“Aye. I am grateful for you, Seumas. Even though you’re destined to walk away from me.”
“If I had a choice then I would stay. Protect your family. Live like a normal man. But I’ve already been called to this fight. I figure if I die, then I’ll leave all my money to you. Make sure you get something from it. See what I mean? I am a good husband…even if I only last a week, I’ll be a good provider.”
“Shame on you, Seumas,” she said, slapping his arm. She found his eyes and looked into his tired and weary soul. “Why do you feel obligated to do this? This oath of yours?”
“What else am I to do? Why are you obligated to watch over your mum and father?”
She eyed him in wonder and resentment. “What if…I honored you before them? If I left to go be with you, and follow you into battle. Letting them fend for themselves. Would it mean anything to you?”
Seumas stared in flinching pain. “Why would you ask something like that?”
“Because I must know this. Would you give up your quest for me? If I was willing to give up my family for you?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Why?” she said, finding his eyes and sitting up, eager to resolve the issue.
“Because. This is all I know.” terrible
“All you’ve told me all this time is how dreadful life has treated you. How terrible the life of a highlander is. What if I could make it go away? Not by magic, but by love?
He almost answered on reflex but instead, peered into her eyes, wondering what indeed was his destiny. “And speaking in theory…where would we go?”
“Away from here. Away from these warriors, from my father. Away from everybody.”
He smiled, a bit uncomfortable as if he was too hard-hearted to dream anymore.
“I would feel obligated to help your family, at least for now. Obligated to ward off the other highlander, at least one of them. The one you ought to fear.”
“Only if you let me help. Because, if you really want to marry me, Seumas, we go into battle together.”
He kissed her in approval. Sure, he liked the way dreams sounded. He enjoyed fantasy landscapes of Elysian fields and paradise calling to him. But what was any of this in reality?
**
III
The mood was somber as Seumas and Torra made their way home, neither of them too eager to face the patriarch. Seumas entered the home first, immediately provoking Kincaid who had been resting and drinking.
“You have some guts, man,” Kincaid said, spitting and roaring in disfavor. Showing your face in my house. Did I not make my self clear?”
“Yes, you did,” Seumas said, staring calmly.
“Then get out.”
“Father…” she said softly. “Seumas wants to marry me.”
He fumed at the thought. His nostrils flared and his face turned red as blood. “I didn’t hear you. And if you say it again for my benefit, I will slap you girl, in front of this fool you brought home.”
“Father! How dare you!”
“There’s no need to be upset, Torra,” Seumas said. “It is what we expected.”
“We?” Kincaid roared back. “Why we? What did you do to her, you sorcerer?”
“I did nothing but what she asked. What she wanted.”
“My stupid daughter doesn’t know what she wants. How dare you force herself upon her.”
“I did no such thing…”
“Yes, you did! Girls cannot make up their own minds when they’re this young. You manipulated her.”
“She is a grown woman. As I am a grown man.”
“No. You’re not.” He rammed his big belly into Seumas’ ribs and glared. “I am a man. You are not a man. You’re not even a human being. Not really. You are an evil messenger, the wrath of the Devil. You come here and dare to tell me about my daughter? Get out of here. Or so help me I will kill you.”
“Father, please!” Torra said, breaking down and crying. “We don’t ask anything from you except your permission.”
“DENIED! And you are forbidden from leaving this place. If you even think about it, I will kill this imposter. This rapist. And then I will slap all the love right out of your face.”
“How dare you!” Torra screamed, alarming her mother who came out from the bedroom to see the commotion.
“What? What is going on?”
“We’re leaving,” Torra said, speaking through her tears.
“Daughter, don’t go,” Muira said. “I know your father’s a scary man. A fool sometimes. Or oftentimes! But…this man…he isn’t like you or me.”
“She’s right. And he’s right,” Seumas said, as he looked into the faces of each one there. His lover and Kincaid and Kincaid’s wife. “I am no ordinary man. I have never claimed to deserve anything except the kindness people give me. If you want me to go, I will go.”
“Leave! Get the fuck out of here!” the patriarch roared, shoving Seumas outside the cottage. “You aren’t wanted. Don’t you ever come back. I forbid this marriage. And so help me, I will kill you. I will behead you faster than I would fuck or shit. Now get the hell out and never come back.”
Seumas look dejected, but agreed. He was a powerful being, no doubt. But the angry words of Kincaid hit home, striking him in his heart where there were only painful memories left. Indeed, what sort of terrible obligation was he putting on this girl, to tear her away from her family?
He took leave, amid screaming family madness. He didn’t want any part of it, or more to the point, he didn’t want to be the cause of any more grief. He had done that, centuries ago, and had memories so dark and troublesome they felt like yesterday.
He didn’t get very far, even after his late night trek. She used all the skills her father ever taught her to sniff him down like a bloodhound. She escaped her home while her parents slept, never once questioning the madness of what she was doing.
It took her a good hour to track him down, to walk over the fields of Valtour and to catch him before he disappeared into the vast wilderness, where he would go to face certain death.
“You silly little girl,” he said, welcoming Torra into his arms. “Why? I left for your own good…you were supposed to stay put.”
“No,” she said crying, causing a small storm of her own. “Because you asked me to marry you. And I said yes.”
He shook his head.
“Don’t say I came running out here, risking certain death, just to have you send me away, Seumas.”
“You shouldn’t have come.”
“Don’t give me anymore about your old life. You said it yourself: life is merely living and enjoying every moment. Don’t ache about the past. Enjoy what you have now. Marry me now, for whatever time we have left.”
“What about your parents? I should go back and…”
“They don’t want ye, Seumas,” she said with a sigh. “They don’t want me. I sold them out, or at least that’s the story they want to remember.”
“But Crestoff…I have to stop him.”
“That’s your choice. But just so you know, my father doesn’t want your help. You owe them nothing.”
“And yet I owe you everything, my sweet bride.”
“I want you inside of me, my love. You are everything to me now. And I want to marry you. Today, or tonight, or tomorrow morning…whenever. Whatever church would have us.”
He said nothing and bit his tongue to keep from arguing with her. Of course it was all a dangerous idea, but how could he say no to her face? Her lovely face, her crying face, that looked upon him as a lover, a father, and a god? He was everything to her and she was now what he lived for.
They made love in the forest that night, this time Seumas created a bed of leaves and grass and a comfortable spot to enjoy a good hearty fuck. They stripped each other bare and walked naked in the forest, playing with each other’s every body part; her hands caressing and exploring his shaft to his balls, and up again to his prick hole; his hands penetrating her pussy and giving her full body
spasms the likes of which she had never felt before.
This time she was ready. She wanted his cock inside of her and every damn inch of it. He began cautiously, parting her legs with just one touch. He entered her slowly at first, letting her body get used to his thick cockhead as it softly meandered around her clit. Then he pushed it into her lips and through the entrance, causing a whirlwind of sensation that flashed up to her buzzing head. She spread her legs farther apart and let him push more inches of cock into her waiting walls, each inch feeling like a brand new man.
He kept his breathing strong and his motions controlled. But she was already shaking in excitement and nervous surrender, all the while spreading more of herself open so that he could put himself in. At first his cock pushing through hurt, just a little bit, but he kept the motions fluid and smooth, gentle as the touch of his loving hands.
The sensation was already intense but doubled in pleasure when she grinded against his cock and let their fluids mesh together. They both groaned and panted, singing songs and muttering war poetry as they fucked in green nature, completely uninhibited and fearless—at least for the moment.
Every moment was a lifetime to Seumas and Torra, as they grinded against each other’s bodies and shared everything from sweat, to spit, to spunk, and the blood that flowed through their veins and rippled through their touching skin. His motions became stronger, just as the very winds of the day seemed to pick up in speed, as if moving with him and helping plunge himself deeper.
She hollered in ecstasy as he pushed himself so deep within he discovered a new spot of weakness—a throbbing, pulsating spot that seemed to quiver and twist when he fucked her deep. She grinded and danced her way to orgasm, pulling her legs together behind him and squeezing even more of his power into her.
“Aaahh!” he screamed, letting out a guttural sound that seemed to call down energy from the heavens. When he pulled his cock out and slid it back in, it caressed every tiny morsel of her sensitive skin, sending shockwaves all over her convulsing body.
He could feel his imminent explosion billowing up from deep inside. How she longed to feel him lose control, to grab her body and pull, push and grab tightly, holding on for dear life as he shot his immortal power inside.
She came right as he started cumming, the two lovers digging themselves into the ground with their mad passion—and yes, a bit of ethereal magic, since Torra noticed that when he pulled back, ready for another lunge, they seemed to float off the ground.
When he pummeled her deep and she felt his cock spasming out of control and quickening for a spew, she screamed to the sky. And that’s when she noticed a thunderstorm above her, with lightning bolts descending from the heaven looking as electric and powerful as God’s own sword.
He finally came and pounded the ground beside her until he shoved his hands through solid dirt. His emission shook her whole body, causing a quake of effusive emotion and physical release. When he orgasmed, she didn’t just cum—she left her body for one very long and surreal moment. She looked up and saw nothing but clouds, nothing but moonlight.
She looked down and saw his cock squirming and pulling out of her, still dripping his sperm, which seemed to glow in the night. They both collapsed on the ground and fell to the side of one another, exhaling for life and singing each other’s beautiful names.
Whether or not the god amongst men went back to destroy Crestoff or simply left the vicinity forever, opting not to risk losing the love of his new life, and holding his new bride in his arms, no one from the village knows for sure. All they know in their heart is that he never left her side, not for a moment of time.
THE END
Please enjoy this free collection as a gift for reading!
Surrendering to the Scots
A Scottish Romance Collection
By: Midnight Moon Publishing
Seized by the Highlander
Chapter One
Elizabeth’s crinoline skirts rustled as they swept against the blades of grass that peeked through the cobblestone path. The shops seemed more crowded than normal as she made her way from one to the next. It was her maidservant’s day off but there were still things that the household needed. Her husband, Henry, would not be pleased if his whiskey was not available at the end of the day, and the cook needed a few things for dinner. Elizabeth would not want to be home if Henry were deprived of his food or his beverage. Her cheek still smarted from upsetting him the night before, by not refilling his mug quickly enough.
She smiled at the shopkeeper as he wrapped up the cheese, pickles and sweet jam. Apparently Henry’s reputation preceded him, and with a small nod, the shopkeeper also added a bottle of whiskey to the brown paper package before tying up the white twine.
He offered to add the purchases to the family’s shop credit and she agreed. Henry never allowed her to carry any money and the shops all seemed to place good faith on his abilities to pay the bills.
With the package tucked into the wicker basket she carried in the crook of her elbow, she wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and headed back into the streets. The summer was waning and the air carried the autumn chill. She welcomed the relief from the heat of the earlier months, but knew she should start preparing the house for winter.
She made a mental list of tasks as she made her way back to the estate. The wind tickled at the nape of her neck and tried to steal loose tendrils from her coifed blonde curls. The walk was not short, but she enjoyed the chance to get out of her drafty old stone estate. It seemed to trap the heat in July and the cold in January, and never felt quite comfortable at any time of year. And while the shopping could have been done by the servants, she liked having an excuse to wander about town. She knew better than to spend too much money at any of the stores, but it was a pleasant afternoon to window shop. Henry constantly chided her for not taking the carriage into town, but she almost always took the trip by foot.
Henry was well-known in the area as the region’s largest landowner so most of the shopkeepers were overly attentive to her needs. They would fetch her a cup of tea, provide her a chair to rest, and even wrap packages extra carefully when she did decide to buy something.
When she arrived home, the cook whisked the package away from her and set a pot of tea on the stove to heat.
“Would you like something to eat ma’am?” the cook offered.
“Yes, Olivia, that would be lovely. I know that dinner is not far off, but I’m not certain I will make it that long.” She smiled gently at the older woman and settled into a chair at the servants’ table in the kitchen. Her blue eyes twinkled since she knew that she would shortly be enjoying some of the sharp cheddar cheese that she had just purchased.
“Ma’am, I am happy to bring it to your room if you like.”
“No, I should prefer to sit here in the warm kitchen with your company, if that’s alright.”
Olivia smiled and nodded. “But of course, Ma’am.”
She poured the tea into an elegant china mug and cut off pieces of homemade bread and the fresh cheese as a snack. While Elizabeth sipped and nibbled, they discussed the changes in the weather as Olivia started to prepare their dinner.
Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia watched the delicate young woman and shook her head slightly. She could not understand Elizabeth’s choice to marry her boss. He was a gray-haired, flabby, pig-headed drunkard who constantly yelled at everyone in the household. And Elizabeth seemed to take the brunt of it. They had been married almost two years now, and despite his every effort to force her, she had yet to produce an heir for his estate.
Olivia smirked to herself as an errant thought crept through her head. Perhaps Elizabeth’s body was rejecting Henry in a way that she could not. The cook was certain that it had been an arranged marriage. Elizabeth’s father had been the banker in town, and thusly had his choice of suitors when Elizabeth came of age. The wealthiest landowner in the area was an obvious choice on paper, and it was not allowed for the young lady to question the ag
reement that had been made. They had both been brought up in the proper British environments, and the arrangement did make sense on paper.
By the time Henry had returned from his meeting with the other landowners, Olivia had the dinner prepared. They dined on more of the same bread and cheese, along with slices of smoked ham, fresh green onions and ripe tomatoes from the vegetable garden, tart pickles, and slices of crisp apple from the grove down by the pond.
After they finished, Henry retired to his study with the bottle of whiskey. Elizabeth went to her bedroom to light her fireplace, and to cross stitch before retiring for the evening. She just hoped he would succumb to the effects of the alcohol before he wanted to try yet again in his heavy-handed, demanding way for a son.
Chapter Two
William grinned as the wind ruffled his shaggy dark hair and he squinted his brown eyes against the sun. His horse, King, huffed at the dust in the air and pawed at the ground between the trees where they waited.
The tall, broad-shouldered man ran his hand down the horse’s whither and admired the well-muscled animal. He had always been a good companion and a faithful friend, even when William would talk his ear off with all sorts of random mutterings about the state of the countrymen he encountered.
William pitied the working man as he strained his back in fields that did not even belong to him, and he detested the nobleman who cracked the whip over that back. He much preferred his life, not that it was ever much of a choice, but he could not imagine answering to either master—the field that demanded so much or the landowner who demanded even more. Some would envy him his freedom, but some would pity him for his lack of roots.
The Highlander's Captive Bride (Scottish Highlander Romance) Page 3