Chapter One
Moy Hall, Inverness
March, 1714
Kathleen’s boots sank into muddy patches of earth as she snuck around the castle grounds. It had rained earlier that day, leaving the land moist and soft, which only served to make the silent, stealthy trek to the stables even harder for her.
It didn’t help that she had to carry everything she would need in one oversized bag. Both her travels and her stay in Castle Stalker would be short, but she would need several changes of clothes and even more accessories for her looks. A lady of her rank could not be seen in any state other than perfection, especially for an event as important as a wedding.
The early morning air was crisp and cold, the chill stinging her face. Her fingers were already frozen and with her free had, she tightened her wool cloak around her shoulders, holding the fabric tightly. Every step she took was laborious. Not only because of the weight of her bag, but also because she had to be on alert, watching carefully around her for any sign of guards.
If they caught her, they were bound to take her straight to her father, and when he found out that she had left home against his explicit orders to remain where she was, he would not allow her to leave Moy Hall for the rest of her life.
But it was a risk she had to take. Her best friend, Fenella, needed her more than ever, and Kathleen refused to deny her her presence when she knew how much it would help her. The letter she had received from her a week prior spoke of a terrible fate—an unwanted marriage, an unloving husband, a lifetime of torment ahead of her. Ignoring the risks of travel to make sure she was there for a friend was only natural for Kathleen.
She had fought tooth and nail to be heard before deciding to leave secretly. She had tried to reason with her parents, to explain to them that Fenella needed her at her wedding, but they had refused to allow her to go. Even when Kathleen had asked for guards, pointing out that she would be safe with them, her parents had not given in. Clan Campbell was preparing for war, they had told her. there was a good chance they would soon attack, and every Mackintosh had to be in the safety of the keep when that happened.
Naturally, Kathleen hadn’t listened, for she was determined to go help her friend.
Nothing but the last light of the moon was there to guide her as she walked towards the stables. Soon, the flicker of dawn would wash over the castle and it would be impossible to hide from prying eyes. She had to leave as soon as possible, before she was discovered.
Just as she rounded the corner in the narrow path that led to the stables, a hand shot out and grabbed her, and Kathleen couldn’t help but yelp. She muffled the sound with a hand over her mouth, but it was already too late—not only had she been caught, but the sound rang out across the gardens before she had managed to cover her mouth.
“Where dae ye think ye’re goin’?”
The voice was painfully familiar and Kathleen didn’t need to turn around to know who her captor was, once the first wave of her panic had subsided. Her heart was still thundering in her chest, her hands shaking from the fear that she had been discovered, and she couldn’t help but look around her for a moment to see if anyone else had heard her.
Only once she determined there was no one else around did she manage to breathe again. With a roll of her eyes, she smacked Devon’s hand off her and turned to face him, her features twisting with indignation.
“What are ye daein’?” she demanded, giving him another push for good measure. “Ye gave me a fright, ye fool!”
In the dim light of the moon, Devon was little more than a shadow. Only his blond hair shone in the moonlight, but she could tell he was terribly pleased by the sound of his laughter.
“Did I scare ye?” Devon asked, and there was no hint of regret in his voice.
“O’ course ye did!” Kathleen hissed. “It isnae funny.”
“I disagree,” said Devon. With a satisfied smile that was barely visible in the dark, he began to walk backwards towards the stables, nodding in their direction. In an affected voice, he said, “Come. Yer steed is prepared fer ye, me lady.”
It had been a struggle to convince Devon and Kieran to help her with this. At first, she had had no intention of asking for their assistance, but it wasn’t long before the two of them found out about her plan, when she had been making arrangements with the stable boy regarding her horse. Kathleen had narrowly escaped a terrible fate—Kieran revealing everything to her father out of concern for her well-being. Convincing the ever-serious Kieran that it was something she had to do had been far from an easy task. If anything, she suspected the trip in itself would be easier than convincing them to let her go to Castle Stalker.
With Clan Campbell threatening war against Clan Mackintosh, everyone in Moy Hall was on high alert. No one was supposed to leave the keep, not even for an event such as an allied clan’s wedding, and so when Kathleen had received Fenella’s invitation—along with the letter she had secretly folded within it, which was meant just for her—she had known her parents would never allow it. So, in the end, she did what had to be done.
If she had to do it alone, then so be.
Kieran and Devon had agreed to help her, preparing her horse for her and sneaking her out of the castle so she could depart undetected.
Once in the stables, Kathleen blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light of the torches that lined the walls. Kieran was already there, finalizing the last preparations and ensuring the saddle was properly placed on the horse.
Kieran and Devon were identical twins. Had it not been for the different way they wore their hair—Devon’s longer and messy, always tangled from the wind, while Kieran’s was shorter and neatly tied back at all times—Kathleen doubted anyone would be able to tell them apart unless they opened their mouths.
“Are ye both out o’ yer minds?” Kieran asked in that smooth baritone voice of his. Frazzled, he stomped over to them and pointed an accusatory finger at them both. “Dae ye ken what will happen if anyone finds out we’re daein’ this?”
“They’ll find out eventually,” Devon said with a small shrug, entirely unconcerned.
“It was his fault!” Kathleen pointed out. “Devon’s the one who scared me!”
“Ye’re actin’ like a pair o’ bairns,” said Kieran. “I dinnae even ken why I agreed tae this.”
“Because even when ye complain, ye always wish tae help,” Kathleen pointed out.
Kieran didn’t try to deny that, though he rolled his eyes as if to protest. He really did simply enjoy complaining. Silently, he held out his hand for Kathleen to hand him her bag and once she did, he strapped it on the saddle.
“Remember… we’re only allowin’ ye tae dae this under the stipulation that ye send us a letter every other day,” Kieran said sternly. For someone who was only two years older than her, he could certainly assume a fatherly air with frightening ease. “If we dinnae receive one, we will come after ye.”
“Then maybe ye can come tae the weddin’ too!” Kathleen teased, but while as Devon snorted with mirth, Kieran gave her no reaction.
“This isnae a laughin’ matter,” he said.
Devon cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck as he tried to hide his grin. After a few moments, though, he appeared a little more serious, a little more restrained.
“Kieran is right,” he told Kathleen. “Ye should be careful. But it isnae as though ye’re walkin’ intae a death trap!”
“Perhaps it isnae a death trap, but it isnae safe either,” Kieran said flatly.
“Ach, we’ve done much worse than this,” said Devon. “Remember the time when we snuck out o’ the castle an’ went tae that tavern—”
“I think that’s enough!” Kieran exclaimed, slapping a hand over Devon’s mouth, much to Kathleen’s chagrin. She would have like to have known what had happened in that tavern, but chances were, they would never tell her.
At least Kieran wouldn’t—if she played her cards right, maybe she could yet get the truth out of Devon when she returned.
Both Devon and Kathleen struggled to stifle their giggles as Kieran shook his head in disappointment. After a moment of hesitation, when Kathleen wondered if she was doing the right thing after all, she hugged them both and then took the horse’s reins from Kieran, ready to start her little adventure.
Sneaking her out of the castle was no easy task, as there were guards everywhere, but naturally, all the guards knew Kieran and Devon well. And with Devon’s easy charm and friendliness, they slipped past even the most suspicious of them. By the time they made it to the rear gate of the castle, Kathleen’s heart was beating fast, her eyes searching for any signs of anything or anyone who could prevent her from leaving. The closer she got to her freedom, the more she feared that it would be snatched right out of her hands. In the end, though, no one stopped her.
After saying her goodbyes to her cousins and promising them once again that she would write to them every other day, she stepped out of the castle walls and into the wilderness that stretched behind it. Castle Stalker was approximately four days’ worth of riding away, and Kathleen was determined to make the most of it, travelling as fast as she could.
Dawn broke in the distance as she rode away from the castle, the imposing building getting smaller and smaller over her shoulder as she left it behind. A dull blue glow fell over the land—the first light of the day as cold and biting as the wind. Around her, there were nothing but trees and open land. The first birdsong of the morning reached her ears and for the first time in days, she allowed herself to believe that perhaps her plan would work out, after all.
An hour had passed by the time she couldn’t bear the silence anymore. The dull dawn had turned into an even duller day, the sky gray and domed with clouds. The emptiness all around her gave her no comfort. She had never travelled alone before—she had never even been this alone in her life.
Kathleen began to hum a song to herself, one that her mother had sang to her when she was a child. It helped a little; she didn’t feel so alone, so isolated from the rest of the world.
But then, just as she took a turn on the path, the thunderous sound of hooves echoed all around her. Wide-eyed, Kathleen looked frantically around her to locate the source of the sound, though she couldn’t see any signs of danger—not until three men rushed out of the treeline just ahead of her, heading straight towards her.
And in that moment, she understood that being all alone on that path would have been a blessing.
Chapter Two
Kathleen’s shriek pierced the morning air like a bell announcing war.
In an instant, the three men had gathered around her, surrounding her from all sides. Two of them jumped off the horses as the last one reached for her, pushing her off her saddle just before she had the chance to escape.
Had she managed to stay on her horse, perhaps she could have fled. Now, though, she had no chance of escape.
All the men were dressed in the blue and green shades of Clan Campbell—colors familiar to her and anyone in those parts, as there was no greater enemy to the Mackintosh Clan.
Her parents had been right. The danger was more real, more palpable than she could have ever imagined. And now that she had fled the castle without anyone knowing, there was no one there to save her.
Even as Kathleen was being dragged by the arm, she didn’t stop putting up a fight. When her captor tried to hold her still, she kicked at him and thrashed in his grip, wild and furious. Maybe if there had only been one man, she would have managed to escape him all on her own with how willing she was to fight, her desire to flee stronger than any lack of strength or skill. But with three men against her, there was nothing she could do other than scream and kick uselessly at them, only prolonging the inevitable.
Frustrated as he was from her fighting, one of the men who were trying to control her punched Kathleen straight across the cheek, so hard that her head whipped to the side with frightening speed. Pain exploded all over the side of her face—a blinding pain that made her ears ring and her head spin, her vision turning to black for a few moments.
And that was why the strange voice was a surprise as it echoed behind her, announcing the arrival of another man.
“Ye wish tae fight?” he called just as he jumped off his horse and balled up his fists, stomping over to the three men. “Then leave the lass an’ fight me.”
The man holding her didn’t move, but the other two were quick to go to him, meeting him halfway. With her vision restored, Kathleen watched in horror as a fight erupted among them, the pain that still lingered disorienting her and making it difficult to keep track of the men.
The first blow came from the larger of the two, a young man with pale eyes and a red face, his mouth twisted with effort. The strange man avoided his fist, lunging to the side, and swiftly delivered a blow of his own, one that caught the man in the stomach.
Just as Kathleen thought it was going to be a fist fight, though, the other man pulled out a small blade and immediately, his fellow soldier did the same. Drawing in a deep, steadying breath, the stranger took a few steps back from them to do the same, grabbing his dirk from where it was strapped around his waist, fingers wrapping tightly around the hilt.
The more the pain subsided and clarity returned, the more Kathleen’s desire to fight back grew. Soon, she was thrashing in her captor’s grip once more, kicking and twisting as she tried to escape his grasp.
She didn’t rest for a moment, at least not until she heard a loud thud and saw that the stranger had rendered one of the Campbell men unconscious, a small cloud of dust rising around his body as he hit the ground.
Stunned, Kathleen watched as he did quick work of the second man, rendering him unconscious with a single punch across the face. And then, once he too was laying on the ground next to his friend, he turned his sights to the man holding her.
Slowly, he let go of her, raising up his hands as if in surrender. Now that she was free, Kathleen wasted no time before she ran as far from them as she could—but not far enough to escape entirely.
For a moment, the two of them simply stared at each other. The stranger narrowed his eyes at the Campbell soldier, as if suspicious of his intentions. In the end, his suspicion was justified, as the man rushed towards him, fists balled up and ready for a fight.
With a feint to the left, the stranger let him run right past him before he spun around and kicked him. The force of his kick was strong enough to throw the man off-balance, making him fall to the ground, and the stranger wasted no time before he hit him on the back of the head as well, making sure he wouldn’t move before he pushed himself back up to his feet.
Standing above them, the stranger’s chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. With the men unmoving on the ground, he turned his sights on Kathleen.
I should have fled.
What if he, too, wanted something from her? What if he had only saved her from those men to have his way with her or because he wanted to rob her?
He was… handsome. Very handsome. She wanted to keep her mind on alert but he was proving to be distracting.
It took her a few moments to realize the wheezing sound filling her ears was coming from her own chest as she tried—and failed—to breathe. She slid down to the ground, curling up on a patch of green grass as she tried to catch her breath, but no matter what she did, she did not seem able to draw in enough air.
When the stranger approached her, her fear bubbled over.
“It’s alright,” he promised. “I willnae hurt ye. I promise.”
“Who are ye?” she demanded.
“Me name’s Blaine,” he said. “I was headin’ down tae the valley an’ saw ye get attacked, so I thought I’d help ye.”
“Why?”
Blaine frowned, as if he didn’t understand the question. “Well… because ye were in danger. I wished tae help.”
Kathleen observed him with narrowed eyes, taking in every detail of his face—the deep green eyes that seemed to draw one’s attention immediately, the sharp lines of his jaw and his nose, the dark strands of hair that now fell over his forehead, tousled after the fight.
He was the most handsome man Kathleen had ever seen, and warmth spread over her body at the sight of him. Her cheeks heated and she couldn’t help but drop her gaze, her embarrassment getting the better of her.
It wasn’t often that she was embarrassed, but she wasn’t knowledgeable in the ways of men and women.
Blaine had saved her life.
He is not only handsome, but also me savior.
However, she was still a little apprehensive; how could she not be? He was a complete stranger to her. But when he offered his hand to her to help her up, she accepted it, standing to her feet.
“Thank ye,” she said, her voice thin but unwavering as the first wave of shock began to subside. Absentmindedly, she began to dust herself, trying to get all the dirt off her thick cloak in vain, just to distract herself from the terror of her recent experience.
“Come,” Blaine said gently, nodding towards his horse, which had obediently stayed nearby, munching on a bit of grass. “I have some ointment fer that cut on yer cheek.”
“Ach! Is it very bad?”
“The cut?” Blaine asked with a frown. Hesitantly, he reached for her and Kathleen swiftly pulled back at first, frightened. Then, she froze, her eyes staring up at him, her rosy lips parted ever so slightly as he pushed a strand of her hair back to reveal her cheek. “It isnae very bad. It will heal in nay time.”
For a moment, she said nothing. She only stared at him in silence, breath catching in her throat.
No one had ever touched her like that before. No man had ever gone so close, and to have a stranger displaying such intimate tenderness towards her now brought her mind to a complete halt.
When Blaine spoke again, it took Kathleen a few seconds to understand what he was saying.
“What’s a lass like ye daein’ alone in the woods?” Blaine asked.
“I’m… travelin’,” she said, a little hesitantly. She didn’t know just how much she should tell this man when she knew nothing about him at all. “I’m goin’ tae a weddin’.”
“A weddin’, is it?” Blaine asked. “Alone?”
Kathleen looked around her as if searching for someone else.
“Are me guards nae here?”
It seemed to take Blaine a few moments to realize she was joking, but once he did, he chuckled softly. Before they could say anything else, though, a grunt came from the ground near them and one of the men began to stir. There was no time for talking. They had to get out of there as soon as possible.
“We must go,” he said. “Can ye get on yer horse or dae ye need help?”
Kathleen’s only answer was an amused smirk as she ran to her horse and jumped on with ease and the kind of grace that came from a lifetime of practice. Behind her, Blaine chuckled again, shaking his head as he headed to his own horse, the two of them rushing down the path.
After a few minutes of riding, she called out over the wind, “Kathleen.”
“What?” Blaine called back.
“Me name,” she said, “is Kathleen.”
Blaine smiled. “Pleased tae make yer acquaintance, Kathleen.”
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