Heart of the Highlands: The Beast (Protectors of the Crown Book 1)

by Holthaus, April

  “It is my belief that she was taken by the Sutherlands,” Leland said.

  Ian eyed him suspiciously.

  “What makes ye believe such a thing? Did ye see them? Were they here?” Ian asked, fear gripping him, causing his muscles to stiffen as his heart began to race.

  “Nay, I dinna see them. But I know that she arranged to meet with them,” he confessed.

  “Why would she go off and do something as foolish as that and why in bloody hell if ye knew about it did ye let her?” he snapped.

  Ian’s stomach twisted in knots. He felt as if he was caught in a bloody nightmare. He had to be, for his own wife and brother would never conspire against him. But in truth, they had. The fact that Keira had betrayed him ripped his heart in so many pieces that there would be nothing left of it. As his mind wrapped around the situation, his blood boiled. He would go save her, but did not know how he could ever forgive or trust her again.

  Clenching his fists, he was ready to strike. Ian pointed to all three men. His eyes filled with rage and fear.

  “Ian, listen,” Leland began to say.

  “Stay away from me. All of ye,” Ian growled.

  “Ian,” Leland said but Ian stopped him before he could get in another word.

  “I did no’ say ye can speak! Betrayed, by my own brother. Ye are worse than them all. Ye are my brother no longer,” Ian said with pain in his voice as he walked away from them.

  “She did it fer ye, Brother!” Leland called out.

  Ian stopped in his tracks, too hurt and angry to reply.

  “If ye wish to denounce me as yer brother, then fine. But know this, ye are no’ the only one who has sacrificed. Ye have lost Sarah and we lost our home, but Keira lost everything as well. Did ye take that into consideration? It was Keira who arranged to meet with Laird Sutherland. She was going to give up her title and deed to Sinclair Castle in exchange for our home. She was going to use her alliance wit’ the Sutherlands and sacrifice everything she has left for ye! She dinna tell ye because she knew how ye would react. And I dinna tell ye because I believe in her.”

  Why would she do such a thing? Castle Sinclair meant as much to her as his home meant to him. Hearing that right now she could very well be in the hands of his enemy was maddening. He would do anything to protect her. She had been his light in the darkness and he would be damned if he did not get her back. With a stony expression, Ian turned to face his brother.

  “I can no’ lose her, Leland,” he admitted.

  Ian struggled to hold in his emotions, though his fear ran deep inside his core. He could not lose her. He needed her. He loved her. And he would fight with his dying breath to get her back.

  “Then let us find the whoreson who took her.”

  Chapter 27

  Keira woke with a start, as she was jostled upon a wooden floor. She could hear the hooves of the horses trotting along a rocky path and could feel the wheels of the cart she was held in hit the bumps in the road. It was dark. Nightfall had fallen, and the sky was lit by stars.

  Her wrists burned; bound tightly together with rope and she could feel a nasty bump on the side of her head emanating pain. She felt as if she had woken from a long sleep. Her head felt groggy and her eyesight took a moment to focus in the dim light. Memories of what had happened in the market rushed to the forefront of her mind. Her body grew tense with fear.

  Rolling over to her side, she looked up at the person atop the horse pulling the cart. But much to her dismay, his features were covered by a long dark cloak. With only the light of the moon, Keira knew that even if he had not been wearing the cloak, the darkness would still have masked his identity.

  With each bump the cart hit, the pain in her head intensified. But the pain her body felt could not compare to the one in her heart. Her mind was drawn to Ian. She had been such a fool. How could she ever forgive herself? How could he? No matter what happened to her, she prayed that he would be safe. As she gazed up at the passing stars, she allowed her mind to drift. Her only comfort was that the same stars were also shining down on him.

  They rode for what seemed several hours. Like soft whispers, voices grew closer in the distance. As they rode towards the commotion, Keira had little hope the men they were approaching would help her.

  Her assailant led the cart to the middle of a campsite filled with men. Keira sat up and looked at the faces staring back at her. She recognized neither the men nor the plaid they wore.

  Dressed in armor, they were prepared for battle. Keira took inventory of their weaponry. There were stack of quivers full with arrows, firearms with long barrels, and swords and shields stacked as high as their knees. There were at least forty warriors and they were well prepared to take on an entire regiment.

  “Lady Sinclair, or should I call ye Lady MacKay?” a tall, black-haired man said as he walked up to the cart.

  “Who are ye and why have ye taken me?”

  “Allow me to introduce myself and my men. My name is Laird Thomas Chisholm, these are my men and ye were my intended bride until that bastard MacKay decided to steal ye fer himself.”

  “Laird Chisholm? But I saw ye in Inverness. Ye were tried and heading to the gallows.”

  “Aye, well, deception is only one of my many talents. The man ye thought was me was one of my many soldiers willing to die fer my cause. There are several men, if dressed up, that can be made to look like me. Apparently, I have been told I have a common face. But I can assure ye Lass, I am no’ dead, nor common.”

  Not yet, she thought as she lowered her eyes to him.

  “I am married to Laird Ian MacKay. He will come fer me. He will hunt ye down. And when he finds me, ye can be certain that he will no’ spare yer life,” she warned.

  “It matters not. Ye are mine Keira. There’s no point in fighting me and denying that fact. As for yer husband, I have little worry he will come. I should have killed him when I had the chance; an oversight on my part. He did, however, do me a great service. Now that all of Scotland thinks I’m dead I can continue my purpose.”

  “And what purpose is that?” she said with hatred seething from her lips.

  “The same as yer father. Kill the king,” he replied, his face devoid of emotion.

  “Dinna ye dare talk about my father! He was a great mon!”

  “Believe what ye will Keira. But yer father’s soul is as black as mine. I know why yer husband and King James’s men have been searching fer me. They wish to obtain this,” he said as he pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “This letter is what James wants. This is what he has been searching fer; the detailed list of names of every Scot who signed their allegiance to the English Crown. This letter is worth more to him than his throne,” Thomas revealed.

  Slowly, he walked over to the fire pit and held the letter above the flames. The corner of the letter started to smoke as it caught fire. Keira watched as flames sparked and the paper crumbled into ash.

  “As for yer father, I made a promise to him before he was taken. That I would protect his daughter, even if I had to protect her from herself. I stand by my end of the bargain.”

  “And what did my father get from ye? To die wit’ out honor at the end of the noose? Ye will ne’er get away wit’ this!”

  Chisholm laughed wickedly as if he suffered from hysteria. The cold look in his eyes did not once waver at her threat. The rider dismounted and came to stand at the man’s side. As he lowered his cloak, Keira gasped in disbelief. His familiar eyes regarded her but remained unmoved by her reaction. She felt faint. Her throat tightened as she struggled to breathe and her heart pounded faster in her chest.

  Swallowing hard, she whispered in a strained voice, “Father?”

  Keira’s knees gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.

  ~*~

  Ian, Rylan and Leland, followed by a dozen of their warriors, set out northward following the tracks the cart had left behind. After struggling with a forgetful barmaid for almost an hour to get a proper description
of the man who took Keira, the maid led them out back where Ian found a set of prints left in the mud by a horse-drawn carriage.

  For hours, they rode down a well-beaten path losing hope that they were on the right track. But Ian would not give up. He would search every home in the Highlands if he had to.

  Driven by anger and fear, flashbacks of his village burned in Ian’s mind. The smell of burning wood and hay from the cottages and cries of the villagers as they mourned their loss still haunted him. When he returned from battle, never could he have imagined the carnage he saw in the village. As he rode into the settlement, he raced towards his home. There, he found his dear young wife Sarah lying on the bloody ground.

  He recalled dropping to her side and cradling her in his arms as he wept. Leaving her unprotected in the village was a foolish mistake. She should have stayed with his family in the castle but she fought hard with Ian to stay close to her family. Believing his clan would be safe, he foolishly gave in to her request.

  If Laird Sutherland took Keira away as he had taken Sarah there would be no place safe for him. Ian would hunt him down until his dying day.

  There was a dark side to Ian, a beast within, that when provoked and angered no man could rein him in and stop him.

  Ian had to bury his emotions deep inside his core. If he allowed his fear and anger to control him, he would lose not only his focus but all sense of himself. He would go mad with revenge. A man driven by anger was like a loose cannon. And if he wanted to save Keira, he could not continue being hell-bent on vengeance. He had to think like a warrior and not a love-sick fool.

  “Ian,” Leland called out. “We must stop. We cannae see their trail in the darkness. We will pick up again in the morning.”

  Curse the sun!

  “Set up camp and put men on guard. I will take first watch,” Ian commanded.

  “Ye should rest,” Leland suggested. “Ye will be no’ good to her if ye are weak and tired. I will send men ahead to continue the search.”

  “I will join them,” Rylan offered.

  Ian stared in awe at the way his brother took command. Leland, a lad less than two years younger than he, had always been a free spirit and considered too reckless for Ian’s high standards of discipline and duty. Ian had no idea how, but he knew his sudden change in disposition was because of Keira. It was more than just Leland’s sense of honor to protect his Laird’s wife, but that he actually cared for her. Keira had managed to charm many of his clansmen and every single one of them would risk their lives to protect her. Never had Ian felt so proud of his clansmen until this very moment.

  Ian went to lay near the fire. Rolling on his back, he looked to the stars and sent up a silent prayer for her safe return.

  “I’m coming fer ye lass. Ye just have to hold on a wee bit longer,” he whispered.

  ~*~

  Keira awoke to the sound of men’s chatter from outside the tent. It was pitch black outside and the only light she had was from the fire burning brightly outside her shelter. Scurrying to her feet, it took a moment before it dawned on her that she was no longer bound. Rubbing her wrists where the skin tore from the tight restraint, she wondered why they released her. Were they foolish enough to believe she would not run?

  At the sight of her father and Laird Chisholm, both alive and well, she felt that either she was dead or was having delusions. The last she had seen her father he was shackled, chained, and being escorted to the gallows. How did he escape? It didn’t make sense. Nothing made any sense in this extravagant spectacle her father was involved in. She couldn’t help but feel heartbroken as she was made out to be the fool.

  For several minutes she watched and waited as shadows moved along the tent wall. When the noise of shuffling feet silenced, Keira slipped out of the tent but was greeted instantly by Laird Chisholm who stood guarding her exit.

  “Ye are awake,” he said.

  “Where is my father? I wish to speak to him.”

  “In a moment. It is my desire to speak to ye first.”

  “I have no desire to hear anything ye have to say!”

  “Even if it has to do wit’ yer husband?”

  His question caught her off guard. What did he know of her husband? She turned to look at him waiting for him to continue this ridiculous game he was playing.

  “I am a powerful mon Keira. And I am a mon who gets what he wants. If ye submit to me, I will see to it that Varrich Castle is restored to Clan MacKay and that they will no’ have trouble wit’ Laird Sutherland. That is what ye wanted after all, was it not?”

  “How do ye know that?”

  “Truth be told, that one of my men intercepted yer message to Laird Sutherland. He never received yer missive, my Lady, but received mine instead.”

  “Ye bastard! What did ye do?”

  “As we speak, yer husband is heading into a trap. That is, unless ye agree to submit to me.”

  “And if I did?”

  “Then I would keep my word and call off the attack. And yer husband shall live, I would imagine.”

  Keira thought hard on the proposition he offered. Returning Ian to his rightful place was everything she wanted. He would finally be able to go home. But giving herself to Thomas Chisholm was not what she was willing to bargain for.

  “I can be a compassionate mon, Keira.”

  Keira saw little choice in the matter. If she had to give herself to Laird Chisholm to keep Ian safe, she would, and she’d not regret that decision.

  “May I have yer word,” she asked, remaining steadfast in her decision.

  “On my honor of my clan and of Scotland. Ye have my word.”

  “Then I agree to yer terms.”

  Laird Chisholm walked towards her so that he stood nearly a breath away. Keira clenched her fists against her sides and turned away from his foul stench.

  “I want ye to prove yer alliance to me,” he said stroking the side of her face. “Kiss me. Kiss me as ye kiss yer husband.”

  Tears burned Keira’s eyes. She tried to look away, but Thomas turned her head forcing her to face him.

  “Do it,” he ordered, his voice deep and commanding.

  This man brought fear unlike any man she had ever met and there was no stopping him. Keira let out a breath and hesitantly leaned towards him. She couldn’t get herself to do it. All she could think of was Ian.

  Before she could refuse, Thomas pressed his lips against her. Sweeping his tongue across her lips, he forced her mouth open, and slipping his tongue inside. Keira tried to resist, but Thomas kept his hold firm.

  His kiss did not taste as sweet as Ian’s nor was it gentle. Cupping her breast, he squeezed and fondled it with his hand. Chisholm’s men watched with sinister eyes and wicked smiles as he groped her body freely.

  “Do no’ resist me! Ye will only make it worse fer yerself. If ye do what I say, I will no’ hurt ye.”

  Keira choked on her tears. “I would rather rot than have yer hands touch me again!” she replied.

  Chisholm smirked and pushed her backwards into the arms of one of his guards.

  “Put her in the tent. I will deal wit’ her later,” he instructed.

  The guard nodded and followed his order. Placing his large hand on her thin waist, the guard picked her up and carried her off inside the large canopy tent. Once inside, he tossed her on the pallet, leaving her alone. Curling herself into a ball, she wept.

  Ian. His name resonated in her mind. She prayed for his safety and hoped he would find her before it was too late.

  ~*~

  Thomas stepped inside the marquee where his highest guards were stationed. The round pavilion had high walls and space to accommodate fifty of his soldiers. Leaning back on his chair, he listened as they discussed their advance toward Linlithgow, where James had returned. He watched as Magnus Sinclair instructed his men the best route to travel through the lowlands. Thomas could see the worry in his eyes as the man held back his frustration and worry over his daughter. Though he was an ally, Magnus was no
more to Thomas than a puppet. And once his services were no longer needed, Thomas would rid himself of both Magnus and his daughter.

  His plan was working magnificently as all of his plans usually did. Second son to Laird Farrell Chisholm, Thomas was used to having to fight for what he wanted. Second in line, he was a shadow; often ignored by his father and his eldest brother Creighton, who reaped the benefits of Lairdship of their clan.

  With an abundance of time on his hands, Thomas grew up studying politics, theology and law. In his younger years he thought to pursue a military position against their English enemies, but after the fall of his father’s regime, their clan suffered several casualties; left with nothing but a damaged castle and a broken spirit. Until he happened to run across another man bent on revenge against James, Archibald Douglas; the king’s step-father. James banished him from Scotland and the man was just as eager for vengeance as Thomas was.

  With no great position, there was little Thomas could do, which led him to killing his own brother and securing his place as Laird. After that, the pieces fell into place. Thomas was stronger than his brother and much more intelligent. He managed to unite his clan with several others. With Thomas and Archibald Douglas feeding each other information, both of their power and influence grew stronger.

  With Thomas’s alliance with Douglas, he was promised titles and land in England as well as a proper position within the king’s army, which would grant him nobility. The reward could not be sweeter if the King of England himself wrapped it up in a bright red bow.

  James was young, inexperienced and easily influenced by his councilmen. He was not fit to be king.

  Chapter 28

  “Ian!” Leland hollered. “The men have returned.”

  Ian pushed himself off the ground and stood up. He could see the men Leland had sent to scout riding toward them.

  “My Laird, we spotted Sutherlands no’ too far from here. But we did no’ see any sign of Lady MacKay,” Rylan informed him.