The MacLomain Series: Later Years - a Scottish Time Travel Romance Boxed Set

by Sky Purington

  Rònan had never seen Darach stand up to his father. Not that Grant intended it in the least, but he suddenly realized that it took a lot for Darach to step out from under his father’s ever powerful shadow.

  “Nay, we must know everything,” Torra started, but Rònan cut her off. “Erin and Darach have done much for our clans. Might we not respect their wishes?”

  Surprise then something close to pride flickered over Grant’s face as he looked between Rònan and Darach. “Aye,” he said softly. “We will honor their wishes indeed.”

  Rònan’s mother gave Erin a smile and nod of approval before she wrapped elbows with Grant and left. Meanwhile, Darach downed half a mug of whisky.

  “What were you trying to tell us in the armory earlier, Cousin?” Rònan said. “What secrets do you keep?”

  Darach’s eyes went from Erin to Rònan, and he shook his head, clearly debating if he should share.

  Erin felt Darach’s internal distress as much as they all did. “What is it Darach? Does all of this have to do with guilt over being with another woman in Scandinavia? Because even despite the kiss, I don’t think Jackie would hold that against you. She’s pretty understanding.”

  Darach’s eyes perked in surprise because she knew about the Viking girl. He ran his hand over his face in frustration and shook his head. “’Twas not what everyone thinks. ‘Tis important that Jackie steers clear of me. Nothing good can come from us being together.”

  “But why when ‘tis obvious there is affection betwixt you?” Rònan frowned with concern. “Does this have something to do with why you’ve avoided becoming laird?”

  “Aye,” Darach murmured, more troubled by the moment. “I cannae become laird or ‘twill be the end of us all.”

  “Bloody hell,” Rònan said. “Why not tell me sooner? Any of us? ‘Tis ill of me to have thought so poorly of you.”

  “Nay.” Darach shook his head. “You were right to feel as you did. I would’ve felt the same had our positions been reversed.”

  Rònan eyed him for a long moment, clearly trying to understand what was going on. In the end, he gave all he was capable of considering the circumstances. All he could think of to make things right.

  “Well then let me at least say sorry for the lass I stole so long ago. I didnae know you felt so strongly.” Rònan sighed. “Even if you hadn’t, I never should’ve gone near her.”

  Darach eyed him for a long moment before he nodded. “Aye, lad. Like Erin said, ‘twas a long time ago and ‘tis well past time that I let it go. Besides...” His eyes went to Erin then back to Rònan. “You ended up with a far better one.”

  “Thanks, Sweetie,” Erin said. “And while I’m glad you boys have made up, I still want to know what’s going on. I get that you’re trying to push Jackie away to keep her safe, but she’s wearing a ring. That means she can only end up with a MacLomain wizard, right? Last time I checked, you’re the only one left.”

  “I think there’s a way around that,” Darach said softly. “Something that has to do with shifting the passion betwixt us to another.” He pointed to the corner of his eye. “Because of her birthmark.”

  The crown shaped birthmark! She had forgotten about that.

  “Passion shifted because of a birthmark?” Logan frowned. “I dinnae ken.”

  “Is this why Adlin told me in the Otherworld that you would soon hand off the sword to another...that you must... but he never said why?”

  “Aye,” Darach whispered. There was no mistaking the fresh round of pain that entered his eyes. “Now that I know Adlin supported my decision with the blade I cannae share more. Not yet. Mayhap never.” He shook his head. “Jackie is safe where she is.” He met his cousins’ eyes before meeting Erin’s. “All is well enough for now. I’m bloody proud of you, lass. Verra much so.”

  “Back at ya.” She narrowed her eyes. “You know I love you no matter what you’re going through, right? That I’m here for you?” Her eyes flickered from his cousins then back to him. “All of us are.”

  “Aye. I know.” He hugged her before he squeezed Rònan’s shoulder then strode off the wall walk.

  Erin knew he needed space, but she wasn’t above saying to Niall and Logan, “You two should go after him. He’s fighting some demons and needs support.”

  “Aye,” they agreed before turning to Cassie and Nicole.

  “Go on,” Nicole said to Niall. “Erin’s right. Darach could likely use some guy time. We’ll catch up with you later.”

  “Aye then, lass,” Niall said.

  The men kissed their women then left.

  Her friends had been amazingly quiet up to this point, but it was clear both sensed she was ready for some time alone with Rònan.

  “Why don’t we go find something to eat, Nicole?” Cassie suggested.

  “You read my mind.” Nicole gave a little wave to everyone before she wrapped elbows with Cassie and winked at Erin. “Enjoy your man. We’ll see you guys in a bit.”

  Erin nodded. “You bet.”

  After they left, she eyed her Viking posse who stood on either side of the wall walk doing their best to give the family privacy. First, she went to Tait and cupped his cheeks. “So what do you think? Can I handle myself alone now?” She nodded over her shoulder at Rònan. “He’s pretty devoted considering we’re mated and all.”

  “So it seems.” Tait narrowed his eyes at Rònan nonetheless. “I could love you far better, woman.” The corner of his lip shot up. “And please you much better.”

  Erin ignored Rònan’s growl and shook her head before hugging Tait and whispering, “You wish, Gorgeous.”

  That, it seemed, was exactly what Tait needed to hear because he puffed up and shot Rònan a triumphant look.

  Erin met Tait’s eyes. “Thank you for all you did for me, my friend.”

  Before he could respond, she went to Bjorn.

  Unlike Tait, he had trouble meeting her eyes.

  “Hey?” Erin gripped his forearms and angled her head until their eyes met. When they did, she was surprised by his emotions. She might’ve thought Tait was the dragon for her in a pinch but little did she know that there was one who cared for her every bit as much as Rònan.

  A dragon who thought himself in love.

  “Bjorn,” she whispered and cupped his cheeks. “You had to know I was never the girl for you.” She stood on her tip-toes and brought his ear down close to her mouth. Who cared if they spoke within the mind, it felt more natural. “Just wait until you see who you end up with. She’s gonna be something else.”

  When she sank back down, and their eyes met, she winked.

  The corner of Bjorn’s lip twitched, the first inkling of a smile she had seen since meeting him. His eyes stayed with hers before they met Rònan’s, sizing him up yet again before his gaze returned to Erin. Their gaze held for several moments before he nodded.

  True to form, he made a firm declaration. “I feel you are safe.” He looked at Tait. “We must go.”

  Bjorn embraced Rònan swiftly and ordered Tait to do the same before both men bowed to Erin, leapt into the air and shifted. She went to the railing and waved as they flew into the moonlight and vanished.

  Erin couldn’t help it.

  She cried.

  Not loud and obnoxious, just a few tears. Tears that meant everything. Those dragons had protected her every inch of the way without expecting a thing in return. Yet what she thought was only going to be a few tears turned out to be more as Rònan held her from behind.

  “I had my girls in the twenty-first century, women who had my back,” she whispered. “But those Vikings gave me as much loyalty if not more without even knowing me.”

  “’Tis what we dragons do,” he murmured. “We protect our own.”

  “I know,” she whispered, eying the horizon for another long moment before she turned in his arms. Her eyes rose to his. “Thank you, Rònan. Not only for protecting me as well as they did but... for loving me so perfectly.”

  “Perfectly?”


  “Yeah.” She put her hands on his chest and kept her eyes with his. “You did this thing between us right every step of the way.”

  His brows lowered. “I wasnae trying to do anything right or wrong, lass.”

  “And that’s what made it so perfect.” She cupped the sides of his neck. “You followed your heart, and I love you for it.”

  He lifted her onto the edge. Instead of pressing his obvious arousal against her, he cupped her cheeks and held her eyes, concerned. “You knew that protecting Robert would mean losing your voice, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah.” She nodded, thinking nothing of it. “I would’ve given my life for that kid.”

  “I know you would have. You verra nearly did.” His eyes searched hers, still worried. “Are you truly all right, lass?”

  She answered without hesitation and with all her heart. “Rònan, I’m better than I’ve ever been and though it’s disconcerting as hell not being able to talk...I still am, aren’t I?”

  “Aye.” His lips brushed hers. “You are.” A small smile came to his lips. “And you’re still able to sing. We all heard it when your dragon was protecting the Bruce. And ‘tis even more beautiful within the mind.”

  Erin swallowed a rush of emotion. Outside of mating with Rònan, it had been the most intense experience of her life. But right now it wasn’t about her.

  “I never would’ve tried singing if you hadn’t given me the idea at the Viking fortress,” she reminded.

  “I just wanted you to know that all wasn’t lost if—”

  She put a finger to his lips and shook her head. “Like my Dad, you encouraged me to never give up on my dream no matter what life threw at me,” she murmured. “Thank you for that.”

  “You dinnae need to thank me, lass,” he said softly. “Like your Da, I understood ‘twas not a dream to let go of.”

  “Apparently not.” She pulled him in for several soft kisses before she pulled back, concerned. “Do you think Darach is going to be okay? And what’s with Jackie and the Viking?”

  Rònan cupped her cheeks, eyes never more serious. “We will protect those we love. So whatever is happening with Darach and Jackie, we’ll be there every step of the way. Your family is mine as mine is yours.”

  “You promise?”

  “I promise, my wee dragon,” he whispered before he closed his lips over hers.

  Erin might have murmured a thousand times how much she loved him. That she had fallen in love with him. But dragons were dragons.

  They took what they wanted.

  She wrapped her legs around him. He slammed her back against the wall.

  He growled.

  She growled.

  The perfect thing about being dragon mates? Words were no longer necessary. The love they rediscovered was thorough, timeless, endlessly lustful and theirs for all eternity.

  Untouchable.

  So though the enemy had not been defeated, it now had a face.

  A face that would be remembered by the dragons it had tried to destroy.

  In the end, the oath of a Scottish warrior had nothing to do with what he set out for but everything he ultimately needed.

  True love, a mate, and someone to share a future with.

  The End

  Determined to keep Jackie protected from the dark demi-god, Darach flees MacLomain Castle without telling anyone his destination. As foretold by Celtic Goddess Brigit, that should have made the enemy pursue him. But nothing is as it seems. When he learns the demi-god isn’t after him but chased Jackie to ninth-century Scandinavia, he races to get there only to find something unexpected. Things have changed. There might be hope for them. Maybe he can finally be with her. After all, he’s been dreaming about her for years. The only problem? There’s another man involved. One that Darach insisted she be with. Viking Heidrek.

  Turn the page to find out how everything unfolds in Passion of a Scottish Warrior.

  Passion of a Scottish Warrior

  The MacLomain Series- Later Years

  Book Four

  By

  Sky Purington

  DETERMINED TO PROTECT Jackie from evil, Darach Hamilton flees MacLomain Castle without telling anyone his destination. As foretold by Celtic Goddess Brigit, that should have made the enemy pursue him. But nothing is as it seems. When he learns the dark demi-god went after Jackie instead, he races to her side only to discover something unexpected. Things have changed. There might be hope for them. Maybe he can finally be with her. After all, he’s been dreaming about her for years. The only problem? He already pushed her into another man’s arms.

  Over a month has passed since Jackie traveled back in time from modern day New Hampshire to medieval Scotland. Since then, it’s been a non-stop adventure. Now she’s in ninth-century Scandinavia with Heidrek, a Viking set to inherit the throne. A man that Darach is determined she be with despite the unforgettable kiss they shared. Then there’s the newfound Claddagh ring on her finger. It is foretold that its stone can only be ignited by the love of a MacLomain. Darach is by birth, the only remaining MacLomain not taken. Yet despite the power the ring’s glow could harness, she wants nothing to do with it. Not in light of her terrible secret. One she prays will keep any man from loving her because it will mean their ultimate ruin.

  Many revelations come to light when Jackie, Darach, and Heidrek travel through time to keep the future King, wee Robert the Bruce safe. Determined to spare them heartbreak, Jackie refuses both men. Yet one of them ends up invoking unavoidable passion. A timeless draw. One she tries to fight. But some things are meant to be, and Fate has a plan for them all. Epic love. Ultimate war. Inescapable death. Twists nobody saw coming. An ending that will either see Scotland through to what it is today or rewrite history altogether.

  Dedication

  This is dedicated to my mother-in-law, Nancy.

  You touched my life in ways you will never know.

  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Rest in Peace, my friend.

  1943-2015

  An Irish Poem

  Do not stand at my grave and weep,

  I am not there... I do not sleep.

  I am the thousand winds that blow...

  I am the diamond glints on snow...

  I am the sunlight on ripened grain...

  I am the gentle autumn rain.

  When you waken in the morning’s hush,

  I am the swift uplifting rush

  Of gentle birds in circling flight...

  I am the soft star that shines at night.

  Do not stand at my grave and cry—

  I am not there... I did not die...

  Chapter One

  Scandinavia

  905 A.D.

  “DARACH LET ME GO,” Jackie murmured against Heidrek’s chest. “Just like that, he let me go.”

  “He did right by you, woman.” Heidrek tilted her chin until their eyes met. “Now I will watch over you.” His gaze softened. “Care for you.”

  What had just happened? She still couldn’t make sense of it. Not this part of the journey anyway. Like her friends with Broun blood, Cassie, Nicole, and Erin, she had traveled back in time from modern day New Hampshire to medieval Scotland.

  Well, at least originally.

  Since she first traveled back over a month ago, she had ping-ponged between Scotland and ninth-century Scandinavia. Anything to avoid the evil demi-god in pursuit of not only wee Robert the Bruce but one of the four original Claddagh rings. Apparently, the rings were the key to a modern day Broun finding her one true love MacLomain. And as foretold, all of her friends who wore a ring like hers had recently done just that. Fallen in love.

  So that only left Jackie.

  And Darach.

  Despite being in another man’s arms right now, they were the only two left that were meant to come together. The only Broun and MacLomain. Yet Darach was determined to see that changed. Which was why he sent her reeling back in time safely within Heidrek’s arms.

 
; Not a Scotsman but a Viking.

  Jackie was about to respond to Heidrek when two dragons appeared out of thin air. Within seconds, Bjorn and Tait shifted and landed on the dock. They too had returned from thirteenth century Scotland.

  She pulled away from Heidrek, anxious to hear what they had to say. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon. Is everything okay?” Keep your cool, she preached to herself. Now isn’t the time to lose it. “Erin? Robert the Bruce? What happened after we left?”

  The last thing she saw before being whisked away in the midst of battle at MacLomain Castle was all hell breaking loose.

  “Time passes differently. It has been several hours since the battle. All is well enough,” Bjorn grumbled and strode away.

  Jackie frowned at Tait. “That doesn’t sound promising.”

  “The demi-god wasn’t defeated, but the young king and your friends are safe.” Tait shrugged as he watched Bjorn. “Although he ordered me to keep my distance from Erin, it seems my cousin came to love her and struggles with her taking Rònan as a mate.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” Jackie murmured. She had seen the way Bjorn looked at Erin.

  As it turned out, Erin was half dragon, so she was more appealing to the Viking dragon shifters. Bjorn and Tait had protected her until now. Her guess was Erin and Rònan had come into their full power, and her ring’s gem matched Rònan’s eyes. Once that happened, the demi-god couldn’t go near it.

  That meant Jackie and her ring had become the new target.

  “And how are you doing, Cousin?” Heidrek asked Tait. “Is your heart broken as well?”

  “I’m fine,” Tait assured though a flicker of sadness touched his eyes. “Erin is my friend, and I only wish her the best.”

  Heidrek nodded. “Good.” He clasped Tait’s shoulder and met his eyes. “You and Bjorn made me proud. Thank you for protecting your kin so well.”

  Tait nodded before he headed down the dock. From the get-go, she had been impressed with how much respect the dragon shifters showed Heidrek considering he wasn’t half dragon. But he was the oldest and would become king eventually, so it made sense. More than that, he treated them well. He treated everyone well for that matter.