The Laird's Future Bride (4 page)

Duncan wasn’t sure what he should do. Did he marry the lass from the future? He’d seen some of the strange things she’d pulled out of her satchel, and the rectangle bag with the metal was unusual. Would Holly survive in this time? She had spoken differently. Duncan didn’t want any attention on his clan; he had so many people to protect. His father was at Edinburgh castle now, and Duncan was due to replace him there at the end of the month. King James was fond of his father and seemed to feel the same for Duncan. It was a blessing and a curse. It brought him many men who respected him, but a lot of enemies also.

Riding into the bailey of his keep, he noticed everyone seemed to be eagerly awaiting his return. They all would have heard about the arrival of his betrothed. Getting off his horse, he gave the reins to the stable boy and turned to face everyone.

“As ye have all heard by now, I am to be married on the morrow to Lady Holly Drake. I met her at the Macdonalds earlier this spring. She is a distant cousin of me mother's sister’s husband. I expect ye all to make her feel welcome, especially as she lost everything to thieves today.” He eyed everyone, making sure his message got through. When no one said anything, he nodded and walked toward the keep’s doors, eager for some dinner and something to drink. Duncan would go to bed early tonight, because he had a feeling tomorrow was going to be a tiring day.

It was late when Holly awoke. She felt around the table for her satchel and looked inside for her phone. The screen flashed two-thirty. Holly thought it should be late enough to leave. Slipping out of the covers, she shivered at the cold breeze. Even with the fire blazing, the room was cold. Holly put on her shoes and took a moment to warm up by the fire, but she was still chilled.

She packed the dress she’d worn earlier into her suitcase. Holly wondered if she should wait until morning to escape, but she had a feeling Magan wouldn’t let her out of her sight until she was wed to her son. Holly couldn’t have that, she wasn’t going to marry a complete stranger, even if his touch made her body burn with need. That was why she had to leave now. She pulled the cloak out of the satchel and put it on. Holly wished she’d brought her big jacket instead of sticking with the costume. She’d tried to squeeze it into her luggage, but there hadn’t been room.

Using the light from her phone, she made her way out of the room and down the stairs. The hall was dark with only the firelight and a light on the wall. Being as quiet as she could, Holly maneuvered around tables and to the big doors using her phone for light. She opened the door just enough to slip through.

Once through the door, she pumped her fist and almost skipped out of the keep, rolling her suitcase behind her. Holly knew there was a large village at the end of the road. If she could get there, she might be able to hide out until she figured out what to do and how she could get home.

Callam walked back to the keep after leaving Bertha. She’d been in fine form tonight, just the way he liked his women. Bertha had worn him out so much that he’d had a doze before he awakened and left her to go back to the keep.

He needed to be home for his brother, who was marrying a lass their mother had sent for from the future. Callam felt sorry for his brother. To have to be with one woman for the rest of his life…argh, Callam couldn’t think of anything worse.

As he walked up the hill toward the keep, he saw a cloaked figure walking with an unusual kind of light and pulling something behind. He wondered which of his clan it was, he didn’t ken anyone besides his mother who could make light with their hand. Keeping to the shadows, he quietened his steps to see who the person was at such a late hour.

When the small figure got closer, he paused and stood out of the shadows. The small woman screamed and dropped the thing the light was coming from and the thing she dragged.

“Fucking hell. You scared the life out of me.” The woman bent and picked up the rectangle object the light came out of. As she brought it up to her face, Callam took a step back. The woman was beautiful. With raven-black hair and light brown skin, she spoke with an accent he hadn’t heard before, and used language no lady would use. She stared up at him with big brown eyes, and full lips that were turned down in a frown. Callam couldn’t see much of the rest of her body, as the cloak she wore hid it. But if it were anything like the beauty of her face, he was in big trouble.

“Me Lady, why are ye out so late?”

She chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes narrowed at him. “I…um…argh…I’m on my way home. If you’ll excuse me.”

Callam bowed. “May I be of assistance and walk ye home?”

She shook her head, picked up the rectangle object she dragged, moved around him, and walked down toward the village using the strange light.

Callam followed. “It is dangerous for ye to be out alone this late. Where is yer husband? Where do ye live?” He hoped she wasn’t married, but most of the women in the village were.

“I’m not married. Ah, I mean, he’s at home waiting for me. And I live over that way.” She pointed in a direction he knew no new tenants had moved into.

Callam helped his brother and father lead the clan, and he kenned who was in the village. There was no way a beauty like this had moved in without his knowing.

“Yeah, well, I gotta go. It’s been nice talking to you. I better get back home. To…my husband.” She smiled with perfect white teeth.

Callam stood watching her for a moment. She was one of the worst liars he’d ever met. He was shocked though, because women never denied him. Everyone said if his face didn’t get them, then his charm would. He watched as she hurried down the hill until he heard the hooves of a horse coming from the direction of the keep.

The woman didn’t seem to hear the rider. She kept walking like she was in her own world. He kenned he couldn’t let anything happen to this woman. He felt a compelling need to protect her. Callam saw the rider getting closer, and he ran after her and pulled her to the side as the rider passed them.

“Thank you. I didn’t hear or see the horse.” She smiled up at him, and Callam moaned as his heart flipped. The horse was trotting back to them now and came to a stop before them. Callam stood and pulled his sword. His brother got off the horse, scrubbed his face, sighed, and grabbed the woman from his arms.

“Oh, no.” The woman whispered before she struggled in Duncan’s hold. “Let me go. I can’t marry you. I hardly know you. I’m not even from this time. Let me go, you big oaf. You can’t marry me. I have rights.”

Callam groaned as everything made sense, the strange light and her funny accent. This was the woman his mother had brought from the future. But was she destined for his brother, or could she be a mate for either one of them?

Duncan had put Mason and Ian out tonight to help guard the keep. It was Ian who’d come and woken him to say a small figure had slipped out of the keep and was heading for the village. Duncan kenned straightaway who that small figure would be. He’d known from the moment he laid eyes on the woman that she would be trouble. So he got out of bed and dressed, then went to get his horse.

His heart sank when he saw the small figure being chased by a man. Duncan was shocked when he stopped the horse and got off to see his brother with Holly. Callam held her tight to him, and Duncan could see the desire in Callam’s eyes. Anger and jealousy assaulted him at the sight, and he’d snatched Holly out of Callam’s hold and into his own arms, where Holly fought him and told Duncan how she couldn’t marry him. Did she want his brother instead? She then went on about how they hardly kenned each other. Well, he would be happy to change that, if she would just give him a chance. He listened as she told him that she wasn’t from this time and needed to get home. She couldn’t stay here. He wondered whom she had waiting for her?

“Why do ye have to go home? Who do ye have waiting for ye?”

Holly tried to get out of his hold, but Duncan wasn’t willing to give up the feel of her against him.

“I have to go home because I belong in that time. My best friend will worry about me.”

Duncan noticed how she didn’t say parents, brothers, or sisters. “What of yer family?”

Holly stiffened in his arms. “I’m the last of my family. I was an only child, and I never knew my grandparents.”

“So nothing besides yer friend is holding ye to where ye came from?” Callam said.

“No. Yes. Um…that’s not the point. The thing is, I can’t live in this time.”

Duncan scowled at his brother, he’d forgotten about him. Duncan didn’t like the way his brother watched Holly, like she was a tasty treat ready to eat. Duncan kenned that Callam had been with Bertha tonight. Bertha had come to him at the evening meal, and he’d sent her away. He and Callam shared everything. Duncan wasn’t bothered if Callam slept with a woman Duncan had, and vice versa, but that was before Holly. Duncan hadn’t known Holly for long, but he knew from the moment he saw her, felt her, that she was his. Duncan wasn’t sharing her, and he needed to make sure his brother kenned. He and Callam were close, and before today, Duncan would have said there was nothing he wouldn’t give his brother to make him happy.

Glaring at his brother, he tightened his hold on Holly, turned her and picked her up so her eyes were almost at the same level as his. “Why canna ye stay here, lass? Ye have a family now, me family. Ye belong here with me. Ye’re mine. This is the time ye should have been in. Ye’re me soul mate. Me woman.”

He grinned when she growled. “Ahhh, you may be the hottest man I’ve ever met, but you’re the most frustrating. I’m not your woman. I’m not your
anything
. I’m not yours. I don’t belong to anyone. I barely know you. This is the second conversation I’ve had with you.”

“Ye like how I look, do ye, lass?” He couldn’t help the wicked smile that spread over his face.

“Grrr, didn’t you hear anything else I said?”

Callam chuckled behind Holly. Duncan narrowed his eyes on his brother for a moment, nodded to her rectangle thing, and then he leaned into Holly, brushing his lips against hers. The moonlight shone behind Holly, illuminating her eyes as they widened. She tried to move away from him, but he wouldn’t let her have an inch. Her tongue came out, wetting her lips before slipping back in.

“Ye do belong to someone, Holly…me.”

Holly opened her mouth and started to speak, but he didn’t let her get anything out. This time he kissed her to show her what she was to him. He pulled her so her body was hard against his. Holly didn’t resist him and he preened at that. Her arms came up and around his neck, clinging to him.

Duncan kissed her possessively, taking what was his and making sure she felt it. He knew his display would show his brother that Holly was not to share. He pulled away and muttered against her lips, “Mine.”