Chapter One
Highlands, Scotland 1230
McBride Holding
“Children have nay place in war,” he said, as he cupped the face of his child.
The noise outside rose to a crescendo. Men were grunting and screaming in pain and agony. The fire being set to the cottages was visible through the window of his room. The fire lit the night sky.
“I’m nay a child, Father. I’m ten and nine,” Andie whispered, shakily. She knew her father was dying. His face had become very pale. She had managed, with Bryce’s help, to bring him upstairs after he was felled on the field. Bryce was Andrew’s first in command, and he was now watching his laird die, standing silently in the shadowed corner.
Alistair, her own cousin, was battling against her father for power. And he was winning.
“Ye’re still my baby, Andie,” he said, smiling at her name. “I always wanted a boy and it wasna for want of trying. But I was ne’er disappointed at having yer sisters. All seven of them,” he said hoarsely, a shadow crossing over his green eyes. “Are they all dead, Andie?”
She closed her eyes as the pain washed over her. The memory of seeing the bodies of her sisters and mother being violated and slaughtered came forward. She cleared her head and opened her eyes. Tears washed down her flushed cheeks.
“Aye,” she said in a painful whisper.
Andrew closed his eyes and erupted in a fit of coughing. Andie hastily brought water to his dry lips. She helped bring his head up and gave him water. He coughed even after a long swallow and some of the liquid spilled from his lips.
“My draws near, Andie,” he said hoarsely. He looked at his youngest with love.
“Nay, Papa, please hold on,” she beseeched painfully. He was all she had left.
“Oh, my little warrior,” and then he smiled. “Ye remember when I first started calling ye that?”
She nodded her head.
“Aye. I was convinced ye were a lad before yer mother birthed ye. And, well, I couldna help calling ye little warrior. Ye were always outside, watching me train the men. Ye picked up a small branch and began waiving it in the air as if it were a sword,” he said, laughing, remembering.
She smiled, the tears falling from her hazel eyes.
“Andie?”
“Yes, Papa?”
“Andie, ye will become laird.”
“But Papa-”
“Nay, I’ll nay name another.”
“But Papa, Bryce is more fit. Even Uncle Cooper. I am just a woman,” she said.
“Nay. Cooper is old and a twisted, bitter mon ever since that day long ago when the clan named me the new laird. He was ne’er a fit laird, or fit mon in his head. Alistair is proof of that.” He stopped and laughed, saying, “Ye doona believe that ‘ye’re just a woman’ rubbish. Ye’re more than a woman, Andie. Ye’re what the clan needs. I always wanted ye to succeed me, Andie. Ye’re fair, honest, and noble, but have the strength of iron in ye. Ye’ll be the best laird ever to lead the McBrides. And I’ve spoken to Bryce. He will follow my wishes, won’t ye, Bryce?”
Bryce moved away from the dark corner where he had stood moments before. The light barely lightened his face, a face that held shadows of sadness. “Aye, laird. I will protect her, guide her, and follow her,” Bryce said, his voice deep with sorrow.
Bryce was an honorable man. He had grown up with Andrew, and as young boys often did, they had become brothers. Bryce was like a second father to Andie. Bryce’s own daughter, Meghan, was her very best friend.
“Oh no! Bryce, where’s Meghan?” she asked worriedly, as she thought about Meghan.
Bryce’s long dark hair moved slightly as he nodded, his lips pursed. His silver eyes centered on Andie.
“She is safe, Andie. Once this has passed, I will collect her from safekeeping.”
She closed her eyes and looked up, as relief flooded her. Andrew’s coughing brought her attention back to her father.
“Ye must go to one of our allies, Andie. They will help gather more men. Bryce will go with ye.”
“What about Charlie?” Andie asked, her concern over Charlie, the second in command, obvious.
“He’ll be commanding the soldiers here, until we gather more soldiers from our allies,” Bryce said.
Andrew reached out, touching her hand. “Ye must go, Andie. Start with the McKendricks.”
“What about the Maitlands? They border us.”
“Nay. Although we’re allies, the Dark Wolf has become bitter and angry. He willna take a liking to a woman laird. Nay, ye must go to Donald McKendrick,” Andrew said, coughing harshly.
“I willna leave ye now,” she whispered.
“Yes, ye will. ‘Tis an order, Andie. I willna have ye disobeying!” Andrew said, coughing again. His breathing became labored.
Her father was stubborn and had always been, but she was her father’s daughter, and stubborn as well.
“I willna leave ye alone. Either Bryce stays or I will. Choose,” she said firmly, a stubborn glint in her eyes.
“Nay, Andie, ye will follow my orders,” he said as sternly as he could. He wanted to smile and gave into the urge when he saw the iron in her straighten.
“Alright, Andie. Go on, then. Bryce will stay here with me and follow ye…after,” he said, making reference to his looming death.
Andie looked down at her father. She kept the tears at bay, but one snuck away from the well.
“Oh, Papa,” she whispered, hurtfully.
“My little warrior, ‘tis alright. Ye must go on and lead this clan. Ye’re the hope…the only hope left.”
She stood up and leaned down over him, kissing his forehead.
“I love ye, Papa,” she whispered, looking into his eyes. She squeezed his cold hands tighly.
“I love ye, too, my little warrior.”
Her tall form walked towards a hidden passage. Only the laird of their clan knew about it. It was passed down from laird to laird, but Andie had known about it for some time. ‘Twas only to be used during times like these. She heard the moans and groans of the fallen men more clearly now. The battle for control over the McBride territory raged violently.
With one last look back to her dying father, the last of her family, she went through the opening. It closed up behind her, as if it had never opened.
“She’ll be fine, Andrew. She has a fine head on her shoulders. Just like her father,” Bryce said, sitting next to his friend.
“Go with her. Follow behind her. Now,” Andrew said in a shallow whisper.
“Nay, old friend. I’ll nay do that. ‘Tis one order I’ll nay follow,” Bryce said.
Andrew grunted in annoyance. “Both ye and her always had a stubborn streak.”
“Aye. And yers surpasses ours one hundred times over,” Bryce said laughing.
Andrew sighed and laughed as well.
“Ye were always a good friend, Bryce.”
“Ye were always a good leader, Andrew.”
Silence followed, each comforted by the company of their childhood friend.
She breathed deeply of the stale air. She wouldn’t allow her tears to fall yet. She put thoughts of her dead family out of her mind and continued to go forward. She at least felt safe here, in this passage. No one knew about it but her father, and now Bryce.
She sighed.
It was quiet and pitch black. She was cautious as she walked forward. Although she was sure no one could hear her from outside the passageway, she was still careful. She made her way towards the exit.
“Almost there,” she whispered.
She continued to walk forward. She stopped, remembering exactly where her father told her to press, to open the door. As she reached out with her hand, she was grabbed from the side. A hard hand covered her mouth. She railed against her captor, but he managed to pound heavily against the exit door. Andie bit his hand as the door opened. He cursed and took his hand away.
“Ahh, cousin. Ever the feisty one,” Alistair said amused.
“Alistair, let me go!” she yelled.
“Ye can imagine my surprise,” he said, ignoring her request, “when I saw ye rushing to help yer father with Bryce. And here I thought ye were dead, like all of yer damn sisters and mother. Oh, by the way, doona fret for they had enjoyed themselves before they died,” he said, laughing at her anger. “As I thought on it, I realized this was fate. Aye. Ye had survived above my plans, for a purpose.”
Her hazel eyes blazed with anger. She struggled against the man who held her. “Purpose! I have a purpose! To kill ye!” she spat, her face red with hatred.
“Nay.”
She laughed cruelly. “What purpose have ye in mind, ye snake?”
“To wed me, of course.”
She laughed. “Ye’ve completely gone mad, Alistair. I willna wed below me,” she said and laughed as his own face reddened in rage.
Alistair slapped her. “Below ye? Ye think yerself too much above me, Andie? ‘Tis ye who are below me. My father was laird until yers took the power away. And I will have it back.”
“Nay. My father didna take the power away. The clan didna want a crazed laird to lead them, nor his bastard son to follow,” she said and her head whipped to side as he slapped her again.
“I am nay bastard,” he seethed.
“Ye’er a self-righteous, conniving, arrogant son of a whore, and that makes ye a bastard,” she said through gritted teeth.
Another slap. “I’ll break that independent, self-satisfied rebellion in ye, Andie. And I’ll relish every minute of it,” he said, inches away from her lips. She felt his hot breath on her face.
She wrinkled her nose. “Alistair, do rinse yer mouth on occasion. It smells like rotten fish,” she said condescendingly.
“Put her on the floor now!” Alistair yelled. A vein in his neck was throbbing.
Andie’s heart skipped a beat. “Why? What are ye planning?”
Alistair smiled at her fear. “Making ye mine, sweet Andie. Once ye’re spoiled, no mon will want ye. ‘Twill assure my position as laird in this clan. My clan!”
His men dragged her on the floor and spread her legs and arms, despite her struggles. One man held her arms down over her head and the other held her feet down. Their grip was bruising. Alistair loomed over her, sweat forming on his face.
He was not an ugly man, physically anyway. He had blond hair and the McBride hazel eyes. His nose was pointed and his jaw was chiseled, with high cheekbones. His skin was flawless and supple. It was everything that Andie hated. He had better skin than most of the women in the clan. She never trusted men who didn’t get rough and dirty, or men that had better skin than she had.
“Ye’ll enjoy this, Andie. Just like yer sisters and mother did,” he said and laughed when she spat in his face. He slapped her face again, splitting her lip. Her face was splotchy and red.
“Sweet Andie, ye’ll get that insolence back tenfold,” he said, and dipped his head down to kiss her neck.
She hated the nickname he’d always given her. It made her skin crawl. She thrashed her head about, but to no avail. He held her face immobile with an iron hand.
Alistair moaned. The more she fought, the more he grew excited.
“I love yer spirit, sweet Andie. I’ll let ye keep it, but only for our bedroom sport. Other than that, I will break ye,” he said, kissing her lips.
“I’ll break ye, alright,” she said through gritted teeth. “Put that in me and I will break it.”
He laughed and squeezed her face. She couldn’t breathe. He licked her lips and bit them, forcing them to open. He brutally kissed her lips, bruising them.
“Respond to me, sweet Andie. I know ye want to,” he said, smiling cruelly, tauntingly.
“Respond to what, Alistair? My dirk has more length,” she said and smiled as he grew angrier. He looked up, hearing his men snicker, and they slowly quieted.
“Bitch!”
He punched her. Twice. She knew that she would soon have bruises to commemorate their meeting. Andie kept antagonizing him, though; she was passed caring what would happen to her.
“Is that all ye have to give?”
He punched her again and she saw stars with that one. She closed her eyes briefly when the pain was too much to bear.
“Is this the way ye treat all yer women, Alistair? Ye’re so gallant. ‘Tis a wonder why ye remain unwed,” she briefly managed to say.
He tore the front of her dress, exposing her breasts. His eyes grew wide as he saw the bountiful flesh.
“I’ll show ye how I treat my women,” he said. He dove down and took a mouthful of her breast. It hurt and she whimpered.
“I love hearing ye whimper and cry, sweet Andie. Let me hear more,” he said and bit her breast harshly.
She kept quiet despite the ache. He looked up and saw her contained pain. His bit again and she screamed in pain.
“Aye, sweet Andie. I love hearing ye scream. Ye’ll be screaming my name soon.”
He pulled her dress up, exposing her thighs. Her breathing was harsh and her head throbbed with pain. She was scared beyond reason. He was going to violate her and force her to marry him, and she hadn’t the strength to fight back.
“Aye, that’s the fear I want to see. I own ye, Andie. Ye will always give me what I want. Remember that,” he said, gripping her chin hard. His hand moved down and tightened around her throat. He gave her a bruising kiss. His other hand went to her thigh and inched up. She trembled with fear.
He laughed in exultation. “Ye’re so sweet,” he said, and his menacing laughter gave her goose pimples.
He crushed her mouth again in a painful kiss and positioned himself over her. She fought against the hands that held her down, cursing Alistair. He laughed, enjoying her fight.
She let out an ear piercing scream as she felt him placing his weight on her. He was moving his kilt up when the passage door flung open. Bryce stood there, sword in hand.
“Get off of her, Alistair. Fight like a real mon, with a mon, and leave her alone.”
Alistair’s face contorted as he bellowed in fury, storming to his feet. He grabbed his sword and began fighting. When his men saw that Bryce was getting the upper hand, they let go of Andie and took their swords out of their sheaths.
Bryce didn’t spare her a glance, but said, “Get out, Andie. Hurry.”
Andie didn’t wait for another word. She quickly got on her feet, unsteadily at first, and held the front of her dress closed. She quickly collected a dirk, and bow and arrows, hurrying from the room.
“McKendrick. I must get to him,” she whispered to herself, her voice shaky.
Remembering something she could not leave without, she headed towards the back staircase. She hurried to the room where her father had died. Seeing his body, she wept. Quickly rushing over to her father’s prone form, she took the clan brooch that was pinned to his shoulder. Andie placed a kiss on his forehead.
“I love ye, Papa. I’ll avenge yer death. I’ll avenge all of their deaths. I’ll make ye proud.”
She stood there for a moment, said a quick prayer, and left to her room. Once there, she took a stuffed play doll her father had made for her. It was a girl doll, dressed in the clan’s plaid, with brown threads as the hair. It had a mouth, eyes, and a nose. In one hand she held a fabric flower, and in the other, a fabric sword.
She took the doll and pinned the brooch on it. She made certain her sword was secure and turned to the door, vowing that she would return again soon. As she left for the threshold, she heard a whimper.
“Hello?” she asked, but no response.
She turned towards the opening again, thinking it was her imagination. Once she reached the threshold, she heard the whimper again.
“Hello? Is someone there?” she asked.
She heard more whimpering and went to a large trunk in the corner. She opened it, and to her astonishment, there was a little boy rolled up into a ball.
“Lord. Are ye all right, lad?” she asked.
His eyes were shut tightly, and he carefully opened them, focusing on Andie.
“Who are ye?” he asked in a small voice.
She extended her free hand. “My name is Andie. Come, little one. We must leave in a hurry. I’ll nay harm ye.”
He took her hand, trusting her.
“We must hurry. Follow closely behind me, alright?”
“Yes,” he said.
He couldn’t be more than six years old, she thought. “What is yer name?”
“Riley,” he said.
“Alright, Riley, keep up with me,” she said and hurried out of the door.
“I can keep up with a girl,” he said, following her.
She smirked a little at his comment, running out. She took him through a path of turns before finally exiting the castle and reaching the woods bordering her land. She stopped and caught her breath. Looking down at Riley, she gave him the water skin she managed to snatch.
“Drink, Riley,” she said, giving it to him.
He took it from her and drank thirstily. “D’ye want some first?” he asked, extending it out to her.
“Nay. I want ye to drink. Ye’ll let me know when ye need more, Riley, right?”
“But arena ye thirsty? Women need to drink water more than men. They’re weaker,” he said innocently.
She laughed. He was a very interesting little boy. “Nay, Riley. Young lads need the water more than a woman,” she said.
“That’s nay what my father says,” he said.
She brushed off his comment. “Riley, we’ll rest here for awhile. We must be careful because it’s still night.”
“We’ll rest if ye need to. Women need to rest more than men. Women are puny.”
She shook her head. “Nay, they arena, Riley. Women are verra strong.”
“That’s nay what my father says.”
Andie found herself growing irritated. She let the subject drop, though. Lowering herself on the grass-covered ground, Andie leaned against the trunk of a tree. A bird screeched in the night and Riley jumped two steps forward.
“Come, Riley. Sit here with me,” she said, pointing in front of her legs.
“Alright, but only so ye willna be scared. Women are fraidy-cats. Men are brave,” he said, coming towards her. She had her legs spread and he sat between them. She wrapped her arms around the small, outspoken boy, and brought him in close.
“Women are brave.”
“That’s nay what my father says.”
Andie could feel her ire rising against Riley’s father.
“Ye’er cold,” she said when he shivered.
“Men doona get cold. Women get cold. They’re scrawny.”
“Riley, that is simply nay true,” she said exasperated.
Riley shrugged his shoulders. “That’s nay what my father says,” he said, and she silently mouthed it along with him.
“I forgot yer name,” he said.
“It’s Andie.”
“Andie?” he asked, confused. “But ‘tis a mon’s name!” he said.
She rolled her eyes heavenward. “Nay, ‘tis nay. Anyways, ‘tis spelled with an ‘ie’ nay a ‘y,’ like a mon would.”
“It’s still a mon’s name.”
She squeezed him tightly and he giggled.
“What’s that poppet ye have?”
She looked over at the doll. “My papa made it for me. It has a rose in one hand and a sword in the other.”
“But ‘tis a girl poppet. Girls doona have swords.”
“I do,” she said.
“Ye have a sword?” he asked incredulously.
“Aye, I do. See?”
She showed him the sword made especially for her. It was smaller than a man’s, made for her grip and weight-carrying ability.
Riley was intrigued, but still said, “Women arena supposed to have swords.”
She let that go without further comment.
“Where are we going?”
“To Laird McKendrick in the morn. My clan needs his help.”
“I want to go home, to my father,” he said, his voice small and weak.
“I promise ye, I’ll get ye home. I must go to McKendrick first.”
“My father can help ye,” he volunteered.
Right. His father sounded very pleasant.
“Why were ye in my room?”
“I was taken from my father and they didna tell me why. But my father is powerful and strong, and I want to go home,” he said, his wavering a little.
She gave him a small squeeze. “I’ll take ye back to him. Let’s get some sleep, huh? For a little. It’s nay safe to travel at night.” And she needed to think things through.
“Alright. I’ll stay here to keep ye safe and nay scared,” he said.
“Thank ye, Riley. Ye are verra kind,” she said, stifling a laugh.
Time passed and yet Andie couldn’t fall asleep. Memories of her father consumed her thoughts. Memories of her sisters and mother being beaten and violated replayed in her head like a nightmare. After their horrible experiences, they lay prone on the ground.
Alistair’s face replaced that of her family, and her heart beat faster and her breath grew unsteady. She hated him so much she wanted to scream like a banshee.
He will die.
She will kill him.
She sat there planning her revenge until the sun began to kiss the sky. Little Riley had fallen asleep and he had snuggled up to her. He was adorable, she thought. Cherub features, with brown hair and eyes. Light freckles crossed the bridge of his nose. His features seemed familiar to her but his coloring threw her off.
“Riley,” she whispered in his ear. “Wake up.”
He stirred awake, groaning. “Am I home?”
“Nay yet, but soon ye will be. Ye must be thirsty. Here, drink.”
He took the water skin she held out for him and he took a long drink. “Ye should drink, too.”
“I’m fine, Riley. Get up slowly,” she said.
He followed as she ordered and stretched. Andie did the same.
“Are ye still tired?”
“Nay. Men doona get tired, women do.”
Her sigh rivaled the breeze. “Riley,” she began slowly. “Women are nay weak, puny, or fraidy-cats.”
“That’s nay what my father says. He says women are weak, puny, and fraidy-cats. He says they are only good for producing bairns,” he said.
She had had enough.
“Who is yer father? I’d like to have words with him,” she said, frustrated.
“He is the most powerful laird in Scotland. He has more warriors than any other,” he boasted proudly. “One day, I will be like him.”
“I hope not,” she said on a sigh. His childhood fantasies about his father were interesting, and almost humorous. “What’s his name, Riley?”
“Gavin Maitland.”
She stopped. “Yer father is Gavin Maitland? The Dark Wolf?”
“Aye.”
She looked at him for a long moment. He didn’t have the legendary pale silver eyes. She shrugged and told him, “We’ll go to him now, then.”
“I thought ye said we wouldna be going until after ye saw the McKendrick.”
“I changed my mind.”
“My papa always says that women change their minds like they change their men.”
She gasped. How vulgar! “I bet he does,” she said, twisting her mouth in annoyance.
They stealthily walked the whole part of the day, and when night fell, they reached the Maitland castle. Andie was relieved they’d managed to get here without Alistair finding them. The Lord knew that she had looked over their shoulders often enough.
They were about two hundred feet from the outer wall. Numerous men lined the post, causing Andie to catch her breath. Men with bows and arrows were on the towers. Torches were lit all around the castle and its thick wall. She thought it odd that with all the watchmen, none had seen them coming.
“Doona move,” a voice said harshly, breaking the serene and peaceful night. It was a threatening voice, and so dark, she shivered.
A group of men came forward, holding the torches away from themselves. Having such little light, she could not see their faces, but she thought that the one in the middle, the tall warrior, had been the one who’d spoken.
His eyes fairly glowed even with the dim light of the flames. Andie looked at him. He was enormous, a veritable giant, and looked very ominous in his stance. His legs were braced apart, his posture sure, solid, and deadly. She could have sworn that she saw his eyes shimmer, like a wolf’s. Her hair stood on end.
She stopped, pushing Riley behind her.
“Who are ye?” she said, pulling out her dirk.
“Put that away. Yer feeble attempts of protecting yerself arena impressive. Give me the lad,” she heard the man snap. His voice was so cold, it sent shivers up her spine again.
“Nay. Who are ye?” she said just as harshly.
“Give me the lad, or I’ll burn ye like the witch ye are!” he demanded. His voice was deep, self-assured.
“Nay! If ye want the lad, ye’ll have to best me. And harm the lad, and ye shall have me to reckon with, including his father,” she yelled.
The brute swore.
“Doona speak like that in front of the lad,” she snapped, highly offended.
“Papa?” Riley asked, peeking from behind her.
“Riley,” came the response.
“Papa!” Riley said, running from behind Andie.
“Nay, Riley! Ye canna be certain!” Andie said, moving ahead and grabbing Riley’s arm.
The leader brought the torch up to his face and Riley cheered when he recognized his father. Andie, on the other hand, inhaled sharply and took two steps backward, recoiling. From the brief look she got, she saw a deep scar on his chin, and cold, soulless eyes. Pale glowing eyes.
The Dark Wolf.
She shivered, both from the coldness in his pale silver eyes and from fear.
Once Riley ran to his father, Gavin pushed him behind him, holding up his sword to Andie.
“We arena paying the ransom, McBride. Ye’ll pay for taking my son, though. Take her,” Gavin commanded.
Andie didn’t put up a fight when they restrained her. She clutched her doll to her, but let them take away her dirk, and bow and arrows. Her sword hung by her side. Since no one suspected that she, a woman, would be carrying one, the thought never occurred to them to look. When she cooperated, they didn’t mistreat her.
She saw Gavin lift Riley onto his shoulders and Riley squealed in youthful delight. She looked over to her right and saw some cottages smoldering from fire. Odd, she thought, wondering why they had been set on fire. The men surrounded her, leading her within the outer wall, and eventually to the inside of the castle.
With no thought about anything else, Gavin got straight to the point. “Why didna Andrew the traitor come himself to return my son?”
“Doona ye dare speak of my father that way!” she yelled, diving for Gavin. Her anguish over her father’s death made her thoughtless. Men held her back.
“Spirit, eh? That’s uncommon for women, except where bedding and traitoring are concerned.”
They were in a medium sized room. Despite the hearth blazing with fire, the room was dim. The walk towards this room was supplied with meager light. Andie suspected that was done on purpose so that she wouldn’t know the keep’s layout. The insufficient lighting probably prevented them from seeing her now forming bruises.
Andie could barely hold the Dark Wolf’s piercing gaze, which had not lifted off her since they’d stopped walking. His ice-cold silver stare sparked daggers.
Unable to take the watchful glare any longer, she said in outburst, “Oh save it. I’m well aware of yer opinion of women. Believe me, I hold the same sentiment against ye.”
“I think I will ransom ye. Which bratty daughter are ye?”
“Papa?” Riley said, tugging at Gavin’s plaid.
“Nay now, Riley.”
“But father,” Riley kept on, but was ignored.
“Ye canna ransom me, Maitland.”
“Why nay?” He crossed his arms, and his shoulders seemed to increase in breadth by double. His biceps looked like large boulders beneath his skin. And those pale eyes- they glittered with anger.
“Andrew McBride is dead,” she said, her voice empty.
“So why did ye bring my son back?” he asked.
As she stared at him, she felt as if everything- movements, speech, breathing- passed slowly. Blinking rapidly, she decided that it must be the heat getting to her. She raised her hand and it was unusually heavy. She tried to focus on his soulless eyes, but couldn’t.
“Because children have nay place in war,” she whispered, hearing a reverberated version of her voice in her ears.
Then she collapsed on the ground.