Branded By a Warrior (12 page)

Reaching up she ran a hand over her injured shoulder
and delivered the
brothers
a look that would probably make the King of England fall to his knees
. Clenching her jaw she
turned
on her heel and marched
back towards the castle, his wolfhounds following at
her
side.
She was on fire, how
dare
Broderick treat her like that! How
dare
Kincaid announce he was betrothed to her, an outlandish lie, and one she would deal with in the near future. Storming across the bailey she kept her chin up and shoulders back and smiled at no one.
Inside her
,
a storm raged. Kincaid knew she was alive, and Broderick so easily believed Kincaid’s lies.
His reaction broke her tender heart.

***

Broderick felt his brother smack him
on the shoulder as they watched the fierce lady gracefully walk away
like a queen
, “God she’s stunning when she’s mad!
Did ye really think she’d be betrothed to the man who murdered her entire clan Brother? Honestly, your distrust in women is concerning.
Just because Fiona was an evil bitch doesn’t mean they all are Brother.
Good luck winning her back after that,
”
Kendrix teased
as they watched
the redhead walk away from them, head held high.

Crossing his arms,
Broderick
watched
her climb the castle stairs in
to the keep,
disappear
ing
into the darkness of the hall, “and if I say I care naught about winning her back?” Broderick asked in irritation.

Laughi
ng
,
Kendrix offered sage advice to his elder,
“Then I ask you, when was the last time you h
eld a lady’s hand in public my L
aird
, if ever
?
She needs to marry Brother, if Kincaid is announcing they are betrothed, it’ll only be a matter of time till he finds her here. If you do not want to marry her, I wager there would be a line of fine men
all around the highlands lining up to capture her,
and
some
not so fine,
” seeing Broderick scowl at the mention of other men marrying her, “
There is a reason she’s here with us Broderick, do not let the past dictate the future, life is far too shor
t to stay jaded forever Brother
,
”

Broderick cast
h
is gaze at his brother, “Aye, she needs
to marry,” nodding to Kendrix. He nodded to his younger brother and
made his way back to the castle to find the heated Elisabeth.
In the time they had spent together, he had never seen her so angry. She had finally showed her the side of her he hadn’t seen,
the warrior
.
He could easily see how she could command hundreds of warriors and ride into battle. She was magnificent when
riled;
she
commanded attention with a simple look.
He was very glad he hadn’t given her a blade yet, the look on her face made no mistake, she wanted to do him harm for the way he treated her.

Broderick swiftly walked through the empty bailey and into the keep and up the winding stone stairs to his room. Running his hand through his long hair, he knew his reaction earlier had hurt her.
He had just had her in his arms, kissing her senseless and then treated her cruelly moments later.
Angry
with
himself for such a foolish response, he opened the door to his room to see her
figure upon the bed, his two wolfhounds lying next to her on the covers.
Her back was facing him
as she lay upon his massive bed.

Walking into the room he shut the
solid
wooden door behind him, “So easily I’ve been replaced by my dogs,” he said with a low velvet tone as he walked up to the
enormous
bed where she and his dogs laid.

Not even bothering to look at him she con
tinued to run her hand over dog
s
’
long backs, alternating which dog s
he pet, “At least they trust me…
and will lay next
to me,” she said with boldness, her anger still vibrant and raw.

Shooting up his eyebrows
at her words
, he motioned f
or his dogs to move off the bed. W
atching the large dogs jump off
his bed
h
e unsheathed his broadsword
and removed his dirk
and sat the
m on the table before sliding next to her upon his massive bed.

Pulling her back against his chest, he whispered i
nto the lass’s ear, “I trust you Elisabeth,
and I want to do
more
than just lay next to you
my
love. T
h
at is why I’ve kept my distance, not be
cause I don’t want to be by you
.
”

***

Lying in his arms, she let the realization of his wor
ds wash over her. He wanted her? He had chosen his words carefully, what more did he want to do to her? That thought sent shivers of desire down her spine.
The kiss today brought her back to years ago that stolen night in his tent. Just eighteen she melted under his touch when he kissed her in the dark of night. Today, those same sparks came alive once again. She had a connection with Broderick that she had never felt before. His touch,
his presence
around her soothed her. His kiss made her fall apart, the world simply stopped.

At three and twenty she had spent her entire life p
ushing men away, refusing to
take a hus
band, refusing to allow any man
control over her life.
She had never depended on any man as she did Broderick, and she was honest enough to admit it had
nothing to do with her injury. Her heart sang when he was around.
She loved the feel of him next to
her today as they walked together, he made her feel invincible, and most importantly, he made her feel like a woman.

The realization that Kincaid knew she was alive and claimed her as his betrothed infuriated her. He could claim the betrothal contract burned with her castle, it would be his word against hers.
She lay in Broderick’s arms, thinking over the realization of what Kincaid’s claim would mean. If she did
not get married, or get to the king before Kincaid found her, th
e
evil bastard
could easily find a priest to marry them, willing or not.

Turning so she could face
Broderick
, the sunlight poured into the room illuminating the room
so she could see him clearly
,
sighing deeply she whispered,
“I need t
o marry before Kincaid finds me.
I was not lying
earlier;
I would r
ather die than become his bride
.
He wants my lands, and he wants to punish me. He will never stop.
”

Pulling her close, he kissed the top of her hair and agreed, “
I’ll never let him touc
h you Elisabeth, rest easy love. Y
ou’ll never marry him
.
”

***

He held her for over an hour before
she finally fell asleep, he simply held her in his arms. He knew she was exhausted from their short jaunt outside. He had noticed when her emotions rose, it drained her of energy. Her road to recovery would be lengthy and frustrating for a woman such as she.
Finally pulling himself
away
tucking her in and leaving the hounds with her, he went in search of his brother.

Broderick’s
thoughts were of her all day;
he kept replaying their kiss behind the stable and the way she felt in his arms. God he had missed lying next to her this past week, sheer determination had kept him out of that bed night after night. Now that
he tasted her sweet lips, how could he resist her siren call?
Especially now that he knew she
wanted
him beside her?
Even he couldn’t be that str
ong forever, he was only a man and she was a breathtaking woman, both inside and out.

By afternoon
many of the clan
had heard news of the stunning Drummond survivor who appeared holding hands with
him
this morning, by later afternoon all knew her name. His clan erupted with
pride and happiness knowing
The W
arrior Queen
of Scotland
has survived. Even more amusing was how accurately his people saw what she meant to him, even before
he
was able to vocally admit it.
He announced that Elisabeth was happy to attend the wedding tonight, and urged his people to be easy on her, she was still recovering.

The MacMillan people cheered with excitement, weddings were a joyous occasion at the castle, the addition of
Elisabeth,
The Warrior
Queen of Scotland
as a guest had the entire clan running around in exuberance and glee.

Elisabeth woke to the
sound of
Old Rhona
humming
as she laid
something over the chair
in the room
; reaching out for Broderick she could te
ll he had long been gone, as were the dogs.
Sitting up slowly, she took a deep breath and thought of the joyful
festivity
the clan was preparing to celebrate.
She was elated at the idea of an evening wedding; the food
and music would do her good.
She had been staring at these stone walls of this room for far too long, she longed to talk to people and dance.
Dancing was one of her guilty pleasures, something her brother Duncan had always teased her about. The idea of spending the evening with Broderick’s clan made her giddy, she needed to engage her mind and body.
Albeit a beautiful room, s
itting in this room was slowly driving her batty.

“
I let ye
r hounds out love, I think they needed to relieve themselves outside. H
ow
are ye feeling my sweet? I heard ye
convinced Laird Broderick to take you outside today!
How does your shoulder feel
?”
T
he sweet white haired Rhona asked as he walked over to her.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she yawned as she replied to the sweet elder, “Shoulder is sore, little Isobel hugged me with a little too much
vigor this morning, dear thing
.
”

Chuckling, “Isobel has talked of nothing else but meeting you
today
, you’ve made a friend! Come; let’s get you prepared for the banquet my dear, the clan is anxious to meet you! I hope you rested, these
celebrations
usually go well into the night!”

Following Rhona across the room to the chair, she saw the
exquisite
dress Rhona had delivered, “Oh Rhona,”
running her hands over the soft
green dress, “T
is beautiful, is this for me?” S
he asked with delight, looking at the elderly woman.

“Aye my dear, do ye like it?
I’ve been working on it for ye
.
”

Nodding in appreciation, Elisabeth had tears of joy in her eyes, Rhona was so thoughtful, wiping away her tears, “
Aye Rhona, tis the most beautiful gown I’ve ever seen!”

“Lets get you bathed and ready for tonight my dear,
I cannae wait until Broderick sees you after we are finished!”
M
otioning t
o a steaming bath in the corner, she winked.

Hours later she was d
ressed in the beautiful green
gown
, the gol
d Celtic knots stitched
along the sleeves and hem of the gown
were flawless
. The silk gown was high enough to
conceal her injury,
yet
it
dipped enticingly
low
down her back.
It was unlike anything Elisabeth had ever worn, she felt like
royalty.
Rhona’s skill was unmatched.

Sitting as commanded, she sat patiently while Old Rhona
finished working
her
magic on her long tresses
. The two women were chatting about the night
when Conn and Isla
nudged the door open
and walked over to
Elisabeth’s side.

“Hello my pets,” giving each dog a rub on the he
ad before they lay at her feet, knowing if
they had arrived, their
master wasn’t far behind
,
she smiled in anticipation.

“All finished lass, I’ll see you downstairs tonight! You look radiant my dear,” Rhona o
ffered as
she gave Elisabeth a quick kiss on the temple exited the
room with a wink.

“Thank you Rhona, I look forward to it,” waving to the elder as she disappeared d
own the circular stone stairs, the door close behind her.

Sitting in the chair where Broderick had slept the past week, she closed her eyes and focused on the teachings of her mother. Elisabeth was a warrior yes, but her mother had also required her to spend just as much time learning how to run a household, how to set an example to the clan women and children. She had taught Elisabeth the art of conversation at banquets and celebration
s
. She had been taught well enough to pour tea for the King
of England
, or fight at his side.
Her skills were flawless in the battlefield and before
any royalty she might encounter
.
Elisabeth had been taught how to be a queen.

Hearing his
footsteps as he approached,
she smiled as she
stood up and turned to face
the door.
She was
dressed to dazzle him
,
and his clan.
He had yet
to see her fully
dressed as the lady she was, she couldn’t wait to see his reaction to her in all her glory.
Without being vain, she knew this was the best she had ever looked while living at MacMillan castle, perhaps in her entire life.

Standing by the fire she watched him enter his room, he had bathed and dressed elsewhere. His formal tartan and clothing were immaculate, he looked every inch the powerful warrior laird he really was.
The look he gave her made her weak in her knees, biting her lip, she waited for him to speak.

***

The moment Broderick
laid his
eyes on her he wanted to shut the door behind him and ignore the wedding and celebration completely.
He was honest this morning when he said he had kept his distance for a reason. She was temptation incarnate.
Her beautiful red hair was pulled up in a
stunning
crown on her head, showcasing her
dazzling
eyes and
perfect
face.

The dress she wore was cut high to conceal her injured shoulder and chest, yet it hugged her curvy
frame
with the exotic silk.
He knew what lay underneath the green silk, it had made his blood boil knowing what she looked like naked.
All he could do was stand in the doorway and star at th
e vision before him. He knew she was beautiful, but by all that was
holy
,
he had no i
dea she could outshin
e the most illustrious courtesan of the royal courts.

Before him she did a slow spin so he could take in the entire dress, the moment his eyes laid upon the back of the gown he wanted to rip it off her with his teeth.

Shutting the large wooden door closed with one hand, he walked over to h
er with wanting determination.
Wrapping one hand around her silken hip
the other captured her jaw tilting her head back as he took her honeyed mouth in a deep passionate kiss before releasing her mouth, “My God Elisabeth, you are radiant. How have you escaped marriage this long
my
love? How has some warrior not captured your heart or
your hand,
I dinnae understand
.
”

Still holding her close he waited for her answer, feeling her breasts rise and fall against his chest
made
it hard to conceal his desire.
He wanted her, desperately.

“
I won a wager with my father over the right to allow me to choose my own husband. I
had never met a
man I’m willing to lay down my sword for, no man wort
hy of handing my life over to
.”

“Of course you would bet yer Da on something like that,” chuckling,
“
come over here with me,
I have something for you lass,” smiling
,
he
reluctantly
let go of her and walked over to his wardrobe and opened a large drawer, “I know ye well enough now to know you’d like to have this for tonight,” turning around he hel
d a intricately scrolled dagger in his large hands.

***

Stepping forward she softly took the golden dagger from his hands and unsheathed it, t
esting its weight
in her hand. Looking up at Broderick she grinned before she placed the dagger back in the shea
th and attached it to her side, smiling with pride.

Raising her head slowly she looked up into Broderick’s lush green eyes and her heart melted, stepping into him she
pulled on
his tartan that ran
across his
chest, bringing
his gorgeous face down to her.
Feeling his strong arms wrap around her
naked
lower bac
k she leaned in and kissed the l
aird with every bit of emotion she had felt, for so long she had held back any emotion equated with being a woman. When she was next to Broderick she had little choice, he pulled emotions out of her soul she never knew existed.

Letting go of his plaid, she softly pulled away and caught eyes with Broderick when he refused to let go of his hold of her hips, “Thank you Broderick, if feels wond
erful to be armed again, tis a beautiful blade
.
”

***

Holding the goddess in his arms, he thought how fitting it would be if she had a crown on. She looked like a Scottish queen, nay,
far more enticing and powerful. It was no longer a mystery to him why Kincaid had went to such lengths to secure her, she was far more intoxicating that any drink, more lethal than hemlock and more addictive than anything he’d ever know
n
.

Winking at the beauty in his arms, he smiled as he slowly pulled his hands away from her, offering his leather braced arm, “My lady, shall we go watch two souls attach themselves to each other for all eternity in front of God and our clan? I hear there is a wonderful
banquet
with food and entertainment aplenty
afterward
,
and ye
might even see a dance or two if yer lucky lass
.
”

Wrapping her arm around his she smirked at his
humor
and nodded, “Aye
L
aird
Broderick
, lead the way, I am most excited
!
”

The wedding of Ian Macgregor and Claire Murray w
as held at the castle chapel just before
nightfall, the entire clan had dressed their best and
had
packed into the
large
stone chapel.

Smiling to himself, Broderick knew it was due
to the woman seated beside him. They had all come to get a look at the mysterious woman who had been healing in
his
room for weeks,
The Warrior Queen of Scotland
.

She had transfixed his people the moment she appeared in the keep this evening. She met each welcome with a smile and
warmth
he hadn’t seen since his mother was alive
;
she took ti
me for each person
as they we
lcomed her to
Castle
MacMillan. Her genuineness was clear as day; she stood tall next to him, gracious and kind.
The onslaught of well wishes
and respect they pa
id her was humbling, his people, it appeared
were more than happy to see the beautiful lass on
his
arm.
Many of the elder clan members certa
inly didn’t hesitate to say so quietly in his ear.

Sitting at the front of the chapel, Broderick escorted the lovely Elisabeth beside him the entire night, either on his arm, or placing a p
rotective arm around her hip and
resting his hand possess
ively at the small of her back.
So easily they stood next to each other as a couple, he had taken notice of
her exemplarily social skills, everyone had.

Out of the side of his eye he watched her during the wedding ceremony, her happiness for the couple radiated.
He saw how hard she had prayed
and sang with his clan
, how earnest her emotions were.
He marveled how she could take a man’s life on the
battlefield and then tear up with joy at a wedding. How could she greet his people like a queen and conceal her obvious pain so easily? She was a
marvel
, she was magic.