacked the great wolf over the head with a loud thud. The wolf whimpered.

“No!” I cried as it fell to the ground in a heap. Suddenly, a change began to take place in the wolf. Before my very eyes, it began to change shape, morphing in an aura of light from a wolf down to something much smaller. A naked human. The man struggled weakly to his feet, and my eyes roamed his perfect form. His back was to me, and I could scarcely believe my eyes when he turned to look over his shoulder at me and I was staring right into the face of Lord Lachlan.

Just then, three more wolves lept into the campsite, downing the men before they had a chance to do any more harm to their pack leader. Their terrified wails distracted from the shock I felt as Lord Lachlan steadied himself, bringing his hand to the wound on his forehead. Then, much like a wolf, he shook his head, whipping his long hair wildly, and straightened his back. He approached me, his lithe body glowing in the firelight, and for a moment, everything else disappeared.

He untied me gingerly, but I couldn't yet stand. My legs felt weak with fear and adrenaline, and he allowed me to stay on the ground for a moment.

“He said something about my brother,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face. “That he'd heard a lot about me from him. Why is that?”

“Your brother, Kain the Able, was a fantastic fighter. It is the O'Connell's clan that brings a bad name to the rest of us. We had banded together to fight against them, but they had taken Kain captive, hoping for a reward from the lowlanders for his return. Your family. My pack and I were able to save him, and in battle we fought against the O'Connells and the clans they had brainwashed against us. We had a common enemy, and he was a worthy friend.”

Lord Lachlan lowered his eyes to the ground and heaved a deep sigh.

“One of the men, a bandit named Emry, was on the battlefield that day. We were on the cliff's edge when it happened. I saw him fighting Kain and ran as quickly as I could, but I was still human and wasn't fast enough. By the time I transformed, Emry had run his blade through your brother. I pounced on Emry hard enough to knock him over the cliff's edge, but it was too late for your brother. I nuzzled him and comforted him as he died.”

“How did you come to know each other?” I asked. It seemed so wrong when compared to what I already held in my beliefs, but in my heart, I knew it was so, and that this is what my dreams had been trying to tell me for so long. Kain didn't want any hatred in my heard. Not for the highlanders, not for anyone.

“As I mentioned, we had a common enemy. We rescued him from the O'Connell clan just as we are rescuing you. And when we transformed to our human forms, Kain fell instantly in love with a woman here – a woman I've been reluctant to introduce you to for fear of a misunderstanding. Come here now, Maily.”

A beautiful woman approached, also completely nude. Her stunning body showed marks of childbirth, and I looked from Lord Lachlan to Maily in confusion. Before I could ask the obvious question, a small wolf pup with a satchel in his mouth ran up to her and nuzzled her legs. She picked him up and he transformed into a giggling baby boy. He looked just like Kain and I.

“Your nephew,” she said, handing the small child down to me. He was around three years old, and we stared at each other until tears welled in my eyes. I knew everything they were saying to be true in my heart, and I hugged the boy as the others dug through his satchel for their clothes, dressing quickly among the corpses before heading back toward camp for the night.

“They took you far,” Lord Lachlan said down to me. “We highlanders can hike 60 miles in a single day, but I'm afraid you are of too weak of a constitution for the journey back. We can make camp in the woods a ways away from here. Take some of their supplies and head back to the settlement in the morning. It has been a long night. Come on out of here, you don't need to be around all of this carnage.”

He took my hands and pulled me to my feet, and I followed him around camp as he looted it for what we needed. We headed away from the bandit's camp and began our search for a place to spend the night.

Chapter 9

We found a pleasant clearing and Lord Lachlan busied himself setting up a campsite. He first built a fire and sat me in front of it before cooking a hearty meal of goat's meat and porridge. We ate quietly.

“Are you injured?” I asked when we were finished.

“No, love. Just a scratch. Did they harm you at all?” his eyes grew hard at the possibility.

“I'm fine,” I said, longing for the comfort of his warm body beside me. I shivered and looked out into the trees. He seemed to read my mind, and scooted beside me, wrapping his strong arms around me.

“I misunderstood you,” I said softly to him. “I'm so sorry.”

He laughed heartily.

“I like a woman who takes care of herself,” he said, and I put my arms around him, toying with his soft hair. He looked down into my eyes and my breath caught in my throat. I knew I was ready for him now.

I tilted my chin up, this time not in indignance but to kiss him. He met my mouth greedily, and I sighed in pleasure as his hot tongue brought me an unexpected taste of rapture. I kissed back passionately and rested my hand on the bulge of his kilt, stroking it curiously. I could tell he was surprised by my boldness.

“Are you sure this is what you want? We are not yet wed,” he whispered, pulling me on top of himself and pressing my middle against the hard, urgent testament to his longing.

I felt a rush between my legs and nodded. I could feel his every movement beneath the fabric of his kilt as he began to strip me of my dress, revealing my pale breasts and lean stomach. Soon, the only thing separating us was a thin barrier of cloth. I moaned as he easily bypassed it, pressing his hot flesh against me, halting at a bunched area of damp fabric between my own legs. He slid himself against it without moving the fabric. I closed my eyes, gasping as tendrils of pleasure wound their way around me.

He sat up, his rippling muscles flexed and glimmering in the soft glow of the fire light. His strong hands found their way to my waist and lifted me, moving the bunched fabric out of his way and using his large fingers to knead soft bursts of bliss from me. He pulled them away and examined the way they shimmered in the fire light before giving me a wolfish grin.

It seemed greedy to want more than that, so I was surprised when my gratification only deepened. He closed his vibrant eyes and pushed his rod gently against my opening, until he was partially inside. The foreign feeling of a man's phallus against me was jarring at first, but he began expertly pleasuring me as he slid further and further inside. He went with excruciating slowness, awakening my appetite until even the whole of him didn't feel like enough.

The pleading in my eyes elicited a smile from him, and he gently lifted me from himself and laid me down on the tartan cloth I had been cloaked in. He fussed over me until I was comfortable, and then, with an expression of pure revelry, pushed his engorged manhood deeply inside of me. I cried out in surprise and in gratification. Never had I felt better than in that moment. He thrust again and again, indulging every wave of my satisfaction.

I could see the enjoyment on his face, and I felt a shudder inside of me as his eyes roamed my naked body.

“You're perfect,” he said with a low growl, and unleashed an animalistic fervor within me. We moaned together until suddenly it felt as if I were being lifted straight out of my body by a burst of ecstasy. My hips buckled against his and I cried out fervently. He uttered a low moan as I squeezed him, until suddenly I was flooded with a hot rush of liquid that elevated my climax. He gripped my legs tightly, grimacing in pleasure up at the moon until the gushing of his seed subsided.

He lay next to me, entwining my hand in his and examining our hands together in the moonlight. I curled my body into him and we lay like that for as long as I could stand before I was shivering with the cold. I dressed slowly as he watched, lounging immodestly on the tartan, his expelled member resting against his leg and glistening in the firelight.