Highlander's Cursed Bride: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel

by Lydia Kendall

  We can start a new life together away from Rattray and Haerton with no worries. A life where we can both explore like she wants too, kingdom after kingdom.

  I have given the Earl and me faither everything, me blood and me sweat, but how come they would so easily deny me the one thing that brings me true happiness?

  I just want to be where she is, is that too much to ask?

  “I daenae want to go back,” he said and Joan turned to look at him in surprise.

  “Why?”

  “They will nae accept us ye know. Both Rattray and Haerton,” he said as he ran the pad of his thumb over her arm. “Me faither will send ye off to the Earl of Aberdeenshire and we ken yer faither wants me dead.”

  “What are ye talking about?” Joan asked as she got to her feet. Aidan joined her and reached for her.

  He pulled her to his chest and leaned down to kiss her. He hovered over her lips, he could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest, he had never felt this way or planned to. He traced the outline of her face with his free hand as he pressed his lips to the side of her lips, making Joan shiver noticeably. He brushed his lips against hers before pressing himself against her.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her as she stood on her toes to match his height. His hands circled around her, pulled her even closer until there was no breathing space between them. He kissed her as gently as he could.

  There was a spark between them, desire that overpowered his senses. Aidan broke the kiss and stared down at her, breathing heavily. “I love ye.”

  “Aidan…” she trailed off when he kissed her forehead and made his way down to her jaw.

  “How do ye feel about me?” he asked as he pressed his lips to her neck and nibbled softly, pulling a small mewl from her.

  “I am not sure,” she gasped as he lifted her up while she spoke and set her on the ground next to the fire. “I feel happy and content with you,” Joan replied.

  “Is that all?” he asked as he hovered over her with both hands at each side of her head, his face mere inches away from hers.

  “You make me feel safe and I feel like I can do anything as long as you are by my side. You bring out a side of me that I never knew existed, I have never felt so free,” she said, and he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to hers in one quick motion. She moved her hand behind his head and allowed him to ravish her mouth. He pulled back, leaving them both breathless. “I love you too, Aidan,” she whispered and he smiled.

  Clothes fell to the ground piece by piece as sounds of pleasure filled the night. Aidan felt himself spiraling, falling through stars. Running his hands over her body, from the swell of her breasts to the dip of her waist, halting only at the flare of her hips, he felt ecstatic as she gave him her innocence.

  With one rhythm, they were both losing control. Sweat-covered bodies glistened in the nightlight as the fire crackled next to them. Their surroundings faded away while they ascended into the heights and descended to the depths of pure bliss and ecstasy.

  They lay on the grass, panting heavily as their urges calmed. Aidan turned to Joan, who was pressed to his chest.

  Joan tried to move with some effort, alerting a blissful Aidan. “I tried to be very gentle, was I gentle enough?” Aidan said as he grinned sheepishly at her.

  “Yes, you were, my love. It felt good, better than I expected. I had read that a lady's first time was tough, but it wasn't as hard because it was you,” Joan replied, touching his nose.

  They lay on the grass, glistening with sweat and panting heavily as they came down from their high. Aidan turned to Joan.

  Joan tried to move but winced, alerting Aidan. “Are ye hurt?” Aidan said as he grinned sheepishly at her.

  “I know and I am fine. It does not hurt so much,” she replied and laid back on him. “You have really beautiful eyes,” Joan said as she ran her fingers over his face and he grinned. “They look like the skies on a sunny day and they always seem to glitter even in the darkest of nights. I could still see them in the darkness of that cave,” she whispered absently which Aidan noticed.

  “I'll agree with anything ye say then," he said as she moved closer to him, burying her face in his neck and his grip on her waist tightened. "How I wished we had nae worries Joan. We could live our lives the way we want with nae one to tell us otherwise. Just ye and I. Nae one else to tell us what we cannae dae.”

  “That will be impossible to achieve, but it is worth dreaming about,” she whispered.

  “If it was something I could do so quickly, I would have ye on me horse, travelling the globe as ye see fit. Kingdom by kingdom, continent by continent,” he said as Joan pulled back and he pulled her body over his. “What would be better than having ye by me side?” he asked and Joan pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss.

  “What could be better than that?” she asked as she laid her head on his chest. A comforting silence came upon them as so they could hear the crickets and hoots of owls in the forest followed by an occasional rustle in the bushes.

  “We could leave,” he said, breaking the silence between them and Joan perked up at his declaration. “I want to be with ye but we both ken that it isnae possible in our towns. If we leave, we will nae have to answer to anyone.”

  “What are you saying, Aidan? We have families that we cannot abandon,” she said as she sat up. “I know that I left England and my father but my heart is with him all the time. I would love to visit him to rest his mind in the future. Think of all the people that depend on you in Rattray.”

  “But if we leave, we can make time for ourselves with no one to bother us. We can live the life ye want. No one will question us,” he tried to argue but she shook her head.

  “Aidan think of all you have built up in Rattray. The respect they have for you, your master's trust and Ian, Ian has been your friend for many years. You cannot abandon them.”

  “They daenae support us Joan, and ye ken this. How can ye still want to stay amongst them? Ye said ye loved me, then trust me when I tell ye that there is no other way. We can go to America or Ireland.” He was frustrated that she was not seeing his point. He sat up and held her hand and pulled her to his chest. “Please Joan.”

  “Aidan, we cannot. I cannot allow you to abandon all these people who care deeply for you,” she said as she got to her feet and started to get dressed.

  “Joan, they daenae care about ye! Please understand that if we go back, we will be forced apart. There might be a war between our countries, what do ye think will happen then?” he asked as he got to his feet and she tossed him his clothes. “Joan are ye listening to me at all?”

  “I am listening, Aidan. In the few weeks that we have spent together, we have been through thick and thin, but we have survived,” she said as she slipped on her inner wear and breeches.

  “Please understand that I do love you and I trust you, but I believe that we will find a way. Come war, come peace…” she said as she stood on her toes and kissed him.

  They broke apart when they heard the sound of someone clapping. Joan jumped back when she saw that Ian was the one clapping. He sat on his horse with a livid look on his face as he clapped.

  “Well then, I am sure that the Laird will be happy to hear this,” he said and Aidan looked away from his friend and started to get dressed.

  “Ian, it is not what you think…” Joan was interrupted when he pointed his sword at her with a deadly glint in his eyes.

  “Daenae provoke me any further,” Ian snapped as four more men came out from the bushes just as Aidan put on his kilt. “Bring them back to town. Even if it means forcing them,” Ian said as he turned his horse, fixing a disappointed look at Aidan who looked unbothered.

  I don't see a way.

  Chapter 15

  Aidan looked away as his father scolded him. His mind was far from what his father was saying.

  Why would Joan nae leave with me? She did say she loved me and I love her. If we leave then we would be truly
free.

  “Are ye even listening to me, boy?” Aidan snapped out of his thoughts when his father screamed at him and he nodded, intentionally failing to hide his disinterest. “"Ye wanted to run away! With that English lass! If Ian had nae found ye then ye would have run off for sure! What were ye even thinking? She is the enemy!”

  “Nae, she is not yer enemy. She knows nothing and wants nothing to do with yer war,” he said, and his father reeled back in disbelief.

  “She is not one of us so we cannae trust her,” his father bellowed, eyes red with anger as he held his son by the shoulder and shook him violently. Aidan yanked his shoulder back from his father and turned on his heels. “Ye better nae walk out while I speak to ye!”

  “I ask nae to be disturbed while Joan and I rest,” Aidan said before leaving his father's office and bumped into Ian.

  “Aidan,” Ian wondered as he took in his friend's appearance. “What has gotten into ye?”

  “Ye should have shut your mouth,” Aidan snapped at Ian who frowned as Aidan walked past him.

  “Ye were about to run off with a lass we know little aboot! What is right about that?” Ian said as he pulled Aidan back and Aidan shoved him away.

  “I did nae run from the town,” Aidan said as leaned on a wall. “We were kidnapped.”

  “Ye want me to believe that anyone would kidnap the son of The Laird of Leitan! Who is insane enough to attempt to kidnap ye! Ye lie!” Ian spat, and Aidan glared at him, ready to pounce if Ian tried to do anything.

  “I lie?” Aidan chuckled. “We were ambushed. They wanted Joan and took me along after I injured their leader. They poisoned me and I was unconscious for two days and hallucinated for one full day! Joan was the only one by me side!”

  Ian scoffed as she stood straight. “She stood by yer side? I daenae believe ye. Even if she did, do ye trust her more than ye trust us now?”

  “I daenae have to prove anythin' to ye,” Aidan said as he started to walk off. He stopped at the end of the hall and looked back at Ian. “If I find oot that it was any of ye that planned the kidnapping, ye can count me out from yer war.”

  “Ye cannae be serious!” Ian ran up to him and tried to hold him back but Aidan evaded it. “All for a lass?”

  “It is none of yer concern!” Aidan snapped back at him before walking away to find Joan. He slowly opened the door to her room and saw her with fresh clothes, fast asleep, and he cracked a smile at her. He stepped back out and shut the door and made his way toward the stable where he met his parents.

  She was supposed to be me happiness, I cannae see how that is possible now.

  “Where are ye going?” his mother demanded as she saw him lead out a new horse. “Ye cannae leave this estate, ye need to make peace with yer father.”

  “I am nae a child of eight summers any longer mother and I am going to look for who ordered Joan to be kidnapped,” he replied as he started to saddle up the horse. He paused and looked at his father. “If I remember correctly, faither threatened me about Joan, perhaps I should start with him.”

  “What nonsense are ye spewing now?” his father said as Aidan left the horse to stand with his parents.

  “Nae! Ye were the only one who dinnae like her. Ye kept speaking ill of her and never tried to hide it. Then ye told me to take her away or I would have meself to blame. The next day, we got kidnapped!” Aidan said and his father stepped back in shock. “It was ye! Ye never wanted her here and when I refused to take her away from Scotland ye told yer men to kidnap yer!”

  “Aidan, have ye gone mad? It is yer faither…” he stopped his mother and turned back to his father.

  “If I wanted to kidnap anyone why would I kidnap me son along with them?” his father retorted.

  “I ken ye did it! It was ye!”

  “Support yer allegations with evidence, Aidan. It is absurd that ye would think I would do this.” Aidan glared at the older man before going to mount his horse.

  “Joan is asleep faither, please leave her be, she has been through enough,” Aidan said as he cracked the reins and the horse broke into a run.

  The moon was out and he had found nothing to point him to the kidnappers. He knew that they were Scottish but he had no idea whether they came from the Highlands or Lowlands. The cell they had been locked in was a cave hideout. He knew it was madness to go back to the cave alone.

  He had been to almost every tavern in search of them without any luck. With a deep sigh, he turned his horse around and made his way back to the castle. He saw a black horse galloping toward him and he stopped to allow the person pass. He was surprised to see Ian on the horse.

  Ian stopped in front of him and Aidan fixed him with a hard glare. “I have nae use for yer scolding,” Aidan said as he passed Ian.

  “I am nae here to fight ye. Yer faither has sent me,” Ian shouted, and Aidan stopped. “Joan is safe; we daenae want ye to get hurt. We need to discuss our plans for the war. The Duke still keeps our men in England’s prisons and we need to rescue them or have ye forgotten which side started all this. The Earl appointed ye because ye have won many battles and ye care about yer people. Ye have more information than I do about Haerton that can help us. We need ye.”

  “Haerton is weak, ye know that. They do not have good defenses, their soldiers are not well trained and they have no warlords to lead them. Ye can lead this war however ye want and ye will still win and rescue our men. Half of our army will defeat them, ye do not need me and I have no interest in war anymore,” he said and Ian's eyes widened in shock.

  “We have planned this for months, Aidan. The war is upon us and ye want to back out? Why?” Ian snapped at him.

  “I cannae fight for…” Aidan stopped speaking and pulled out his dagger, alerting Ian who did the same. “What is Eimear doing on the worst side of town?” Aidan asked as he dismounted his horse and Ian followed suit. East Aberdeenshire had the highest number of inns and taverns, so royalty and people of high status never set foot in that part of town.

  “Her home is far from here,” Ian noted as he followed Aidan, who sank into the darkness. They saw Eimear look back before ducking into an alley. “Why are we following her?”

  “I came in search of anythin' that could lead me to the kidnappers. She is headed toward the most ruthless side of the town. The Eimear I know would not be caught dead here, unless…”

  “Unless she came for something,” Ian finished and Aidan nodded as he went after her. Ducking into the alley, he found a messily-hidden door. He exchanged looks with Ian and he slowly opened the door.

  The door led to a small passage and they descended the stairs and through the passage until they could see a door with some light shining from behind it. Aidan pressed his ear to the door and heard people arguing.

  “How did it happen? I told ye to leave him alone!” Aidan heard Eimear shout at someone. “Ye had one job yet ye failed! Now Aidan is back, and he will be looking for ye! If he finds ye—”

  The other person spoke, cutting her off, “He can dae nothing to me.”

  “I daenae care about ye! If he finds ye, then me plan will fail and he may kill me.”

  Aidan immediately recognized the voice of one of the kidnappers who constantly taunted him in the cave.

  “Aidan, it was Eimear who had you kidnapped. But why would she?” Ian whispered as Aidan moved back and drew his sword.

  “I have heard enough.” Ian stepped back as Aidan delivered a swift kick to the rotting door and it fell to the floor, scaring the people behind it.

  The man with Eimear grinned when he saw Aidan ready with his sword. “I will enjoy this,” he said as he shoved Eimear away as Aidan ran toward him.

  Swords clashed as both men lunged for each other. Aidan swiped at his face. The man jumped back, narrowly escaping the blow but he wasn't able to see Aidan’s second attack. The man winced as he felt the pain that came with slicing of flesh.

  He dropped his sword as he held onto his injured stomach. Aidan used the opportunity to strik
e again as he kicked away the man’s dagger. With an angry yell, he plunged his own the dagger into the man's chest.

  “Remove that dagger and ye die,” Aidan told the now-still man.

  Aidan lifted his gaze to the man and looked at Eimear who was terrified and huddled in a corner of the room. Aidan picked up his sword and sheathed it. He moved toward her with a heavy heart but Ian crossed his path.

  “We should take her to the castle,” Ian suggested.

  “I know, but she kidnapped Joan, I need to understand why,” Aidan retorted.

  “Ye daenae seem calm, me friend, she is—"” Ian was interrupted when Eimear ran out of the room, distracting him and giving Aidan the chance to gently shove Ian out of his way.