Highlander’s False Betrothal by Alisa Adams
20
There was a light brighter than any bonfire Aodh had ever seen in his life, a glowing blaze that seemed to tower as high as a mountain. It was surrounded by penetrating darkness, like the space between the stars.
As Aodh drew closer—Was he walking toward the bonfire? Gliding? Flying somehow? He could not tell—he saw that there were shapes of people encircling the flames. Hundreds, thousands, perhaps even more, all standing shoulder to shoulder. They were basking in the heat of it, and it was comforting, Aodh could tell. He could feel the warmth soaking into his skin. Rejuvenating him. Filling him with an everlasting illumination that connected him to all of those people around the great fire.
How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was Bhaltair’s wide face coming toward him, enraged. And then…
Two of the people at the fire, sitting next to each other, turned to look at him. The glow caught their faces, and Aodh gasped. Or rather, he tried to, only to find that there was no air inside or outside of his body. There was no need for it. Breathing was a heavy and ponderous exercise, one he suddenly found himself free from.
The couple were his mother and father, and they were smiling at him.
I have missed you so,he told them with his heart. After you left, nothing was ever fun again.
We are not here to welcome you, Son,his mother replied with a slow smile. We are here to send you back, for your time has not yet come.
Can I not stay here with you?Aodh pleaded. Just for a short while?
His father shook his head. Your siblings need you. Your clan needs you. Your bride needs you.
I have no bride. Aodh felt his shame ring his head like a badly tarnished halo. Not really.
Of course you do,his mother corrected him. You have taken your vows in your soul, my child, as has she. All the rest is silly formality. Now go, and fear not… The time until we meet again shall be long, but it shall seem to pass in the blink of an eye, for better or worse.
The words sent a chill through Aodh despite the heat of the bonfire, and he reached out to embrace them one last time, but the further his arms extended, the further away they seemed to be until they had disappeared into the distant darkness along with the fire and the others.
Then the black curtains before Aodh’s eyes seemed to part, and he found himself in his own bedchamber with Caroline by his side. There were tears of joy in her eyes, and she took his hand in hers, squeezing it tightly. “You are awake! Oh, thank heaven for that!”
“What…happened?” he croaked. His mouth and throat felt as dry as parched summer soil.
“Bhaltair had Ainsley’s poisoned dagger,” she informed him. “He cut you with it, and you swooned almost immediately. We took you into the castle to see the healers, and they worked quickly. They were able to narrow down which poison that ghastly woman used based on your symptoms, and thankfully, since it was a commonly used substance, they had the antidote on hand. Even so, it was a close thing indeed! You have been asleep for almost three days.”
“No wonder I find myself so hungry,” Aodh quipped weakly. “And thirsty as well.”
“Shall I summon your siblings?” she asked. “They have been quite beside themselves with worry, as I am sure you can imagine. So has my father.”
Aodh chuckled mirthlessly. “Oh, has he, now?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact,” Caroline said. “When he saw that you were willing to sacrifice yourself for me, well, his opinion of you has changed quite significantly indeed. If I do not marry you, I suspect he might try to!”
“Well, he is a fetching sort, to be sure,” Aodh wheezed, “but I’d prefer to marry you if it’s all the same to him.”
“I am relieved to hear it,” she giggled. “So, as I said, if you would like to see your family…”
“I would, aye,” he replied, “but I should very much like a kiss from you first.”
She smiled, obliging him and making it last for quite a long time indeed. Finally, when she was able to pull herself away, she went to the door and opened it, calling out: “Aodh has awakened! Aodh is healed!”
Then Maisie entered with Fergus Brodie, and Dand, and Sorcha and Marcus, and Freya, and Edmund…and yes, Lord George Lloyd of all people, looking most relieved at Aodh’s revival.
“My daughter owes you her life, dear boy,” he said, clasping Aodh’s hand warmly, “and you have my eternal gratitude! And my blessing to be wed, of course, if that is still your wish!”
“Tell me, what became of Bhaltair and Ainsley?” Aodh inquired.
“We felt it was time for them to see the dungeons for a while,” Fergus answered with a smirk. “They are chained side by side beneath this castle, and you shall decide which fate ultimately befalls them both.”
“That is good to know,” Aodh replied. “Rather than act in haste, I believe I shall take some time to decide what would be best for them. Several years, perhaps.”
“A wise decision indeed, Laird Aodh,” Edmund said with a smile.
“Yes, and here is another.” Aodh turned to Caroline, summoned all of his strength, and sat up in bed. “Lady Caroline, will you be my bride and allow me to adore you the rest of my days?”
“I do,” she answered simply.
“I hope you both enjoy your second wedding,” Freya told them earnestly, “because it will be the last wedding ceremony this family sees until your children begin to take husbands and wives.”
“Shall we take that to mean you do not intend to marry, then, Freya?” Sorcha asked with an impish grin.
“Not if my life depended upon it!” she affirmed. “Not if I were presented with a choice between being wed and being shot from a cannon! Not if the man in question had the wit of a poet, the countenance of an angel, and the attributes of a stallion!”
“Freya!” Maisie exclaimed, blushing. “For heaven’s sake!”
“Besides, you might change your mind someday,” Sorcha suggested, “if you happen to meet the right fellow.”
Freya crossed her arms stubbornly. “I assure you, no such man exists.”
“We shall see, sister-in-law!” Caroline laughed. “We shall see!”
The wedding decorations had been taken down. To do otherwise while Aodh’s fate was uncertain seemed like tempting misfortune. However, they had not been disposed of, and they were easy enough to put up again. Within a day, the courtyard was once more dressed for a wedding.
This time, though, there were no throngs of guests come from far away. Lord George was more than happy to pay for an entire lavish ceremony all over again, but Aodh and Caroline insisted on something far simpler and more personal now that the event would be genuine.
They’d already put on a grand wedding for show. This time, it was to be about their union itself, without all the pomp and circumstance. They exchanged the same vows, but this time, their sincerity shone from their eyes like a beacon of pure love and perfect trust.
When they were hand-fasted with a length of silk, both of them had the same thought at once: This ribbon could remain around our forearms forever, and that state would bring me absolute bliss.
There had been no tears in the eyes of Lord George Lloyd during the previous iteration of the ceremony as that had been a formality, a matter of convenience, little more than a business arrangement to him. This time, however, he wept openly with joy as he led his daughter down the aisle knowing she was to be married to a man who would gladly die to protect her.
He’d never known that was what he wanted for her, but now that she had it, he could not be more pleased or more proud to have a Scotsman as a son-in-law.
The few who were in attendance stood somewhat uneasily next to each other, Scots and Brits, each eyeing the other with suspicion and anger. It was far too easy for many of them to think of their fallen comrades and those who were responsible for their deaths.
But when the kiss came, even the most battle-hardened warriors clapped and cheered, their previous hostilities forgotten in the surpassing warmth of that one precious moment.
For his part, there was only one regret Aodh had about the whole affair.
The previous time he’d “married” Caroline, he hadn’t bothered with a best man, for he hadn’t cared much about the event one way or the other. He’d just wanted it to be over with. Now that he meant it with all of his heart, though, he was sad that Quinn was not alive to stand by his side. That mad, fierce, beautiful bastard had given his life so that Aodh and Caroline could have this moment together and a million more moments to come. He deserved to be at the wedding, and Aodh hoped that Quinn was smiling down upon them from heaven and giving them his blessing, even if the bride was an Englishwoman.
Just as the ceremony had been kept simple, the reception afterward was a humble yet joyful affair. Only a handful of Campbells and a handful of Lloyds. They circled each other warily for a bit, drinking and talking in their separate corners. But by the end of the night, the music was loud, and Scots were dancing with the English when they had been hacking and slashing at each other a mere month before.
Then the guests went to their chambers, and Aodh and Caroline retreated to theirs.
Neither of them had to say it aloud; it was a peculiar sensation indeed, being in that room again and preparing for bed together after all of the awkward moments they had previously shared in that regard.
Now, at last, they could do what came naturally.
Aodh’s hands trembled slightly with anticipation as he unlaced Caroline’s wedding dress, releasing her breasts from the tightness of their confinement. The flickering candlelight traced the gentle contours of them, and he raised a hand, cupping the left one and delicately rubbing the nipple with his thumb.
A shudder of pure lust shook Caroline from head to toe, and she closed her eyes, arching her neck as she relished his touch.
He placed his other hand in the small of her back and pulled her close to him, allowing her to feel his manhood pulse and quiver urgently against her thigh. Her heart thrummed against his chest, and she could feel his too, quick but steady, as intense as the beat of a war drum.
She planted a kiss on his neck, then another, and another, as though she were sowing a row of seeds to grow a beautiful garden. The feel of her breath on his skin sent ripples of ticklish delight all through him, and the scent of her hair intoxicated him like the heady perfume of a summer rose.
Caroline’s soft hands explored Aodh’s clothes, looking for weak points to exploit. She tore his shirt free of his tartan kilt and rubbed her palms across the firm muscles of his abdomen. Goosebumps broke out over his neck and arms, and she laughed softly, reveling in what she could do to him—the things she could make him feel.
Their bodies seemed so natural together, made strangely and surprisingly whole, as though the pieces of a broken mirror had jumped up from the floor and reassembled themselves into a flawlessly smooth surface once more. A feeling as though they had always known each other, as though their lives had separately been building to this very moment.
Aodh could wait no longer.
He led her to the bed and laid her down tenderly, pulling away the rest of her wedding dress. Her nude form was exquisite in the dim and dancing light, like some painted masterwork of an angel. She spread her legs invitingly, and he removed his shirt and kilt, joining her on the bed.
He put his hand between her thighs and touched her first, lovingly and attentively, responding to every moan and gasp, every twitch and sigh of pleasure. He patiently felt within her, learning what she wanted most, when to increase the pressure and when to relent when she had been driven to the edge of passion.
Then, when both of them had been pushed to the brink, he looked into her eyes, seeking permission and invitation…and, finding them, positioned himself between her legs.
Aodh ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her to put her at ease. Then, with a sudden thrust, he was deep within her.
There was a strange rending sensation inside of her, painful but also oddly beautiful, and she cried out Aodh’s name. She had never imagined that two separate bodies could combine so tightly and thoroughly. She could almost feel his blood pulsing through her veins, his breath rising and falling in her chest. Her legs wrapped around him firmly, and she clutched him with desperate intensity, wishing that moment could somehow stretch into eternity.
Her climax came thundering through her as swiftly as powerfully as a herd of wild horses, shaking her to her core, making her feel as though she was dying and being reborn all at once.
Then they were holding each other, cooing and kissing, dreaming of a thousand more nights to come.
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