Highlander’s Bewitched Soul

by Olivia Kerr

  “I was wondering,” he said, “how many people heard us?”

  Isla laughed. “I am sure a few did,” she replied. “If I am honest, being quiet was not what I was concerned about.”

  “No, neither am I,” he said. “Let them think that we...were acting as if we were married.”

  “Well, they may look down at that,” she replied, “because we aren’t married yet.”

  “Would you like to be?” he asked her.

  “Yes,” she said, as she squeezed his hand. “You know that I would.”

  “Well, perhaps we should finally do that.”

  She rolled to look at him.

  “Are you asking me to marry you?” she said.

  “Yes,” he said. “I am sorry, I wanted to plan a perfect romantic moment, but—”

  “This is perfect,” she said. “Just you and I. There is no one to ask, anyways. There is no father to ask for my hand, and no mother to ask for her blessing. I am alone.”

  “You are not alone,” he said to her. “I am with you.”

  Her eyes filled with tears and for a moment, he was afraid that he had said something wrong.

  “No one has ever said that before,” she said. “No one has ever told me that they would be with me...forever.”

  “Surely David would have said something to those effects…even if—”

  “No,” she said. “He never promised me that we would be together forever. It is sad because David was the only father that I ever really knew...and yet even he made me feel like he would abandon me at a moment’s notice, the moment he was done with me.”

  “Done with you?” he asked. “What do you mean? Why would he be done with you?”

  “Do you think that I am the first woman he has done something like this to?” she asked, laughing. “There have been at least two others that he took under his wing, and promised to have them realize their full potential."

  “What happened to them?” Cameron asked.

  “I don’t know,” Isla said. “But I suspect that I am lucky to have survived.”

  “Oh,” he said. “I…did not realize. I would have never let him hurt you.”

  “You were not there all the time. I am not saying that to accuse you but rather to remind you. We could have never met if I stepped out of line. We could have never…”

  “Isla, I do not want you to think about such things,” he said to her. “I do not want you to worry about anything anymore. You will be my wife and you will be protected from this moment on.”

  She smiled and then propped herself up on her elbows.

  “I think I am ready to go out,” she said. “To walk amongst nature again. I feel well.”

  “Good, because I was going to ask if you would like to sit by the fire, and perhaps enjoy some hot mead with me.”

  “Aren’t you worried that others will stare?” she teased him, but he only shook his head.

  “No,” he replied. “I will never worry about anything like that again and I am sorry that you...that I did not stop caring about such things before. You were always stronger than me, in that regard.”

  “Stronger?” she asked. “How was I stronger?”

  “Because you knew that I was a Christian, and yet you did not show any fear. You knew that—”

  “You think that I did not show fear?” she asked. “I was so afraid. Not of your religion, but who you were.”

  “Who I was?” he asked, confused.

  “I was worried that you were your father’s son,” she said. “And that you would want to hold me captive and force me into battle like your father did.”

  “Oh, Isla. I am so sorry, my love.”

  She leaned forward and kissed him. “I know you are not that person now. But I am telling you this to show you that I did feel fear.”

  “You were so strong,” he said.

  “Fear is my constant state,” she replied, with a shrug. “And so I suppose I learned to...adapt.”

  “No more,” he promised her when he kissed her. “No more.”

  Eventually, they managed to put themselves together and exited the tent.

  To Cameron’s surprise, when they got out of the tent, everyone was out and about. He had no idea what time of day it was, but he thought it was earlier than it actually was. When they stood before the rest of the men, everyone stared at them.

  “Uh oh,” Cameron said and took Isla’s hand. She said nothing, watching the crowd that was gathering.

  Cameron wondered if he was going to discipline the men, or whether he was going to have to break free of this life here and now.

  However, he quickly realized that their reaction was not what it was normally. They weren't staring because they were terrified of the demigoddess. They weren't staring because they wanted to jeer or laugh, or try to bring her down. Instead, they were staring in admiration.

  “Three cheers for Cameron and Isla!” Lewis called when he caught sight of them. “Three cheers for the newly betrothed!”

  Cameron supposed that Lewis had spoken to Jacob, and Jacob had not dishonorably discharged Lewis like he threatened to do.

  Cameron was sure that there would be many more conversations to be had. He was certain that they would likely argue about the way that the battle was handled for years to come. However, he saw it as an argument that came with laughter and smiles, and good memories, perhaps with his children running around their feet.

  “Congratulations my friend,” Lewis said, approaching them. He embraced Cameron and then turned to Isla and embraced her too. "You do not look familiar.”

  “Because the dye has left my hair?” she asked him and he smiled.

  “No,” he replied. “I suspect it’s because you look happy, and you have not looked this happy since we were children.”

  “Oh,” Isla said. “That is because of Cameron’s kindness.”

  “And you are well?” Lewis asked, seemingly obvious to what kindness she was referring to. Isla nodded.

  “Yes,” she said. “I do believe the worst of it is over.”

  “Wonderful!” Lewis said.

  “I see the camp has not burned down in my absence,” Cameron said and Lewis chuckled.

  “Of course, not,” he said. “Why would you assume such a thing? I can handle it.”

  “Will you be able to handle it?” Cameron asked. “When I...leave?”

  “Yes,” Lewis said. “I thought that you might.”

  For a moment, Cameron saw sadness on his friend’s face. However, Lewis smiled.

  “Just come see me from time to time,” he said. “I am sure that I will need your advice before some of the more stressful moments. But do not think that I don’t wish you the best, my friend, in your new battle.”

  “My new battle?” Cameron burst out laughing, and Isla smiled as well.

  “I do not think it will be as short of a battle,” she said. “I hope it will be as long as the longest war.”

  “Even longer,” Cameron said, and bent down to kiss her. He put his arm around her and she snuggled close. He knew that one part of his life was ending, but he could not wait for the next part of it to begin.

  Chapter 19

  Isla was not typically nervous. She usually was able to stand in front of large crowds with a stoic face and not reveal a moment of her emotion. But now, standing at the beach and waiting to walk down the aisle of nature towards Cameron, she had never felt so nervous.

  “There’s still time,” Lewis said to her, as he waited at the back of the crowd with her.

  “For what?” Isla asked.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “To run away? You can run away with me if you like.”

  Isla burst out laughing.

  “You don’t want to?” Lewis asked. “Wonderful. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen if you said yes.”

  “Well, you would have to marry me,” she said. “And then you would have to put up with me for the rest of your life.”

  “Oh no,” Lewis replied. “I think it is be
tter if you marry Cameron.”

  Isla shook her head. “I don’t know. Now that you have offered me such an exciting possibility, I think—”

  “Time to go,” Lewis said and Isla laughed. She had no intention of marrying Lewis, but she was grateful for their friendship, and for Lewis making her laugh when she felt most nervous.

  As she walked through the crowd that had gathered, and met Cameron’s eyes, she realized that it was not nerves. Instead, it was an undeniable joy that beat in her chest so strong that she hardly knew how to recognize it.

  “Hello,” Cameron said when she got to the front of the makeshift aisle.

  They had not wanted to get married in a church because it would have felt too Christian. They had also agreed to not get married in a ceremony that would only represent a single religion. And so, Cameron had found a pagan clansman who had been willing to honor both elements of their religions. Neither of them knew whether their marriage would be recognized if they went outside the circle of those they knew, but such a thing did not bother them. As far as both were concerned, they would be married in the eyes of all the gods, and they would spend the rest of their lives walking in harmony.

  Isla had chosen a colorful dress, full of shimmery fabric that caught the light of the sun. Cameron had chosen to be married as the soldier he was, and the sea of faces that looked upon them were only friendly.

  Isla did not know what the future held for them. But she knew that his love would make her forget all her troubles. She barely remembered the vows that she said, or the ceremony itself. She was so lost in his eyes, and his large hands, caressing her small ones.

  It was only once the clansman announced that they were married, and Cameron leaned down to kiss her, did she realize it was over.

  “That’s it,” he said, with a smile. “We’ve done it.”

  “We're married,” she replied, as the crowd cheered.

  “What do we do now?” he asked, and she stood up on tiptoe to whisper in his ear.

  “I have one idea,” she said. “But we will have to wait until nightfall.”

  “I am not sure that I can wait that long,” he admitted. “I am certain that I will perish by then!”

  “Congratulations!” Lewis was the first to reach them, and Isla looked a step back to let her husband be embraced by his dearest friend. However, despite the ease that came and the continuous well-wishes, the pair could not stop themselves from standing together every chance they got. They held hands, they whispered in each other's ears, and when the festivities finally closed, Cameron squeezed her hand.

  “Now,” he said. “Now is the time I have been waiting for.”

  Isla smiled at him. “Where would you like to go?” she said. “We never determined—”

  “I have determined a place we can go,” he said. “At least, for tonight. Tomorrow, we will set off on a grand adventure to find the place where we belong.”

  “I would be happy living anywhere with you,” she said, with a soft smile. “But for tonight, I want to go somewhere that is as close as possible.”

  “Oh my love,” he said, as he picked her up. Her dress was long and the bottom of it was full of sand. Both of them shrieked with laughter as the sand flew across the dark beach. He awkwardly balanced a lantern in the crook of his arm as he walked with her.

  “Is this a tradition?” she asked him. “To drag your bride across the beach?”

  “It is a tradition to carry your bride over the threshold of your new home,” he said. “At least, in my religion it is. And since we do not have a new home...I arranged for one for the night.”

  She gasped when she saw where he was taking her. There, floating on the water at the edge of the beach, was a boat. It was not a small boat like they had originally arranged to escape in. It was a large boat, and in the center of it was a tiny cabin.

  “Did this boat come from the priest too?” she asked.

  “Actually, it belongs to a fisherman he assisted,” Cameron said. “The fisherman said that any favor he could do for the priest would not be enough to repay him...and so I suggested a wedding night gift.”

  “You are truly creative,” she said, as he gently stepped onto the boat. The sea was calm tonight, but Isla was glad that the boat remained chained up.

  It wasn’t that she did not want to go on a grand adventure with Cameron. It was more that she wanted to spend their wedding night safe, and locked in each other's arms.

  “Now,” he said, as he stepped forward. “This is the moment I have been waiting for this whole time.”

  He kissed her, and it was a kiss that sent shivers down her spine.

  Isla had dreamt about this moment her whole life. She had wanted nothing more than to be loved by a man who loved her back, and to be completely consumed by him.

  Cameron made her feel like the whole world existed only in her eyes. He never looked at another woman, and she felt incredibly lucky that he did not seem to want to take a mistress, or even suggested that would be alright.

  She stood up on her toes and kissed him firmly.

  “I love you,” she said. She had not said it yet and she felt incredibly blessed by all the gods to say it now.

  “I love you,” he said, as he began to untie her dress. “You looked so beautiful today.”

  “I could not take my eyes off you,” she replied. “You were the most handsome man on the beach.”

  “I…” The words escaped him as her dress dropped to the ground. She had never been fully naked in front of a man before and yet she felt so comfortable. She felt like she had been made to be in front of him.

  She stepped forward and undid his shirt and then pulled it over his head. His body was lean and his muscles were strong against her, as she leaned into him.

  She had felt his muscles before, but she had never seen them. She ran her hands over his shoulders and then down his torso.

  “What is it that you would like?” she whispered to him, softly.

  “I would like...you,” he managed, and then picked her up again and carried her to the small makeshift bed that the fisherman had set there.

  “Are you sure this is a stable place to…” she started, but did not finish her sentence. He undid his breeches and held himself above her. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. Nothing else was important to her except for the moment that she felt him inside of her.

  He lowered himself down and then entered her slowly. There was no resistance, and she assumed that he would push himself all the way through. However, he stopped and met her eyes.

  “Do you want me?” he asked her. “And only me? Forever?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I want all of you. I will never want anyone else. I have never wanted anything else in my life.”

  It was enough for him, and he entered the rest of the way. She moaned, and there were no more words between them. The only sounds were their passionate thrusts and moans, and they got louder as they continued to rock in tandem with each other.

  They continued to thrust and she arched her hips, and then she began to clench around him.

  “Cameron,” she cried, and then she screamed.

  She screamed so loudly that he was worried he had hurt her. But then, he felt his own pleasure knot release and he exploded inside of her.

  Both of them shook and trembled in pleasure for quite a few moments. Isla had seen stars in front of her eyes, and she had to take several deep breaths to make sure that she did not fall unconscious.

  Eventually, Cameron rolled to her side, still panting.

  “That was everything that I hoped it would be and more,” he said. “I have never felt so amazing.”

  “I have never felt so amazing either,” she replied. “You are truly the love of my soul.”

  She rolled over and tried not to let sleep take her. The gentle rocking of the ship was lulling her to sleep and her body was exhausted, but she wanted to talk to him.

  “Do you believe in soulmates?” she asked him.

  “Soulm
ates?” he asked. “What do you mean?”

  “That there is one person in all the world who you are meant to be with. That the gods have chosen them and you cannot be with anyone else.”

  “I believe that God chooses the person in your life who you are supposed to marry.”

  “How could that be so?” she asked. “That your god and mine would choose us for each other?”

  “I’m not sure,” he replied. “But I do know that my god has mysterious plans, and ours is not to ask why. Ours is just to obey.”

  “Well, I am glad that you obeyed me,” she replied, kissing him. “And I am glad that I obey you.”

  “Isla, I hope you do not think me too forward...but…”

  “But?” she asked. He propped himself up on one elbow and gave her a devilish grin.

  “Would you like to…”

  “Oh,” she said, as she let him kiss her again. “Yes. Yes, I would.”

  “I would love it if this time next year, we could revisit this boat, and have an adventure with our child.”

  “Well,” she said, “you better make sure there is one.”

  Isla had never been so happy in all of her life. She knew there were trials and tribulations to come. However, she knew that as long as Cameron was by her side, all would be well. No matter what god spoke to them, she was certain that they would be looked upon favorably by the heavens. After all, they were happy and in love, and surely they could not be looked down upon for such a thing.

  Isla knew that as long they would be together, anything was possible.

  Thank you for reading my story!

  I have a complimentary extended epilogue for you with the lovely couple.

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  Afterword