Kat Bastion

Forged in Dreams and Magick

Highland Legends - 1

To my prince…

Chapter One

Highlands of Scotland—Present Day

The damn rental car resisted my rusty attempts at downshifting. I gripped the stick’s cracked knob harder, fighting a choking cramp at the base of my throat. My efforts at holding my emotions at bay failed. Loud sobs burst free from my lungs, echoing in the confines of the small car as fresh memories of a final goodbye imprinted into my mind.

My grandfather’s wise, time-worn eyes had looked deep into mine as rogue tears sprang forth, coating my lashes. He’d been lying in his death bed. A nurse waited in the only other room of the tiny cottage he’d called home his entire life. He smiled, crinkling sun-weathered skin from the corners of his mouth to his emerald-green eyes. Aged hands caressed my cheeks, gently pulling my head down as he touched his lips to my forehead. I inhaled his comforting scent, a sweet mixture of cigar and the clove-flavored black tea he loved so much.

“Och, sweet Isobel. Doona shed tears for me. The years . . . they’ve been good.”

I straightened, wiping the irritating moisture from my cheeks, wanting to make him proud. “Seanair, I—”

He silenced me with a finger crooked from arthritis. “All’s been said. Our story’s written, but ye know in yer heart; history has our great Highlands wrong. Ye’ve told me so a thousand times. Find our secrets. Discover the whispers on the wind that the years faded long ago. Isobel MacInnes, show the world the bright angel I know. Decide for yerself what’s tae be shared and what’s tae be held sacred.”

He brushed a wavy lock of hair from my face as I nodded. His unwavering support of my need to uncover the truths about Scotland’s mysteries—for which I had no proof but inexplicably knew existed—helped fuel my pursuit of a career in archaeology and shaped the person I’d become.

I set my lips tight in resolve. He’d already insisted I leave that morning before the aggressive cancer finally claimed him, and I decided to give him the dignity of death his way, granting his wish. With a wink and a smile, I stood, turned, and stepped away. I didn’t dare look back. The fragile façade I’d held together on the outside had threatened to crumble the entire visit. I wanted my last living relative to see me leave the same way he chose to depart this world—with strength.

My ornery mode of transportation brought me vividly back into the moment, my lousy gear changing causing the shrill protest of shredding metal. I’d have preferred nails on a chalkboard. With blurry eyes, I glared at the stubborn stick in my hand. The car lurched, the shifter vibrated, and the frame shuddered until I shoved it into gear. I released the clutch, feathered the gas, and glanced up at the road.

“Shit!” My heart shot into my throat as I yanked the steering wheel hard to the left, narrowly avoiding a sea of sheep blocking the way. The unwieldy car snorted and jerked to a stop inches from the bank of a creek.

I got out of the vehicle onto spongy earth and furiously slammed the door shut. Both the car and I needed a breather. Hundreds of lazy, shepherdless sheep commanding the road agreed. Despite my emotional chaos, I burst into laughter. If only my seanair could see me now. I paused at the thought and shook my head. Life, full of imperfections and inconveniences, had become a footnote for him. He’d already embraced the next chapter of his journey.

I inhaled a deep breath, steadying rattled nerves. The rural air held the fresh, cool crispness of the last remnants of spring, even though the bright sun warmed my face. I walked to the front of the vehicle to make sure the wheels hadn’t sunk into peat. I sighed in relief. The broad-surfaced tires sat on top of the soil, so I had confidence I wouldn't be stuck out here, in the middle of nowhere, with a bleating cacophony of sweaters-on-legs as an audience.

Lost in scattered thoughts instead of watching where I walked, I took a careless step. With no time to scramble, I slid straight down a steep bank, landed ankle-deep with a splash, and flew backward from the momentum, landing flat on my ass. My jeans soaked through from the waist down. I sat in the ice-cold water for a moment, tilting my head toward the heavens.

“Really? Today, of all days, you’re teaching me what? Tolerance?”

Never needing anyone to rescue me, I picked my wet, sorry self up and trudged along the creek, looking for an exit point. Roots stuck out of the earth, resembling reasonable handholds, but given my recent luck, I passed, searching for a safer path until a bright flash in the earth caught my attention. I backtracked, locating a brilliant piece of metal stuck in the side of the bank. The fragment’s surface glinted in the sunlight like a long-lost soul signaling for help.

I cocked my head to the side, trying to understand what I’d found. A metal crest shone brightly as the only portion visible. The symbol seemed familiar, but my frazzled state of mind had crippled a typically flawless memory, and I couldn’t process why. The thrill of the hunt overshadowed my struggle to place the crest, however, as my pulse quickened; my years of dig experience and the undisturbed state of the surrounding peat seemed to suggest that I’d found my career launcher.

Embarking on a new mission, I marked my steps, searching for makeshift tools. A loose root and some scrub served me well, and within minutes, I’d exposed one entire side made of a variety of different metals. Even in the dirty, field-found state, its beauty took my breath away.

A to-do list flooded into my head. I needed pictures, notes, sample bags . . . a phone to call my mentor, MacLaren; I had to share the news with him, regardless of his remote research location. I splashed down a dozen yards until the slope eased enough for a simple scramble up the bank and a quick jog to my vehicle. Excitement overwhelmed my nervous system, literally vibrating my body. Trembling hands fumbled with the car door’s metal latch, and a low growl rumbled from my throat. I took a deep breath and with steady focus curled my fingers under the lever, lifted slowly, and flung the door open, grabbing my supplies.

I held the phone up in vain to a signal-less sky and sighed, resigning to the fact that not even a message would get out to the professor. He’d have to hear about the discovery when I returned to Inverness on the way back to the States. The relic would travel home with me, legal or not. Not one ethical cell in my body had any issues with the clear violation of law and procedure, temporary madness overriding my natural rule-abiding tendency. I’d never likened myself to Indiana Jones until that very moment.

Retracing my path, I climbed down into the creek, splashing my way back to the metal object. I documented my find and began the painstaking retrieval of the artifact from its ancient home. I worked for the better part of an hour, cold to the bone from wet jeans, digging until I’d freed the captive. As soon as both of my hands made contact with the item, an unusual energy flowed into my body as if completing a circuit. I disregarded the sensation, certain the electric charge came from the thrill of discovery, and gently rocked the item loose, bringing it forth into the light of day. Fashioned entirely of metal—a foot long, and half as wide and tall—the box I’d unearthed bore extraordinary detailing.

I pulled the heavy object tightly into my embrace, stepping into my new future.

CHAPTER Two

UCLA Archaeology Department—A Couple of Weeks Later

As I walked through the poorly lit, tiled hallway toward Professor MacLaren’s office for the millionth time in my life, I was laser focused; none of the usual feelings of anticipation and excitement flowed through my veins. I barely registered the bleach scent lingering in the air. I found it impossible to concentrate on anything other than the cloth-wrapped box I clutched so tightly under my arm that I’d lost sensation in my fingertips. Like a running back cradling a football with tunnel-vision sights on the glory of the end zone, I made my way toward the haven posing as my workplace.

I usually counted the steps, the closed doors on either side, and the tiles on the floor before arriving at my favorite destination, but not today. I was so completely distracted by the mysterious, heavy box in my hand, I almost missed the doorway. On the wall, next to the door, hung his-and-hers nameplates—his above mine, of course. Kindred in both his Scottish bloodline and passion for the ancient past, MacLaren had taken me under his wing and tutored me to achieve what no other grad student had in such a short timeframe: Assistant to the Head of the Archaeology Department. And if I had my determined way, my discovery would catapult me to Assistant Professor. I shifted my precious cargo, cradling it protectively in my left arm, and fished my key ring out of my purse. A click of the lock, a turn of the knob, and the creak of the heavy wooden door marked the preparatory cadence for me to step into my otherworldly realm.

No amount of focus could take away from the comfort that washed over me as I entered. I turned, shut the door behind me, and closed my eyes, ritualistically inhaling scents of the past. Leather, wood, and the staleness of a place in need of a thorough dusting filled my nostrils as everything I obsess about in near-constant perpetuity welcomed me home. I flicked the light switch on the wall. My eyes opened to the cavernous room MacLaren had turned into a comfortable space, with an entry living area showcasing a burgundy-and-gold Aubusson rug surrounded by a coffee Chesterfield sofa and matching wing chairs. Wooden built-in bookcases lined one side and the back wall. MacLaren’s desk and large leather chair sat a dozen paces ahead. Flanking the space behind the desk were two locked, glass display cabinets boasting the finest treasures of his collection.

But not one of those artifacts could ever hope to surmount the shadow of the priceless one I held.

I stepped forward and gingerly placed the box on the corner of the desk, taking care not to mar the polished wood surface with its metal corners. With bated breath and trembling hands, I unwrapped the relic of my dreams.

Recently installed, museum-quality lighting cast the perfect protective glow on everything collected and displayed within the room, but nothing prepared me for the vision in flawless illumination. Yes, the actual discovering, retrieving, and transporting had turned into an adventure like no other—carry-on luggage took on a whole new meaning when I refused to take my eyes off what I believed was potentially the most important discovery in history. Yes, I’d spent countless hours carefully cleaning it in my small apartment-turned-laboratory. Yes, I’d packaged samples of both the surrounding peat and fine particles cleaned from the box into marked bags for analysis—the results of which were astounding.

I’d even taken my find to the chem lab where a materials chemistry specialist agreed to meet me under the quiet cover of night. The clandestine meeting had been arranged from my end, but Darren, who I’d only spoken to over the phone, had no idea what I’d brought. From my perspective, his requisite ignorance had enabled our meeting last night.

* * *

“Isobel, this is amazing.” Darren skimmed his hands over the box with gloved fingers.

His eyes grew wide, making me wonder if I’d been wrong about his nonexistent archaeological knowledge. I stood at the table’s edge, watching his expressions instead of the top of his bleach-tipped head, as he conducted his examination from a metal stool. Impatient, I put my hands on my hips, calming my voice, hoping to sound dumb and only mildly interested.

“How much can you tell me about it without taking samples?” I asked.

“Well, by the looks of it, the intricately laced layers along the edges are gold, silver, platinum . . .” He leaned over, grabbing a small, silver pointing device from the table. “These carved disks on the corners here beneath the latticework seem to be copper. Bronze, lead, brass, steel . . . I’m struggling to find a metal not represented here. This is a metallurgist’s wet dream.”

I’d already cleaned the box with dry brushes and a detailed gentle-solution bath designed to preserve the integrity of metal pieces. As I listened to his analysis, I received the confirmation I’d been seeking. My novice eye suspected the number of materials and their intertwining detail on the one piece stood unprecedented. The different heats and expertise required to craft each metal made the work amazing to behold, irrespective of the elaborate designs and weaving.

“What about the material fashioning the sides?” I asked as he turned the item around and around, visually noting every one of its many facets like I’d done so many times before him. The one almost-breadbox-sized item held so much beautiful detail, it took several days worth of viewings to take in; I still noticed new things daily, like a small etching or a concealed motif.

Darren tapped his chin with the pointer, clearly as intrigued as I by the unknown material of the sides. It had sheen but didn’t reflect. It had a bluish-silver hue and the slightest sparkle. He opened a side-cart drawer, withdrew a magnet, and held it against one side of the box. When he released his hold, it fell into his hand. He repeated the process on every side, verifying what I already knew: it had no magnetic properties. Without a word, he stood and left the room.

I whispered to our subject, “Guess you stumped him, too.”

He returned with a Geiger counter. Radioactive? He floated the device over the box. The handheld meter crackled. He rubbed his goatee-covered chin, furrowing his brow.

“What?” I wondered aloud.

“I thought it might’ve come from space because the color and density resembles unique meteorite samples I’ve tested.” He tapped a side. “The low reading discounts that theory.”

“Doesn’t radioactivity of an element decrease over time?” I conjectured.

“Sure,” he replied, “but not to this level. This would have to be thousands of years old. Plus, the quantity of ore needed to constitute the density of the sides and the craftsmanship required to fashion all of this together into one piece . . .” He trailed off, lost in his confusion.

While he grappled with his new mystery, my excitement skyrocketed. He’d told me all I needed to know. No other artifact like it existed on Earth, because it held properties not of this Earth. Its age exceeded our historical record of metalworking craft, and the peat and dust samples I’d analyzed pointed to one undeniable conclusion: never-before-imagined skill and materials created the object I’d found.

“Great, thanks Darren. I appreciate your having a look so late.” I carefully pulled the cloth around the box and lifted it out of his reach. He stared at the new void on his metal work table. I almost laughed. I knew the sleepless night he’d have obsessing for answers to questions now plaguing him. I’d had those same restless nights all week.

* * *

The special lights bathing the artifact before me, however, captured minute nuances, bringing the inanimate to brilliant life.

“You and I have been through a lot, haven’t we?” I said to my dazzling new friend. I laughed, dancing precariously close to the edge of becoming one of those crazy professors who is socially inept with people but perfectly suited for lifelong companionship with the objects of their insatiable desire.

In the private enclave of MacLaren’s office while I cast my gaze upon the gleaming box, the Universe revolved around me as the rare object took center stage surrounded by a collection of its archaeological descendants. I grew lightheaded and realized I’d been holding my breath. I inhaled deeply as the exhilaration of the moment gently released its hold.

My iPhone chimed its factory-installed text tone, pulling me out of my awestruck daze. I glanced at the screen. Iain Brodie. My friend. Also a modern-day Highlander and global movie star. I quickly read the message that populated the display beneath his name. Oh shit! I’d invited Iain to meet me at MacLaren’s office; the entire purpose of my quest today hinged on his reaction to my find, and his text alert said he’d be here in a few minutes.

I went to the antique gilded mirror hanging on the far wall. Vanity may never have played a role in my life before, but Iain’s opinion of me had grown more important with time. My image came into view on the silver-backed glass. I tucked an unruly lock of my wavy, pale blond hair behind my left ear. The reflection staring back had never been knockout gorgeous, but I’d been called pretty often enough to believe the words. A small nose, heart-shaped face, and cute dimples when I smiled likely prompted the compliments I’d received. My simple, forest-green mohair sweater matched my eyes in the room’s light. I straightened the pleat in the ankle-length, wraparound plaid skirt that skimmed the tops of my favorite calfskin boots.

A rap at the door diverted my attention. I turned as Iain stepped through a doorway barely accommodating his enormous frame. Even from my five-nine height, the man always appeared huge with his six-foot-five, brawn-built-by-physical-exertion body.

I knew what’d created those bunched muscles. We’d met last summer when I’d been drawn to Highland games festivals with my love for all things Scottish. The ease of his mastery in every event left no member of the audience ignorant of his extraordinary skills. The movie industry had also taken notice. They’d snatched him up long before he’d ever set foot in the States, and his busy film career was the reason he lived in Southern California.

Television coverage of premieres, not to mention the covers of magazines and tabloids, proclaimed his social status: playboy. He rotated starlets and models more often than I grocery shopped to see the printed evidence.

I’d garnered Iain’s attention with my regular attendance at every scheduled festival within driving distance of the greater Los Angeles area while remaining the only single female at the games not to fawn all over him. He’d gained my interest, too, but not in an isn’t-he-dreamy romantic way. My awe bore resemblance to a damn-that-warrior-would’ve-ruled-the-Highlands reaction.

“Well, Isa,” he said in his rich, deep tone, luring me back from my thoughts. “You inviting me in, lass, or am I to continue to decorate your entry?” His thick Scottish brogue rolled off his tongue and danced in my ears.

I’d long ago stopped trying to correct him on my name. After several attempts explaining I preferred my full name, Eeee-sooo-bellll, I’d given up. Now it warmed my heart to hear him call me something no one else in the world ever had.

I walked toward him a few steps, laughing. “Sorry. I’ve been distracted today. Come in.”

He closed the door, and I saw something I’d never seen before—his tight ass in jeans. At the games, he wore the plaid of his ancestral clan which, interestingly, had a one-of-a-kind woven pattern. The way he filled out street clothes made me take notice; broad shoulders pulled his long-sleeved shirt taut, the crisp white setting off tanned skin and chestnut hair. He faced me again, his lips curving into the crooked smile he often wore. He came closer, and the lighting in the room struck his hazel eyes, flecks of burgundy sparkling amid greenish brown.

“Did you have a good trip? You were visiting your grandfather, right?” he asked.

Iain’s eyes searched mine. He tilted his head slightly, holding his arms relaxed at his sides as he took lazy steps forward. He was reaching out to me, showing he cared about my welfare. It was a concept I’d found foreign in my life from everyone except my parents, who’d died years ago, and my seanair, who’d passed before my plane touched down at LAX last week.

Countless thoughts filled my head, from the pain of a precious goodbye I’d held sacred, to the thrilling discovery I’d only shared with Iain in a vague, brief phone conversation. Unaccustomed to men outside of my family showing concern over my well-being, my instincts ran with keeping my barriers up and feelings in.

“Yes. Yes, everything went fine,” I replied. Unprepared for bluffing my way out of a harmless question, coupled with my horrid lying skills, I had little confidence I’d fooled him.

A shadow fell across his face; his brow furrowed and his smile faded into a tight line, which gave me a good indication I hadn’t been convincing. At the very least, I’d disappointed him with my curt reply.

His brown boots clacked softly on the tile as he approached, until he came so close I had to crane my neck back to keep eye contact. For an unknown reason, I stayed rooted to the ground with mere inches between us. He looked at my lips, then into my eyes. The earlier harshness to his features softened as he relaxed his face. I blinked heavily, inhaling his delicious, ever-present scent of the woods and earth.

“What are you doing?” I asked a bit too breathlessly as I stood transfixed, my body overriding the sound reason I’d always had but seemed to have momentarily lost.

“What you want me to be doing.” Mischief flickered in his eyes.

Nervousness settled into my stomach and blood rushed into my brain, allowing thoughts to ping around again. I laughed and pushed my hands into his solid chest which, against his enormous mass, resulted in me falling back a step. I recovered, quickly turned, and walked over to the desk, avoiding the near-combustible collision of our bodies.

“Oh, please. I really have something to show you.”

A low, warm chuckle echoed behind me. “Aye, you do, and I’ve been waiting very patiently.”

I caught his intended meaning, having played his flirting games before, but I was determined not to be distracted. He didn’t make it easy. With the quiet grace of a cat, he came up behind me. His massive thighs hit my ass, pressing my body into the desk. He’d trapped me. His heat burned right through my clothes, clouding my waning judgment. I had two choices: remain standing there, showing him the box from the intimate stance, or demand he back up and get serious. The temperature must have fried my circuitry, because I chose option one.

I leaned over the desk, reaching for the box. “This is what I wanted to show you.”

My bending forward caused our bodies to line up in a perfect sexual position, which I realized one second too late. His hands firmly gripped my hips as he pressed himself further into me. I snapped upright when an ache flashed between my thighs. Our intimate contact sent my pulse racing. As my breaths shortened, I had to concentrate to think straight.

“Iain . . . I . . .” The loss of words marked a first for me. Nothing had ever thrown me as off-balance as he’d done at that moment.

His right hand abandoned my hip. Light fingertips traced along the curve of my waist, the swell of my breast, and up to my neck, where he pulled my hair aside. Warm breath followed by soft lips brushed my collarbone. He trailed gentle kisses up to my ear.

“Don’t fight it, Isa. I know you want me.”

Evidently I did. Or at least my body did. Confusion rattled my brain, which was seriously devoid of proper blood flow. I tried to push back off the desk to no avail. He must have sensed my panic, because he eased back, put his hands gently on my shoulders, and slowly turned me around. I swallowed hard, tilting my head back so I could see his eyes. Those olive pools told me everything I needed to know. While his actions and words sent lustful messages, his eyes conveyed caring and warmth. They invited trust. He arched a dark brow in question while his lips lazily curved into a smile.

“Tell me I’m wrong,” he whispered. The command fell on my ears as a gentle challenge.

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t tell him, because he spoke the truth. Agreeing with him, however, wasn’t a remote possibility. I didn’t want my first time with him—my first time ever—to be sprawled across MacLaren’s desk.

Trapped between wanting to open myself to someone who cared for me and uncertainty about whether he would safeguard my heart if I gave it to him, I stood there, staring deep into his soul, searching for some answer. I needed to know if Iain craved me for the woman he suspected lay deep and protected on the inside, or if he merely saw me as another conquest—a tempting treasure he desired. But my meager social skills failed me in providing words to my question.

Panic and confusion forced logic back into the driver’s seat. “The box. I need to show you the box,” I replied in a soft plea.

He laughed and leaned back, touching the tip of my nose with his fingertip. “Okay. Show me this important prize of yours.”

When he turned, breaking our gaze, I regained my composure. It occurred to me how naïve I’d proven to be in the presence of the first man to give chase to me since . . . well, ever. I’d folded like a fragile flower in the scorching heat of the midday sun. His enormous ego in thinking he could have me simply by wanting me fostered an inner determination to deny him the pleasure. Incredulousness at his bold actions replaced lust. Fear took me the rest of the way. Arriving late to the dating party didn’t mean I had to surrender to the first interested man, even if he was, without any doubt whatsoever, the finest male specimen I’d ever encountered.

I’d invited Iain here to assist in my identification of the artifact, and I intended to obtain the information no matter his objective. I took a deep breath, reaching again toward the box. I wondered if he would see the relic for its true value or if he’d become so firmly entrenched in the Hollywood life of glamour that he’d lost sense of his roots.

“Here it is.” I touched the gleaming corner. His attention shifted to the side of the desk.

I hadn’t randomly invited Iain. The metalwork on the box held secrets within its design. Many things about Iain remained a mystery to me as well, including the uniqueness of his tartan weave and one very unusual crest on an heirloom brooch he used to fasten his plaid. The box had a nearly identical emblem hidden in the metal leafing beneath the latticework, but the resemblance between the two hadn’t clicked until my mind relaxed during the flight back to the States.

His silence as he studied the details of the box lent credence to my theory. He didn’t touch it. He revered the object as he circled the desk, viewing it from every angle. With hawk-like eyesight honed from years of battlefield training, he performed his examination from a respectful distance.

After several heavy minutes, he asked, “Where . . . did you say you found this?”

“I didn’t. I found it buried in peat.”

His reply came with firm conviction. “I think it found you.”

The statement surprised me. As a scientist, the idea of an object beckoning its discoverer, as if it wielded supernatural powers, held so little weight it bordered on ridiculous. Laughter bubbled out of my mouth at the absurd suggestion. “The box found me?”

My mocking tone landed me a hard stare. When his deadpan expression made it clear he saw no humor in my statement whatsoever, my laughter fell away.

“You just happened to be strolling around in a peat bog?” His question held validity. What would anyone be doing wandering across a blanket of spongy, decomposing vegetation?

“No.” My crappy stick-shift driving nearly mowed through sweet little lambs blocking the road. After I careened wildly off into the countryside, I got out of the death trap, tumbled down a ravine, and landed into subarctic water ass first.

What came out of my mouth sounded much less pathetic. “I explored an interesting stream that fed into one. On my way back to the car, sunlight gleamed off one of the box’s corners, and I dug it out.”

He swung his focus from my face back to the box. His brow furrowed slightly. “Well, Isa, I cannot tell you exactly what it is, for I do not know. All at once it feels like an old friend and a stranger, but I cannot explain why. That it bears the ancient symbols of my clan tells me I have something in common with it. I’ve nothing more I can say.” He shook his head, crossed his arms, and stepped back, distancing himself from the desk.

Wow. It didn’t take a linguist to analyze his body language or his words. He’d closed himself off, chosen not to share something. Perhaps I’d caught his deception because hesitation to trust from one makes it easy to detect the same in another. He didn’t know me well and had no reason to divulge his secrets; however, understanding why he withheld what I desperately wanted to know did nothing to stop disappointment from flooding into my heart and mind.

As my mood changed, he came around the desk and placed a finger under my chin, lifting my fallen face. “Isa, you’ll find what you’re seeking . . . of that I have no doubt.”

His touch electrified me. The look in his eyes . . . paralyzed me. The resolve I’d made against him moments before dissolved into vapor as he slid his hands around my waist and held me. Everything about the man overwhelmed me. His gaze fell to my mouth, and my eyes fluttered shut as he closed the distance. He brushed his lips against mine. Firmer pressure followed and I gently kissed him back. The soft feeling of his lips on mine speared currents of fire through my body. All my senses awakened as he delivered a kiss like none I’d ever received. I leaned further into him wanting more contact, every touch feeding my desire like a drug.

He pressed a hand into my lower back, pulling me closer while his tongue traced the seam of my lips. When I parted them and his tongue stroked alongside mine, he moaned, the sound sending shockwaves of pleasure through me. I lifted my hands to his face, caressing his clean-shaven cheek. He pressed further forward, and the shock of feeling his hard erection against my stomach knocked me off-balance. I dropped a hand down, and it landed on the top of the metal box. His hand covered mine, our fingers lacing together as we both lost ourselves in the kiss.

As near as I could tell, that marked the exact moment the entire world literally tilted off its axis. One minute I stood in the professor’s office being kissed senseless.

The next minute . . .

CHAPTER Three

A powerful charge flowed from the box through my fingertips, magnifying every erotic feeling already coursing through my body tenfold. I had a powerful orgasm right there on the spot, crying out into our kiss from the pulses running through me. Iain growled, gripping me tighter. I felt myself falling, weightless, even though he still held me. My head spun so fast, I gasped.

Landing hard on the ground had never been something I’d expected from a mind-blowing kiss.

Did Iain let go of me?

My head—no, actually my entire backside rested on the unforgiving floor. I opened my eyes. I expected to see Iain standing there. Instead, only the roughhewn edge of a wooden table appeared in my line of vision. Beyond that was an angled thatched ceiling.

Perfect. I’d suffered a concussion complete with hallucinations.

I cautiously moved my hands to my sides to push myself up, disturbing what felt like dried grass. With uncertainty, I sat up and looked down at an earthen floor. Although confusion filled my head, pain didn’t. A thorough probing of my scalp with my fingertips confirmed no injury. I plucked a dried purple bloom from a lock of my hair. I glanced under the table and spotted Iain, his limbs spread haphazardly across the floor on the opposite side of the table. He moaned and sat up too. I gripped the solid table edge, pulling my body up from the floor as Iain rose to his knees and stood.

He stared at me with a blank expression, blinked, and slid his gaze toward the box. My gaze followed suit. The only constants in my hallucination were him and the box. Everything else had changed. But even though Iain still remained . . . he’d changed. I swallowed hard as I took in the image of the man before me dressed in a plaid similar to the one he wore to the games, only this one was dusty and darker. I marveled at his new appearance, which didn’t stop at his clothing. His dark brown hair flowed down beyond his shoulders, and a braid dangled from each temple bound by a thin strip of leather. A beard covered his face, but in no way hid the strong angle of the jaw beneath.

Besides those differences, one more struck me as I scanned his body. I’d seen plenty of the man’s skin both in real life and on the silver screen, and the only scars he’d ever worn had been carefully placed by makeup artists. Now, I stared in fascination at his broad chest and arms covered in battle scars. I found myself reaching out and tracing a finger along a jagged line marking an old injury on his sun-bronzed forearm while he silently watched my actions.

The seemingly real dream surprised me. Did people imagine smells? The room had a wretched, pungent aroma from the animal fat of rushlights burning on an iron stand in the corner. Only an errant breeze through a door left ajar alleviated the nauseous feeling rising from the bottom of my stomach. The fragrance of fresh baked bread and cooked meat wafted in as well, causing a good-versus-bad aromatic clash.

The small room had stone walls, one sealed wooden door on the far side, and an open door leading outside on the other. I ran my hand along the table edge feeling along the bottom, catching a fingertip at the point of a rough splinter before it pierced my skin. The vividness of every last historical detail—sight, smell, and touch—astounded my shock-addled brain.

Iain spoke to me as he stepped closer, his expression bordering on astonishment. Yeah, well, that made two of us. “Isa?” He reached his hand out to touch me with such trepidation, I wondered if he thought I’d been conjured out of his imagination. Great. My apparition-Iain held the same wariness as I did about the whole situation—yet another reason I decided none of it could be real. I’d projected my feelings onto those around me.

Without warning, the outer door flew open. Both of us snapped our heads at the intrusion. A burly man with long, black hair broke into our bewildering scene, speaking in what I swore was Gaelic. If not for my study of ancient languages and occasional talks with my seanair, I’d have been at a complete loss in understanding his rapid-fire speech. My limited experience with the dialect allowed me to piece together a few of the words he uttered: something about a woman needing Iain’s advice and a dispute requiring his authority to settle. The man pronounced Iain’s name more like Yo-an, rather than Ee-an like I did.

“Aye, Robert,” Iain replied to the intruder. “Tell Agnes I’ll speak to her on the morrow after noon meal. Have Fingall and Colum meet me in the near field. I’ll hear their grievance.”

Yep. I’d certainly lost it. Robert spoke in Gaelic, Iain replied in a Scottish brogue so thick I barely deciphered the words, and my delusional mind roughly translated it all into modern English-speak. Perfect.

Robert turned on his heel without so much as a glance at me.

I’d had enough of my silence. “What are you, their laird or something?”

Iain laughed nervously as he turned, focusing his attention on me once more. He stepped closer, searching my eyes, opening his arms, reaching out to me like my modern-day Iain had. Despite bearing all the same mannerisms of the Iain I’d always known, something about the man standing before me was subtly different, the specifics of how escaping me in my current confusion. He spoke slowly, as if I’d become a skittish deer he didn’t want to startle.

“Lass, I’m afraid I’m about to bear bad news,” he said, his voice soft.

My delusional man was going to tell me I’d died, wasn’t he? Well, damn, I’d died a virgin. How mortifying. Although, if my reality had been lost to some other realm, what was the harm in fooling around in my current one? I shook my head at my lustful thoughts. You are one step away from insanity, Isobel.

“I’ve died, haven’t I?” I asked.

Iain’s uninhibited laughter rang out, echoing off the stone walls. “Nay, Isa, you haven’t died. My kiss isn’t that powerful or, in any way, deadly.” His mirth subsided. He furrowed his brow as if discovering a problem. “But give me a few minutes, and you may wish you had.”

My struggle to understand his heavier brogue grated on every raw nerve I’d rapidly developed. I sighed. “Fine. Tell me this wondrous news, Iain.”

“Weel, I doona know really how to explain it, for I doona fully understand it myself, but you’ve . . . that is, I mean to say . . . we’ve . . . traveled back in time—back to my time.”

I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it, really. “So, if we’ve been magically transported to the past, why am I still wearing my clothes and boots”—I ran my hands down my body like Vanna White, finishing with a hand flourish at my pointed toe as I posed—“while you are straight off the pages of Medieval Highland GQ complete with kilt, brogue, and realistic scars? Where’s your crisp, white shirt and jeans?”

“Weel, see, I recognized the box the moment you showed it to me.” He inched closer, but I stepped back as a rising fear took hold. “I’d touched it during a matin’ ceremony long before ’twas my time, not knowin’ the power it held. It threw me forward in time. I dinna know it then, but I know it now.”

Something in me started believing the tale he told, and I began to shake. Maybe it was the sincerity in his voice, his body language, or the honesty in his eyes. Even more than that, what he said made sense in another way, connecting to a feeling I’d been having since the first moment I’d been exposed to the box: it seemed to have a mysterious, otherworldly quality.

My voice croaked as I stuttered, “How . . . how do you know it now?”

He shook his head, stepping closer until I felt trapped both by him and the unknown picture he painted for me. “All of me dinna travel to your world; a piece of me did, like I’d split in two. I’ve remained here in the Highlands with no awareness of the Iain you know. The Iain of your time, also me, had early childhood memories of this life, but lived as you lived. I doona know if ’twas our kiss and the box, or simply touchin’ the box that brought us back, but here we are.”

“Here we are? Here we are?” I began to shout as fear turned to panicked rage. “When are we Iain? What’s the date?”

“We’re in the thirteenth century, lass.”

Hearing him say it aloud made my breaths come in quick, shallow bursts as I began to hyperventilate. Too many thoughts ran through a mind thoroughly unprepared to adapt to such a shock. The room whirled around, and I grabbed onto his forearms, his solid body grounding me.

Clarity somehow came in the midst of my insanity. My voice fell to a whisper as I said slowly, “Kiss me again and touch the box.” The command sounded simple enough. I fought with myself, wanting desperately to go straight to Denial Land, but assuming what I’d heard held any thread of truth, I wanted to go back. Now.

He sighed and raised a hand, touching my fingers that gripped his arm like a vice. The gesture soothed me even though I didn’t want to be calmed. “I’ll do as you ask, but I doona think your plan will work.” He rendered his opinion without emotion.

He pulled me closer, and I breathed in the scent of him. If I thought modern-day Iain overpowered my senses, it only served as an appetizer to the main course. His pheromones spoke the same language as mine. Touches of pine and earth that had always been familiar to me were stronger now, including the base note of strong male essence that was pure Iain. In the small room, we stood within reach of the magical, time-warping box. Before either of us reached out to touch its surface, he grasped both my hands tightly.

“Promise me, Isobel. Promise me, no matter what happens, you’ll stay with me.” He raised his eyebrows slightly, searching my eyes with hope.

I, on the other hand, approached mind-numbing hysteria. I tried to hide in my deep breaths. Not sure where my voice had gone, I simply nodded, uncertain if I could promise anything at that point, frantically needing to regain a firm hold of reality—my modern-day reality.

He gave me a single nod, pulling my body tighter against him. I almost laughed—the guy sure knew how to milk the situation—but my inner scientist warred with the part of me that believed his explanation, dousing my sense of humor. I needed to believe his truth to get back, though, didn’t I?

Feeling a bit like Dorothy in her ruby slippers, her words and wishes played through my mind as Iain’s lips descended on mine. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. The cadence continued in my head as he kissed me sweetly at first, then more fervently as we both gave in to the passion of the moment. His hand, still holding mine, pulled away from our bodies and slowly lowered to the top of the box.

Upon initial contact, I expected a jolt. Still enjoying the erotic contact, I waited for something to happen. When no falling feeling occurred, I deepened the kiss, thinking my mantra had thrown things off. I tried to duplicate the intensity of our first world-tilting kiss, and he pressed his body further into mine in response to my increased passion. As seconds turned to minutes, I realized all we’d accomplished was accelerating toward a heightened state of arousal in his world instead of sending me home to mine. I broke the kiss to catch my breath, staring at our entwined fingers atop the cool metal of a box that seemed to grow colder.

“It didn’t work,” I said after slowing my breathing for a full minute and a half—I’d counted.

“Sorry, lass. I dinna think it would.” Resignation flattened his tone.

“Why didn’t you think it would work?” My voice escalated in pitch.

“Weel, this box holds certain properties and is used by my clan for its singular purpose.” His voice softened as he gently rubbed his hands up and down my arms. I remained in his embrace, because the whole situation frightened me and comfort from him felt damn good.

I looked up into his reassuring eyes, even though the height difference caused my neck to ache in protest. When he didn’t offer further explanation, I prodded, “What purpose exactly?”

“Every laird in my clan, as far back as the first and the Picts before us, used it durin’ our ceremony when their chosen time came to take a mate.”

I got stuck on the historical references. Lairds going back in time until the generations reached the Picts? Logic flared anew, rejection of my situation having me cling to the notion that the mind held vast mysteries we had yet to unravel; mine had spun a masterful tale, giving a mystical explanation to the origins of my artifact. He’d said something about a mate.

“How does the box help them find a mate?” I felt ridiculous for a moment, as if the entire episode created of my imagination had me now talking to myself represented in the form of Iain.

“We doona know, lass. All we know is when the rulin’ laird lays his hand on the top durin’ our matin’ festival, the one meant for him is brought to him.”

“Brought to him,” I repeated, as if the echo would make it go down any easier. “One meant for him. Like a soul mate?”

“Aye. We’ve always been a strong and fearsome clan. Our strength comes from the bondin’ of the two in this world right for one another. The union makes an invincible pair to lead our people in times of both joy and hardship.”

The entire time he spoke, I analyzed his words and expressions. Everything he uttered he believed to be true. He waited for me to reply while I pondered my bizarre and rapidly disconcerting situation. Deeper meaning dawned on me slowly, breaking through the barrier of denial, reaching out with the clarity of the proper lens bringing a blurry world into crisp focus.

“I’m your soul mate?” The shouted realization scorched my ears.

Iain struggled to reply, his mouth slowly opening. He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, but no words came out. He exhaled, dropping his shoulders, and the firm nod that followed told me he truly believed I’d been destined for him, regardless of his inability to soften the blow.

A claustrophobic noose tightened around my awareness. I pushed the hulking brute away from me, and he gave no resistance, stepping back. I paced the length of the small room, troubled by the possibilities, or rather, the impossibilities. If the power of my mind had created this entire larger-than-life charade, with every ounce of mental effort, I would banish the fantasy. My feet stopped, and I pushed all my focus inward, hoping my sheer will would make all this nonsense go away, but the ghastly smell from those tallow candles kept interfering with my concentration.

“Isa.” He breathed my name from behind my ear, tempting me like a lover’s caress, resting his warm hands on my shoulders. “Accept this. Nothin’ you do will change what’s meant to be for us.”

I whirled around in his loose hold. His eyes widened, probably due to the wild panic I’m sure came across on my face. “And if I don’t accept this . . . this crazy idea that I’ve been snatched out of my time to be in yours . . . to be with you . . . ?”

“Weel, the festival is in three days’ time. I’m not the only man takin’ a mate. Every available man wantin’ a woman will take the woman they claim—whether or not the woman agrees.”

My mouth dropped open. Although I’d read about it being true—their barbaric ways and the lack of say women had—it didn’t prepare me for the outrage I felt when I’d become one of the said women with no control. I shook my head.

“You either accept my claim and protection, or you will be forced to submit to another.”

I couldn’t breathe. The small space, the stench of burning animal fat, and his alarming words choked all of the air out of my lungs. I found myself gasping for the smallest amount of oxygen as I turned and fled the room, yanking the heavy door open with strength born from the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Fresh air and warm sunshine invaded my senses. I stumbled out onto a feathery dusting of snow covering a patch of young grass breaking free from the ground. A single golden buttercup at my feet angled toward the sky. My vision followed the ground down to a field enclosed by a high stone wall. Soldiers dressed in kilts—and nothing else—sparred with swords, the clash of metal ringing through the courtyard. Women carried baskets between small thatched cottages on the periphery of the compound. In a field beyond, children ran back and forth, carrying sticks with colorful ribbons flying from the ends. I turned around and looked up the side of an enormous stone tower connected to the small room I’d emerged from only seconds ago.

My gaze fell back onto Iain, who stood outside the doorway, leaning against the gray stone. My only guide in this foreign place was an ancient warrior–laird whom otherworldly forces had decided would be my mate in life. And in spite of knowing my state of shock, he had the nerve to stand there with a hard expression on his face.

To hell with it. I turned and marched down the hill toward the women and children. My pace rapidly picked up speed until I found myself running down the incline, its steepness aiding my acceleration. The wind battered my face, fanning the tears streaming across my cheeks.

All I wanted was to gain freedom from the prison in my mind. I wanted to go home. My journey began with a box Iain thought had found me. I wished I’d never seen the cursed thing.

Never in all my life had I been out of control of my fate. Every step of the way, every decision I’d ever made, happened because I chose to go left or right when the winding road forked. I wiped away the tears clouding my eyes as I reached the end of the cottages. The bluff I now stood on overlooked the curtain wall that protectively surrounded the clan within, and I stared into the vastness of the Highlands. As far as the eye could see stretched meadow bordered by forest. The entire scene was framed by rugged gray mountains capped in snow that touched the heavens above in a cotton-clouded blue sky. The enormous panorama made me feel small and powerless.

Something held me rooted to the ground. I’d never shrunk in fear, always relishing a challenge to overcome, so my intrinsic nature won out over spontaneous instinctual flight. I spun around and viewed the entire clan from atop the knoll. The castle, on the rise of a great hill, marked itself as protector over her family. Iain stood proudly in a wide stance, arms crossed over his chest, a few steps away from where he’d last been, staring straight at me.

I took a deep breath, recognizing what I’d known all along in my life. The truth had been hiding under the surface of every turn I’d made, but I’d never been forced to examine the mechanics of why things happened the way they did—until now. No matter how much control I’d ever thought I’d had, it had only ever been a multiple-choice question.

The Universe had a plan for me, and at the moment, Iain served as its mouthpiece. I could accept my fate the easy way or the hard way. It appeared to me, denial of my present circumstances or not, I had a decision to make.

Control had always been a matter of perception. Accepting those things I had no power over was a first step toward feeling like I at least had my hands on the steering wheel, even if I had to stay on the paved road. Dorothy had to follow her yellow-bricked path, and in a way, I had my destiny laid out before me, even if nothing appeared golden about it. She had to skirt dangers, villains, and fantasy beyond her belief system to find her way home, and if that teenaged braided girl could do it in her land of OZ, so could I.

I glared at the arrogant man who’d had a hand in delivering me the message by bringing me here, but don’t kill the messenger rang out in my head, and I smiled.

“Oh, Iain. You think you know me, but you know nothing at all.” My voice purred from my throat. I placed my hands on my hips, making a decision. “I’ve never chosen the easy way. You are going to learn that the hard way.”

CHAPTER Four

Highlands of Scotland—Thirteenth Century

When one runs away in denial from something feared to be true, the journey back to reality—no matter how unbelievable—becomes a slow and painful passage.

I sighed, reconciled to my course, absorbing every detail with wary eyes. Landscape obscured by tears when I’d run from my fate revealed itself. Midday’s sun cast a melting glow on a rogue sprinkling of snow while signs of spring bloomed everywhere: from early wildflowers defying the late powdery topping, to people exploiting the brilliant day with focused determination.

Women wore frocks to their toes in brighter colors than I’d imagined. I looked down at my straight, ankle-length flannel skirt. Damn. Good thing I’d passed on the leather mini my fingers had lovingly stroked in the closet that morning. I snorted at the irony of wearing plaid. Even my wardrobe seemed to have known where I’d be today. A chilling breeze coaxed me to stretch the cuffs of my sweater protectively over my fingers as I trekked with leaden feet back toward Iain.

Laughter tinkled out from little ones running between their mothers’ skirts. Curious eyes, big as silver dollars, peeked at me from beyond the folds. The women gave me only a cursory glance, likely because no threat would be allowed within the protection of their stone curtain wall.

A sizable garden area opened to my left where young women sowed seeds in neat rows, tilling unusual dark soil. Beyond their farming activity, carved into the wide part of a stream, stretched a mill pond stocked full of fish. I passed animal pens that housed cattle and sheep. Further into the heart of the compound, a gangly teenage boy with a shock of red hair sprouting atop his head led two majestic, well-lathered horses—one gray, the other black—into the stables. A furious plume of smoke spiraled up from the rooftop stack of a stone smithy. The building’s two wooden doors were thrown wide open, and I spied on the blacksmith as he repeatedly dropped a metal hammer onto fiery-red steel. The piercing strikes rang in my ears, and my vivid imagination envisioned a claymore being formed.

As I advanced, an occasional nonchalant glance toward the castle confirmed Iain still stood his ground, watching me intently. His wide, confident posture expressed the absolute certainty he’d had in his earlier prediction. My struggle with the implausible scenario aside, I’d returned enough from the land of denial to admit the remote possibility. I traveled an uncharted path not knowing my destination in this paradigm shift. How could I know for certain that he didn’t have a better clue about my upsetting situation than I did?

Iain’s foretelling accuracy made no difference to my stubborn, independent Scottish roots, however. I intended to give the man a worthy hunt. Besides, I reasoned as I gave a wide berth around the training soldiers in the field, my romantic heart needed irrefutable evidence Iain was indeed the one man on Earth meant for me. If the rules in my delusion-turned-reality dictated I had three days to find said man in this world, I planned to make the most of my allotment, deciding for myself who would bed me—not the other way around.

Caught up in the moment, I shook my head, chastising myself for allowing crazy thoughts to muddle my priorities. If a passageway had opened, snatching me from my world and depositing me here, I had to believe a return flight existed. No matter how tangible everything seemed, my way back home had to be hidden behind a locked door yet to be found. I needed to learn the rules of the game, discover its secrets, and ferret out the key.

I stepped within a few feet of Iain, and a cocky grin stretched across his handsome face. Sunlight glinted off his hair, highlighting copper strands woven through dark brown locks. His hazel eyes sparkled with pleasure.

I tamped down my irritation at his pride. Big deal. I returned. Where the hell else am I supposed to go?

My stomach growled, mirroring my mood and reminding me that I’d not eaten in nearly twenty-four hours. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Okay, hotshot. For the moment, I’m a prisoner of circumstance. But I’m assuming you do feed your captives?”

Iain threw his head back, deep laughter booming from his lungs. The rich sound bounced off the stone wall behind him, threatening to overtake the clash of swordplay in the field below. I groaned at his uncontained amusement, glaring at him.

He powered down his annoying outburst to a twitching smirk and stepped closer, extending an arm toward the castle’s main entrance. “Aye, Isa. Rowena will make us some food.”

He pressed his other hand into the small of my back. I brushed past him, but his longer strides closed the gap in seconds, and he silently appeared back at my side.

Iain’s inherent dominance had never failed to set me off-balance, even when I’d only been a casual spectator at the Highland games. I cast a furtive glance at the man beside me—the only link to my world and my apparent guide in his. Although I’d only begun to know him back in the future-turned-chronological-past California—pieced together from superficial conversations at a few Highland events over the last two years—I already sensed the medieval version of Iain held differences that ran miles deeper than a rougher exterior.

The man was intensity personified; deadly confidence radiated from him. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Iain had stared the Devil in the face and won the encounter without a single bead of sweat. His calm fearsomeness had likely given opponents at least a moment’s pause before they’d advanced to their certain defeat.

And yet, I found the protective blanket of his powerful presence soothing to my chaotic mind. The silent balm washed over me, giving my frazzled nerves a much-needed break.

The fleeting peace ended as a large stone-arched entryway opened before us, encasing a massive oak door. Iain gripped the iron handle. The hinges creaked as he pushed it open and led us into the great hall. One step into the enormous room further entrenched me into never-never land, the striking fantasy wrapping itself around me as it stole my breath away.

The rich scents of salt and fat from cooking meat flooded my senses, making my mouth water. Tri-pronged iron frames in each corner held amber beeswax tapers, their flames dancing in the air current. The wooden floor, covered in fresh rushes and a purple haze of dried heather, echoed hollow tones beneath our boots. A fire glowed beneath logs in a stone hearth so large, even six-and-a-half-foot Iain could step inside without ducking.

Two stout women bustled about, removing the remains of the prior meal. They tossed bones speckled with sparse meat into the snapping jaws of three wolfhounds whose fierceness and size suggested they weren’t far removed from their namesake. The growling beasts each staked out separate territories between ornately carved armchairs in front of the hearth, settling down to gnaw on their afternoon snacks.

Iain continued into the room, dwarfing the women as he spoke to them in murmured tones. I roamed around feeling as if I’d walked into a museum brought to life, my eyes drinking in every detail, my mind drowning in everything I wanted to touch, feel . . . experience.

A giant tapestry depicting a battle scene drew me to the far wall. The quality of the piece was astonishing. I laughed softly. Of course it looked vibrant and new; something recently woven would. Brilliant colors and intricate embroidery showed the experiences of Iain’s own clansmen. I feathered my fingertips across the plush surface, amazed at the workmanship.

Appraising an artistic rendition of an actual event made me worry about the time paradox. I stood in a space in time not meant for me. Every action I made undoubtedly caused an altered consequence. My mind swam with the possibilities of millions of tiny changes rippling forward, causing cataclysmic effects in years yet to unfold. The crisp colors slowly hazed into a jumbled mosaic as my strained mind hit overload.

I sank deeply into a suffocating quicksand, barely registering a hand grasping my elbow. Unable to respond, I remained frozen. Gossamer threads that had tethered me to reality snapped, casting me adrift.

Iain tugged me toward him, his strong arms enveloping me in an unexpected embrace. Spent from the overwhelming shock of the last hour’s events, my shoulders sagged. I broke down crying as his protective warmth melted the last of the tough outer shell I’d been clinging to.

I’d never let adversity reduce me to tears; showing weakness wasn’t an option for a woman battling for recognition in a male-dominated profession. The hair-trigger emotional mess I’d become here, however, had lost the capacity to care.

For what seemed like an eternity, he simply held me. Tightening his solid grip, he placed a kiss on the top of my head, leaving his lips there.

The intriguing paradoxes of the man—hard edged but tender, accepting but inflexible, twenty-first century past and medieval future—had me more than a little unsteady on my feet. Yet his two-hundred-fifty-pound, rock-solid frame had become the support holding me upright. My hands slid tentatively around his waist. During my weakest moment, I found solace in the embrace of a man I hardly knew, and yet, felt bound to by an inexplicable connection. Guess I’d become a paradox too.

The downpour across his chest eventually reduced to an occasional teardrop, my sobs turning to hiccups. Iain gently rubbed my back, pulling away without unlocking his powerful arms.

“Doona fret, Isa.”

He tucked a finger under my chin, tilting my face up. I blinked away the last of my tears as reassuring eyes looked into mine. His dark brows raised slightly, compassion relaxing the features of his face. “I’ll send you home if I can, lass. If not, I’ll protect you. I’ll make you happy.” Every whisper left his lips as a potent promise, seeping into my heart.

Stripped bare and completely vulnerable, I was rendered speechless by his tender assurance. The entire world—along with any worry or care I’d ever had—ceased to exist in the protection of his arms.

I nodded, raising my hands to the woolen fabric draped across his chest. I wiped my face dry as my hiccups subsided. Numbness settled into my mind, a reprieve from the daunting anxiety that had nearly overtaken me.

With an arm locked tight around me, Iain led us to the nearest of two long tables. His firm hands guided me down onto a bench, preventing my shaking knees from buckling. In the wake of my emotional outburst, I stared at the grain in the wood running lengthwise along the table like a zombie entranced.

Iain gripped the edge of a wooden stool with one hand and planted it beneath him, sitting near me at the corner. “I’ve told Mairi to fetch a proper gown for you to wear ’til others can be made.”

I glanced down at my clothing. Although my appearance hadn’t appeared to attract notice, blending in seemed wise.

The two women rushed back into the room, carrying boards laden with cheese, meat, and two rounds of hollowed-out, crusty bread filled with an aromatic porridge. My stomach growled in response, my mouth watering at the rich fragrant stew wafting under my nose.

Without a word, I devoured my food. The thick, salty bites—full of meat and chunky root vegetables—fueled my body and mind, enabling my brain cells to fire again. Iain watched me as he picked at his food, furrowing his brows.

Unsolved puzzle pieces floated through my mind as I intermittently glanced his way. How much had I ever really known about modern-day Iain? We’d normally debated history facts, training techniques, or the likelihood of my accepting his dinner invitation, so I’d never really learned much about the man. Perhaps my unfamiliarity of him would be a blessing, since the Iain that sat beside me was clearly a different man or, at the very least, a more complex one.

As my thoughts turned more lucid, I discovered my voice again. “Iain, how did you know my name? How do you remember me from my time while still being laird in yours?” I stared at him as I tossed the most troublesome question out in the open.

“I’ve been thinkin’ on that verra thing myself. I doona know for certain.” He rubbed his bearded chin. “When you . . . we . . . came here, I fell to the floor. Pain exploded through my head. Memories from both times melded together, fightin’ for space in there.” He knocked his temple.

A logical explanation, if one disregarded the laws of the Universe. “Where did your body go? If all your memories are here”—I pointed to his chest—“what’s left of twenty-first-century you?”

He broke our gaze as the women brought us silver goblets. I grasped mine two-handed, eagerly drinking down several swallows of the mellow honeyed ale before Iain replied. “And the next question swimmin’ round in that bonnie head of yours: Is your body left back there too?”

The far-fetched idea of my body and soul splitting in two hadn’t occurred to me. Great. If I gave credence to the notion, part of me would be doomed to madness, lost in the past, while a fully functioning Isobel carried on with her life in the future. I laughed at the unbelievable implications while I broke off pieces of the hard bread and dipped them into my stew.

My amusement at his insane suggestion trailed off as he continued. “I think the magick split me in two with the purpose of retrievin’ you. Now that I’ve fetched the woman intended for me, it snapped me back, like a rubber band. You, by design of the box’s magick, were meant to be here, and therefore arrived here, in this time, whole.”

“How insightful,” I remarked.

With the jeweled dirk and metal two-pronged fork I’d been provided, I cut a piece of venison and forked the meat into my mouth. I rolled the gamey morsel over my tongue, weighing Iain’s words. Regardless of an earlier pledge to send me back if he could, did he truly want me to go? His matter-of-fact interpretation sounded like he only wanted what the box did: to bring him his soul mate. If his goal had been achieved by the magick that brought me here, why would he ever want me to leave?

A rush of commotion burst through the door. Robert and another man, both leviathans from my seated perspective, strode toward us. Iain shifted back on his stool as the men addressed him from across the table. Neither paid me any attention. The red-headed newcomer rattled on in Gaelic—something about a clan dispute or territory issue, but I couldn’t be certain.

They finished their report, and Iain nodded his understanding as their attention shifted to me. Iain switched languages and said, “This is Isobel. She’s come for our celebration.”

Robert, whose dark brows, angled cheekbones, and strong jaw made him seem sinister compared to the fairer man next to him, spoke with a brogue thicker than Iain’s. “Why are you speakin’ English?” He scowled at Iain then squinted at me, turning an already-fierce countenance deadly.

I never broke eye contact with Robert. My back straightened. A wicked smile stretched across my face, temporary insanity taking over as I answered Robert’s question to Iain with the best brogue imitation I could muster, “Aye, Robert, I am indeed English. I’m here for the festival tae find me a suitable Scot. What think ye?”

A feather settling to the ground could’ve been clearly heard in the deafening silence that followed. Only the crackling of the dry logs in the hearth pierced the heavy seconds. I didn’t bother to look at Iain to see his fury at either my having spoken or the actual words themselves—I felt him burning in anger beside me, like a nuclear reactor melting down.

Robert barked out laughter, clapping his friend on the shoulder. “Duncan. What think you? Have you ever seen such a bonnie lass come on our lands?”

Duncan shook his head, grinning at me. “Nay. She’s a bold tongue too.”

The brazen compliments surprised me, causing my cheeks to heat. I smiled. My foray into dreamland had the potential to be more fun than I’d thought. I’d never been courted by any man, let alone several, and I failed to remember men ever finding me so attractive—well, besides Iain.

Iain’s snarl choked off their laughter. “The suitable Scot would be me . . . lass.”

I slowly turned my gaze toward him, meeting rage-filled eyes. His clipped words were the clear command of his claim . . . to me.

The dust had settled in my mind. Stuck operating by the rules of a new world, I resolved to stay true to myself. Strong, independent, and spirited, I refused to cave to any man’s forced authority over me, or to some unknown magick’s supposed prophecy of my future.

I raised a single brow, speaking in a calm, low tone. “We shall see . . . Laird.”

CHAPTER Five

Iain scraped his stool back and left. His irritation hung heavy in the cavernous room. The men followed, dismissing me as they all deliberated some issue in unintelligible Gaelic. The heavy door slammed behind them, my companions diminishing from three energetic men to a trio of napping wolfhounds.

Iain’s indifference for my welfare seemed a tactical ploy. It worked; being disregarded by one’s only connection sucked. Fear crept in, magnifying my core concern: Who could I trust to help me other than Iain?

I shrugged off the apprehension, unwilling to submit to vulnerability. Forced dependence on Iain chafed almost as much as the acceptance of an altered reality. My obstinate nature fueled a need to find others to rely on—I needed to find an ally.

Motivated, I charged off in the opposite direction of the supposedly sleeping beasts. After only a few steps, I jarred to a halt, narrowly avoiding a collision with a brave maid piloting blindly behind clothing stacked high in her arms. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and wisps of her auburn hair fell loose about her round face.

She spoke Gaelic, and I shook my head, not understanding what she’d said. “Do you speak English?” Her wide-eyed hesitation reached my sluggish brain. I’d forgotten the Scottish hated the “arrogant” English.

The maid recovered and gave me a weak smile. “Aye. English. Gowns.” She held up the evidence. I fought a smile, not wanting my amusement to be mistaken as mocking.

“You’re Mairi?” I asked.

She nodded.

“I’m Isobel.”

She nodded again, turned, and briskly walked toward wide stone steps lining the front wall. Her glance and a head jerk over her shoulder wordlessly suggested I follow. I darted after her.

A cozy chamber on the next level held a twin-sized bed, a low wooden chest, and a small chair and table next to an unlit hearth. A light layer of dust coated every surface in the musty room. Mairi systematically laid out her items onto the bed: two gowns, two linen chemises, a leather-braided belt, and their folded clan plaid. She placed flimsy, brown leather shoes on the floor.

“Thank you,” I said. Her blank expression told me she had no idea what I’d said. I pointed a finger at the outfits, feeling like a tour guide in my own foreign movie where someone forgot to add the subtitles.

While I assessed the limited clothing options, a soft click of the door marked Mairi’s swift departure before I even had a chance to say goodbye. I shook my head, snorting, figuring the welcoming committee must have been invented sometime later than the thirteenth century.

Although no fire yet burned in the room, the air’s ambient chill didn’t bother my thin Golden-Coast blood. I pulled my sweater over my head. While stacking discarded clothes on the corner of the chest, I considered leaving on my black, French lace bra and panties, but opted for commando under the chemise, lovingly tucking my only lingerie inside the folded skirt.

With a final tug of the plainer of the two gowns over the linen slip, I’d transformed into a medieval woman. I looked down, straightening the pale yellow fabric. The color matched the ends of my hair curling over my breast. Cinched ties, laced across the bodice, compensated for a slightly large fit. The brown toes of my comfortable boots peeked out from the floor-length hem. I defiantly plucked up the provided slippers and deposited them next to the stack on the chest.

The clan plaid remained. I admired the fabric’s green, black, and gold pattern, remembering historical record. Kilts, or plaids as I liked to call them, did not exist prior to the sixteenth century. I grinned.

If only they knew what I’ve seen. Nothing like rewriting history books from firsthand knowledge. I shook my head. The odds of that happening, short of dragging their self-righteous, narrow-minded asses back in time for irrefutable evidence, hovered around nil, zilch . . . nada.

I wrapped the awkward fabric around me, starting at my waist. Material pooled at my feet when I finished, a glaring clue I’d done something wrong. I began again at the other end, which resulted in bunched pleats falling around my hips. After three failed attempts, I growled, tossing the unwieldy mess back on the bed. They want the clan plaid on me? They’ll have to put it there.

Muted sounds of clanging metal drifted up from the training field. I crossed to the tapestry on the wall, peeling back a corner of the heavy cloth, revealing the courtyard below where shirtless soldiers sparred in small groups. Beyond them, Iain and Duncan stepped out from the smithy.

Iain stopped. He tilted his face up, locking onto my gaze. Power emanated from that ruggedly handsome man, easily detected even from my vantage point. He smirked at me and continued walking toward his men on the field. I dropped the tapestry, annoyed at his never-ending cockiness.

Riled, I stormed from the room to learn about Iain’s castle and its people. With firm belief in the old adage knowledge is power, I intended to become more and more powerful by the minute.

I trotted downstairs, searching along the outer wall. A good distance from the sleeping chambers, I found the garderobe. The medieval bathroom’s design had two snug-fitting doors, one after the other, preventing odors from escaping into the hall. Two clerestory windows circulated the air and brought in light. On a high wooden table, folded linens and lavender sprigs sat alongside a water pitcher, soap rounds, and a small basin. Near the wall, a low wooden stool with a center hole, sat over an angled tunnel, likely leading to a moat or cesspool. My spirits lifted. A simple room gave me one less worry amid a thousand lost conveniences.

Once I’d taken care of business, I backtracked. My steps slowed as the castle’s uniqueness settled into my awakening brain. This was not Brodie Castle, at least not the Brodie Castle in modern-day Scotland; it wouldn’t be built for another three hundred years. Architectural details I’d witnessed in Iain’s castle raced through my mind: the massive, curved corner towers; the size and number of windows . . . and the gigantic groin-vault ceiling in the great hall. My pulse quickened with my pace as I rushed back to study the anomaly.

Standing under the impressive design yielded no further explanation of its bizarre existence. With my neck craned back, I stared in open-mouthed disbelief at an engineering impossibility. Graceful, perfect curves crossed the ceiling from the room’s four corners, the arching gray stones peaking in the center where the bowed panels joined together. Churches and castles throughout Europe and Scotland had the popular method of construction—the Roman design eliminated a need for substantial buttressing—but to the scale above me in thirteenth-century Scotland?

My attention jerked down, as two men hustled by carrying sacks over their shoulders. I discreetly followed them to the larder, rubbing a neck cramped from excessive ceiling watching. They deposited their load and exited the way they came, passing me without a glance. Fairly certain I hadn’t gone invisible, I thought it strange no one questioned my presence.

“Knowledge is power. Knowledge is power . . .” My murmured chant spurred me on.

Toward the heart of the keep, I discovered a sizable room. Hundreds of rolled parchments were stacked on their sides in floor-to-ceiling built-in shelving. On a large, carved oak table positioned in the center of the room, obsidian paperweights held down the corners of a large piece of vellum. The velvet page resembled a topographical map, with its detailed ink drawings and notations, but had only been partially completed—the entire right side of the soft, transparent paper remained a blank canvas.

I glanced up from the geographical work of art and skirted the desk, eagerly scanning the room. The treasure trove I stood within had to hold vital clues about the castle and surrounding lands.

Suddenly, I froze. Instant shock traveled so deep, my lungs seized until I gasped for air. The wall. I swallowed hard, blinking moisture into dry, wide eyes as I approached the marvel before me. The lone uncovered wall held an unbelievable—even for newly open-minded me—oddity.

Closer analysis revealed the phenomenon wasn’t on the wall—it was the wall. Spanning an incredible twenty feet stretched the largest, most unusual map I’d ever seen. The size alone amazed me. That the huge wall was crafted of a stone resembling the metal of my time-travel box . . . floored me. I suspended a shaking hand over sparkling lights embedded into the surface. The illuminated markings pulsed, giving the wonder beneath my fingertips the heartbeat of life.

A tentative touch of the cool surface shocked my finger. The lights surged brighter, and the stone warmed, its lights glimmering blue. A familiar energy flowed into me. Frightened, I yanked my hand back. Recognizing kinship to a wall—no matter how cool—fell under the category of mildly insane, never mind my begrudging acceptance of the fact I’d time traveled.

Information overload short-circuited my brain. My vision narrowed, rainbow dots fuzzing the fringes of my eyesight no matter how many times I blinked. Instinct prevailed, and I fled. With guarded attention on the virtually sentient wall, I backed through the door, stumbled into the dark hall, and doubled over, bracing my hands on my thighs, sucking in deep breaths.

In my entire life, I’d never run from anything, but in one landmark day I’d done so twice. An answer-finding expedition had only unearthed alarming questions, and I stuffed every last one into an open-at-a-later-date compartment in the far reaches of my mind. Reality. Severe dose. Now.

In critical need of fresh air and human contact, I wrenched open the heavy front door, happily ditching my earlier vow of self-sufficiency. The solid earth under my feet, a cool breeze swirling around, and the vastness of the blue sky grounded me instantly. I exhaled a calming breath.

A coral sun dipped into the horizon, the day winding to its end. Soldiers, finished with their sparring, talked among themselves in small groups, a few heading down toward the village.

Iain, Robert, and Duncan remained on the field with a group of men. I started toward them, but a cheerful cry near the cottages stole my attention. A young woman jumped into the arms of a returning soldier. He embraced her, spinning them in a circle. Their rapt expressions, existing only for the other, expressed their love. Captivated by the romantic scene, I slowed my steps.

A jarring impact into something solid startled me. I tumbled to the ground in a heap of tangled arms and legs with a young woman. We both erupted into laughter.

“Were you watching the couple too?” I gestured down the hill with a wave of my hand.

She nodded, her chest heaving from exertion. Pale gray eyes sparkled with mirth as she shifted her weight and lifted a leg off mine, freeing us from our human pretzel. She had a pretty face with light freckles dusting her nose and dark copper curls teasing pink cherub cheeks.

“You’re English,” she stated, tilting her head. She braced herself back on outstretched arms, assessing me from her sprawled position on the lawn.

“Yes, my name’s Isobel,” I said, keeping my unbelievable reason for being English to myself.

“I’m Brigid. Verra not English.” A twitch at the corners of her mouth belied her gruff reply.

We’d fallen on damp ground, the crumpled layers of my skirt protecting me to a degree. Our dresses were soiled from grass and mud, and her sky-blue dress had a torn hem. She made no move to get up, and I had no desire to leave the first Scot I’d encountered who hadn’t vanished at the first sign of my Englishness. I’d never been more thankful of a bodily collision.

Before either of us had a chance to utter another word, a shadow descended on us—several shadows, actually. I angled my face up, meeting Iain’s displeased expression. His immense frame blocked the rest of the world from view. My already-aching neck forced me to drop my gaze, and I stared down at where the toes of his worn leather boots touched my exposed, pale shin.

Strong hands gripped both of my arms below the shoulders, hoisting me straight up, my feet dangling until Iain lowered me to the ground. His eyes sparked fiery brilliance under furrowed brows. Another giant plucked Brigid up in the same manner. Neither removed their hold, but the iron clamp around my arms gradually loosened, allowing blood to flow again.

Iain took a slow, deep breath. He bit out words through gritted teeth. “Lass, look forward when you walk.” He glanced at my companion. “Brigid,” he growled, “you know better.”

He turned back to me, scowling. The man didn’t seem to know whether to be concerned or angry. “I doona want there to be a next time with you hurt . . . or worse.”

Iain stepped back, roughly spinning me around. Incensed, I opened my mouth to object to the callous manhandling, but a tic in his jaw and his daring glare made me reluctantly bite my tongue.

He squinted, holding my body still for his scrutiny. I glared back at him. Intimidation never worked with me. Despite his anger and my irritation, the air between us sizzled. My heart rate and breath accelerated. A flash of erotic heat snapped through my body, settling into a deep ache between my thighs. I gasped, and his nostrils flared. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly bone-dry as Iain smirked . . . with pride?

“Brigid, take Isa inside. Have Mairi draw you both a bath.” He pierced me with a hard look. “You’ll both join me at my table tonight, clean and in fresh gowns.”

Without warning, Iain released his hold. I flailed my arms from the loss of support, nearly falling. Brigid was freed at the same time, but found her balance with a tad more grace. The men departed in silence, but a good distance away, they broke into low rumbles of laughter.

I grumbled, “Men find stupid things amusing.”

Brigid laughed, locking our arms. She whirled us around, guiding us up toward the keep.

“Are you with the man who helped you up?” I asked, wondering if she’d been married off yet.

“Nay. I’m fond of Fingall, though.” She turned, walking backward, wistfully watching the group of men head toward the widest part of the stream. She pointed to the far right. “He’s the largest in the laird’s guard.” The man she’d indicated dwarfed the others in height and mass, including Iain, by a good half foot. “I hope he’ll notice me in the days ahead.” The longing in her voice was unmistakable.

“Tell me about the festival.” A springtime event pairing off young lovers intrigued me. Her perplexed look hinted that Iain’s “festival” label was not common. “The days ahead,” I clarified.

She tore her gaze away from the men, speaking in hushed tones about the upcoming event. “They’re a glorious few days, filled with fresh flowers and sweet kisses.” She blushed at the apparent thought of receiving a kiss from Fingall. “Bealtuinn is my favorite time of year.”

Of course. Beltane. The first day of May. Beltane marked the passage of spring to summer—a celebration of fertility and hope for a strong harvest. Gaelic lore believed otherworldly spirits danced dangerously close to entering our world at Beltane and Samhain, the last day of October.

In all my studies, there had never been mention made of a mating ceremony at Beltane. I wondered about the omission’s significance. Could the clan, with its unique castle and prehistorical tartan, have been somehow protected or isolated from the rest of Scotland? The idea seemed implausible with the Viking conquests, clan wars, and English invasions over the centuries, but the day had taught me a valuable lesson: I needed my mind open wider than the Grand Canyon.

“Brigid, Iain told me Beltane is also a mating festival. Is that true?”

Her brows shot up, her mouth falling open. “Laird told you that? And you call him Iain?” A smile spread wide across her face, revealing a dimple on one side. Mischief danced in her eyes, making me worry I’d said something unusual.

“Yes . . .” I hesitated, uncertain of how much to reveal for fear of exposing myself. I cautiously kept the disclosure brief. “He told me single men and women take mates. He also said a woman not claimed . . . is fair game—at risk of being taken whether she’s agreed, or not.”

Brigid burst out laughing. “Ah, Isobel, Laird had a bit of fun with you. I’ve seen women thrown over a drunken shoulder, but I’ve not heard of one bein’ . . . taken.” She paused. “Then again, I doona know of any opposed to bein’ carried off.”

Although I wanted to believe her version, I was fairly certain Iain hadn’t been outright lying. “Are you sure, Brigid? Iain seemed very serious about the point.”

Her fits of laughter subsided. “’Tis possible Iain spoke the truth—our warriors live by rules that I’ve no desire to be well versed in—but I thought only those wantin’ to wed took a husband. I could’ve married many summers ago, but I’ve been waitin’ on Fingall. He told Hamish, who told his wife Agnes, who told me, this is the year he’ll take a wife.”

I turned my head toward her as she grew pensive. “Do you think he’ll choose you, Brigid?”

“I doona know,” she replied. “He flirts a bit, but he also flirts with every other lass who shows him attention.” She scowled. “They gather around him, twittering nonsense.”

Her disapproving jealousy and my cunning mind roused a plan. “Brigid, we’ll make sure Fingall has eyes for you and no other when the time comes for choosing a wife.”

She stopped walking, clapping her hands once in excitement. “You have a plan?”

I laughed, plucking a blade of grass from a lock of her shimmering copper hair. “Yes, I do.”

Brigid squealed, hugging me tightly and knocking us into the keep’s unforgiving wall with her exuberance. We stayed there, huddled together, hashing out ideas as a rough strategy unfolded.

My refugee status in a foreign land had been forgotten. Serious girl talk banished anxiety about magick boxes, living walls, and forced soul mates. Hope welled anew. An old-as-time scheme to catch a man’s attention had forged more than an alliance—I’d found my first friend.

Arm in arm, we walked inside and up the stairs to follow Laird’s orders . . . and then some.

CHAPTER Six

Steam rose off the surface of the water in dissipating tendrils. Soothing heat penetrated tight muscles, easing the stress of a challenging day. I stretched my limbs in an oblong wooden tub, ignoring the absurdity of enjoying my first spa day ever, nearly a millennium in the past. After being yanked into a world without my permission, I soaked in the blissful irony of a mini-vacation.

Brigid and I bathed in the sitting area of a bedroom that had to be Iain’s, since the largest bed ever created practically obscured the far wall. The stately piece of furniture made me uneasy by its very presence. Where Iain slept—and pleasured—both intimidated and aroused me. My unruly imagination spun visions of his body exploring mine, taking what he wanted, giving what I needed . . .

Damn, Isobel. All the talk today of claiming and taking has guttered your mind.

I reined in my wayward thoughts and rioting body, scanning the rest of the room from my medieval bathtub. Iain had generously appointed the room with both small conveniences and generous comforts. A dark-chocolate bearskin rug spanned the oak floor between the bed and a large stone hearth where a fire blazed. Silver goblets sat on a polished oak table with a carved armchair on either side. A tapestry woven into a luminous nightscape covered a tall window. At the foot of the bed, two wooden chests stood guard, their sides sparkling with dark jewels. Treasures themselves, the locked trunks piqued my curiosity. Did they protect secrets? Did they hold answers to the mystery of the box . . . or the wall?

A ticker tape of questions flooded into my mind, followed by excitement for the upcoming dinner. I glanced at my splashing companion. Her wet curls dripped onto the wood floor. She’d been graced with an angelic face, porcelain skin, and curves capable of taming any beast of her choosing. With her humor and quick wit, she’d easily snatch the one she wanted.

I wondered how I’d know for certain if Iain was the one I wanted. “Brigid, why Fingall? What’s so special about him?”

“Ahhh,” she drawled, staring dreamily into the far-upper corner of the room. “Fingall’s a fearsome warrior, but underneath all his power beats a kind and generous heart.”

I smiled at how the mere mention of his name affected her. “And you’re certain he’s interested enough to pursue you?”

A deep pink blush spread across her cheeks. “Aye, I think he likes me enough.”

“Any worry he’d choose another?” I rubbed lavender-scented soap into a wet linen square and stretched a leg above the water, dragging the fragrant suds over my calf.

“I doona know for certain,” she admitted.

I sighed. “Well, we’d better get busy then. Starting tonight, we have two days for our plan to work.”

Before our water cooled beyond lukewarm, two ladies-in-waiting appeared with towels, fresh clothes, and accessories. I stepped from the bath and dried off with a warmed linen towel as my maid arranged a silk chemise and gown on the bed and placed matching slippers on the floor. My fingers feathered across the dark-blue velvet gown, admiring the gold-braided threads that trimmed the square neckline and cuffs.

The efficient hands of my maid turned me, lifted my arms, and floated the silken chemise down my body in thirty seconds flat. The beautiful gown followed, its ribbons pulled tight across the bodice. Then she herded me in front of the fire, into a chair next to Brigid, and our hair was painstakingly arranged for us by the drying heat of the hearth. My spa experience apparently included an appointment in the medieval salon.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” I asked as the maid tugged at my hair.

“Aye,” she replied without further elaboration. “Do you?”

I watched her attendant pin glossy ringlets up one at a time with swift precision. “No. I’m an only child.” The admission brought forth the memory of my seanair and a stark reminder: I had no remaining family. Crestfallen by the realization, my curiosity sails lost their wind.

Brigid pulled me by the hand from my blue mood and out of the chair. She led me in front of a ten-foot-tall mirror perched against the wall. It reflected the artistry our maids had performed. My gown hugged and displayed every gentle curve on my willowy form, the sapphire blue setting off my creamy skin. Blond curls, woven with shiny gold ribbons, fell loose about my shoulders. Inside of an hour, I’d been transformed into a temptress.

Brigid nudged into my side, and it suddenly occurred to me the two of us could have been related. Wild, copper curls had been piled on her head with reckless fallen spirals teasing her cheeks and neck. She wore an emerald-green gown, cut nearly identical to mine.

“Isobel. We’re sisters!” She twirled, bumped into me, and grasped my hips for balance.

I laughed. Jinx! “No stranger would ever think otherwise.” Besides our similar curly hair, fair complexion, and lean build, we even shared dimples in common when we smiled.

Framed by ornate gold gilding, the glass captured the image of two beautiful goddesses. The fire’s orange glow cast shadows in the backdrop, creating a striking scene worthy of the Louvre. Our success tonight hinged on garnering the attention of more than just Iain and Fingall, so I hoped we wouldn’t be the only ones to take notice.

* * *

My nervous stomach fluttered like a million netted butterflies. Brigid and I descended the stairs to the great hall where the festivities were underway. The room had been filled to capacity with well over a hundred people standing about talking, flirting, and laughing.

Men wore white dress shirts with the clan plaid draped across their chests and fastened securely around their hips. Their functional, muted attire, however, was completely outshone. Vibrant-hued gowns sparkled like emeralds, rubies, and sapphires as the women moved through the room, bringing a lazy kaleidoscope to brilliant life.

Additional seating had been brought in to accommodate the guests in attendance. Tables were laden with sumptuous delicacies as if Iain was entertaining for royalty. Stuffed swans, surrounded by apples, pears, and onions sat on silver platters at the head of each table. Fully dressed peacocks and pheasants were arranged farther down in line. Fragrant rounds of herbed rosemary and garlic breads were piled high between the beautifully arranged fowl dishes. I even glimpsed an artfully prepared salmon on a board.

Brigid looped her arm in mine, pulling me out of my awestruck fascination and leading me down the stairs. She elbowed me in the ribs.

“Owww . . .” I glared at her, catching her wide grin before she yanked me to a stop. We’d only gone midway down the wide stone staircase. Her attention shifted beyond me, and I turned. Every gaze in the room fixed squarely on us as a hush spread like God had extinguished a raging wildfire with a single breath.

Heat flushed under my skin so quickly, from my breasts into my cheeks, I must have beamed crimson like a neon light. I took a steadying breath, examining their faces, wondering what they thought of me, a stranger who’d been welcomed within their protective enclave by their laird.

Turnabout in uncomfortable situations always settled my nerves, so I scrutinized them in return. Of those considered Iain’s closest companions, who would I deem friend, or adversary? Had any been privy to the same secrets I’d discovered?

More importantly, were the oddities within Iain’s castle even secrets at all? With his map room trustingly unlocked, he showed a clear lack of concern for protecting the unique, responsive wall. Maybe artifacts like the box, with its ritual purpose passed down through their generations, were a part of their lore and, therefore, common knowledge.

On my mental treasure hunt, each question became a clue leading to the next question. Had Iain shared with anyone that I’d been plucked out of another time and deposited here? I frowned, searching for Iain in the crowd. Regardless of my plan for independence, I needed reassurance that he still had my protection as a priority.

The last question shimmered to the surface as if summoned through a reverse Magic 8 Ball. Had other women been stolen out of their time? The thought faded as quickly as it had formed. Iain had said women came when their laird took a mate, but the last would’ve been his mother. Unless she still lived, and he’d made no mention of her, no other time-displaced women existed.

Where is Iain?

Done standing under the scrutiny of the party’s microscope, I squeezed Brigid’s hand, tugging her arm, but she held her ground. Patience had never been a strong point for me. I bit the inside of my cheek, waiting. Since my only experience in gaining a man’s interest by disinterest might’ve been a fluke with modern-day Iain at the games, I trusted our rough plan—and Brigid’s intuition—to guide our way.

Distracted by my chattering mind and the crowd’s intimidation, I didn’t notice the disturbance in the air behind me until the weight of pure power pressed into me without contact. A chill raced up my spine. The heat of his breath flowed up my neck to the shell of my ear, scattering every thought I’d had like a dandelion bloom bursting apart on a gust of wind.

The thunder of my heart muffled my loud gasp. I tried to turn—uncomfortable being sandwiched between eager voyeurs and their laird—but Iain gripped my hips, immobilizing me.

He inhaled, drawing my upper body back until he’d become the only thing holding me upright. I swallowed hard. A novice to any kind of intimate handling, I felt vulnerable under his command, and I forgot all about my plan and the audience below.

A low growl rumbled at my ear. “Isa, you devastate me.”

I sighed out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d held. Well, damn. At least I wasn’t the only one incapacitated. Angling my head against his chest, I looked up into dark, lustful eyes. That amazing mountain scent of Iain’s enveloped me. His long hair curtained down, shielding our faces from view. I reached a hand up, caressing his bearded chin. He smirked. I smiled.

Okay. Fine. I conceded the match to him. Five minutes into an evening together, and I’d literally fallen into his hands.

“Well, what now, big guy? Are you going to kiss me, or stand here holding me all night?”

He chuckled and forced me upright, smacking my ass. “I’ll do neither, lass. I’ll be escortin’ you to a seat beside me at my table.”

I straightened my dress as an odd disappointment replaced the arousal thrumming through me.

He took my arm, and I looked around, not seeing Brigid anywhere. He leaned down, whispering in a thicker-than-usual brogue, “That was me claimin’ you before them. I’ll not give another man the chance to sneak up to your enticin’ backside . . . or any other side, for that matter.”

Had the man read my mind? Maybe my schemes were that transparent. For the first time, I entertained the notion that I might be trying to outfox a master strategist.

The crowd slowly animated again, rotating. Glances darted toward us often, whispers and hushed conversations igniting. Iain led me into the room with a firm hand at the small of my back. We wound our way through the crowd, stopping briefly when someone waylaid Iain.

Not one woman seemed welcoming when we approached, balanced by speechless stares from every man. Gaping looks switched from me to Iain, then back, making it difficult to discern whether the commotion was caused by my presence or by ours.

I spotted Brigid in the center of the room, talking with a group of Iain’s soldiers. Several other beautiful women were there. Some stood too close to one man or another, loudly broadcasting their claim or intentions.

Iain’s possessive hold moved up to my shoulder as we stopped before the familiar group of his men. Every woman, aside from Brigid, faded back into the room as if implicitly instructed.

Brigid smirked at me. Her mischievous expression prompted me to reassess my new friend. Her earlier disappearance, along with Iain’s usurping our game plan, made me wonder if a cunning mind hid beneath that innocent exterior. I winked at her, unquestionably hoping so.

Iain squeezed my shoulder. “Isa, these men are most of my clan guard. You’ve met Robert and Duncan. This is Jamie, Calum, Ailig, Bryce, Seamus, and Fingall. They’ll watch over you, protectin’ your life as if it were mine.”

His words became a formal command to his elite guard rather than a mere introduction of me. Each man bowed his head to me while raising a fist over his heart, returning an unspoken oath to their laird. Unfamiliar with proper etiquette on meeting one’s clan in medieval Scotland, I followed their lead, respectfully titling my head to each man in succession.

At last, I had an opportunity to see Brigid’s Fingall. A dark blond braid hung from each temple beside ice blue eyes. A strong jaw and defined cheekbones made him worthy of Michelangelo’s marble. The breadth of his shoulders and imposing stature evidenced his fearsomeness. Without doubt, a Viking descendant stood before me.

As if an announcement had been made about the formalities ending, the hostile women pressed into the group again, asserting their rights. Four women in particular seemed quite aggressive, two of them nearly sidling a very poised Brigid out from in front of Fingall.

I watched as she expertly stepped out of their way, letting the silly girls twitter and giggle before the giant of a man. Brigid gave Fingall a coy smile, demurely tilted her head down, and slowly ran her hands from her hips down her thighs, looking very much like she wanted somewhere else to put them.

Oh, hell. Brigid had him nailed. Fingall responded instantaneously. The trespassers had the wisdom to move before being trampled in his rush to get to Brigid’s side. Fingall grasped Brigid’s hand, looping it in his arm. His dreamy-eyed expression explained everything: Brigid had already captured the completely entranced Fingall.

While Iain laughed with his men about something I’d not been listening to, I sensed harsh waves of animosity radiating my way. Paint-peeling glares from the clique told me those women viewed me as an eleventh-hour party crasher. They couldn’t have been more right; except, the fairy godmother failed to ask my opinion about attending the ball. If only my charade finished at midnight—I’d gladly go home in a pumpkin with the mice.

I inclined my head toward the blatant hostility, offering a sincere smile, hoping to at least convey something akin to respectful acknowledgement. My extended olive branch broke as Iain turned me, leading us in the opposite direction. Iain’s guard, Fingall included with Brigid in tow, followed with spirited discussion.

We stopped at the head of the largest table. Iain gestured for me to sit at his right as the other guests filtered their way to their seats. The room calmed, all gazes riveted toward their laird.

Iain stood, lifting a jewel-encrusted goblet in his hand. The entire room raised their cups. I mimicked them, lifting my silver goblet high.

“Welcome to the commencement of our Beltane celebration. This night shall be filled with drink, food, and laughter.” Iain raised his goblet higher. “May all who seek refuge, find it. When you find comfort from another, cherish it. Should you be graced with true love, embrace it. For the protection of all we value most in life, so we are . . .”

“Clan Brodie!” The room shouted the last two words in approving chorus.

Impressed by Iain’s expression and the camaraderie in the room, I sipped the honeyed ale, the warm liquid dancing across my tongue before I swallowed. My thirst made the beverage taste like the sweetest nectar, and before I realized what I was doing, I’d downed the cup. Well, what the hell. It’d been a very long day, and I deserved a relaxed buzz.

I looked up to catch Iain’s amused expression at my rapid consumption. He laughed, shaking his head, and poured me another from a pitcher on the table.

“You’ll want to take the drink easy, lass. We brew it a wee bit stronger than the beer you’re accustomed to.”

I arched a single brow. “I shall take that under advisement, Laird.”

Iain’s smile vanished, replaced by a smoldering stare so hot, an erotic current shot straight between my thighs. I swallowed hard, uncertain if his response had been prompted by my sweet smartass demeanor or by my addressing him as Laird.

He lifted my hand, pressing the backs of my fingers to his soft kiss. His scorching gaze dropped to the cleavage bared by my low-cut gown and drifted back up to my face. My body responded, his wandering eyes commanding the hot flush rising under my skin.

“Isa, you are stunning.” He smirked. “Even more so from your front side.” His rich bass tone eclipsed every other sound in the noisy room.

I struggled to maintain composure with his overpowering flattery as my sluggish brain registered his last remark. I burst out laughing. Iain smirked, clearly satisfied in his utter control over my reactions.

With the powerful ale providing a gentle room spin, I downed a second cup. Beyond buzzed seemed a perfect plan on a night in which His Lairdship unmistakably ruled.

Iain ensured I sampled any food my palate desired. After enjoying his royal treatment, I pushed my plate away, tossing my napkin on the table, my tongue numb from ale.

Brigid winked at me from across the table. I hiccupped. My hand shot up to my mouth, and to my dismay, I started giggling uncontrollably. In some distant corner of my mind, a fleeting thought suggested my drunkenness would only further his cause, not help mine, but the warning drifted off into Unfiltered Land.

A bard regaled us with a romantic tale, plucking the strings of a lyre braced between his legs. Storytelling gave way to the strong beat of a drum and the picked chords of a lute. Couples snuck away two by two to join in the dancing well underway.

Brigid cast a devilish glance at Fingall. “Will the great Fingall be dancin’ tonight?”

Fingall leaned back on the bench, titling his head down at her, popping his jaw. His gaze traveled from the top of her head down to her seated ass and back as if he was sizing her up for battle.

Iain nudged my knee. I looked over as he arched a brow toward his friend. “Well, Fingall? Will your greatness be dancin’?”

Fingall sighed, glaring at Iain.

Brigid bit her lower lip, the corners of her mouth twitching.

Robert joined in. “Nay. I forbid it. Fingall might not bring bonnie Brigid back unharmed.”

Fingall grabbed Brigid’s hand, yanking her upright. His mighty thighs knocked the bench beneath them back with such force, Duncan and Seamus had to grip the table edge to avoid falling backward.

Brigid laughed, tugging her arm back into her side. “Finn!”

Ignoring her protest, Fingall dragged her to the dance floor. In seconds, that Viking had a huge smile on his face as he gazed down at the sparkling vixen twirling in his arms.

Iain leaned closer to me. “It’s not Brigid’s welfare I’m worried about.”

I arched a brow at Iain. “Finn?”

He chuckled. “Aye. She’s been callin’ him that since she was knee-high. Brigid remains the only person still in one piece who’s ever done so.”

The snapshot portrayed Iain’s clan as a tight-knit family. They’d all grown up together, trusting and protecting each other. I felt a twinge in my chest, unexpectedly yearning to be a part of it.

My wistfulness got interrupted when Iain sprung up, pulling me with him. He held me in his steadying arms as the rest of the men shoved tables and benches against the walls. The room spun with my sudden altitude change, and I leaned into him for stability.

Iain whirled me onto the dance floor before a protest left my lips. He went easy on me, though, teaching me the footwork and turns. The man’s patience and ability overcame my inebriation as I learned their delightful reel. A song change led us from one dance into another. Iain tightened his possessive hold, reducing the space between us to the width of our clothes.

The rhythm changed: a deep cadence took hold. Iain deposited me along the wall and joined a growing group of men dancing in the center of the room. The heavy beat of a drum led their loud stomps and sliding feet. They drew in together close, then pulled out, circling around. Iain executed the steps with precision—passion and pride featured on his face.

Brigid appeared at my side. We watched as the men increased their pace. She commented, “Isobel, Iain indeed claims you as his.”

I smirked, tilting my head to the side, never taking my eyes off the crowd. “I know he does.” Aside from his saying so, his hands and body pressed against mine said as much. Growls at any male approaching me within talking distance shouted his unquestionable intentions.

Brigid laughed. “Aye, ’twill not be easy for you.”

My co-conspirator had a point. It would be no simple task to get the man who’d claimed me by right and fate to bow down, understanding he needed to win my heart to have it. Odds against me had never deterred me before, however, and they weren’t about to no matter my present circumstances.

The song ended, and Iain and his guard were swarmed by a throng of women. I laughed. The same fawning that modern-day Iain had been plagued with in California’s Highland games hounded him in the actual Highlands. The men had been surrounded by bold flirting, bright smiles, and heaving breasts.

A white linen shirt across a broad chest interrupted my view. Several men blocked us in, corralling us into a corner, muting the sounds of laughter and music from the room. Brigid scowled at the lot of them.

The tallest and darker haired of the foursome addressed me. “I’ve been unable to look upon another all night. Now you stand alone, in need of my company.”

I laughed at his boldness. Ego flowed abundantly with this clan; that, or they saw red tape as superfluous and got right to the point in a pure survivalist era—have testosterone, will conquer. The development, however, worked right into my plans, even if the newcomer likely saw the situation in his control and favor.

“Mmm . . .” I gave him a coy smile and even pulled off an eyelash flutter. “Does my new company have a name?”

He grinned. “I’m Gawain.”

Gawain angled in closer, separating me from Brigid who’d already engaged his companions into conversation. He grabbed silver goblets of ale from the tray of a passing maid and handed me one. I accepted, taking only a sip, peering at him above the rim.

I felt his hand push gently on the small of my back, guiding me away to the edge of the room. “Tell me your name, lass. I’ve not seen your bonnie face before.”

“I’m Isobel.” I kept my response concise to avoid a risky inquisition.

Undeterred by my brevity, he pressed. “Are you visitin’ someone here?”

He brought his cup to his lips, watching me intently. I should have expected questions due to the clan’s familial closeness, but with all the excitement, I hadn’t prepared a plausible story. I didn’t want to cause trouble for myself or Iain—not that he needed protecting; but I didn’t want to raise any alarm, so short answers seemed prudent.

“Yes.” There. A single-syllable response—as short as linguistically possible.

He squinted, a brief curve twitching the corners of his mouth as he got the nondisclosure hint. “Welcome, then. Would you like a tour of the castle?”

A guided tour would have aided my quest immeasurably. From a male clan member, it would have also been dangerous, which made it inadvisable. I wrestled with my goals and the risks of a potentially foolish decision.

Gawain waited for my answer with inquisitive eyes. He took a step back, giving me space, demonstrating his patience. The great hall still bustled with music and conversation.

Indecision froze my mind while I chewed on my lower lip. Brigid glanced at me, smiling. Gawain’s friends sat casually around her on the floor while, perched on the edge of a stool, she enthusiastically entertained them with a story. She winked at me.

Trust. Brigid had it in me with our situation tonight; I held it with blind faith, accepting my plight in their world; and Iain had it in his people as he turned me loose among them without warning or instruction.

I stole a furtive glance Iain’s way. He stood beside Fingall, surrounded by a flock of women. The two men appeared bored by the attention, polite smiles never reaching their eyes.

Iain lifted his face, and his gaze locked onto mine. The whole room faded, his glare burning through it, blasting my face from forty feet away. He lifted his chin, turning his head an inch to the left. The movement relayed a silent command: a cease-and-desist order had been issued.

Did he see me flirt with Gawain? I hoped so, but surprisingly for a different reason than the earlier plan; insecurity under the attention of strange men made me grateful for his watchful eye.

The unyielding stare persisted. I replied wordlessly through the distance, imperceptibly nodding. His rigid expression relaxed, a slow smile curving the corners of his mouth. I smirked involuntarily, taking odd pleasure in his approval.

Our unspoken exchange veiled deeper layers. Iain had commanded, but the order softened to a plea by the time it reached my heart. I’d complied, knowing he’d been driven by a primal instinct. In one look, Iain made me feel both possessed and protected. Tonight, Iain hadn’t only taken the earlier match; he’d won the entire round.

Gawain had followed my gaze. “Och, you’re under the graces of Iain.”

I glanced back up at Gawain. “That makes a difference to you?”

The alcohol might have spoken the daring question for me, but my curiosity about the gallantry of the men within Iain’s clan had also overruled sound reason.

Gawain smirked. “Only tonight, lass.” Without warning, he led me back into the crowd instead of the darkened hall he’d suggested.

A somber mood hit me—likely aided by the alcohol and an exhausting day—as I watched the room, my feelings of being lost and alone intensifying despite the dozens of people still present. Women who had vied for Iain’s attention had him engaged in conversation. The dancing had ceased. Intimate groups had formed as the late hour spun the world into a new day—a world I’d not been part of less than twenty-four hours ago.

Events that had been planned long ago were carried out without any of my influence. People went about their own business, unconcerned about a newcomer or her reason for appearing. My impact had been relegated to a single footnote at the bottom of a page in someone else’s thesis.

In the span of an afternoon and evening, I’d learned more than I would’ve imagined with endless volumes still to discover, but what had I gained in human connections? My tallied net worth amounted to two friends, both barely more than acquaintances.

My thoughts drifted to glimpses that I’d witnessed throughout the night of a unique bond within Iain’s clan, and that unexpected twinge happened again deep inside my chest.

I watched the dwindling activity as if I was an outsider spying on a loving family through a frosted windowpane. The girl still standing out in the cold suddenly held onto a fragile hope that she’d stumbled onto the right doorstep.

CHAPTER Seven

A command rumbled. Hot breath fanned across the shell of my ear. I shot upright, my heart racing in the darkness of an unfamiliar room . . . with an unfamiliar someone else.

Cold air breezed over my face. Smoldering embers glowed fiery red beneath fragile ash in a nearby hearth, providing the only light. I swallowed, my mouth drier than the Sahara. The scents of charred wood and fresh pine filled my nostrils as I tried to remember how I’d gotten to . . . wherever I was.

“Up. Get dressed, Isa. We’ve got a hunt I’m takin’ you on.”

Oh, hell. It hadn’t been a bad dream. My ongoing nightmare continued, loud and obnoxious, inflicting sleep-deprivation torture in a darkened hour.

Abruptly, warm covers were yanked off my body, frigid air biting into my exposed skin.

Holy shit! I’m naked!

I gasped, grabbing fistfuls of covers, trying—unsuccessfully—to cover my bared chest. My eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, catching Iain’s delighted smirk as he pressed a knee onto the bedding he’d stolen. I dropped my losing end of the tug-of-war and folded my arms in a huff over breasts whose nipples had hardened as if for his viewing pleasure. My growl met his turned back while he laid out with great care something he’d held bundled under an arm. As soon as he shifted his weight, I jerked the sheet back up to my chin.

Fragments of last night’s ending flashed through the sludge of my brain. Iain had escorted me to my room. A tender good-night kiss followed. Hot teasing lips had trailed down my neck, searing my skin, as we stood in the doorway. I failed to remember anything further. Like how I got undressed, for example.

Hell, I was still catching up to the fact that I’d awoken in the thirteenth century.

“Iain, did we . . .”

He chuckled, shooting a devilish look my way. “Nay. Your virtue’s still intact, for now. But I did properly tuck you into bed last night.”

Images of him peeling off my clothes taunted a sluggish mind ill equipped to handle details. “Iain Brodie! I can’t believe you took that kind of liberty.”

He drew to his full height, towering over me. “I’ll take every kind of liberty I want. I never proclaimed to be, nor have I ever been, a gentleman in any time or place. You’re damned lucky I want you sober, and we’ve only got a couple more days, or you’d have been a lot more than merely naked at my hand.”

Iain lunged forward. Startled, I fell back onto bent elbows, exposing myself down to the waist again.

He hovered over me, his lips almost touching mine. “But, if you try me, Isa—if you tempt the beast within me—nothin’ in any world will hold me back from takin’ what’s already mine.”

I’d gone breathless. The meaning of his words, and his dominance over me, paralyzed my caffeine-deprived ass. He smirked as he slowly extricated his body from the position he’d forced us into. His gaze roved over every inch of my nudity. The barely controlled heaving of his chest, the repeated clenching of his fists, and the uncontained, low growl rumbling from that beast within him told me I was damned lucky indeed.

He stopped just below the foot of the bed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I doona want to have to dress you, but I will.” That crooked smile told me he imagined no great hardship in manhandling my nakedness.

“No, thank you. I’ll manage. Do I get privacy? Or are you going to stand there and stare?”

“Oh, I’m gonna stare, lass. Your discomfort amuses me in no small measure.”

“Wonderful,” I snarled.

I flung the rest of the bedding off my legs and walked to the foot of the bed, giving him my backside to view. Mmm-hmmm . . . and you can kiss it too.

A toffee-colored suede outfit lay innocently on the bed. I grabbed the supple pants and shimmied into them, their thin weight stretching over every curve. “Damn, Iain. What’d ya do? Have Elven seamstresses take measurements and sew through the night? This feels like it was painted on me.” I pulled a matching top with cuffed sleeves over my head.

Another low growl rumbled behind me. “Aye, and it looks it.”

I spun around, glaring at the man ogling my ass for the millionth time.

He smirked. “I’ll never tell my secrets.”

What a loaded statement. I’d bet all-in there were plenty of secrets to tell too.

All in good time, Laird. All in good time.

By torchlight, we left the castle through a back exit—a secret underground tunnel. Iain led the way, ducking his head down with the low clearance. At the end of the passageway, he slid the torch into an iron fitting affixed to the wall.

Iain climbed a wooden ladder secured into the side of the earth, and I followed up behind him. We emerged into dense forest well beyond the curtain wall. Iain dropped the scrub he’d held back, concealing our exit point, and I spun around at the unexpected rustling sound.

My hand flew to my forehead as pain throbbed over my eyes, the dull headache I’d been trying to ignore shouting its presence with attitude. Too bad they didn’t have coffee makers here. Or a caffeine patch . . .

The sky turned an ever-lightening dusky blue as the coming sun inched toward the horizon. A black wool cloak and divinely warm suede pants that I’d tucked into my favorite boots guarded against the morning chill.

I jogged forward to catch up with Iain as he disappeared into the swirling mist. He wore a similar leather outfit, absent the warmer outerwear. A large satchel hung from his right shoulder.

We picked our way through nearly impenetrable foliage until we reached the end of the trees. Iain threw an arm out, blocking my path, signaling our stop. He cast a glance over his shoulder, nodding once. I begrudgingly went along with his bossy nonverbal commands, unwilling to be the one to startle any prey.

Twenty feet away, on a rise to the right, a brook bubbled up from the ground and flowed gently along the forest’s edge. Moss-covered rocks lined both sides of the stream. A distinct game trail had been worn into a flat area of ground on the other side of the water.

Iain hung his bag on a broken stub jutting from a tree trunk and opened the gathered top. He removed a slender leather quiver filled with arrows and a curved wooden bow.

Silently, he placed the bow in my hand. He wrapped his arms around me and nocked an arrow, positioning my hands with his. Together, we drew back and released. The arrow flew straight, sinking into the trunk of a tree thirty feet away.

He broke our intimate contact, but the warmth of his body and his intoxicating scent remained. Independent streak aside, having Iain wrapped around me, teaching me, made my chest ache a little. I’d heard that encouraging a man to change your tire, irrespective of your ability to do so, brought out a man’s hero complex. The advice had serious merit.

To demonstrate my excellent learning curve, I fastened the quiver to my back and smiled at him, retrieving another arrow. The sleek weapon had an iron-bladed head, a light wooden shaft, and goose-feather fletching. I nocked it onto the string; drew my right arm back, brushing the tips of my fingers across my cheek; and loosed the arrow. A wisp of air curled over the inside of my left forearm at the bowstring’s release. My arrow landed an inch above our first.

Iain gaped at me.

I shrugged, mouthing, “Archery lessons.”

He shook his head, his chest shaking in silent laughter.

* * *

Iain carried our cotton-tailed kills by their ears like a boy carrying my books home from school. We returned back through the same dark tunnel that was surprisingly dry with its tightly fitted stones covering every surface.

He stopped midway through the long passage and turned, looking deep into my eyes as he bent over me. The flame from the torch he held wavered gently in the stale space, highlighting the soft expression on his face.

I backed into the cold wall behind me, suddenly uncomfortable in the confined space. I stared up at him, waiting for something to happen, torn between trusting his demeanor without question and clinging to my resolve to have him prove himself. My heart thundered in my ears, panicked at my inability to commit to a decision, but too many activities happening in rapid succession hadn’t given me a chance to think things through.

Iain sighed. “You’re such a stubborn lass, Isa. Doona shut yourself off from an entire world ready to embrace you.” He brushed the back of his fingers against my check. “There is a man standin’ right before you, wantin’ to love you. Let him in.”

I swallowed hard. I opened my mouth to say something profound, but no sound made it past my constricted throat. Thank God for frozen vocal cords—my mind had been utterly blown by tenderness I hadn’t seen coming, and only incoherent babbling would’ve come out anyway.

Iain’s gaze dropped to my parted lips before drifting up to my eyes for seconds longer. He turned away, leaving my unresponsiveness to his plea hanging there in the stale air. I followed him, feeling defeated by my own fears.

Along the stone wall further down the passageway, he stopped and handed me the torch. He spread his open palms across the wall’s surface, and with a hard shove of two stones—one shoulder height, the other a few feet below the first—he opened a hidden door. Its seal released with a whoosh of air as it pivoted open on a balance point.

“Iain, about my behavior last night . . . flirting with oth—”

“Och. Doona worry, lass.”

We stepped into a gallery filled with displayed treasures, but my full attention rested on Iain. He smiled at me. The man exposed a deep kindness beneath his gruff exterior, and I began to feel guilty for last night’s insolent scheming. In defiance of a being dealt a short hand, I had played a game of hearts. All the while, Iain trusted me, extending his out on his sleeve.

My conscience persisted. “It’s . . . I’m not used to sitting down and taking what’s dished out.”

He turned toward me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Isa. You’ve every right to act as you’ve done. Your bravery under the circumstances is remarkable, and I’m verra proud of you. Doona give another thought to me. I’m no beginner at this.”

I opened my mouth to argue and apologize, but he silenced me with his finger over my lips.

“Besides, I like the fight you have. I’ve always loved your feistiness.” He slowly smirked. “And a hunt isn’t sport ’til the prey gives good chase.”

My jaw dropped. His Royal Cockiness had returned. In a huff, I spun around, and he smacked my ass. Hard. I stumbled forward, my backside smarting from the sting. I glanced over my shoulder in time to catch the smirk fall from his face as he crossed his arms.

“Enjoy your afternoon, Isa. Your evenin’ . . . is mine.” He brushed past me, disappearing into the hall.

Frustrated, I returned to my room, wishing very much for a cup of coffee. Another dress had been laid out across the made bed. I changed into the ordinary gray day dress and rushed through the castle, past the mysterious map room, through the great hall, and out the main door.

My hand shot up to shield my eyes from the blinding sunshine as I rapidly blinked at a transformed courtyard. From the grassy lawn sprang a vibrant fair of epic proportions.

One colossal white tent had a center wooden pole topped with a rainbow of streamers snapping in the breeze. Pennants hung on either side of its entrance flaps, flying the clan’s colors of forest green and black trimmed in gold. Smaller tents stood on either side of the main tent, wooden tables of various shapes and sizes being assembled in their shade. Men transported long poles and rocks to the center part of the courtyard while women arranged ribbons on their tables.

A young girl raced by me with a small basket in her hand. Seconds later, five older children chased after her, laughing and shouting as they ran past the end of the keep, rounding the corner. My gaze followed the fun, but stopped on the door of the small room that housed the box.

I stared in the direction of the gateway that had brought me here, wondering if the box would continue to remain in its cold, quiet stasis until another laird’s chosen time to take a mate. Having failed to reinitiate it with Iain’s help after my arrival, I was at a loss for a solution.

“Lost is more accurate,” I grumbled. On a labored sigh, I turned back toward the field of strangers in a foreign place and time.

Resigned to accepting fate’s hand instead of wallowing in my misfortune, I marched into the energetic scene, hoping for a distraction from my desolate thoughts. After a few steps, I spotted Brigid in the garden and made my way through the commotion to join her.

“Isobel!” Brigid shouted from afar, waving.

I grinned, waving back. The company of an excited new friend was exactly what I needed.

As I approached, she took off her straw hat and offered it to me, smiling. Dirt-dusted root vegetables were lined up in her basket. She covered them with a cloth while I fastened the ribbon ties of her hat under my chin, grateful for the sun protection.

“What happens today?” I asked, tilting my head at the tent affair.

“Everyone hunts or prepares for the meals and the tournament,” she replied.

I nodded absently. A sudden, overwhelming tiredness began to take hold, muting thoughts like a wet blanket on my brain.

Brigid popped up, looped an arm into my elbow, and tugged me energetically toward the stream. Coursing water danced over rocks in a shallow area. She bent down, letting the turbulent current scour dirt from her hands.

“So . . . what happened last night . . . after I left?” I asked, although the question could’ve been phrased, what happened before I left, since ale had clearly obliterated my memory.

“When you left, so did Fingall’s patience. Fingall knocked the other men over and stole me away.” She blushed, pausing to take a breath. “He escorted me for a walk outside, takin’ a verra long route to get back.” She smiled sheepishly, giggling.

Wonderful. My plan had worked beautifully . . . for Brigid.

Although, I had gotten Iain’s attention enough for him to take me out on an impromptu private hunt. Maybe his romantic side had a larger ego wall to break through. Tonight would show how far the man had come and whether he’d realized not only chasing, but some courting, was in order for one Isobel MacInnes—his supposed bride-to-be.

Brigid collected the gardening basket, and we walked to the shade of an oak tree. The gargantuan trunk stretched wide enough for us both to rest our backs flat against the bark.

Our perch, at the top of a knoll, overlooked the festival’s lively preparations. The idyllic panorama reminded me of Norman Rockwell, circa AD 1275, or whatever the year actually was, because I still had yet to find out. It’s not like I could ask Brigid without her thinking I’d suffered from a blow to my head.

“Help me with my Gaelic, Brigid. I want to sharpen my skill.” I’d managed to decipher the thick brogue everyone warbled out, my mind adding and subtracting words for my twenty-first-century brain to digest, but speaking and understanding their native tongue would help me further integrate into their world.

We chatted about the upcoming schedule of events as a language tutorial, translating to English when I stumbled. The discussion drifted into her talking to my listening until the breeze flowing over the rise, her soothing voice, and the peace of friendly companionship lulled my exhausted body into a desperately needed nap.

* * *

I began down the stone staircase for what I thought would be an evening meal like the night before. Iain stood at the bottom, waiting for me. Twenty steps separated me from two-hundred-fifty pounds of muscular warrior dressed in an ivory linen shirt and his dark green and black plaid that had been fastened about his hips with his brooch. Firelight glinted off the ornate heirloom and danced shadows over his dark features.

The lustful look he blasted my way melted through my body like warmed honey, sliding down on pace with his gaze. His appreciation of me in my new emerald gown confirmed what I’d surmised in my room only moments ago: those magical seamstresses had a talent for capturing a woman’s assets and displaying them proudly.

Iain let out a slow sigh, his words purring out above a whisper. “Damn, Isa. You’ve descended straight from Heaven.”

I blinked, feeling a blush heat my cheeks. The man earned points within seconds.

My fingers slid across his outstretched palm. The intoxicating scent of woods and earth, mixed with pure essence of Iain, drugged my senses. He stepped aside, wrapping his other arm around me, guiding me with a hand at the small of my back.

A giggle escaped, and I shot a hand to my lips, shocked. Ian’s overpowering presence—his scent, that dominance, the electrical current that charged the space between us, warming every point of contact—threatened to turn me into a nervous idiot.

Iain led me into the courtyard. I stopped cold, startled at what awaited us: his saddleless stallion accompanied by a stable boy. The black, beautifully muscled creature reacted to our arrival with excited urgency, tramping his hooves in place and lifting his head, crying out a soft whinny. Moonlight reflected a black-blue luster in his glossy coat. Before my surprise settled into apprehension, Iain lifted a leather satchel, swung up onto the horse, and grabbed me under the arms, depositing me in front of him.

My loud gasp and subsequent protest was lost to the wind as his steed obeyed some silent command, charging into the darkness. Iain’s iron grip around my waist and expert bareback riding calmed my nerves from a near-hysterical pandemonium down to a low-anxiety thrum.

The animal galloped with grace, hugging every curve like a train on the rail, flowing over every rise and fall like rushing water. A growing sense of merging with the animal overcame my fear of our precarious perch as Iain rode astride and my dress-bound legs dangled off to one side.

Without reins or saddle, I marveled at the perfect communication between Iain and his beast. I shifted to get more comfortable, and Iain adjusted his hold instantly, tightening his grip, pulling me closer into his protective embrace. He leaned back imperceptibly, and the horse responded to the change in weight distribution, reducing his pace. As we slowed to a walk, I realized how Iain had been directing us: the slightest pressure from his thighs—or a shift from a hip forward or back—had translated instructions to his horse.

We traveled outside of the perimeter wall and ran parallel along it until we reached the farthest corner, veering off a couple hundred yards to a moss-covered ledge that jutted out into the night sky. The platform saluted an almost-full moon rising above the tree horizon.

Iain lowered me down in a gentle slide and held my shoulders until I confidently stepped away. He remained on the horse’s back, leaning forward, slowly brushing his hand down its neck as he murmured soft words of praise in Gaelic. The animal replied with a gentle whuffle. Iain dismounted in an effortless jump and slapped the animal’s flank. It wandered off to a nearby clearing, dropping its muzzle into newly sprouted grass.

Unruly wisps of hair that had escaped their ribbon binding at my nape tickled my face in the cool breeze as I waited. A mineral fragrance traveled on the air current, and I inhaled deeply, enjoying the crisp freshness of the spring mountain night. Iain opened an arm wide when he returned, the satchel dangling from his shoulder.

“Come, lass. ’Tis over here,” he said.

I stepped into his arms, and he pulled me tight to his side, kissing the top of my head. He led us further out on the mossy overhang, and my breath hitched at the enchanting view.

The glassy surface of a great body of water shimmered a streak of bright moonlight toward us. Insects marked their invisible presence with tiny, circular ripples. The moon inched higher, and my vision adjusted to the darkness, the far shoreline revealing its many muted shades of black. Spires of pine tops edged the sky, a grassy carpet blanketing their feet. The night paid quiet reverence to what amounted to a first date with Iain, the hushed sounds of soft insect chirps and the occasional low hoot of an owl becoming our distant nighttime melody.

Iain’s soft chuckle broke through my awe of the breathtaking nightscape. He grasped my hand, tugging me. The empty satchel sat on the corner of a spotless plaid upon which he’d spread out a picnic—fruit, meat, a round of bread, and a wineskin.

Impressed, I knelt down. Iain yanked me toward him, and I landed sideways onto his lap. He embraced me, preventing my escape.

I laughed, lightly smacking his forearms. “Hey, watch it, mister. I never agreed to second base on a first date.”

He growled. “Nay, you dinna. But then, I’ve never needed permission to take what I want.”

My mouth fell open at his blatant arrogance. He seized the opportunity by capturing my lips, proving he indeed did not need my verbal agreement. Delicious tingles and hot pulses sizzled everywhere, my traitorous body responding to his like he conducted my entire orchestra. Any plans I’d made to make the man come to heel fell away, forgotten.

Iain gently nipped my bottom lip, and I nibbled his. He slid the tip of his tongue across the seam in erotic suggestion, and my lips parted of their own volition. He invaded, his tongue pressing in, tangling slowly with mine. We dueled in a sensual dance of lips and tongue, heated and urgent, slow and tender. He threaded his fingers into the bound hair at my nape, slowly pulling my head away from his as if his mouth couldn’t bear the separation.

My chest heaved, starving for oxygen, as he gazed deeply at me. His darkened eyes glittered with mischief and desire along with the sparkling moonlight. He stole a chaste kiss as he shifted me off of his lap, nestling me against his side. An uncontrolled whimper came from my throat.

He grinned, kissing my nose. “Isa, if you stay on my lap, we’ll be tumblin’ right here. You doona want that. We’ve a great fire buildin’, and there’s immense pleasure to be had in the waitin’.”

He’d found his moral fiber right as my rioting body wanted very much to be tumblin’ without further delay. I licked my lips, savoring his salty taste. A deep ache between my thighs fanned into a delicious warmth, and I briefly wondered why I’d fought giving in to a man who obviously wanted me. But I abandoned the question in favor of enjoying the moment, wanting nothing to spoil the most romantic date ever.

Iain popped the cork from the wineskin and took my hand, entwining our fingers around it as we held it between our chests. “Isa, I know you pictured your life differently. Aye, I wanted you, but I never imagined this would happen. I truthfully had no idea, neither here nor there, that I’d been livin’ another life. Bein’ with you here, though, ’tis a dream come true from both lives. I am the luckiest man alive.” He lifted a hand, cupping my cheek as tears sprang to my eyes. “You’ll make me the happiest man—in all of any time—if you agree to be my wife.”

He leaned forward, kissing me tenderly, and I melted into him. His powerful words touched me. In the misty whirlwind of my mind, only sensations existed—the brush of his fingers on my cheek catching fallen tears; the gentleness of his lips teasing mine; the heat of his thigh against the silk of my skirt.

Iain broke the kiss. I’d grown breathless . . . felt weightless. He stared deep into my soul as he lifted the wineskin that we still grasped to my lips. I sipped the tart, earthy wine. Iain drank after me, our gazes locked together.

As he lowered the wineskin, Iain’s crooked smile appeared, amusement dancing in his eyes. If I’d ever wondered what provoked that wicked expression, I did no longer. He rendered translation unnecessary as his gaze drifted down, visually feasting on what nearly spilled over my gown’s revealing neckline.

His hand fell from my cheek, a look of wonder filling his eyes as he dropped his gaze, floating his fingertips above my breasts, the lightest touch feathering across my flushed skin. I closed my eyes, swallowing hard. He pulled away, and I glanced up to see blazing desire in his eyes. We both inhaled so deeply, I wondered if we’d left any oxygen for the rest of Scotland.

His low, graveled tone sounded like the softest silk to my ears. “I love the instant reaction you have to me: the quick pulse at the base of your neck, your struggle for breath, those beautiful green eyes all dark and dilated. You’re a breathtakin’ present, beggin’ to be unwrapped.”

A dull ache throbbed low in my body, my inner beat thrumming to his cadence. I had no doubt every word he spoke bore the truth. He’d trapped me so thoroughly in his sweet seduction, if he wanted me here and now, he could have me.

He already has you.

The realization made me question if he’d had me all along, only I hadn’t known it. My seanair had often said that Scottish stubbornness often caused temporary blindness.

Iain switched gears, leaving the passionate tension smoldering between us. He turned toward the food that he’d laid carefully on our blanket. With deft precision, he knifed off a small piece of meat, pinched it between his fingers, and lifted it to my mouth. My lips grazed the pads of his fingers as I pulled the salty morsel onto my tongue. I sliced off a piece, feeding him in the same manner. Iain accepted my offering, leaving his lips lingering on my fingers, swirling his tongue around my thumb. As he released the erotic hold on a gentle suck, I inhaled a shaky breath.

He’d turned eating into a lesson on the art of seduction, each move spiraling us toward a point of no return. In sensual rhythm we fed each other. Bite by bite, piece by piece, the giving and receiving ensnared me further as we spoke of insignificant things and laughed about others.

“Iain, tell me about your horse. The way you rode him was spectacular.”

“Aye, he’s battle trained. We raise our steeds by trainin’ them with our men to work as one. The slightest shift in weight or pressure, directs the beast so that our hands are free to fight when we’re mounted.” He glanced over his shoulder at the subject of our conversation, who happily munched on taller grasses at the base of a gnarled snag.

“Does he have a name?” I felt such a magnificent creature should.

“Aye. Dubhar.” He spoke the name with respect.

I smiled at the Gaelic word. “Shadow.”

Iain nodded, passing the wineskin to me. I quenched my thirst, listening as he continued.

“They’re taught from verra young to be in the thick of trainin’ fields without spookin’. They grow accustomed to the clamor of swordplay. We instruct them in voice and pressure commands before they’re ever mounted. A great warhorse will know when its rider is endangered, pullin’ him from harm’s way. It happened once with me . . .” He trailed off, staring into the darkness.

Iain began to pull apart pieces of the crusty loaf of bread. I left unasked what he kept private. The topic seemed less important than the tender bonds forming between us, and I found great comfort in talking with Iain about anything.

The enormity of the bigger picture captivated me: we sat on a plaid, over moss-covered ground, in the Highlands of Scotland mere years before the reign of Robert the Bruce; I existed in a time and place that I’d only dreamed about, wanted by a man cast straight from my fantasies.

A sense of wholeness washed through me. I no longer drifted, lost in a world not of my choosing. I’d been found. I belonged. For the first time in my life, my career took a backseat. I’d found another purpose in life—a reason to live.

The wayward storm had swept me away against my will, carelessly tossing a marooned passenger upon the rocks, but the survivor in me had scrambled for purchase. I stretched across the newly discovered beach, basking in the seductive moonlight.

Iain might have had a good-fortune epiphany, but I’d become the lucky one.

This shipwrecked soul has found home.

CHAPTER Eight

A piercing racket clattered into my brain. I dragged a feather pillow over my head, groaning, but the intrusive sound persisted. I grumbled incoherent expletives, adding a second pillow, my irritation growing at being robbed of decadent dreams in a Highland warrior’s arms on a moonlit picnic. With a growl, I tossed the pillows off my head, gearing up to pound on Mrs. Edmonton’s door and beg her to turn the TV down again.

I opened my five-hundred-pound eyelids.

Shut them.

Opened them.

I inhaled deeply, absorbing the extremely dated surroundings. No amount of blinking eradicated reality. I’d forgotten where I was. My tempting dream had been extrapolated from a wondrous night based firmly in my new reality—in the past.

I shot upright which, after the night’s wine consumption, proved to be a mistake. I’d gotten drunk off more than romantic moments with Iain; clearly, the wine he’d brought had been deadly. Grateful for the darkness of the room, I gingerly lowered my body back down as the delightful sounds of swordplay hammered incessantly into my brain, the recurring, disconcerting feeling of being lost somewhere in time and space dissipating as I sank against the pillows.

Suddenly, the door burst open on a loud crack of wood separating from the frame. A torturous high-pitched squeal stabbed into my ears as my peaceful bed was attacked by a flying leap.

Brigid.

Helpless, unable to defend my dream-filled place of solace, I groaned.

“Hurry, Isobel. You doona want to be late.” Her excitement crackled into the air.

“Ah, the games,” I grumbled, struggling to find the motivation to sit up again. My exhausted body wanted to bury deep under the covers for hours longer. My mind agreed, and I pulled the sheet and blanket over my head.

“Nay, you’ve slept long enough.” Brigid yanked every stitch of material from my fingers, stripped it all from the bed, and threw it onto the chair by the hearth. “Come, you’ll miss all the excitement.”

“Are you sure it isn’t already all in here?” I quipped, rolling over to block the sun.

Brigid’s tenacity prevailed, rejecting my morning sluggishness as she grabbed my arm, nearly pulling it out of the socket, and forcibly evicted me from my warm, feathered heaven. She mercifully left me at the foot of the bed instead of dropping me face-first onto the floor.

I hoped her enthusiasm would rub off on me at some point . . . and came with hot coffee. Light spilled in as she peeled back the window’s thick tapestry, fastening a corner tassel to a protruding wall hook.

I dragged myself off the bed and stood at a washbasin on the bedside table. Thankfully, Iain’s castle provided the finer things in medieval life, including toothpowders; the brush was a clean linen square with a dampened corner. I lifted the lid to a ceramic vessel, pressing the cloth into the rosemary ash. After rubbing the surface of every tooth, I splashed cold water on my face and into my mouth, rinsing away the ash. The routine helped banish the last traces of sleepiness while I listened to a very animated Brigid. I turned around to face her, tuning back into her long-winded exposition.

She chattered on, “. . . favorite event and see who’s best this year at turnin’ the kaber.”

Caber Tossing. The events she outlined in the day’s itinerary sounded like the Highland games in California . . . only those in Brigid’s world were the pinnacle of lifelong battle training and a means for the men to compete for advancement within their ranks. A few outstanding soldiers were chosen for rare, coveted spots in Iain’s personal guard, which comprised a dozen or so men.

“. . . Fingall made guard last year,” Brigid said.

I glanced at the bed. Brigid leaned back on her arms, gazing out the window all starry-eyed. I snorted.

“He’s a fine warrior,” she defended.

I absently lifted a cornflower-blue dress from the pile of clothing on a side chair and pulled it over my chemise. “Brigid, I have no doubt of his abilities. You are lovesick.” I imitated her in breathless perfection, “Fiiiiingall made guard last year . . .” I finished with a sigh. My mocking performance was applauded with a pillow in my face. We burst into fits of laughter as she pulled me out the bedroom door.

We walked into a courtyard overrun by ordered chaos, and it took me a moment to get my bearings. Children squealed, running wild in every direction. Women hustled around the event area carrying baskets filled with wooden trinkets, colored streamers, and various other wares. Young men milled about on the field, many lining up before the imposing Robert, Iain’s commander of the guard. Additional tents had been erected on each side of the rectangular arena, transforming the space into a true medieval arts and crafts fair. The clan had multiplied tenfold. I glanced left, noticing the drawbridge had been lowered.

“Do other clans attend the events?” I asked, lifting my skirt and rushing to follow Brigid before she disappeared into the crowd.

She shook her head. “Not entire clans. Select families are invited from surroundin’ clans, but only if they’ve daughters of marryin’ age. No other men compete. Ours is a celebration for the Brodie.”

Clan Brodie had more people within her family than I’d realized. Preoccupied with my crazy situation, I’d failed to notice the size of their vibrant community. My new kin bustled all around. No one worked gardens, tended ovens, sewed gowns, or fashioned weapons. Everyone stood present and accounted for, partaking in the day’s events or managing them.

Brigid stopped abruptly. My momentum bumped me into her. I hugged my friend, laughing, thankful we hadn’t tumbled to the ground again. We stood in front of a table covered with brightly colored ribbons. Some dangled from the sides of saucer-sized, woven circles while others were braided at one end with free-flowing streamers at the other.

“Choose the one you like most, Isobel.”

The one that caught my eye had strands braided in a palette of emerald, amethyst, and orange. I lifted the small pennant from the table, dashing off in time to catch up with Brigid, who’d nearly vanished into the throng of people. The crowd seemed larger due to the small space we occupied as spectators, but I’d grown convinced more than a few families had joined from afar.

Without our distinctive plaid, foreigners were easy to spot. Even I had one draped across my breast and secured around my hips. I’d become a plaid-fastening aficionado due to Brigid’s vital wardrobe assistance.

Brigid waited for me in front of the grandest tent, its large white flaps fastened open. It had an unobstructed view of the great hall’s entrance. I followed her inside. Food and drink were displayed on a long table in the back. Carved wood armchairs and pillows scattered upon blankets served as seating. Iain, Fingall, and most of their guard stood off to one side.

“Isobel.” Iain grinned, his face lighting up.

His formal use of my name surprised me.

Iain abandoned the group and strode forward to embrace me. He lowered his mouth to my ear, rumbling low. “Hello, my bonnie lass. You look radiant. How’re you feelin’?”

His warm lips over the shell of my ear shot goose bumps down that entire side of my body. Heat flushed into my cheeks. “I’m fine.”

“Only fine?” Iain pushed me back toward a corner of the tent. I lost my footing, but his possessive grip on my hips prevented my fall. “Surely, I can help you do better than fine.”

As I stumbled backward, he brushed soft lips across my jawline and dotted hot kisses down the column of my neck to my collarbone. His arms threaded through mine, wrapped around my back, and pulled me close. I laughed, even though I found nothing remotely funny at that moment. Iain had pushed us to an area where a large screen stood, and the barrier blocked us from view.

In seconds, his nimble fingers tugged down on my neckline, popping a breast free. I gasped as the rush of cool air hardened my nipple. Iain’s hot mouth sucked it in, and he bit it with his teeth.

Stunned immobile, I felt my knees buckle, and I grasped his shoulders for support. Iain growled low, vibrating into the flesh as he suckled without mercy. My mind reeled. Sharp pulses of pleasure inundated me, a fiery ache building between my thighs. He dropped to a knee, pulling away, looking up at me with lowered lids as he flicked the hardened tip with his tongue.

He smirked and asked again, “Only fine?”

I exhaled a hard puff of held breath, shocked at his boldness. “I’m far beyond only fine, and you know it, Iain Brodie.”

He shot me a smug look of satisfaction and stood.

I rapidly repaired my appearance, replacing that which had been removed. “You are terrible,” I chided on a whisper, smoothing out the front of my dress. I took a deep breath, but it did nothing to calm the fierce arousal. No wonder men wore kilts; damning evidence could be hidden beneath those folds.

His lips assaulted my ear again. “You love my mouth on you, and you know it.”

Yeah, I did. It had become hard to decipher what I did and didn’t love—or want—anymore. With my eleventh hour looming on the horizon, the hourglass sand looked alarmingly low. Three days was no time at all to get to know someone, but circumstances afforded me no more. Last night had been the first time I’d spent any heartfelt time with Iain, but what had I learned? We wanted each other. Well, duh. Oh, and we talked about his horse.

Iain kissed the top of my nose and left me standing there, flushed and confused, as he rejoined the others. The clear decision my heart and body had leapt toward last night clouded in the light of day. Unwelcome doubt crept in when I tried to ascertain what I wanted.

I sighed, shaking my head. Isobel MacInnes, you think too much.

On the final day of my supposed sentence to select a mate, I resolved to learn more about Iain and his clan. The eve of becoming Brodie by one man or another gave me no other option but to choose, or the decision would be made for me. I hoped my mixed-up mind would hurry up and agree with the rest of me.

Iain returned, leading me toward Brigid as his guard exited the tent, and I realized I wouldn’t have my learning opportunity anytime soon when understanding dawned on me—Iain participated in the events. Of course he did. They were his people, after all.

He bent down and kissed me thoroughly, threading both of his hands into mine. He lifted my right one, colored ribbons dangling between us.

“For me?” he asked, raising his brows, looking hopeful.

I supposed it was for him. Pennants were given to the man you favored in the games as a good-luck token. My best wishes on the field definitely went to Iain.

I nodded. “Yes.”

He grinned, removed the ribbons from my hand, and kissed me soundly. As he broke contact, I sighed with my eyes closed, sucking in my bottom lip, savoring his salty taste.

By the time I’d opened my eyes again, Iain had left the tent. He’d also left me in a hot mess of aroused and confused. The man expertly employed battle tactics off the field as well as on.

Reality trickled into my recovering brain as my stomach growled. The table in the back was buried beneath a buffet of foods. I covered a silver plate with cheese and fruit. Brigid had already grabbed an apple and reclined on a pile of cushions. I swiped a piece of crusted bread through stewed cherries, thinking about all the questions I could ask and those that would arouse suspicion.

“Brigid, how is it that you’re so close to Iain?” With everything else going on, I hadn’t thought to ask earlier, but it seemed unusual for her to have such privileges—our decadent baths, feasting toward the head of his table, and inclusion in his personal tent—even if Iain had done so because she’d become my friend.

“He’s my brother.” Her innocent expression belied her mischief. She’d wanted me to wonder.

I snorted, joining the amusement she’d had at my expense. Well, hell. That changed the course of my line of questioning.

“Brigid, I wandered around the keep two days ago and found a map room.” I watched her face, gauging her reaction. She remained stoic but listened intently. “A wall in that room had points of light on it.”

Brigid didn’t respond. Outside the tent, a boy shouted hello to her as he walked by the entrance. She waved to him.

“Do you know what the wall does?” I asked.

She shrugged. “I was born in the castle. The wall has always been there. I played in the room as a young child, but plannin’ and war strategizin’ is not for me. Those things doona interest a lass who runs through the grass collectin’ flowers.”

I persisted. “What about a box of the same sparkling material? Have you seen the box?”

“Aye,” she replied. “’Tis held in an outer room next to the keep.”

“But . . . do you know what it does? How it works?” I pressed. Is it tied to the wall that came alive? I didn’t want to interrogate her, but in my first chance to ask anyone, I determinedly seized the moment.

“Nay. The box is important to our clan. The wall protects us. ’Tis all I know.”

I pondered her statement. The wall protects them. How? “The ceiling above the great hall has the same kind of stone,” I mumbled to myself, working through my thoughts.

She heard and responded. “Aye. The box, the map room, the great hall, and the wall all have the same stone.”

Brigid popped up and grabbed a piece of cheese from the table. She held the white wedge between her teeth as she awkwardly dragged a chair to the tent entrance.

Spectators filed back to their tents. With the rectangular arrangement around the field, everyone had a great view from the shade of their own canopy.

“Wait, you said the map room and the wall. Aren’t they one in the same?” I’d thought she’d repeated herself.

“Nay. The map room has a wall made of the stone. Our curtain wall has the same stone in large pillars at the corner points . . .” Brigid’s voice trailed off as she turned and sat in her front row seat.

The blare of a horn sounded the start of the events, marking the end of our conversation; however, my tireless quest for the unearthing the truth had only just begun.

CHAPTER Nine

For the third time in under an hour, the piercing ring of swordplay dragged my troubled mind from pondering new secrets. I focused once again on a competition that I would’ve given a vital organ to attend a few short days ago. Our tent’s prime location afforded us an unparalleled view of the action, and I trained my gaze to Iain as I effortlessly jumped back into spectator mode.

Iain arced his enormous sword high in the air and dropped it onto his opponent’s blade, sending another clash echoing into the courtyard. The brave young warrior fighting him took a step back from the brutal force of the impact.

I’d imagined as laird Iain would’ve assumed a role as overseer, but he participated in every event. Past experience should have warned me that his well-deserved pride dictated his actions. In California, among a class of men striving to be his peers, he’d surpassed every competitor. In the Highlands, with warriors living and breathing battle readiness at their core, he stood out even among his equals.

The man’s shirtless body, coupled with his prowess on the training field, did not disappoint. Iain wielded the claymore against his opponent as if he waved off a fly. I focused on every double-handed stroke he made as the bronzed muscles of his back flexed, glistening in the sun.

It astounded me that someone who employed brute force and aggression in a fight could caress skin with a butterfly’s touch and ignite blast-furnace heat with a whisper. Iain’s many intriguing facets attracted me on a level I hadn’t expected. The girl who’d spent a life searching for mysteries buried deep in the past had found a new challenge: unraveling what made up the essence of a man.

A horn blared, ending their match. Iain strode over to the area on the side where his guard sat, but his intense stare was pinned on me. I bit my lip, unable to contain how my heart raced with every penetrating look.

No longer hell-bent on schemes to make Iain compete for my attention, my nonstop brain had thought the tournament would be a perfect distraction for exploring the castle grounds to discover more about Iain and his people. However, the excellent idea had turned impossible with Iain’s possessive glances toward me at the beginning and end of each event. Brigid’s constant company was another snooping obstacle. With a mutual interest in watching our men compete, I gained no new knowledge from her, our conversation remaining superficial and brief.

Gloaming painted the sky in muted bluish grays as my eyelids grew heavy from the long day. I nestled into an inviting, pillow-filled corner next to an already-napping Brigid.

Dimly aware, I felt soft lips brush across mine. My lids fluttered open, and I saw Iain grinning at me through my drowsy haze. I smiled, closing my eyes on a sigh.

Iain’s soothing voice whispered into my ear, “Sleep, my beauty. We’re goin’ to bathe down at the stream. Seamus’ll stay with you both.” I snuggled deeper into the pillows, his soft-spoken words floating into my dreams.

* * *

A dark tent startled me to full attention. I patted around for my companion, wondering why Iain had left us alone so long. Brigid squealed at my frantic prodding.

“Isobel, och! What’re you doin’?”

I laughed. “Waking you up, apparently. Where is everyone?”

Lights flickered across the courtyard and soft orange glowed from along either side of our tent. My eyes adjusted to the darkness in ours as I pulled Brigid up from our impromptu bed.

She shrugged. “Let’s go find out.”

We stepped out into a torch-lit fantasy. Seamus stood guard at the entrance, nodding once as we passed. A crowd had gathered at the base of the keep, where tables covered in food had been arranged. Iain stood among a large group of his guard on the far side of the banquet.

Brigid yanked my arm, the rest of my body jerking to follow with no other choice. “Come, sister, we need to change.”

Less than thirty minutes later, we emerged from the front of the great hall and stepped into a scene bursting with life. Bagpipes played, people danced, and ale flowed freely. Small groups sat around long tables eating. Most of the men stood, talking animatedly, many with a drumstick in one hand and drink in the other. The delicious aroma of savory meats and baked desserts made my mouth water, but after grazing on the rich buffet in Iain’s tent all afternoon, I wasn’t hungry.

The familiar faces of Robert, Duncan, and Gawain approached us right as I spotted Iain and Fingall talking with two of the newest recruits for their coveted guard. They stood a dozen yards away from us in the center of a pressing crowd of admiring women.

Gawain deposited his goblet on the table and stepped close to me, grasping my hands, pulling them wide. “Isobel, you’re the bonniest lass here tonight.” He glanced at Brigid standing right next to me and valiantly corrected himself. “Second only to the fair Brigid, of course.”

I laughed at Brigid’s eye roll. “Thank you, Gawain.”

“One need not be bonnier than the other,” Robert interjected, then took a hearty swallow from his cup. “The two are the only lasses I want to lay eyes on, this fine night.”

Duncan threw an arm around Robert, snickering. “Only your eyes, Robert? Can you look without actually touchin’?”

A moment’s silence passed before we all burst out laughing.

My cheeks cramped as I enjoyed the drunken men harassing each other. Gawain leaned in. “You’re not wearin’ our plaid.”

I looked down at my beautiful scarlet gown, running my fingers over the plush velvet, then glanced at Brigid, who wore her clan plaid neatly draped over her gown. “No, I suppose not.” Brigid hadn’t said anything, and I hadn’t wanted to fuss with it upstairs.

“Och, no matter,” Gawain retorted. “You’ll be one of us soon enough.”

“Aye, but to which of us will she belong?” Duncan posed.

As if on cue, Robert and Duncan pressed in, countering Gawain’s closeness by asserting their interest. Surprised, I stepped back, increasing my personal space from the sudden onslaught of men.

Duncan lifted a goblet of ale to his mouth, but I swiped it from his hand and swallowed down the entire cup before taking a breath. Stone-cold sober Isobel was about to become toast.

I handed the cup back, squinting at the threesome as they gawked at my boldness. “I belong to the man of my choosing.” I gave the solid statement before I lost my filter and my inhibitions.

Robert grinned. “She’ll need a man who knows how to handle a woman.” He stared intensely at me. “Isobel, I’d have you screamin’ my name into the night.”

I glanced toward Brigid. Unfortunately, I’d lost my backup to a group of nearby women. Uncertain how to respond, I grabbed Robert’s ale and drank his very full cup.

Duncan clapped Robert so hard on the back, he stumbled forward. I took another step back. “Robert, you’ve handled every woman willin’ and able to be handled . . . again . . . and again. How could you ever be satisfied handlin’ only one?”

Robert’s smile fell from his face at Duncan’s question. I bit my lip, restraining laughter, watching Robert seriously ponder the dilemma.

Duncan shoved Robert behind him. “I, fair lass, would show you what it means to be loved. While my beddin’ talents have always been prized, I’d be loyal to you.”

Gawain’s deep chuckle resonated out. He placed a hand between my shoulder blades, turned me, and guided me through the crowd. I glanced over my shoulder. The two abandoned men stared at us for mere seconds before a bevy of women eagerly occupied the vacuum we’d left. Available warriors were on the menu tonight. The way the meat-market crowd rotated partners, tonight seemed like an early predecessor of speed dating.

“Doona pay them any mind. Their blusterin’ is not without merit, but how can you choose a man on claims alone? You need to see for yourself whether a man is worthy of you.”

I stopped, searching Gawain’s dark eyes. He’d spoken as if he’d read my whirling mind. “Exactly,” I replied. I looped my hand in his elbow as we wandered toward a thinner crowd. “I’ve not had enough time to decide my perfect match.”

The one who spoke to my heart.

One romantic date with a man claiming to be my soul mate did not eternal love make. Was I attracted to Iain? Absolutely. Did feelings tug at my heart? Definitely. But I wanted a fire burning so hot for a man that I couldn’t breathe without him. With so many shocking things happening at once, in the struggle to adjust, I hadn’t even had time to miss the man supposedly destined for me.

Or . . . had I?

The half-dozen times I’d searched for Iain in the crowd tonight certainly counted for something. The more I questioned do I . . . or don’t I . . . the more confusion reigned.

Gawain stopped and looked down at me. “Time is somethin’ you doona have, but I’m a patient and kind man. Like Robert, I’ll help you discover the passionate woman inside you. Like Duncan, I’d be loyal to our bed and our marriage. But unlike them both, I’d listen to you, share stories of my adventures, and seek to fill our house with laughter and love.”

I grasped his forearms, looking up into the eyes of a man promising the world from any woman’s perspective. Gawain’s vision of marriage bore as close a resemblance to a modern-day equality of partners as I’d ever hoped to get in a medieval world.

I realized that I had no idea what kind of husband Iain wanted to be with his wife. Our heated chemistry melted every thought in my head anytime we were together, making it impossible to formulate the question, let alone ask it.

Gawain suddenly dropped his lips to my mouth in a tender chaste kiss. I had no time to react. He lingered for a moment, then broke contact, lifting his face from mine. His weak smile said it all: there’d been no spark. He raised his eyebrows optimistically despite the lackluster connection. I shook my head, shrugging.

Memories of the passionate fire that had sizzled with Iain’s kisses flooded into my mind, followed by hope that Iain would be everything his men had promised to be as husbands . . . and more.

Brigid barged in between us, and Gawain stumbled back, gaping at her.

“Isobel, I’ve been lookin’ for you. So has Iain. Off with you, Gawain.” She shooed away the man larger than her by half. “Go find your men and get drunker.”

Gawain laughed and winked at me. On a turn, he disappeared into the crowd.

“Fingall—” Brigid paused, catching her breath. “We’ve been handfasted.”

“Handfasted?” I stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, murmuring, “Are you not to be married tomorrow?”

Her brow furrowed. “Nay. Seamus and Gawain leave with him tonight. They’re to resolve a dispute between two clans about their border lands.”

The crowd milled around us as we talked. I faced her, squeezing her upper arms. “He asked, though. And you accepted?”

“Aye, I did.” A broad grin returned to her face, flashing her cute dimple.

I hugged her. “Of course you did. I’m thrilled for you.”

My heart twinged with a touch of envy. She’d had years to discover the right man for her. Brigid knew what she wanted, and she had known it for a long time. Time for me had become a lost luxury . . . and a bane to my existence.

“Och, I’ve to tell Agnes.” Brigid darted away.

I tried to follow her, but my body got tossed and turned through a tight mob of people until I ended up at the edge of the crowd near the isolated tents. The peaceful quiet of the crisp night air lured me away from the noise, smoke, and frenzy. With lazy steps, I strolled along the perimeter, staying in the torchlight, casting occasional glances at the crowd a dozen yards away.

I enjoyed the accidental solitude, wondering about what would transpire tomorrow—my foretold wedding day. Not exactly what a girl dreams about: alone in the middle of someone else’s extended family. As if I would’ve had any family in attendance, anyway. The bittersweet memory of my seanair floated into my mind. The faded loss of my parents followed. An only child, orphaned by their tragic car accident, I didn’t harbor dreams of idyllic fairy-tale nuptials. No family would’ve ever been on my side of the aisle.

Will there even be an aisle? I wondered what their Beltane wedding rituals would entail.

A painful grip at my elbow got my attention. “Ow!”

“Look at what I found,” a gravelly voice rasped above my head.

Alarm bells rang out. I stared up into the face of a stranger: a very large, brutish man whose fetid ale breath explained his glazed-over eyes. Two other men surrounded me.

My heart pounded in my ears. I’d taken my safety for granted—beyond foolish on my part. Their lack of Brodie plaid indicated they weren’t even loyal to the clan.

If Gawain, Robert, and Duncan had been drunk, these men were plastered. I yanked my elbow to my side, but his death grip jerked my arm into his ribs along with the rest of my body.

Adrenaline clarified my dire situation. I either unleashed a bloodcurdling scream, or I’d remain completely at the thugs’ mercy.

“Well, lass, you’re in for a bit of fun,” said the fire-haired man in front of me.

The vice at my elbow tightened painfully. He pulled me backward. I inflated my lungs to scream, only to have my cry muffled by a dirty hand, my captor dragging me into a tent. I stumbled into darkness behind linen flaps.

The man behind me caged me as he braced himself against a back table. His hand snaked around my waist, holding me. The rough hands of his companions in front lifted my kicking legs, pushing my skirts high up on my thighs. Panic set in. I flailed my arms around, knocking a half-filled pitcher to the ground with a muted thud. Kicking the men only fueled their lust; their chests heaved, their eyes sparking with fire.

“Aye, go on, lass. We like a bit of fight,” said the blond.

An unusual calm washed over me. My brain engaged. One chance. I focused, dragging air into my nostrils, and bit down on the fingers over my mouth. He cursed, yanking his hand away and loosening his hold around my ribs, and I tore out the ear-piercing scream waiting in my lungs.

I seized on the window of surprise, breaking free of his hold and bolting for the tent opening. The other two grabbed me and spun me around. A tug-of-war ensued, one yanking me, then the other. I shrieked again, freaking out about men who could’ve cared less if they broke their new play toy.

Two heartbeats later, the tent nearly blew over from the hurricane bursting in. A dozen Highlanders stampeded through the tent’s closed flaps, ripping the opening to twice its size. Iain led the assault, growling like a rabid wolf as fury etched into every square inch of his maddened face.

He charged the two men holding me, peeling them away and tossing them into furniture as if they were rag dolls. I fell backward, stumbling from the force of the separation, landing against the man whose hand I’d bitten. He shoved me back into Iain, who looked down at me through wild eyes for a split second before he grabbed both of my shoulders and passed me to Robert.

Robert pushed me behind him. Instantly, Iain’s men moved, flanking me on all sides. Relieved for the protection of his guard, I caught my breath and my wits. My heart, however, hammered out the inside of my chest.

Unable to see beyond the mountain range of men surrounding me, I leaned to one side. Through the human shield, I watched Iain lift my captor off the ground. The drunkard’s feet paddled the air like a duck unaware he’d lost water.

Iain growled in animalistic rage. “You never take from a woman what’s not freely granted. Never touch what belongs to us—what belongs to me. Step on these lands again, and you’re dead men. Leave!” Iain hurled the outcast toward the entrance of the tent.

The man stumbled and scrambled out, trailed by his scampering friends.

My shield parted, and Iain took my elbow. I winced from a developing bruise. He eased his grip, noticing my reaction, but said nothing as he led me away from the scene toward his tent.

When we’d walked beyond earshot, he spoke. “Did they harm you?”

I put my hand over his, tugging him to a stop. “They did not.”

As if in disbelief, he squinted at me. Five counted seconds later, he shifted me to his other side, grasping my uninjured arm, and continued into his tent. We went through the closed flaps, and I found myself deposited into a chair in the darkness. Before my eyes adjusted to the pitch-black room, he brought in a lit torch from somewhere outside. Perhaps his men had followed us. Of course they had. They were his guard. He lit candles on the table and slid the torch into an iron frame in the corner.

Iain returned to me in slow steps, his face easing from an expression of anger to one of pain. He began to pace in front of my chair, taking deep breaths. He suddenly stopped, looking at me as he opened his mouth, but no words came out. After a few seconds, he shut it, resuming his methodical pendulum path.

I waited patiently, understanding his frustration.

He stopped abruptly again, staring down at me. Words blurted out of his mouth so fast, I had to focus hard to follow. “Isa, I got so angry at them touchin’ you . . . I’m furious even thinkin’ it. I’m irritated at your bein’ alone. Never roam by yourself. You’d never wander down an empty street in Los Angeles. ’Tis no different here. Men will be men. Drunken men are the worst.” He sighed, furrowing his brows. “I’m mad at myself. I should’ve been by your side, protectin’ you.”

My stomach lurched. The proud and capable man before me chastised himself for a situation I’d foolishly created. “Iain, it’s okay. I’m okay. I’m not hurt.”

“Nay, ’tis not okay. I failed you. I should’ve been there for you, and I wasn’t. ’Twill never happen again.”

I nodded, settling back into my seat. I wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to keep me under lock and key—I had to be free to truly live—but right now, he needed assurance of my safety more than I needed assertion of my independence. And I felt an overpowering need to comfort him, which was an interesting revelation. Above and beyond my wishes, I needed him to feel secure.

Iain dropped to his knees, clasping my hands into his, kissing them. He gazed into my eyes, and I saw tears sparkling over his dark hazel irises. My heart leapt out of my chest.

In that fraction of a second, I knew.

Love ignited into every fiber of my being, and his eyes reflected the same heart-seizing emotion. I felt it happen—one soul connected to its counterpart. Rather than pinch myself in a life filled with reality checks, I squeezed his hands tightly, beaming.

“Isa,” he whispered. “I’ll protect you. I’ll honor and cherish you. I’ll make you happier than you’ve ever dreamed. It matters not which world we are in, only that we’re together. You’re mine, Isa. You know it. Submit to what’s already between us. Agree to marry me.”

A man I’d no idea I’d been waiting for had just promised me the world. In the short fragments of time we’d spent together, he’d become my world. If I hadn’t realized it before, I knew it soul-deep that very moment.

I bent forward, capturing his trembling lips in a soft kiss. He responded, kissing me back with tenderness, letting love and passion flow freely. Nipping his bottom lip gently, I pulled away, locking onto a gaze I’d never tire of seeing.

“Yes, Iain. I will marry you. I. Am. Yours.”

My stubbornness might have mandated my foolish pride, but an epiphany settled into my mind: the man asking to have me . . . had already owned me long ago.

“I belong to you, Iain. I always have.”

I always would.

CHAPTER Ten

Brodie Castle—Thirteenth Century, the Eve of Beltane

Three women surrounded me, admiring their work. I gazed into the large mirror in Iain’s bedroom. A gown of pale gold, the exact hue of my hair, graced every curve of my body as if brushed on canvas. Threads sparkling with actual gold were embroidered into delicate vines around the low neckline and wrist cuffs. Mairi had curled my hair into ringlets that spilled down my back from their pinning at the crown of my head, a few rogue tendrils teasing my cheeks. She’d woven the same golden threads into my hair, giving the blond locks an ethereal quality.

Agnes cried out, “She looks like an angel!”

“Aye, she does,” Brigid replied.

“I’m standing right here,” I said.

Their laughter tinkled into the room like rustled wind chimes as Brigid moved beside me. She wore an emerald gown, setting off her creamy, alabaster skin and deep-copper hair. It was a shame Fingall couldn’t see her now—he wouldn’t be marrying her tonight like they’d wanted—but not once had she let his absence bring her down. In fact, my altruistic girl had been the most ecstatic of the group about my big night ahead.

Brigid’s silver eyes danced with excitement as she grabbed my hand, leading me out the door. “Come. They’ll be waitin’ for us.”

Our small, female caravan, led by Iain’s newest guard, Fergus, rushed to catch up with everyone. We crossed the drawbridge and traveled down a narrow path in the woods, emerging into a large clearing. Two huge bonfires blazed about thirty feet apart, bordering either side of a natural amphitheater. The entire clan mingled on the near side of the clearing.

A priest I hadn’t noticed before stepped through the crowd. “Hello, my dear Brigid.” He grasped her hands and kissed her forehead. He spoke with an English accent. “And, my dear, you must be Isobel.” His sun-leathered face crinkled into a smile. “I’m Father John. I’m to marry you tonight.”

With all the commotion, I’d wondered if there would be any formality. Relief must have shown on my face, because the priest laughed. “Never fear, my child. We’ll bless these unions in the eyes of God.”

Iain burst through the crowd, looking nothing short of magnificent. He wore a crisp white shirt beneath his plaid with the brightly colored ribbons from my pennant fastened to his hip by his family’s brooch. Two fresh braids at each temple draped down below his shoulders, framing the clean-shaven face of the gorgeous man I remembered from California; and yet, in so many ways, he seemed worlds-apart different.

My heart stopped as Iain gave me a head-to-toe visual filled with admiration, love, and a healthy dose of lust. In two strides, he reached my side, pulled me into his arms, and kissed the breath right out of me.

“You’ve never looked more radiant, Isa.” He brushed the words into my ear on a whisper, sending goose bumps down my side with a punctuating growl.

Father John tsk-tsked us, pushing his arms between our shoulders, separating our faces.

Iain’s glare stopped the clergyman.

“Wait until I marry you, Iain. You’ve only a few minutes longer.”

Iain defiantly strengthened his hold around me, and Father John chuckled, shaking his head.

The priest climbed onto a low wooden platform erected between the bonfires, and a hush fell upon the crowd. Fragrant smoke from juniper and oak branches swirled up into the night breeze, floating toward the full moon that peeked above the pine-topped horizon.

Father John began. “We congregate in celebration of life: to rejoice in the fertility we are granted, to cherish what we’ve been given, and to bring forward life anew. In honor of those things, we bind together several couples in holy matrimony. Before God and your clan, these men and women pledge their love and loyalty until parted by death.

“This celebration of Beltane is a special one. Laird Iain Brodie will be mated to his bride Isobel, bringing strength to the clan and surrounding it with love and stability.”

Iain tightened his arms around me at the priest’s words. I glanced up, locking eyes with the man whose love for me poured out in his mesmerizing gaze. He broke our silent connection, kissing my temple as the ceremony continued.

“Step forward, Iain and Isobel. Do you accept the terms of this matrimony with all your heart and with loyalty to God?”

“I do,” we replied in unison.

The priest nodded, then motioned to another couple, one of Iain’s guards and his betrothed standing on our left.

“Step forward, Calum and Rowena. Do you accept the terms of this matrimony with all your heart and with loyalty to God?”

The guardsman and his bride pledged their vows beside us, as did seven other couples paired together to be united. Loud cheering concluded the group wedding as Iain’s lips claimed mine in a searing kiss.

The crowd swept away the priest and disassembled the platform, tossing the dry wood into the hungry flames. A sea of people parted into an aisle, creating a path leading between the two fires and the empty clearing beyond.

Iain bowed his head to me and said, “Weel, Mrs. Iain Brodie . . . ready?”

I nodded, grinning wide. He led me straight between the blazes, pausing midway through. Heat flared against my back, but I had no complaint as Iain embraced me, kissing me more passionately than he’d ever done before. My knees buckled as I melted into the full-throttle kiss, our lips and tongues intertwining. A white-hot blaze ignited deep within me, surpassing the two burning behind us. The crowd hooted and shouted as Iain ushered us the rest of the way through the tunnel of fire.

We turned and faced the crowd from the other side. Iain pulled me back against his solid chest, locking his hands around my waist. I dropped my head back, grinning broadly, witnessing the historical event unfold.

The other newlywed couples followed in our footsteps, even emulating our midjourney kiss. Afterward, a group of men herded one representative livestock of every kind: horse, cow, sheep, and goat. People carried various crop items through, like wheat and root vegetables. Within minutes, the entire clan had passed through, and the celebration kicked into high gear.

A low drum beat lay down a cadence. Iain kissed me soundly before leaving my side as the men broke out in dance. The ground thundered with the stomps of their feet while we clapped to the accelerating tempo.

Beautiful glass lanterns of various sizes hung from branches that encircled our gathering. The flickering candles within them provided ample light to see the pure joy on everyone’s face.

Soulful bagpipes joined in the music, and Iain rushed over and grabbed my hand, whirling me into the lively scene. I squealed as Iain’s firm hands, one in mine and one at my back, twirled me around and around. His blatant happiness—and everyone’s contagious energy—fueled a drugging high, and the elation shot me into the stratosphere.

Iain spun me right out of the crowd and into the cool darkness of a stand of pines where Dubhar stood, tethered. The black stallion was saddled and carried a satchel and rolled up blankets. Iain swung up onto the horse and gently lifted me, seating me in front of him.

“Iain, where are you taking me?”

He brushed his lips over my ear and growled low, “I’m takin’ my bride to be bedded.”

Chills scattered across my body, and I shivered from the sensation and his words.

A squeeze of his thighs sent our mount off into the night, and I leaned back into my husband’s protective arms. I closed my eyes, absorbing the moment as the rocking rhythm of my man and his steed carried us into the night.

Our journey ended in an abrupt stop. Were it not for Iain’s tight hold around my waist, I’d have been thrown. In one swift motion, he dropped me to the ground, planted a free hand, and swung down without our breaking contact. He unfastened the tied bundle and dropped his hand into mine, lacing our fingers together as he led us down a narrow path lit by the moon’s glow.

Iain’s excited pace nearly rivaled mine, anticipation snapping my senses alive as we broke into a clearing of short grass along a lake.

The far shoreline looked familiar—our date from last night. I glanced up and confirmed that the same rocky ledge we’d sat upon extended directly above us. Perfect.

He led us into a shallow cave already illuminated by dozens of fat beeswax candles. They lined the perimeter and nested in random ledges along the walls. Iain unrolled the blankets onto the ground, and I smoothed down the silk folds of my dress in nervous excitement. After he placed the satchel in the corner, he turned toward me, looking almost as anxious as I felt. But then he smiled and my heart melted, dissolving every apprehension. His rugged features were awash in the moonlight flooding in from behind me. And as that smile gradually grew crooked, I smirked, suddenly feeling just as wicked as he looked.

He took a slow step forward. I did the same. Another stride from each of us, and our bodies met, crushing together in a tangle of roaming hands and hungry mouths.

Iain slowed the pace, dragging his lips over mine in pure devotion. Urgency grew within me, tiny moans escaping from my mouth into his as he deepened our kiss. He leisurely ran his tongue along mine—up one side, across, and down the other.

He moved his hands up from the small of my back. His gentle, heated touch spread across my ribs, skimming up the fabric that covered my breasts. Iain pulled his lips away, and I heard a catch in his breath. I fluttered my eyes open as he took several steps back.

“Undress.” The command was guttural as his gaze pierced mine.

With bunched shoulders, taut thighs, and labored breathing, he looked like a predator preparing to devour his prey. Primal energy permeated the space around us, and a deep, warm ache spread through me as a ravenous hunger unlike any other took hold.

I complied with the demand, stretching my arms back and untying the laces, knowing the action tightened my bodice across the front before the binding loosened. My breathing accelerated to supply oxygen to the blood racing through my veins. I relaxed my arms forward, grasping both the material of the gown and chemise at my breast. In one motion, I pulled everything down, shimmying the material over my hips before it fell to the floor. Wearing absolutely nothing but small leather slippers, I stepped out of the ensemble, never breaking Iain’s gaze.

His mouth dropped open slightly, but no words came out. I’d rendered him speechless.

“Well?” I purred the question, skimming my hands up my belly to my breasts, brushing fingers over already-peaked nipples. “Will you be undressing too? Or is this something I’m doing alone?”

“Damn, woman.” He ripped the clothes from his body as if they’d been set ablaze.

I admired Iain’s muscular, naked body. Battle scars in new places were revealed, bearing testament of his true nature—a warrior. Tonight, however, I had Iain the lover . . . the husband . . . the man.

Iain eliminated the small distance between us and wrapped his arms around me, warming my chilled skin. His impressive erection pressed against my belly, reminding me of something I knew that he did not. He bent to kiss me, but I put a finger to his lips, stopping him.

I swallowed hard. “Iain, I’ve . . . never done this . . . before.”

He leaned back, loosening our embrace, reading my expression as his brows furrowed in confusion. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath, his features relaxing as he nodded.

Butterfly kisses dotted a trail from my forehead to the tip of my nose and across my mouth. He dragged his lips along my jaw up to my ear and whispered, “I’ve never been more honored. To be the first to show you passion . . . on this night . . . ’tis a dream come true beyond my wildest imagination.”

Concern about his reaction gave way to peaceful security. The man in my arms would take care of me. I slid my hands down the roped muscles of his back, resting them across the cheeks of his ass. He purred low in approval.

We folded down onto the plaid. Solid arms guided me to my back, his hand cushioning my head. Iain draped over my body, leaning into my side. His free hand roamed over my skin, firing electrical impulses everywhere his slightest touch whispered.

Dark eyes searched my own. His face hovered inches from mine, his long hair feathering across my cheeks. I swept the strands back with my hands, holding his face, gently pulling him down. He kissed me . . . a sweet, sensual, teasing kiss. I matched his erotic movements, dragging my lips across his, opening my mouth to taste his tongue, nipping and biting playfully. A growl rumbled deep in his chest as he pressed his hard length into my hip.

Hot breath tracked across my skin as his mouth moved lower, tasting his way down my neck. My eyes drifted shut as he cupped a hand under my breast and gently lifted while skimming his fingers up. Without warning, he pinched my nipple. Hard. I gasped from the shock and heard his low chuckle. Moist heat surrounded my other nipple. He suckled . . . and bit me? I moaned as the sharp pain ebbed into warmed honey, dripping pleasure down . . . so far down.

So damn intoxicating.

As his mouth drugged my senses, I threaded my fingers into his silken hair, needing to touch him in any way possible. Long licks sprinkled with playful kisses trailed a path down my abdomen. My belly quivered, unfurling an even deeper ache inside. Floating on heady desire, I grew hyperaware as he shifted his weight between my legs, pressing my thighs wide apart.

Wide open. Vulnerable.

My pulse skyrocketed with the force of nature between my legs. Steam heated the skin of my inner thigh, flowing toward an aching center, and I grew frantic for his touch.

Iain stalled. I opened my eyes, lifting my head to watch.

He’d been staring up at me, waiting. A wicked grin broadcasted his intentions. He locked his gaze onto mine and dipped his chin, swiping a flat tongue through already-throbbing folds. A low whimper escaped my throat until an aching pulse snapped out, and I gasped.

“Mmm . . . sweetest sugar,” he drawled.

He drew his head back, licked his lips, and blew cool air across my heated flesh. I bucked my hips, wanting his teasing mouth to return, but his forearms rested on my thighs, holding me captive. When I settled down, the sensual instruction resumed at his unhurried pace . . . as if ensuring I’d pay close attention. Torturous slow licks. Merciless hard sucks. Soft cries broke free from my mouth with every shallow breath. I threw my head back, eyes closed, gripping the blanket in my fists with crazed need.

Something slid inside in a smooth stroke. A second, thicker pressure made me realize his fingers were pressed into me. While sidetracked in thought about the exact details, a hard flick across my clitoris scattered the scientific analyzing, and I surrendered to every single pleasure. He stroked his fingers over sensitive nerves, fanning what began as a kindled ache into a blazing inferno. Every muscle in my body tensed, desperate for release.

“Shhh . . . Isa. Just relax, lass.” His words purred against my skin seconds before his mouth covered my clit, sucking hard. He moaned, the vibrations traveling deep, and I gasped loudly, hanging on the precipice of a cliff.

One unhurried lick. Another. I groaned, arching up into his mouth, panting for air. Iain masterfully orchestrated every note of my unfolding sonata, building the tension toward a crescendo.

Without warning, he increased the tempo. My body tensed. A piercing scream tore from my throat and resonated off the rock walls as waves of pleasure resonated into me. Relentless. Consuming.

In the midst of my orgasm, I struggled for breath while Iain climbed my body. A split second of awareness hit as his predatory gaze captured mine in silent warning. I slid trembling hands along his damp skin, resting them on his hips. The muscles flexed beneath my fingertips, and he pierced me straight through in a single powerful stroke.

The shock of his hard body all over me, stretching me wide, possessing me completely, took my breath away. He silenced my gasp with a demanding kiss. The full sensation of his erection seated deep inside, but not yet moving, was disconcerting.

However, the mild discomfort ended when I wriggled beneath him, fresh waves of pleasure rippling through me. He withdrew gradually, charging every nerve ending along the way. With a nip of my lips and a slow smile, he watched my face as he slid back inside, inching deep into slickened walls, sparking a whole array of new sensations.

“So tight, Isa,” he purred out. “Heaven.” He closed his eyes, bliss written across his features.

More forceful thrusts followed. I arched my hips, meeting his with every hard, urgent pump. The pace increased, and I lifted my legs, curving them around his ass, holding his powerful body tight. I lost myself, spiraling ever higher in unimagined ecstasy.

Suddenly, I cried out, a single, delicious spasm surprising me. He paused, and my ache intensified. Fierce need for him to move whipped a sizzling-hot current through me. I froze, and the moment I stopped breathing, Iain drove deep, setting off an internal explosion so hard, I shattered into a million fragments. My nails dug into his back as I mindlessly shouted his name.

Iain lost control. He clutched my shoulders, slamming into me as my body-rocking orgasm continued. His muscles went rigid, and a growl tore from his chest as his release engulfed him. As his distinctive pulses mixed into mine, his movements lessened, his body collapsing in slow motion around me. He gently tightened the grip on my shoulders, nestling his lips against my ear.

I felt cherished. Treasured. Loved completely from the inside out.

Heaven indeed.

Long moments of heavy breathing followed as we stayed connected, our bodies calming. There no longer existed a beginning and an end—we’d become one, eternal.

Iain pulled up onto his elbows and gazed into my eyes. I saw so much reflected there: appreciation, reverence, and love.

He bent down, bringing his lips to mine, giving me a tender kiss tasting of salt and my own flavor, something I’d never tasted before. The musky smell of our sex permeated the crisp night air which cooled my dampened body. I gripped him with my arms and legs, running my lips up his neck, inhaling the scent of pure male.

“Iain, that was . . . you were . . . amazing. So amazing.” My mind struggled to process everything my sated body relished.

He tugged at my earlobe with his teeth. “Every night will be filled with your cries. You’ve fiery passion in you. I intend to make good use of it.”

I grinned at the thought of him making good use of my body. Self-pleasuring only scratched the surface of the ecstasy I’d just experienced. The unexpected loss of control and vulnerability under his dominance aroused me like I’d not thought possible. I laughed softly, trying to imagine enjoying other delightful things . . . in other erotic positions . . . as we explored this newly discovered side of me.

He laughed. “What’s happenin’ in that head of yours?”

I almost answered when he twitched inside of me, hardening. I groaned. He eased his hips back, sliding out, then advanced, filling me again. He knelt upright, gripping my ass, angling my hips. I rested my feet on the tops of his thighs, gazing up at his incredible form.

“Ready for a second round?” he asked.

I had no chance to respond. Iain slowly rocked his hips, caressing parts of me deep inside I hadn’t known existed. Strong hands ran up my thighs in long, soothing strokes. His dark, possessive gaze penetrated my soul, and I surrendered. To this life. To this man.

In that moment, under his command, in the new world I’d been ensconced in, I realized I’d been dropped exactly where I was supposed to be.

Home.

CHAPTER Eleven

The endless night sky swirled above, millions of stars glittering in a lazy circle as we floated. Weightless, an incredible euphoria drifted through me. Iain’s strong arms dragged slowly through the water, rotating us. The warmth of his body helped my thin SoCal blood handle the numbing water. I’d begged for a dip, but we’d extended the swim, indulging in the time we had in our special place.

I rested my head against his shoulder, wondering if each pinhole dot in the black velvet sky represented another possible world. Life on other planets, space travel, and the space–time continuum were subjects I’d only seen in movies and on The Science Channel. But after being tossed through a bend in the laws of the Universe, I’d been given fresh perspective; even the most far-fetched of notions had become possible.

Iain’s fluid movement interrupted my philosophical reverie. He dropped his lower body deeper under the water, towing us back to shore.

We picked our way over moss-covered rocks so our feet wouldn’t sink into the mud. My teeth chattered uncontrollably until, seconds later, a fire-heated blanket cocooned me in warmth. Iain draped another plaid around his waist and sat on a nearby stump, tugging me onto his lap. We sat in companionable silence, watching the fire’s dry wood snap glowing cinders into the air. The breeze extinguished the faux fireflies into wisps of ash, floating them away.

“What’re you thinkin’, Isa?”

“Hmmm . . .” My mind had drifted a thousand places, bouncing from one tiny fragment to another. I tilted my head up, resting it in the crook of his shoulder, gazing at the vast heavens. The illuminated inky canvas reminded me of the pinpoints of light on his study wall. Uncertain how to phrase a lingering question, or whether he’d answer, I broached the topic as a statement. “The other day, I wandered into a map-filled room. One of the walls resembled tonight’s sky.”

Iain merely listened. Or, perhaps in his silence, he reflected on matters he didn’t want to share. I turned, finding a solemn expression on his face. He searched my eyes, and I saw that truth and secrets were buried deep behind his dark expanded pupils. We waited long enough for the unasked question to drift up in the smoke. I didn’t want things left unsaid, nor did I want anything hidden, but I was confident there would be a time and place for everything.

“Iain, it’s okay. We’re building trust between us. You can tell me when you’re ready, but I do need to understand. I’ve a right to know, since whatever power that box holds brought me here.” I paused. “The wall . . . it reacted to me, Iain.”

His brows arched over widened eyes. Well, at least he didn’t hide his surprise about that revelation.

Iain relaxed his face and tightened his hold around my blanket-wrapped body, resting his forehead on mine. On a contented sigh, I closed my eyes. The peace of his solid protection provided comfort in the middle of an uncomfortable subject.

“Isa, the box and the wall . . . both have power. The two are connected in ways I doona fully understand. It’s always been this way. I’m a guardian. Responsibility to protect it—and the people under its shelter—has fallen to me, passed from my father, passed from his father.”

I pulled away, taking a deep breath. “Does it react to you?”

He nodded, his brows furrowing slightly.

“Other people have seen the wall, haven’t they?” I asked. With the room unlocked, I was certain that I hadn’t been the only person to walk in there.

“Aye,” he replied, “but the castle’s been home to us our entire lives. Those things are no stranger to them than a bird takin’ to flight.”

“Does it react to anyone else? Your sister?”

“Nay.” Iain’s tone had turned severe. He tilted his face, staring at the ground, preoccupied. I waited, but I knew I’d lost him. Never having had a serious relationship, unless one counted a love affair with all-things-old-and-buried, I had trouble gauging his demeanor. If he spent the silence determining how to reveal something, it had dragged on long enough. I’d push no further. With our new, fragile relationship, I refused to allow my curiosity to interfere with the happiness of our wedding night.

My eager need to time travel back to modern-day California had been nullified by a desire to stay with Iain in my new home. It dampened the urgency of my fact-finding investigation. The moment for sharing would wait until both sides wanted to increase the bond of trust. I sensed he wanted to, but couldn’t.

Perhaps more than the secrets themselves bound his tongue.

* * *

The days following the wedding evolved into one time-consuming activity after another. As the official Lady of Castle Brodie, from sunrise to sunset, I’d inherited the responsibilities of running the operation. Regardless of my knowledge of history, I still hadn’t imagined a lady would need to work her ass off to fulfill her duties.

I puffed out my cheeks, blowing an errant lock of hair from my face, and wiped a damp brow on my sleeve. A last pull of the heavy oak front door marked the end of a productive day and the beginning of another night of quality time with my new husband.

Iain spent his days training, hunting, and resolving disputes. Nearly every night, he’d come into our bedchamber after I’d already eaten, sparing just enough time for us to make love once or twice before our bodies surrendered to the deep slumber of exhaustion.

Not a word of complaint left my lips, however, as I absorbed the details of a lost era. I’d become a bloodhound locked onto a scent, even if the opportunities to follow my favorite trail were only stolen moments. My priority in my new role, once I’d mastered the daily routine, had been not only to learn my duties, but also to analyze those of everyone else. I sought to streamline the drag on the ship in every way possible.

“Goodnight, Agnes.” I smiled, turning away from the delightful young woman extinguishing candles in the great hall. She’d come into the fold at Brigid’s suggestion. One by one, I’d made new friends, and Agnes had become a welcome ray of sunshine in an ordinarily mundane day.

“G’night, Lady Isobel. May the nights be filled with echoes of your passion and your belly filled with bairns,” she replied.

I laughed, caught off guard with another of her uncensored proverbs.

My foot touched the first step leading up to our bedchamber when I heard a rustle of papers. I turned, stalking down the dark hall to investigate.

The door to Iain’s map room was ajar. Light streamed out through the crack, guiding my way. I paused, almost doubling back, wanting to respect Iain’s privacy. We’d had an amazing week of wedded bliss, and I wasn’t sure we were ready to talk about the biggest mystery plaguing my thoughts. However, fear of the unknown—of how Iain would react when pressed—would not rule my actions; I refused to establish a habit of avoiding confrontation.

Despite my determination, my pulse accelerated, and bile threatened to rise into my throat. Through sheer will, I banished the anxiety and pushed the heavy door open.

Iain stood with his back toward the door. He pulled out a scroll from the organized shelves, pushed it back in, and retrieved another, sliding it from the cubby where it had been stacked. He turned, his chestnut hair flowing like a silken waterfall over one shoulder.

“Isa.” A warm smile softened features that had been hardened in concentration. He rested the tied parchment behind an obsidian weight on the worktable and closed the distance, embracing me. I purred with contentment. Wrapped in his arms had become my new addiction—one I craved throughout the day . . . where I enveloped myself at night.

“What are you working on?” I peered around his shoulder. Several large maps were layered over the tall surface. Iain glanced back, shrugging.

He kissed the top of my head. “Doona be concerned with my dabblin’. ’Tis late. I want my bed warmed with you, woman.”

Beyond him, the wall came alive. The surface rippled in gentle vibration, beckoning my touch. Its compelling magnetism pulled at me, even with Iain between us. The sparkling gray stone shimmered, its celestial spider web of lights pulsing brighter and brighter the longer I watched. Iain glanced back to see what held me transfixed.

I opened my mouth, the question hanging on my lips. He turned back to me, placed his hands on my shoulders, and spun me right out the door.

“Bed. Now.”

His dominant command left no room for negotiation. My thumping heart and hungry body overrode brain function with the most basic Pavlovian response, and I obeyed the order without hesitation.

We raced up the stairs, bursting into a darkened room where all my erotic fantasies had become a phenomenal reality. From the beginning of our marriage, we’d shared his well-appointed bedchamber and sumptuous bed. Every little thing he’d done from the instant we united proved how much he wanted me to be a part of his life and belong in his world.

The door slammed shut. I loosened the bindings of my bodice, and Iain stripped the clothes from his body. His gaze torched pure lust my way as my dress and chemise fell to the floor. The few feet between us vanished as our bodies crushed together, arms wrapping around each other, his lips consuming every inch of my heated flesh. Iain’s touch became my body’s every command as slick moisture pooled between my thighs, readying for his invasion.

Iain broke contact, pulling away. Wild-eyed with a devilish smirk, he backed onto the bed, slowly lying back, the proud display of his manhood saluting the ceiling in tribute to me.

“Come to me, my beauty. Wrap those devastatin’ lips around me.”

I grinned. Iain loved the way I took him in my mouth. The intimate act had become my favorite foreplay. Lack of experience had been quickly overcome by my eagerness to learn, his enthusiasm to teach, and my innate desire to excel at everything—especially pleasing him.

In slow seduction, I crawled onto the bed, my breasts gently swaying between my arms, hips rolling from side to side. Iain propped his head up on folded arms, watching me intently. Dropping my body low, I kissed from the inside of his ankle up to his knee, brushing my hands along the outside of his legs in long strokes as I slinked forward. A drag of my lips high on his inner thigh pulled a low moan from him. I licked my lips, pressed them to his tip, and sucked past the tight pressure I’d created, pulling him partially into my mouth. A growl shredded from his throat, resounding off the walls.

I smiled, proud of the sound I’d caused. The tip of my tongue swirled around his ridge while I gripped my hand hard around the shaft. I teased lovingly, licking him in calculated torture.

A battle ensued between how long I could pleasure him and how long I could resist having more. My motions mimicked what I wanted my body to be doing—taking him deep inside me.

I marveled over how soft and supple skin could be stretched so tight over rigid muscle. His thick length twitched in my hand. My body clenched in response, the instrument obeying her maestro. Iain moaned low, grasping the sheets in his fists. On a slow descent, I sucked him completely inside and swallowed hard around him.

His hands gripped my forearms, signaling an end to the appetizer and motioning for the main course to come at once. He jerked me roughly up his body, spreading my legs with his knees. I tumbled astride him, crushed down by his arms to accept his hungry kiss. Iain arched his hips up, and I pressed mine down. A perfect connection was made as he impaled me. My heart stuttered in sublime pleasure, Iain filling me in every possible way.

Awash in amber glow from our hearth’s fire, Iain’s features grew fierce as they pulled tight in passion. His brows were drawn down, his pupils blown wide, and his hair fanned over the pillow as if a strong headwind had thrown it back. He bucked his hips as I pushed myself up, bracing my hands on his chest.

A hot ache tightened within me as I raised and dropped in time with his erotic rhythm. I groaned, tossing my head back, the pressure building to near unbearable. Suddenly, a live wire snapped through my body, and I gasped as it sparked and twisted, setting me ablaze. I distantly heard myself scream Iain’s name. His incredible stamina continued, carrying us farther, drawing out every delicious spasm.

Iain’s strong hands clutched my hips harder as his face creased with exertion. Desire spiraled higher with every stroke. Nerves sizzled with every touch. The force of our impacts echoed into the room, our sweet, musky scent permeating the air. Every sense sharpened as I floated—a sparkle of dust aloft in a moonbeam. Weightless. Suspended.

The power of the rush swept me away, and I screamed. On a final thrust, Iain roared as he joined me in release. I collapsed onto his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. Our hearts beat in rapid staccato against one another as his hot breath feathered across my cheek. In silence, we labored to catch our breath. Finally, I sighed.

“Isa?”

His voice gentled so soon after his feral growls made me smile. Our peaceful companionship before drifting to sleep had become a cherished ritual as we shared random thoughts and favorite things. The nightcap to our wild sex had become a slumber party of sorts, filled with stories from childhoods or dreams of our future.

The fragile threads of intimacy had woven into strong bonds as we learned that despite our vast differences, we shared the same principles and beliefs about life and family. We both believed in God, but only tended to talk to the Big Guy on a need-to-pray basis. When we dreamed of children, we wanted at least a boy and a girl, but weren’t opposed to more.

Talking with Iain felt as easy and comfortable as a worn pair of jeans. The modern-day Californian in him enabled his effortless shift into the vernacular I’d come to miss amid all the heavy brogue and Gaelic.

“Feel okay?” He tipped my chin up with his finger, kissing my lips tenderly.

My smile broke our lip-lock. “I feel amazing.”

Iain gently rolled us over, separating us. A rush of cool air hit my damp skin as he draped a bent leg over mine. He propped an arm under his head, smoothing a free hand down between my breasts, laying it to rest across my belly. Firelight cast his ruggedly handsome face in ever-changing glows and shadows as he gazed deep into my eyes.

“Do you feel like you could be with child?” The slight raise of his eyebrows melted my heart. I wondered if he’d overheard Agnes’s bawdy comments, or if he’d thought about the subject on his own.

I placed my hand over his, lacing our fingers together, and kissed his lips. “I don’t feel any different. But . . . I suppose I could be.”

Even though we’d talked of children, the thought of actually becoming pregnant had never entered my mind. Of course, I understood how the whole concept worked, but in the whirlwind that my life had become, I hadn’t yet given it serious thought.

The idea of carrying Iain’s child . . . of having his children . . . filled me with a great sense of fresh purpose. But it surprised me. I’d only ever had one goal. A singular objective had governed the entire course of my life: unlocking history’s secrets that I inherently knew lay in wait for me. An imaginary magnet had drawn me along a clear journey toward archaeological discovery, but some unexplainable force had plucked me off that path and dropped me onto a new one. And the detoured road seemed paved with infinite possibilities.

The expression he held—a fragile smile, barely raised eyebrows—gave me something more, something he radiated and I absorbed . . . hope. A family born of his seed would strengthen my developing roots. No longer would I be a wanderer in a foreign land. Our essences from the past and future blended together would irrevocably become our present.

“Isa, you’ve had a rough adjustment with the magick snatchin’ you from your home, imprisonin’ you here. I dinna know that would happen. But what I need you to know is that you’re everythin’ to me. I had no idea I’d been lookin’ for you all my life . . . ’til I found you.”

He gently kissed my forehead, captivating me with his heartfelt words.

“My life is enriched now that you’re in it. I doona know how I survived before you and have no idea what I’d do if I lost you. Hopefully, the joy of your new life will replace the loss of your old one.”

A tight knot choked the base my throat at his candid profession of love. No Hallmark card had anything on my man. I struggled to reply, overwhelmed by the most profoundly beautiful thing I’d ever heard. “Iain, it already has. You mean more to me than everything in my past. Your people, this place, and all that you are have laid claim to my heart. I don’t want to leave. I’ll never need to go back home . . .” I leaned forward, brushing my lips across his, whispering, “Because I’m already there.”

Iain threw his body over mine, nearly knocking the wind out of me with a strong embrace. I wrapped my arms around him, gripping him tight, emotions welling up inside of me at the rugged warrior who’d ripped his chest wide open, exposing his beating heart. Air barely entered my crushed lungs, but I didn’t care. Elation sustained me. He needed me like I needed him—like the very oxygen I’d soon need to breathe.

My budding love for the man in my arms blossomed, the sensation of being lost in time and space fading away, no longer affecting me. Any last threads of hope to return had been severed by my need to stay. Every part of me belonged here. With Iain. He owned my body, heart, and soul.

With my gentle push, we rolled to the side. My lips grazed up his neck to the shell of his ear. “Nothing could tear me away now, Iain.”

I resolved in my heart that nothing ever would.

CHAPTER Twelve

Life threw me curveballs when I least expected them. Ten days ago, I had been thrown the pitch of the century, and yet, I’d cracked that ball into the stratosphere.

I opened my arms and tilted my face to the sky, basking in rays of warm sunshine as morning’s splendor greeted me. On the wings of indescribable joy, I soared high into the clouds. For the first time in my academically cloistered life, I’d fallen in love.

The irrevocable change that had seeded deep inside burst forth, radiating into the entire world. Logic told me nothing outside my personal self had changed, and yet . . . everything had. Colors shone more vividly, each a brilliant, distinct hue; scents held greater depth, teasing my nose in sensual invitation; an ordinary breeze that misted across sun-warmed skin turned extraordinary, skittering invigorating chills over my body.

I inhaled deeply, detecting Iain’s natural woodsy cologne, which hit me a microsecond before he did as he wrapped his warmth around me from behind. I squealed, turning in his arms.

“Iain!” I kissed him soundly. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have clan officiating to perform?”

He laughed. “I handle disputes when needed. I’m teachin’ them to deal with each other first.”

A leather satchel hung from his shoulder. I glanced toward the stables and saw Dubhar had been saddled, meaning a long journey. A dozen horses had been outfitted, the energized animals pawing at the ground. Armed soldiers gathered around them, strapping on supplies.

“You’re leaving.”

Iain captured my lips in a brief kiss, smacking my ass through the layers of my skirt. “First, I’ve a surprise for you. But, aye. We’ve assembled a huntin’ party. The time’s come to find our missin’ guardsmen. I plan to unleash hell on whatever force delayed their return.”

Fingall, Gawain, and Seamus had been missing for a week now, with no word of their situation. “Please be safe.” I dropped my gaze, my fingers tracing a raised white line along his forearm. “I’m quite happy with the number of scars you currently have on your body.”

He hooked a finger under my dropped chin and gently brought my lips up to meet his. With a tender kiss, he soothed my worry. “A scratch from a fight is naught but a souvenir. I’ll be givin’ plenty before they ever have a chance to mark me. Come, I’ve somethin’ to give you.”

Iain led me to a stone addition built onto the back side of the kitchen. We stepped into a cool, dark room, and Iain opened the connecting door, watching me intently as a familiar rich scent floated in.

I gasped in surprise. “Coffee!”

He grinned, lifting a steaming ceramic bowl from a kitchen table. “Aye. You like? Mairi fussed over you drinkin’ out of a bowl, but I insisted.”

Like a parched wanderer at the end of a desert odyssey, I seized the offered bowl and took a coveted sip. Although it was no Jamaican Blue Mountain, the aromatic drink had a deep buttery flavor. I loved it from the very first taste.

I explored the cold store, enjoying my first coffee in almost two weeks. Huge burlap sacks and wooden barrels lined the walls. As I leisurely perused the inventory in the ten-by-ten space, distinct aromas of spices tickled my nose. A large bag, lying open on a stack of others, held dark brown coffee beans.

“Where did you get access to all this?”

He smirked. “Weel, a few late crusaders stole a bit of Arab treasure for dear King Henry. While on a ‘diplomatic’ trip to the English royal court, we liberated the crusaders of their burden—in totality.”

“Awww . . . my very own java pirate.”

I peered at my man above the rim of my chic medieval coffee mug. There stood a warrior whose face had transformed from its usual “hard and menacing” to ruggedly handsome with a single grin at having pleased me. With his arms folded over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe, his entire bearing reminded me of the afternoon I arrived here. Only instead of seeing an adversary in a kill-the-messenger way, I saw the Highlander who stood before me for what he was—the man of my dreams.

As I sipped the aromatic brew, my gaze drifted to an open bag that contained a rusty powder. I bent down, inhaling the sweet scent of cinnamon. With a pinch of my finger, I stole from the stash, dropping the spice into my cup. I swirled it in, and the next slow sip rolled decadent flavors over my tongue. Something so simple gave such immense pleasure. My gaze trailed below the open bean sack to count five more burlap-type bags. “So I guess we have coffee until the supply runs out.”

“Woman, I would travel to the ends of the Earth to bring that smile to your face.”

I stepped into his side, wrapping my free arm around his slender hips, and beamed up at him. “Iain, all this face ever needs to smile is you.”

The outer door opened, and Robert popped his head in. He tipped his head toward me. “M’Lady.” Then he glanced up at his laird. “Iain, the men are waitin’.”

Robert disappeared, and Iain pulled me into a tight embrace, kissing me so thoroughly, I had to grip my coffee mug tightly to keep from dropping it. He finally broke away, gazing down at me. “Stay close to Brigid. She’ll watch over you. I’m leavin’ Fergus and Ailig behind to lead the men and protect the clan. I’ll return before you’ve had time to miss me.”

I sighed, kissing him once more. “I miss you already, Iain Brodie.”

* * *

The horses carrying Iain and his guard galloped over the drawbridge and disappeared into the green haze of the dense forest beyond. I squeezed Brigid’s shoulder, witnessing the departure of the rescue party in solemn silence. My mood grew somber with worry for his safety, regardless of his being one of the most fearsome warriors in the land, and perhaps at the realization that I’d lost my man for a few days. Brigid’s man had been missing for a week. I had much to learn from the courageous front she held.

“Brigid, let’s go hunting. It’ll take our mind off the men, and I need practice with my bow.”

“Nay, I canna,” she said, gently shaking free of my hold. “I’ve promised to collect herbs with Agnes. Would you like to come?”

Agnes would talk our ears off. Hours of ceaseless girl talk appealed to me as much as a dip in scalding tar. I needed immersion in an activity that required focused concentration, leaving room for nothing else in my head. “No. Go ahead. I’ll catch the hare, and you can season the stew.” I frowned when she didn’t respond to me. “You okay?”

She gave me a weak smile. “We’ll find the herbs for you. And, aye, I’m well. Doona mistake my quiet. My head is filled with plans to tan Fingall’s hide for bein’ gone so long.” Brigid gave me a quick hug and headed down toward the cottages.

As I hiked up the hill to change from my dress, I passed the small, exterior room that had hosted my dramatic, ungainly entrance into Iain’s world. Something from beyond the cracked door beckoned me. I attributed the sensation to a need for a nostalgic reunion, if not a momentary distraction.

A good amount of shoulder was required to shove the heavy door open. I briefly stared into the dark room, and after a deep breath, I stepped into the past—ten days’ worth, anyway. No candles were lit, but the musty room held faint traces of the pungent aroma I’d found so offending when I arrived. Light from the doorway behind me guided my way as I approached the box, its metal surfaces reflecting the scant illumination into the room.

A gentle pull of recognition lifted my hand, my fingers extended in cautious reverence. The magick-infused object had transported me to a wondrous place and time. Everything I’d become—all that I held dear—I owed to the artifact sitting inertly on the wooden table.

Originally a mere key to advancement within an academic realm, the box had transformed into a gateway, giving me a life I’d never dreamed possible. My very happiness had come about due to the one thing I’d cursed upon arrival. I smiled as my trembling fingertips hovered around the sides and over the top.

With a deep breath, I lowered my hand. “Hello, beloved friend.”

A charge arced from the metal to my fingertip before I made contact, but the realization came slower than my momentum. The cool metal electrified me, shooting an erotic pulse into me that cascaded into an uncontrollable orgasm. I gasped, unable to remove my hand. I heard my empty coffee mug clunk onto the hard earthen floor.

Then everything went dark.

* * *

My lungs sucked in oxygen from air suddenly colder by a good twenty degrees. Prone on the floor, the beats of my heart raced the thoughts flying through my mind over what I’d done. A sudden adrenaline rush heightened into an acute awareness of my surroundings.

Vast darkness spanned above where the thatched ceiling had just been. A frosty, damp surface beneath me permeated my clothes, chilling the back side of my body. I slowly pushed myself off the floor into a seated position as uneasiness burned in the pit of my stomach.

Jagged gray stone formed the walls of a cave, shadows moving along its rough surface as if cast from a flame. I turned, searching out the source. Shock stuttered my heart, seizing my lungs.

Three naked men—all wearing bronze torques around their neck, their bodies armored in elaborate blue-inked tattoos—stared at me with wide eyes and open mouths. Picts? I scrambled up off the floor. One looked to be a prisoner; the other two held his arms. He looked at the box.

The box.

That damn box hadn’t finished with me yet. I should’ve knocked on the wood of the table that had held it before daring its power with my mere mortal ego.

A growl through the captive’s peeled-back lips pierced the cave, bouncing off the walls. The men released their hold of him. When they retreated, I realized they hadn’t been holding him hostage; they had supported him, preventing his fall to the ground. He’d been touching the artifact on his end—holding taut the common thread between our times.

The angered man advanced, and I backed up step-for-step. Without warning, he lunged. I spun on my heel, dashing out of the opening in the rock wall. A woman’s intuition had nothing on primal instinct—we tended to run in the opposite direction of hostile, naked men.

The night embraced me in a dark, bitter hold, an engraved invitation to the forest’s frightful festivities. Cloud cover prevented any possible moonlight from lighting a path. The absolute madness of running from one threatening situation with unknown men into another that had carnivores of the four-legged variety made me pause to think.

I turned around, reassessing what awaited me if I stayed. The trio rushed out of the cave looking enraged. As my limited options flashed through my brain, a flicker of movement caught my eye. They’d left a torch outside, lying on a rock. I’d have to close our distance by half to reach it. A deep breath prepared me for a kamikaze attempt to grab my only chance of escape.

Their bodies remained tense, springs poised to release. I advanced in slow steps, never looking away from them, but keeping the shining prize in peripheral sight. Not trusting my speed and agility against their level of fitness, I sprang the weapon of surprise at the last possible second. My heart hammered like a rabbit’s as I snatched the torch, pivoted, and bolted off, my mind processing their nonexistent reactions as I fled. The one in command had lifted his chin and crossed his arms, but not one attempted to stop me. They let me run off into the wilderness.

A clearer head would have wondered why.

The reason they didn’t give immediate chase dawned on me sometime after the second exhausting hour of forcing my way through unwelcoming brush; the uncharted journey led me nowhere quicker than it got me anywhere useful. When the growth thinned enough to ease my travel, sure footing was made almost impossible by slick, rocky surfaces.

Another helpful factoid revealed itself around that same time: torches only burn for so long. An errant burst of wind snuffed out the dying torch, casting me into total blackness. I stopped, uncertain of where to go, clueless about what place in time or space I’d been thrown. A wolf howled in the distance, chilling my spine to an icicle from the top down, but the cold remained deep in my bones as the constant wind bit through my so-wrong-for-a-hiking-adventure dress.

One tentative step forward on solid ground led to another. Slow waving of my invisible arms guided a blind expedition toward safety from the slick, rocky outcropping I’d been traversing. After several shuffled steps, my foot slipped across a slanted surface and my boot caught in a crevice. The forward momentum twisted my ankle, and I fell straight down on the unforgiving rock.

Hands, a knee, and a hip took the brunt of the hard impact, pain lighting me up. I bit my lip to prevent an outcry while the outside of my ankle throbbed with fire. Seconds passed, and a choking lump in my throat threatened to break free; but I rejected my helplessness, refusing to give the sob its needed release. At least I couldn’t hurt myself any further, sitting here alone in the dark.

As if it had been decided I’d been tortured enough, the cloud cover thinned, letting the moon’s glow shine through. Shapes emerged from the dark abyss of nothingness, giving once-cloaked surroundings shaded dimensions of black and gray.

I shifted my weight slowly to the other hip, examining my injuries. The heels of both hands were scraped and bruised, my knee flexed well enough to operate, and my bruised hip would survive. The ankle concerned me, though. Burning pain within my boot told me it had begun to swell. Tight lipped, I whimpered, giving it a full rotation. Satisfied I’d suffered only a sprain, I methodically used every ounce of balance I had and stood with the least amount of weight possible on the damaged joint.

Determined to exploit the small window of light the night sky had granted, I limped over to a tree, found a manageable dead branch, and swept forest litter into a pile under the canopy. The father–daughter camping trips we’d taken on my dad’s summers off taught their far-reaching lessons. Thankfully, bugs and small creatures didn’t freak me out. Well, not much, anyway, since more important issues . . . like survival . . . forced trivial matters away.

I settled onto my makeshift bed, elevating my foot, wide-awake since I’d only been up a few hours of my day. I wondered what Iain would think when he realized I’d gone missing. Actually, he wouldn’t think anything for days, since he’d left the castle to find his guardsmen.

No one would even discover my absence there until well after morning had come here, wherever . . . and whenever . . . here happened to be.

CHAPTER Thirteen

Highlands of Scotland—Ancient Reign of the Picts

I tossed a white flag at restless sleep, blinking at gloaming’s grayish sky, accepting what I’d been fighting: the Universe had undisclosed plans for me far beyond my humble archaeology-grad-student existence. Tired, hurt, and undeniably alone, I sat up on the leaf-litter bed. Earth spun into another day, forcing her inhabitants to do the same. Dawn marked the start of a new chapter in a story I’d thought had already ended in my happily ever after.

What a fool I’d been.

How naïve the human race had become, myself included. Like most of society, I’d thought I had a solid grasp of the real world. But in the pulse of a heartbeat, the rogue wave of a new paradigm crashed upon the rocky outcropping of my life, scattering accepted principles into a million effervescent bubbles, each one bursting with every thought I’d known to be true.

Twice in as many weeks I’d struggled with assumptions about what defined my reality, but thought-driven insomnia had crystallized the details of my situation. At the exact moment I’d believed my mind warp had settled in Iain’s time, supernatural forces had hurled me to a more ancient Scotland, where blue-painted Picts ruled the land.

Although I hadn’t any clue of the exact era, my brief exposure to the natives suggested the medieval Highland home I’d come to love, and the man I’d fallen in love with, existed more than a millennium beyond where I sat. I took a deep breath. Tenacity to survive long enough to find a way home became the only thing saving me from funneling down into a whirlpool of self-pity.

My immediate goal remained protection from men looking to kill me. I couldn’t pinpoint how I knew they hunted me with any rational explanation. I just knew. Like a divining rod pointed to a strong source of water, I knew escape remained ahead . . . danger stalked behind.

Once I no longer felt threatened, I would figure out a way back to the cave—back to the box. That I’d taken flight into the midnight darkness hadn’t escaped notice of my clearer-thinking head. Directionally challenged from birth, I prayed a new skill had developed overnight.

I carefully stood, shifting my weight onto my good leg as every other muscle and tendon screamed in simultaneous protest about the strenuous pace I’d forced on them. Tears sprang to my eyes, the physical pain twanging my mental anguish, but I took several more deep breaths, willing the hair-trigger anxiety to go away. My slowing heartbeats joined the cacophony of birdsongs, squirrel chitters, and cricket chirps—happy, normal sounds indicating no alarm had been tripped. Confident that I remained alone in my section of untamed wilderness, I hobbled across the damp leaf-litter carpet, inhaling sweet botanical scents as I sought the most camouflaged path, leading . . . somewhere indeterminate.

Thank God for small things, like wearing my twenty-first-century boots. I wiggled my toes, confirming the swelling hadn’t constricted the blood flow, but I still gritted my teeth in pain with every step as I shuffled along. To make matters worse, my thirteenth-century dress snagged at every thorny, thick-brushed opportunity. I steadfastly gathered every bit of torn fabric and fibers which would’ve been gift-wrapped breadcrumbs for my pursuers. A desire not to fall again also topped my new list of “Wisdom Gained in the Light of Day.”

Where the hell am I going? I sighed.

Sun’s first light illuminated the dark undercanopy with narrow golden beams. Logical thoughts crept in, highlighting the gravity of my situation.

He is predator—I am prey.

He is native—I am foreigner.

The traitorous distractions chiseled at my resolve, yet my realist side couldn’t discount the tremendous odds against me. The man chasing after me like the wind blowing through the trees knew the challenging terrain. I did not.

“Great. He probably knows where I’m headed better than I do.” Talking out loud might not have been the wisest action but, absent friendly voices, the sound of my own soothed me.

In the loneliness of my surroundings, my heart ached. I needed to get back to Iain. How would he find me? How would he know I wasn’t merely missing in his time, but that I’d been lost somewhere in time? The box clearly continued to be an open gateway, and in my panic-induced marathon, I’d created a vast amount of distance between me and my only route back home.

My pace eased, along with every thought bouncing around in my head. With my endless mental chatter, I’d failed to listen to any telltale animal sounds and hadn’t noticed the terrain change.

A glade opened ahead. Low bands of sunlight streamed between sparse tree trunks to the east, lending an ethereal quality to the spacious clearing. The visual serenity stopped me cold, and I drank in the beauty of nature’s living masterpiece. Large insects flew through the rays of light, flashing iridescence with their wingbeats. A brook babbled on the far side of the open space, its banks teeming with wildlife drinking their fill. Heads popped up in succession as they took note of my presence.

Captivated by the scene, I held still, my eyes wide but my mouth firmly shut against flying insects. The animals moved toward me as if entranced. A deer, two hares, a beaver, and several species of birds walked, waddled, and flitted closer and closer to my dumbfounded self.

Had I been dropped right onto the screen of a Disney animation? Unless I’d missed the memo, forest creatures didn’t hang out together, greeting newcomers. Since I hadn’t eaten anything in nearly a day, I figured it had to be an inhaled hallucinogen, like pollen molecules floating in the air. An odd, heavy calm washed over me as the animals came within touching distance and stopped.

Suddenly, the hairs shot up along the back of my neck and chills raced down my spine. I turned around. Ten paces away stood my relentless purser. An air of confidence radiated from my adversary. Leanly muscled, he still wore only a brass torque around his neck. The unclothed man appeared to be plenty warm in spite of the cold bite in the air.

As I blinked heavily, staring at him, delayed comprehension trickled into my bewitched brain: I hadn’t drawn the fauna from their water source—he had.

He tipped his head to the side, approaching in measured steps.

My heart thundered in my chest. Either my foe was an expert tracker or he’d been a constant, unseen companion all along. The latter would’ve explained my intuitive need for continued flight.

The overpowering calm I’d felt—and still felt as it fought for supremacy over my panic—emanated from him. He brandished some kind of magick. I’d read about the Picts communing with animals to aid in capturing them. They also thanked them for the gift of their life and death prior to eating them. Great. I’d become subdued prey.

He opened his arms wide, palms up; apparently, he knew the universal gesture for “I mean you no harm.” Yeah. Right. Naked man. Chasing woman. Aggressive history. Our roles dictated my lack of trust in anything he had to offer, peaceful . . . or not.

With every stubborn cell I possessed, I fought the foreign pacifying influence, embracing a healthy dose of fear. I whirled around and bolted toward an opening on the far side of the clearing. Sharp pain lanced through my ankle with every jolting step. By the time I’d reached the thicket beyond the glade, my lame gait slowed more from the density of the scrub than any handicap. Thorns and tree branches scratched my arms, but I pushed through the pain, forcing my way through the vegetation.

The terrain dropped off quickly as soft forest floor turned into irregular rocky surfaces. The change in topography thinned the plant life, allowing me to pick up my pace. As I jogged along, broken rocks crunched under my footfalls. An incline littered with loose rock sent me surfing down several yards, arms flailing to keep my balance, and I belatedly realized that my haste had blinded me to a serious geographical warning.

My entire body shot out over open air. Adrenaline fired through my veins as I spun around, scrambling for a handhold on the edge of a ravine. I slipped down a sheer face of rock and earth, grasping desperately with my hands to find a brake to stop my descent. Finally, my fingers clamped around a thick protruding tree root.

I clung to my lifeline, gasping for air. Every small detail sharpened as the fight-or-flight drug rocketed through my body. With my weight supported by only my arms, I lifted my good foot and toed it into a fissure in the rock. A ledge would’ve been better support, but I was terrified to look around for one. At least the foothold relieved some of the immense pressure on my shoulder sockets.

Perfect. My idiotic self had literally run into a no-way-out situation. Correction—no way out . . . but up. Even as my white-knuckled fingers held a death grip on the roots of my very own tree of life, I didn’t need to look up to know the man who’d chased me had arrived. I felt him.

I sighed. If my pursuer would be the cause of my demise, I’d be a party to the decision. I’d fearlessly look fate in the eye and accept its inevitable course.

A glance up confirmed his presence. He’d stretched flat on the ground, his chiseled face hovering directly over mine. Our gazes locked, and . . . the strangest thing happened. Dark eyes pierced mine with a look of kindness. And . . . hope? He raised his brows, lowering a large hand down, his entire demeanor conveying safety.

Instinct reigned supreme in my gut, not trusting for a microsecond the gentle façade he portrayed. Unfortunately, I had limited options and didn’t want to precariously dangle a moment longer. Frying pan or fire? I made the obvious choice. I released a hand, thrusting it directly into the flames.

The corners of his mouth curved up imperceptibly. With a solid grip, he hoisted me out of harm’s way, pulling me firmly into his arms . . . and his world.

* * *

Sunlight streamed onto my face and chest, warming the slight chill away. I limped alongside my tight-lipped escort, wondering about him, his people, and the age into which I’d been thrown. Valuable information could be gained from any of the Pict time periods, their lives practically stricken from known record by an absence of information. My inner archaeologist refused to settle down even in light of everything I’d lost. Priority one, however, remained the same; communicate with him to find a way back to the box.

Iain had withheld information about the box, the wall, and perhaps other information about his castle and the people within. With all my respect for Iain’s right to privacy out the window, I planned on a thorough interrogation the moment I got home.

Hellooo, Iain! Details on the rules of the game seem kinda important right about now.

I snorted, earning an inquisitive look from my companion. I ignored his curiosity, walking on as he pushed aside brush that impeded the path to wherever he was leading me.

The irony of my situation returned during the silence. Tucked within the relative safety of Clan Brodie, I’d mistakenly thought I had all the time in the world to discover the mysteries Iain had kept locked inside. All the time in the world? Somebody call Merriam-Webster—a serious definition revision is in order. When expanded to include all of time, with no say in when and where I got to spend my time, it was ridiculous to assume I had plenty of time for anything.

I glanced at my host who’d been staring at me with interest. He made no attempt to look away. My dark incarcerator didn’t carry the demeanor of a captor, but I felt every bit a prisoner to him and the greater forces of the Universe at play.

Since he’d made no attempts to breach the silence, I began. “My name is Isobel, by the way.”

My ankle twinged painfully, an acute reminder to face forward as we picked our way through dense forest on uneven ground. I glanced his way again. He’d furrowed his brows at my words, but gave no reply. The whole clichéd jungle-meeting scenario came to mind. Only my crazy life would require a “you Tarzan, me Jane” icebreaker.

Well, what the hell. I decided it couldn’t hurt.

I stopped. Two footfalls later, he pivoted and stepped back to me. His eyes were dark, nearly black, and they searched mine under dropped brows. I smiled, the superficial action settling my nerves as I hoped to breach any negativity between us.

I pointed to my chest. “I’m Isobel.”

He gave no response whatsoever.

I tried again, poking my finger repeatedly into my sternum to a level of dull pain, as if driving the point home would achieve his comprehension any faster. “EeeeSoooBellll.” I bit back a laugh. If he didn’t understand it the first time . . .

His eyes widened. He lifted a lock of my hair, staring at it before smelling it, and mimicked my last incantation in a gravelly, low voice. “EeeeSoooBellll.”

I nodded, thrilled. Progress had been made. I waited for him to take his turn, but to my incredible dismay, he grunted, turned, and continued walking.

Imagine that. My naked, blue-tattooed ancient Pict friend has no concept of what twentieth-century cinema deems to be a proper introduction between a civilized and a native.

I dropped my distance to two paces behind him, deciding to have my conversation, even if he remained unable or unwilling to participate. In fact, it irked me that he chose not to reach out to me the way I clearly had to him. Annoyance at the man, and all men in general, fueled an ever-growing bad attitude.

“You know, I’ve had it with you superior men who decide us women have no need to understand the way things work. Like, say . . . oh, I don’t know . . . interdimensional time travel. You think you control me with the things you know but keep locked away. Well, fair warning: I intend to learn and master the powers of that damn box, with or without your help.”

My vent-fest received no response. Big surprise.

We continued traveling through thick, unrecognizable forest, giving me no idea if he’d directed us back the same way we’d come. My answer came when we left the tree cover, entering a clearing filled with half a dozen men, all facing our direction as if they’d expected our arrival. I recognized the two that had been in the cave. Off to the far left, familiar boulders rose out of the ground, which meant one important thing: around the bend opened the mouth of the cave . . . holding the box.

My heart hurt. An enormous longing for home . . . for Iain . . . filled my chest until it burned. I blinked back tears and tore off running as a force stronger than any I’d ever known propelled me toward my only way back to the man I loved.

Without warning, a clamp around my upper arm yanked me to a jarring halt. I hadn’t even covered half the distance to the boulders. The magnetic pull from the cave continued. A vibrational recognition—exactly like the one that incited my last touch of the box—possessed me to such a degree, I ripped my arm from its vice and clutched my skirt, racing as fast as possible toward the cave.

Neither the shouts from men chasing after me, nor the screaming pain from my ankle, affected my breakneck speed as I rounded the corner in a controlled slide. The turn fractionally slowed my momentum, and a battering ram slammed into my side, spinning me around and pinning me against the rock wall outside the cave entrance. Piercing pain shot up my back from the abrasive impact. With clenched teeth, I pressed my lips into a firm line, refusing to cry out from the injustice of it all. My nostrils flared, pulling in the oxygen my outraged lungs demanded.

Strong defiance tilted my chin up on its own accord, and I looked directly into my captor’s eyes. His glare dared me.

His entire body pressed into me, in clear illustration of his dominance over me. The close contact also pressed a sizable erection into my hip.

Great. Either the exhilaration of the chase had turned him on, or I had. I desperately prayed for the first option.

I set my jaw back and forth, taking a deep breath. My single nod gave him my wordless surrender. He eased away from me in slow movements—first his upper body that had been crushing my chest, then his arms, hips, and legs—until he remained certain he had me under control.

A last solemn look in the direction of my freedom served as my unwilling goodbye to the box; yet I refused to give up hope. I rejected the thought of saying goodbye to Iain. Like a Polaroid, I instantly captured everything about that cave: the cool air, the rock . . . even the very essence of the box itself imprinted into the depths of my being.

After my busted escape effort, my jailors led me back to their makeshift camp. With no clothing to hide the evidence, I sighed in relief when Chatterbox’s full-on erection tamed down to something less embarrassing, even if no less impressive.

A few men broke off at my captor’s command, collecting spears, shields, and various types of leather satchels. Fur pelts and leather skins were tossed from a pile to each man. I watched with mild interest as they covered themselves. It wasn’t evident if their gathering had been for war, hunting, or religious purposes, but their actions made one thing crystal clear: we were leaving.

With every step I took away from my only tie to my life with Iain, my feet got heavier until they’d become as leaden as the heart mechanically chugging in my chest.

CHAPTER Fourteen

A frigid winter descended onto my mind, seeping into my heart. My senses sharpened to a claymore’s edge, reality settling like a hard-fallen snow snuffing out a vibrant newborn flower. My life had never been mine to control or enjoy. Powers beyond my feeble comprehension had locked onto me for an inexplicable reason. Tossed about at the whim of some bored, spectating gods, I’d become a cork bobbing on the surface of a dark, stormy ocean.

Who would rescue me? Would Iain even discover I’d gone adrift?

Despair at the notion that I’d split in two like Iain had done filled me with such sorrow, my breath caught on a choke. If a mirror image had remained—if Iain had no idea I’d been snatched away—no one would come for me. My only hope to return to my home, to the love of my life, rested solely on me.

My fur-wrapped escorts talked among themselves, loosely surrounding me as we walked. They weren’t overt about my prisoner status, but it didn’t take rocket science to be able to see them for what they were—a human jail cell. The inattention they gave me showed their confidence in my continued captivity. And hadn’t that become ridiculous? They thought they had me, but in actuality, nothing ever ended up being as it seemed.

Wrapped in my thoughts, I failed to notice my captor looking at me. He stopped. I hobbled along until everyone else stopped. As I lifted my gaze from the ground to see what had caused the holdup, he walked between his men, coming closer to me. Someone addressed him in the same manner as I’d heard earlier, and I realized his name was Velloc.

He got right up into my face. “Keff.”

I blinked. Right. This was the part where . . . poof! . . . I miraculously understood what he’d said?

“EeeeSoooBellll. Keff.” He said it again with force, like how people shout at the deaf. Yeah, it never made them understand any easier either. He gripped my shoulders in his hands, exerting pressure downward until my knees crumpled and my ass met the bark of a fallen tree.

“Ohhh, you wanted me to sit. Well, hell. Why didn’t you just say so?”

He nodded, pleased that I’d obeyed; I growled, irritated at his satisfaction over having coerced me.

Velloc barked some kind of order, and two men set off deeper into the forest. He turned and knelt in front of me as he lifted my skirt. I swiped a hand down to stop him, but his hand clamped my wrist before I registered the blur of movement. His fierce glare and low growl reiterated his role over me. I retracted my arm and clasped both hands in my lap. The rest of his group spread about—one took a seat on a rock, others disappeared into the scrub.

My attention shifted back to my captor. Long, dark hair fell across his face as he lifted my injured foot. He wrapped his hand around the heel of my boot and wriggled it off. Hot stabs of pain shot into my ankle, and I hissed, clenching my jaw as I squeezed my eyes shut. Deep breaths helped me work through the pain until he’d removed the binding leather. My first look at the bare foot showed no obvious bruising, but the outside sported an apple-sized knot. He manipulated the swelling, moving my ankle around in all directions, deftly administering his analysis with all the expertise of a doctor.

Velloc paused and glanced up, holding my gaze. Compassion and respect flashed from the depths of his dark irises.

The return of his two men shrouded his momentary expression while he gave them instructions. One took a handful of leaves he’d apparently collected and laid them on a nearby flat rock. With a smaller rock, he scraped the pile of greenery, grinding back and forth, twisting his fist. The other man left, returning with a knife and a thin scrap of leather. He sliced long, two-inch-wide strips from the leather. They coated the midsection of the pieces with the ground botanical paste and handed them to Velloc.

Velloc held my ankle in a tender but firm grasp. When they handed him the coated strips, he aligned the herb-covered sections on my swollen outer ankle, crossing them over one another, and pressed down. Agile fingers wound the dangling ends of the makeshift bandage repeatedly around my foot and tucked in the ends, creating a supportive compression brace.

When he motioned his fingers up and down the length of the log I sat upon, gesturing for me to lie down, I hesitated. He glared, leaning into my personal space, dictating my choices: I had the right to obey his clear instruction, or compliance of said command would be forced upon me.

I lowered my upper body down, and he backed off, attending to unknown matters with his men. The ankle pain diminished a few degrees, and I elevated the wrapped foot onto a raised knee.

Slow breaths and murmured deep voices lulled me. My eyelids grew heavy. Warm sunshine fell across most of my dress as I fell under the sticky spell of an exhaustion-induced nap.

* * *

I shot upright, yelping . . . and almost rolled off a log. Someone’s hold gripped my shoulders firmly from behind. I glanced back, looking up. Velloc.

The Pict’s bent, muscular legs corralled my upper body, telling me he’d not only returned, but that he’d guarded me during my nap. I had no illusions as to the reason—I remained a flight risk. I yawned, fighting the need to sleep a while longer.

He examined my ankle again, rebound the poultice tighter, and worked my boot back on. The pain had diminished to a tolerable heat from its earlier wicked throb.

Hours blurred together as we continued to walk. Based on the sun’s movement, we’d been heading almost due north. Are we there yet? chanted louder and louder in my brain as I wondered when we’d arrive at our mystery destination.

Amber glowed in the sky, the tired sun casting its last hour of light from behind us. A faint, fresh smell tickled my nostrils. I struggled to define it as the familiar scent teased my mind, wafting by on occasional breezes.

After a few minutes, sounds followed. Loud. Roaring.

The ocean.

We broke through dense foliage, and a sizable flatland meadow stretched ahead carpeted with short, green grass. Rock structures and teepees stood at the edge of a precipice at the horizon. Waves crashed into an unseen shoreline.

All around me, the men sounded off with animal cries resembling wolves and birds. Muted matching calls replied from afar. Velloc remained silent, hovering closer into my side.

Out of the distance, dogs emerged, racing toward us. The hounds lapped our group in circles until they vibrated excitedly at the sides of their masters.

Velloc wrapped an arm around my waist, securing me from behind as two dogs assaulted our legs with the heavy beats of their tails. High-pitched whines quieted when he soothed them with slow strokes on their long, gray ears. He took my hand in his, offering it to each of their noses. Cool, wet snorts were followed with nudges from foreheads, the dogs accepting me as a friend.

When we crossed the field, approaching the outer edge of the village, everyone greeted us. Most of the tribe wore clothing similar to Velloc’s men: furs and leather of various animal hides. Some of the women even wore basic textile dresses.

My presence alarmed no one, as if strangers visiting had been a common occurrence. Curious faces cast intermittent glances my way, but all had wide smiles from our small group’s return.

I scanned the village’s landscape, unable to partake in their rejoicing. Small, round stone dwellings led up to a partially built broch. The birth of a ruin definitively answered the question of “When am I?” The dry-stacked structures had disputed purposes, but they’d all been carbon dated to within two hundred years of construction. Which meant I’d been thrown into either the first century BC or AD.

With the time-stamp discovery, the ordinary dirt beneath my feet held greater historical meaning. Somewhere else on the planet, Christ could be walking about. Subject to the whim of powerful outside forces, he’d been dropped into the world to save it. If only my role had such a magnanimous purpose.

Emotionally tapped, I flew on academic autopilot, filing away bits of information observed through a keen scientist’s eye. My foundation of historical knowledge, and an inherent desire to seek, obtain, and catalog every fact I could collect, were the only things keeping my heart beating and lungs breathing in my newfound survival mode.

Firm pressure on my back dragged me from my reverie. Velloc nudged me gently, walking ahead, and I followed the man in charge of my journey. By his very hand, I’d been summoned to his time. He seemed well aware of the fact, which explained his continued possessiveness and responsibility of me.

According to Iain, the box had been passed through generations of lairds before him, all the way back to the Picts. He’d also said it had been designed to match up soul mates. I’d come to believe Iain the moment I’d fallen hopelessly and irrevocably in love with him. If Iain’s words bore absolute truth . . .

I glanced up at Velloc who was a pace ahead of me. Yeahhh . . . My brain couldn’t wrap around it.

The other men and women had broken off, retreating into their respective homes, leaving us alone. A quiet hush had fallen upon the village. Family reunions happened privately as the sun set, fading the sky to slate gray through the sea mist.

Velloc stopped at a low rock structure, similar in size to the rest, and waved his hand, gesturing me inside. I sighed. There was no point in fighting a path I so obviously belonged on, no matter my desire to be elsewhere.

I stepped into Velloc’s structure, taking his suggestion as invitation before my knee-jerk stubbornness forced him to make it a command. The sparse furnishings were functional: a wooden table with two chairs, and a pallet on the ground with layers of plush furs upon it. The only illumination was the diminishing skylight that filtered through the doorway, casting the interior into a palette of shadows.

“Keff,” he said. Sit. He spoke the singular word I’d learned with a note of exhaustion in his tone. I related with every fiber of my being, mentally and physically, and I gladly collapsed on his bed. My entire body immediately sank in relief, threatening a total pass out.

Velloc laughed. It was the first time I’d heard the sound from the very serious man. I rolled over, regarding him. The smile transformed his rugged, bearded face into almost handsome. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and a lean, muscular physique—features he shared with his people. They were a few inches shorter on average than their Highland descendants, which lent credence to historical opinions about the Viking raids occurring later. Velloc stood a couple inches taller than me, placing him under six feet, but nothing about the man appeared small.

He grabbed food and a skin with liquid from the table, bringing them to my boneless body. In silence, he broke off pieces of cheese and salted meat, feeding me. Too tired to argue, I clamped my teeth onto the bite-sized portions he lifted to my mouth. Both the meat and the cheese were hard, giving my jaw a good workout. The deerskin pouch held amazingly pure water, which I gratefully swallowed, quenching my thirst and washing down the meal.

“Velloc?” I propped up on an elbow, addressing him for the first time since my initial failed attempt. Before sleep claimed me, I wanted some semblance of communication—partly because I was alone with him, and he’d assumed the role of my ally and protector, but mostly, because I was alone with him . . . in very tight quarters . . . with one bed.

A reaction registered across his face upon hearing his name in my low-spoken tone. His eyes widened in surprise, but the shift ran hotter, like a spark arced from a live-wire connection. He lifted his hand, the pads of his fingers caressing my cheek.

Overrun by the events of the past twenty-four hours, weariness dragged on my mind and body. Gravity pulled me into its undeniable hold, away from Velloc’s touch. My head drifted down onto cushioning furs, heavy eyelids falling closed as I felt the blankets being adjusted around me.

The darkness increased. Sounds of the ocean waves muted.

Velloc sidled his body up against mine, and it oddly calmed me. I shivered in response to his sudden warmth. Strong hands turned me, grabbing my hips and tucking my body close as his entire form wrapped around me from behind. With gentleness, he loosely clasped his hand around my forearm.

In a foreign place, in the strange story that had become my life, I accepted the security Velloc offered. My last thoughts as consciousness slipped away were of the man who held me and how I would fit into his world.

Because I’d become lost, uncertain what even defined my world anymore.

CHAPTER Fifteen

Soft fibers tickled my skin. A salty earthen scent teased my nose. My heavy eyelids blinked open to darkness, recognition slowly settling into my waking mind. I skimmed fingertips down my torso confirming a suspicion: I’d been stripped naked beneath the animal-pelt covering.

How delightful. And thoroughly sobering.

For reasons I had yet to fathom, the only two men I’d become close to in my life both felt the need to completely undress me after I’d fallen knocked-out-cold unconscious. I briefly wondered if the two men were distantly related—it wouldn’t have surprised me.

Light flickered in as a burst of wind jostled the animal skin hanging over the front entrance. Details of my situation floated back . . . minus any explanation of why all my clothes and boots had gone missing. I sat upright, holding the insulating fur up to my chest, and scanned my surroundings, my eyesight adjusting to the darkened room. Blessedly, I’d been left alone.

With all the grace of a giraffe righting itself from the ground, I got up limb by limb from the pallet, managing to wrap the fur around my body as I straightened. A quick inventory of the place yielded none of my former attire. I did find small leather pieces and an additional fur that hadn’t been there the night before draped over the back of a low wooden chair. I hesitated, not entirely certain they were meant for me, until I noticed soft leather boots about my size next to the clothing articles.

Since no “Dress Yourself in Pictwear for Dummies” manual had been left, I did my best to figure out how to wrap and fasten the skins around my body. Interestingly, the outfit resembled the hunting garb Iain had provided me, only Velloc’s version—a bikini halter top and short, wraparound skirt—made me feel like I’d stepped onto a photo shoot for the latest Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Lovely.

Dressed in my only option, I swallowed my modesty. I sat down and slipped on the first boot, crisscrossing the strips of leather up my shin and securing them. The leather-bound poultice had been removed from my other foot, so I examined the slightly swollen ankle. Near-painless rotation in every direction proved the injury had mostly healed. I laced up the second boot as I considered the pelt that remained over the chair. The fur’s long, course-looking hairs felt soft as I ran my fingers through them. The winter coat of a wolf, perhaps. I grabbed one edge and spun it around, draping part of the material behind me and tossing the extra length over a shoulder.

High-pitched yips and squeals of little ones rose above the continuous rushing of waves. With no window in the small structure to spy from, I remained rooted to the dirt floor, bolstering my courage. I took a deep breath and exhaled to the count of ten, reminding myself of who I’d become—a survivor.

I peeled back the entrance flap. Vivid reality beckoned me to come out and play, activity abounding everywhere. Children chased or were being chased by four small pups. Women chatted and laughed in small groups, performing various tasks: drying fish, treating and working leather, and carrying baskets across the meadow toward the forest. Five girls sat around a smoldering fire pit, their hands occupied with something in their laps.

The men were nowhere to be found. Velloc hadn’t just left me alone . . . he’d left. Anxiety fluttered up from my stomach. My sole protector had left without a word.

But then, what should he have done? Left a yellow sticky note? I laughed at the thought, my humor calming the sudden panic like a dose of Valium.

Curiosity spurred me on. I wandered unchecked amid round stone buildings with thatched roofs. The bustling people paid me little heed.

A thick blanket of cloud cover concealed the exact location of the time-telling sun, but it seemed like I’d slept well into the afternoon. Repeated stress and sleep deprivation had knocked my exhausted ass out as if I’d been chloroformed. No wonder I’d been cluelessly disrobed.

Motivated by a natural inquisitiveness and a need to assimilate, I meandered toward the women by the fire. They sorted baskets of food—shellfish, vegetables, roots, and herbs—as they laughed and whispered, appearing to gossip. One glanced up, said something, and the whole group hushed. Faces popped up, assessing the newcomer approaching their clique. I straightened my spine and forced a wide smile, ignoring the nervous roil of my stomach as I realized their topic of discussion: me.

In an empty spot on a broad log, I sat and nodded, opening my extended hands. The one closest to me handed me a basket of mussels, and I watched carefully as she sorted them. Open or cracked shells were tossed into a discard pile. I touched the rough edge of one shell, and it snapped shut. I gasped, jerking my finger back, and the entire group laughed.

“I’m Isobel,” I said once their chatter died down.

Lots of blank expressions followed.

I pointed at myself, reenacting my primitive standard introduction. “Eeee-sooo-bellll.”

A bright girl about my age pointed at me. “Isobel,” she repeated, with slow enunciation. She smiled, flat palming her chest. “Dotán.”

Finally. I’d made a breakthrough in my communication quest. Around the circle, each girl introduced herself and repeated my name, everyone enjoying the game. I took full advantage of the instant camaraderie, drafting off the momentum of the speeding translation train, and held up one of the shells in my lap.

“Mussel.”

Unblinking stares were my only reply.

“Mussel,” I repeated, tapping the shell with the index finger of my other hand.

Dotán offered the name for it. “Seynah.”

Aaand . . . we’re off! I grabbed every object I could find, and they supplied their translation for each: pelt, boot, basket, fire, log. The words were short and easy to pronounce, so we kept going, and I continued absorbing, like the driest sponge dropped at the edge of an enormous sea.

I held up a lock of my hair, identifying it. “Blond.” Among the group, my pale shade stood out from their vivid browns, auburns, and blacks.

They responded with a word that, for all I knew, could’ve meant hair. Common sense told me it probably had.

I grasped a lock of Dotán’s silky raven hair with my other hand. “Black,” I said. They giggled. I shook my head, laughing and joining the amusement. Colors seemed too difficult to distinguish from the objects themselves, so I shelved that clarification challenge for a later date.

After exhausting the supply of identifiable items around the fire, the girls abandoned their kitchen tasks, dragging me around their village, delighting in our new game. Thank God I’d been blessed with a photographic memory—a vital weapon for rapid retention.

In our quest for new subject matter, we wandered toward the outskirts, and a weathered, middle-aged woman who was hanging tanned animal hides barked a curt word at us. The course command doused our lightheartedness like a snuffed out candle, the girls instantly losing their smiles and turning around. With a swift pace, we returned to our abandoned food preparations, taking our former places while two of them whispered heatedly. I decided they were grumbling about the woman who still glared at us from afar, since overseeing our obedience had become her new primary function. We sorted in relative silence, finishing the preparations of a very large meal.

Suddenly, animal cries pierced the calm, a couple of teenage boys sounding some kind of alarm. Answers were carried to our ears on the wind. The dogs arrived first, circling the village several times. Two broke off and rolled around with the puppies.

Minutes later, dozens of men approached, carrying fresh kills from a hunt: a deer, several rabbits, and a goose dangling by its neck from one hunter’s fist. Velloc brought up the rear, accompanied by several men who held a regal, experienced air about them.

Velloc scanned the crowd until we locked gazes, and a smile lit up his face. He was either pleased that I’d worn the outfit he’d provided or that I’d had the wits to properly to dress myself in it; but perhaps he’d simply been happy that I’d been accepted by his tribe. If it was the last theory, that made two of us. In what had become my best academic day ever, I’d learned volumes in hours about the lost culture and language of the mysterious Picts.

* * *

Meat roasted on wooden spits over several small fires, and I watched as everyone helped themselves to a share with their own knife. I hadn’t any need for food weaponry, apparently. Velloc brought over a diverse sampling of food to where I intentionally sat away from the group, choosing to take a break from the day’s sensory overload by observing from afar. Before I had the chance to express my thanks, he left and mingled with the rest of his people.

An entire buffet had been prepared for the communal gathering. I hadn’t determined if they celebrated a special event or if the bounty represented their nightly meal. I slowly ate delicious mussels and tender root vegetables off an earthenware plate with my fingers as I silently watched everyone in the group interact.

A clear hierarchy existed among the men of the tribe, and each woman’s standing fell in line with their associated males: fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons. Seasoned men—aged anywhere from their midtwenties to around forty—told suspenseful tales as younger men gathered close, hanging on every uttered word.

Velloc did much of the storytelling in the beginning, becoming the very warrior he portrayed with his fierce growls and the animal fur covering his back. After he finished a hunting tale to a round of shouts and whistles, he mumbled to the man to his right, nodded, and stood. Based on everyone’s generous no-questions-asked acceptance of me, and also the respect that every person young and old showed him, I’d come to a conclusion about Velloc: he was not only a leader among their warriors—he was the chieftain of their tribe.

Looking very much the dark predator amid his pack of wolves, Velloc took a direct line of approach to where I sat alone on a rock. Firelight danced shadows across the hard planes of his face. His intense expression was indiscernible, so I inhaled a steadying breath, readying for anything.

As he neared, Velloc extended an opened hand in invitation. The novel, gentle-mannered gesture surprised me. Intrigued by his change in demeanor, I cocked my head, accepting his request. With a firm grip, he pulled me up and held my hand tightly as if he’d been given a treasured gift.

He led me into the growing darkness, away from the crowd. Hand in hand, we walked down a worn earthen pathway overlooking a beach illuminated by the silvery cloud-cloaked glow of the moon.

“Isobel.” He articulated my name with quiet admiration.

A full minute ticked by as we continued to walk with no other sound coming from him. I glanced his way and saw him staring at the ground with a contemplative expression on his face. I spoke in the same respectful tone. “Velloc.”

Velloc stopped, pulling me to a halt with him. He looked at me, and I smirked. We had so much to say, but our discussion toolbox was disappointingly empty. He gave me a wicked smirk back. Well, there you go. On pure instinct, we’d communicated volumes without uttering a word.

All hadn’t turned into a vocabulary total loss, however. I pointed to my leather-covered foot. “Boot.” I beamed with pride as I provided his Pict term for it. Then I pulled forward a lock of my hair, holding the strands that seemed to fascinate him. “Hair.” I still hadn’t identified their word for yellow or golden, so I used my own. “Blond hair.” After which, I repeated the entire thing in English.

Velloc repeated my English, “Blond hair.” He chuckled.

I placed my hand in his again, tugging him along, recounting my repertoire of new vocabulary words in the only Pict dialect to ever grace modern ears. The beautiful language spilled from my lips like poetry. He added to my collection, pointing out and naming the ocean, the sky, a rock. I got confused when things encompassed a larger group, like the forest versus a tree, or the village versus a dwelling. But since I’d already mentally documented a dictionary of Pict vocabulary compared to any scholar I knew, I let all the inconsequential details slide.

We circled up toward the forest and curved down into the village through the flatland buffer. Five of their wolfish dogs spotted us and raced to our side as if we’d again become newcomers. Like a hired personal guard, they flanked us until we entered the perimeter of their dwellings.

An orange glow from the dying fires provided faint illumination on the way to Velloc’s home. The jovial banter of our word identifying had faded into a pall of silence. The tension mounted, suspended between us like the ocean mist in the air, as I worried about how to spend another platonic night with him after our intimate communication breakthrough . . . that had only gotten as far as basic nouns.

Velloc stepped inside first and held the flap open, waiting. With nowhere else to go but into the darkness of the wolf’s den, I followed. The leather covering dropped shut, sealing me into my unknown fate.

Shadows enveloped me. Velloc’s presence pressed in from behind without contact, his innate power charging the small space. Every ounce of the alpha I’d witnessed publicly carried through to the essence of the man in private. Overwhelmed, I struggled for air, moving forward to increase the distance between us.

Hot breath steamed across the back of my neck, and I realized he’d moved in concert with me. He removed the fur wrapped around my shoulders, and I shivered, the response having nothing to do with the cold air. My toes hit the edge of the pallet, and I sank down onto it, pivoting as I pressed my back against the uneven stone wall, folding my legs in front of me as a barrier.

The edge of the cushion shifted under his weight. What felt like the backs of his fingers caressed my cheek. I swallowed, trying to calm myself in an inky darkness where our already-difficult means of communication had been reduced to touch.

Trepidation pumped through my veins, teetering toward full-blown anxiety. My nerves had become a runaway coach. I inhaled, grabbing the reins, refusing to succumb to feeling out of control. Firm hands encircled my wrists, pulling me from the wall, urging me to recline.

I resisted.

He insisted.

His body stretched alongside mine. Evidence of his arousal pressed into my thigh and enormous heat radiating into my skin told me that he’d stripped naked while my back had been turned. Panicked, I tried to scoot back, but the rock wall prevented my retreat.

Trapped. In his world. In a situation not of my making.

“Velloc, I can’t do this.”

I arched away from his touch, only to find I’d given his mouth access to my neck. Frantic to tell him to stop, I pressed a hand to his chest, giving a forceful shove. He grabbed my arm by the wrist again and pinned it over my head, leaning his weight forward. With a quick shift of his body, his legs locked over my shins, spreading my legs. His sheer strength and deft leverage held me restrained. His short, hot breaths steamed my lips. He waited. I tensed. His firm hold gave me no leeway.

Unconsciously, I licked my lips. Velloc growled low in response. I couldn’t figure out if he’d seen the involuntary movement or heard it, because I couldn’t see a thing. He curved his hips into mine, his erection pressing down in perfect alignment to every nerve beginning to light up.

My pulse quickened as heat flooded deep within me. On an instant throb, I arched my hips up without control. The unnerving reaction—born of a fierce arousal I failed to understand—confused me. My body betrayed everything I’d once held sacred and true, but faster than the wingbeat of a hummingbird, fear had transformed into a fiery awakening, instinct ruling my actions.

Tired of being lost and afraid, I clung to the heady drug washing through me as it cleansed away any last obstructing inhibitions. Ravenous hunger overtook me as an all-encompassing sensory awareness poured into my body, seeking to feed until the fire burning through every cell had been quenched.

Velloc growled louder, capturing my lips in a bruising kiss as he plunged his tongue into my mouth. My response matched his fervor, the animal that had been unleashed within me biting his lower lip. I rolled my hips, trying to gain relief from the growing ache inside. He ground down onto me, restricting my movement, but gave me what I sought as he dragged his shaft along sparking nerves.

I moaned at the torturous movements. The contact wasn’t enough. I needed more. He pulled my deerskin halter down beneath my breasts, tracing calloused fingertips across sensitized flesh. A hard pinch of my nipple arced fire between my thighs, and I gasped. His hot mouth seized the other, suckling until teeth bit down. I cried out from the erotic pain.

Moisture slicked down between my bare upper thighs, the undeniable scent of my arousal surrounding us. He scraped up my skirt with his hand, and his erection slid through abundant juices, coating his length as he glided through. I shuddered from the pleasure. He arched and flexed, setting my every nerve ablaze. When he pulled back again, the tip caught at my entrance, and he thrust hard. My loud gasp echoed off the stone walls as he slammed his hips down, filling me completely.

My body tried to accommodate him, stretching around the invasion. I groaned when he stayed motionless, my ache for release intensifying. I squirmed, lighting up a circuit board of nerves. The overload hurtled me over the brink, a powerful orgasm jerking my body.

I cried out into the darkness. Velloc remained embedded, laying claim to me as my pulsing muscles accepted his assertion with pleasure. He rocked back and rammed forward, a hard, bruising impact drenched in urgency. With methodical precision, he withdrew slowly and pounded forcefully. The jarring blows kept my orgasm pulsing, every thrust pulling a soft whimper from my lips. I met every strike with a curve of my hips, charging flaming nerve centers, prolonging the ecstasy.

He freed my clamped wrist, pressing his palms on either side of me, bracing for leverage as he pumped hard. I skimmed my hands down his back, gripping the muscles of his ass as they flexed and released beneath my hold. His body tensed as an animalistic growl ripped from his chest. He thrust once more before collapsing down around me, his body a muscular cage containing a willing prisoner.

His rough beard scratched against my cheek as he shifted, rolling over, pulling me with him. My body sprawled halfway across his as his strong arms locked me tight to his chest. I hid my face into the dip below his collarbone and closed my eyes.

Like I’d done with so many things of late, I surrendered to forces beyond my control, letting the blessed oblivion of sleep be the second thing to claim me tonight.

* * *

Regret hung heavy in my chest as harsh consciousness tore into the blissful numbness. Velloc had exerted his ownership, expressing his passion for me repeatedly throughout the night. Raw need fueled my eager participation. I’d drowned in the euphoric chemicals, quenching my body and sedating my mind. I drew in a ragged lungful of air, untangling my limbs as I tried to push him away. His grip around me tightened, crumpling me back down onto him in an inelegant slump. I forced a loud sigh through puffed-out cheeks, marking my protest to an unbelievable scenario.

I’d only been married for eleven days, and already I’d cheated. One could claim I had no choice in the matter. The point could be further argued that I might well have been raped had I not submitted. The glaring reality of the situation, however, refused to be ignored. The moment he’d held me down, I’d wanted him.

How is this possible?

I knew I hadn’t gone from virginal innocent to insatiable slut in under two weeks. Stress had clearly played a role. Loneliness and fear had sought pacification. The solid arms of a warrior, shielding me from harm in a world from which I had no means of escape, had become an intoxicating potion I’d been helpless to resist . . . or so I reasoned.

Tension eased from my rigid shoulders the moment I allowed myself to be human in the least forgiving set of circumstances I’d never imagined. My foundation was shaken as self-sufficient me had become very dependent on not one man, but two in as many weeks. Relying on another for advice or directions had been one thing I’d never minded. But being tethered to a man for all my needs proved a challenging adaptation for an independent woman to handle . . . twice.

When I cast the not-so-minor indiscretion aside to focus on my bigger problem, I groaned. No amount of reasoning or justification for my actions in either century changed my state of affairs. I’d become entangled in a complex web of time, subject to the bidding of something larger than lowly little me. With no way to ascertain whether each experience had been a test for my reaction, or if all these events had been fated in the grander plan of things, I fell back on truths I knew for certain.

I’d become a survivor, using intrinsic strengths to my advantage in attaining goals. My forté happened to be archaeology and language. The natural optimist in me rose to the challenge, determined to learn everything possible about and from Velloc’s indigenous Highland tribe. Only through my ever-growing cache of knowledge, would I learn the secrets of that box.

My role as victim ceased to exist every time I stole back control of my world.

CHAPTER Sixteen

Highlands of Scotland—Ancient Reign of the Picts, Thirty-Two Days Later

The hard vibration of metal striking metal traveled deep into my arm as I deflected with the short blade in my right hand. I arced down a forceful blow with the ax in my left. Velloc blocked my attempt with his longer, broader sword. Piercing rings from each impact reverberated out into the meadow. Hot from the bright rays of the midday sun, a bead of sweat trickled between my breasts, and my ponytailed hair had plastered to the skin between my shoulder blades.

A gleam sparked in Velloc’s eye—pride. Under his powerful attack, he recognized an opponent he’d expertly trained for battle. Daily sessions in the art of hand-to-hand combat had been something I’d insisted upon from a leader that claimed me as his among their warrior race.

The well-balanced weapons had become as much a part of me as the callused hands that gripped them. Every muscle in my body had strengthened, toned into sleek definition. Reflexes had grown lightning fast. Agility refined into the nimble moves of a jungle cat. Natural intuitiveness . . . honed razor-sharp.

A smile spread across Velloc’s face. He lowered his sword and stepped back as he panted. “You fight like my best.”

I laughed, drawing my arms into my sides as I replied in free-flowing Pict gleaned from my language immersion, “You forget who trained me. I am your best.”

He sheathed his blade and closed the distance between us in a blur, crushing his lips to mine. Hot. Demanding. Passionate. The man never failed to take my breath away as he commanded my body and my heart.

Like a good warrior who never lets her guard down, my weapons remained in my hands. I yielded to his aggressive kiss for a fraction of a second before tangling my tongue with his, battling for what I wanted. I fought for my place everywhere and in everything. The proving of my existence had evolved into a fundamental need, refusing to go unheeded until satisfied.

An approving groan rumbled from his throat, and I moaned in a low purr. Primal possession. The instinct had ruled our relationship from its initial moments; my acceptance of it had enabled our bond to form and a deep connection to grow. Mine. I gripped his hips, pressing the handles of my blades into his body as I fervently staked my ownership in return.

Velloc tore his lips away as quickly as he’d descended, his fierce gaze locking onto mine. He growled as if the choicest part of the pack’s kill had been stolen from him. I smirked, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

Without uttering a word, Velloc completely disarmed me. He also carefully took the weapons from my hands, giving me a final quick kiss before he turned, heading toward the stables to retrieve our horses. I inhaled a deep, steadying breath, watching the lean muscles of his back flex as they glistened in the sunlight.

My thoughts drifted to the past weeks. I hadn’t abandoned my quest to reunite with the box. On the contrary, I’d used the time I’d been given wisely. A deep-cover spy planted in a foreign land, I’d garnered every fragment of intelligence I could from Velloc and his tribe.

Had I fallen for Velloc? Without a doubt. But my feelings about him didn’t change my circumstance. I belonged to two men, three time periods, and I had a burning premonition that whatever time demons toyed with my whereabouts, they weren’t done with me yet.

I’d needed every moment of the almost five weeks I’d been left in Velloc’s world to truly break through the barriers of communication and understanding. Trust, at first tiny tendrils seeking a solid foundation, had taken a deep hold, rooting firmly not only between Velloc and me, but also with his people. My people.

With confidence, I admitted I fit in well within his world—a simple, basic life, grounded in the need to survive. Did I see myself staying in his world? Sure, if the option were available. However, the isolated, romantic notion did nothing to shroud what I had to do, no matter how difficult the task. Even though every part of Velloc’s world had wrapped itself around me, accepting me as one of its own, I still had a strong tether to another.

I dreamed vividly of Iain. Not even the smallest detail of my short time with him had faded. My heart beat for two men, and I didn’t care about the ramifications of such insanity. Since no one asked my permission when tossing me about through some space–time continuum, I got to make up the rules of how I adjusted to the jet lag and culture shock.

Velloc led our horses across the grassy field. Mine, the dappled gray mare, I’d named Malibu for her cloud-covered hide. It evoked memories of a peaceful beach scene from my distant California home.

I admired my man as he approached. He represented the perfect specimen of how I’d always imagined a Pict warrior. Long, black hair flowed beyond his shoulders. Tribal symbols etched into his skin in the most battle-injury-prone areas shone bright cobalt against a tanned surface. Broad shoulders and a trim waist highlighted a lean, muscular body crafted from surviving in an unforgiving wilderness. His proud carriage displayed health and vitality. I smiled as my heart leapt at the sight of him.

The care and patience he’d shown me during my integration into his world had been rivaled only by the carnal passion he unleashed between us at night until we both collapsed from exhaustion. Fragile strands of love had developed between us, forcing me to accept that, in all probability, Iain had been correct: the box did bring two soul mates together. But Iain had no idea at the time there could be more than one, and neither had I.

Velloc strode up and dropped the sets of reins, embracing me as he lifted me off the ground in a crushing hug. He set me down as I kissed him, laughing.

I pushed him away and shook my head as I pressed my hands onto Malibu, swinging onto her back and settling astride her in one of the many pair of deerskin pants I’d insisted upon being made. She whuffled softly.

Velloc smacked the hindquarters of his stallion as he jumped onto his mount, the animal taking off to the south. I urged Malibu by squeezing my thighs, and we raced after them toward the afternoon’s hunting grounds.

We’d talked about the day’s plans late into last night. Although I’d accompanied him hunting a few times, I’d not actually participated in the capture or kill. Instead, I’d hung back, observing. Their success on the outings I’d attended relied on their innate ability to commune with animals. I wanted to learn the skill.

When I’d asked, he’d chuckled, kissing me.

“Isobel. It’s not mastered. Not taught. It comes from your heart.” He pointed at my chest.

I grabbed his wrist, kissing his finger, adjusting my body atop his into a teasing position. “Yes, but what do you think about when you’re out there? How does your heart feel?”

His gaze grew distant as I dropped my chin onto my folded hands on his chest. “I show and cause no fear. When I face the animal, he’s not my prey. I become the rabbit. Its frantic heart beats in my chest. I slow my breathing and focus on calming his beating heart. Deer, rabbits, birds, squirrels . . . all creatures coexist with no threat. I become nonthreatening.”

“They sense fear?” I asked. “Can they smell it?”

He shook his head. “No. Everything has vibration.” He flattened his palm on my back, vibrating it imperceptibly. “I match my pulse of life to his.”

“I understand.” I’d said the words, but I truly hadn’t grasped what he’d meant, or how I could possibly learn something so metaphysical in a conversation in the middle of the night.

That late-night discussion led to our afternoon lesson.

Malibu galloped along our usual path past a thicket by a pond. I flattened to her back, opening my heart, trying to become the horse, feeling every breath she took with each stride she made.

I closed my eyes, trusting she would protect me. Her body went rigid with tension as she slowed, negotiating a tricky turn. After the challenging terrain passed, her muscles eased.

Malibu’s inhalations became mine. Labored breathing from the exertion of her ride fused into my lungs. Together we slowed, coming down to a trot, a walk, and taking two more slow steps before halting. I ran my hands and arms across the shoulders and neck of the magnificent animal, my body humming with an energized buzz I’d never experienced before.

When I pressed my body upright and opened my eyes, we stood at the edge of the same clearing where Velloc had run me to ground so many weeks ago. Our destination had to be by design—nothing Velloc did ever fell to coincidence.

I turned and found him off his horse, walking toward my side. He grinned up at me, a look of proud understanding in his eyes. He knew. The sense of accomplishment from my epiphany radiated from deep within me, and I beamed down at him, smiling so wide my cheeks cramped.

He slid me off my mare, taking my hand into his larger grip. We strolled together across the open glade toward the stream. Unlike my original Disney visit, no animals were anywhere to be seen.

Velloc dropped onto a dry patch of dirt adjacent to the stream and pulled me between his legs. His broad chest served as my backrest, and he folded his strong arms around me. Our breaths merged into a single gentle rhythm. I closed my eyes becoming one with him, absorbing every nuance of his essence into mine.

After my intuitive ride, I effortlessly opened to the environment around me. My mare had been an excellent tutor, throwing off vibrations at such a high level, I’d only needed to be receptive and listen.

Energy hummed from Velloc’s body, combining with mine, ebbing and flowing between us in beautiful waves. I sighed, giving myself over to the amazing feeling.

Suddenly, the current rippled, taking on a new dimension. I opened my eyes at the change and saw that we weren’t alone. A doe had stepped into view on the opposite shore. She approached in slow steps, coming to a stop only a few feet away. Curious ears twitched forward, then they swiveled back to check for threats before homing in on us again.

I relaxed further, tapping into Velloc’s powerful aura. Together, we strengthened our connection and expanded outward, tapping into the energy of the deer. She dipped her head, submerging her muzzle under the surface of the water. I nearly felt the cool liquid as she took deep swallows. Amazing, impossibly slow seconds passed before the creature lifted her head and turned, leaving silently the same way she’d come.

Velloc’s warm breath fanned across the shell of my ear as he kissed it softly. “I don’t always use magick to hunt,” he whispered. “A swift chase prevents a connection. Then I am very much a skillful hunter. To lie in wait, calm the creature, become the animal before a kill, is a spiritual gift. The ritual pays respect for the sacrifice—its life . . . for mine.”

Wow. The soft-spoken, poetic words from a warrior who killed savagely if warranted, melted my heart. To have him care about a life he took, and for him to show such reverence with me, spoke volumes about the depths of the man who’d wrapped himself around me. I stretched my arms out, winding them around his forearms, resting my cheek on his bicep.

* * *

The long day of training, hunting, bathing, and eating had exhausted my body. Regardless, I had a nightcap agenda in mind as I tumbled into our bed. I summoned Velloc with a crooked finger. He crawled onto our pallet and leaned over me, bracing his weight on his elbows.

I smirked. “What if we connected our vibrations while we . . .” I grasped his already-hard cock as the finish to my statement.

His eyes glistened with mischief. “We have from the very beginning.”

I gasped, punching his chest. “You used magick on me?” I frowned, realizing he likely had.

He cocked his head. “Would it matter to you if I had?”

Would it?

Attraction and emotions were very different, even if their complexities intertwined. Would it make any difference whatsoever if he’d used his seductive magick to capture my heart?

Love either existed or it didn’t. How we ended up there was only an interesting story developed along the way. The fact we were there—in love with each other—remained the only solid truth holding any amount of importance.

“No.” My reply came after my careful consideration.

He laughed a rich, booming sound. “Good. I did use magick. And I would do it again.”

I wrapped my legs around him and pulled my hips up, sliding my wet, ready body along his hardened shaft. “Show me, Velloc. Unite with me in every way. Teach me your magick.”

With my heart and soul opened wide, our bodies expressed a physical connection . . . while our life force fused into one.

CHAPTER Seventeen

“Velloc?”

I stood on the edge of the jagged cliff with my arms wrapped around my midsection, gazing out at the dimming-gray horizon. Waves crashed onto the rocks below. He answered with an embrace from behind and a gentle kiss on my temple. Thoughts had plagued me over the last week, and I needed to be able to share everything with him. Worried what his reaction would be, I spat it out, needing to unearth it from the pit of my stomach.

“I need to go back . . . to the box.” I held my breath when he froze. As he regained control, his rigidity eased. With his sharp mind and keen intuitiveness, no further words were required for him to understand my request or its risks.

“No.” He released his hold, and I turned around to see he’d stepped back from me. A deep scowl furrowed his face, and his crossed arms and wide stance boldly stated no negotiations would be entertained.

“Velloc, I had a life before this one. I . . . had a husband.”

My quiet voice remained flat. I hadn’t given up hope of reuniting with Iain, but in my recent past of wild-and-crazy time jumping, I had no idea if the box would even transport me back there. I’d become a drafted player in a game without rules. However, like geese driven to fly south for their winter, an overwhelming pull to return to the very thing that governed my whereabouts had grown too powerful to be ignored.

He slowly shook his head back and forth. I nodded, dropping my gaze to the ground. Respect for the man and all he’d provided made me honor his authority. I turned back to the ocean, focusing on the waves in the distance. Their rhythm helped pacify my roiling mind.

His voice rose above the crashing surf. “Why? Tell me why.” He kept his distance, his firm tone demanding an explanation.

Our topics of conversation had never touched on either of our pasts. I hadn’t questioned his lack of curiosity, because a large part of me didn’t want to go there either. The realist in me had refused to pine about something I couldn’t have until a true avenue opened. We’d developed a strong foundation of trust over the past weeks, though, and it gave me the confidence to broach the subject.

A growing urgency that I felt humming deep inside had become a secondary instigator, telling me I either opened the discussion door, or the unknown force behind my adventure would shove me right through it . . . unopened. I’d begun to feel a lot like Alice in her Wonderland.

“I came here through that box.” I turned around, searching his face for understanding. “The same box that brought me to you sent me to my first husband. His time exists more than a thousand years from now. My time—where I come from—is two thousand years from now . . .”

My voice trailed off. Velloc squinted, appearing to digest what I’d said . . . or assessing my mental capacity.

My explanation would’ve blown lesser men away. Anyone but Velloc would’ve thought I’d gone insane. The man knew my heart, though. He’d often praised me for the sound head on my shoulders. I’d also materialized out of thin air right before his eyes in a thirteenth-century gown and twenty-first-century boots—irrefutable evidence that stood in my corner.

It dawned on me that Velloc had to have suspected something about my sudden appearance. In fact, that he’d never brought up the subject seemed odd, especially with his extraordinary intellect and intuition.

“Velloc, did you know the box could do that?”

“No,” he replied. His tone seemed thoughtful.

“What do you know about it? Why were you there with it?” I asked.

His impassive expression echoed déjà vu through my mind; Iain might as well have been standing there. I knew both men well enough to recognize their hesitation and hard countenance meant they were withholding information. And both men shared something else in common: each had possessed the box prior to my arrival.

What is with these men and their damn time-bending artifact? Didn’t they understand their box and its powers messed with my life? They weren’t the ones bounced from eon to eon with careless disregard for their emotional welfare.

I snapped, advancing. Above those stubbornly crossed arms, I jabbed my pointed finger hard into his sternum. He stumbled back, his mouth dropping open.

“You know, Velloc? I’ve had it. I’m tired of you and Iain thinking you don’t owe me an explanation. You do. I’m owed every bit of information you have. Quit holding your damn secrets so tightly to your chest. It involves me. I’m already eyeballs-deep into whatever it is you’re hiding from me. You love me? If you truly love me, prove it. Set this bird free. Trust in what we have . . . that she’ll fly back home.”

He set his jaw. My back talk had clearly overstepped a boundary in his world.

Whatever. I didn’t belong in his culture anymore than he belonged in mine, but we made allowances. He either accepted me now—with every asset and defect—or he never would. Either way, I refused to budge on my position. My very presence in his world proved a warp existed in the fabric of time, and I needed to get to the bottom of the reason. Their stupid secrets had unraveled the last thread of control I had . . . and I had no desire to repair it.

“Well?” Fury laced my tone, and his expression changed. Respect and pride filled his eyes. Maybe his society valued a woman standing up for her rights. What did I know?

He sighed. “Yes. We’ll go at first light.”

I threw my body into his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. After the briefest pause, he embraced me back. I hadn’t gotten the valuable information I wanted, but I’d started us down a path of compromise.

“Thank you, Velloc.” I pressed my cheek against his shoulder, and he kissed the top of my head.

I didn’t know what tomorrow held for me, but then, neither did anyone else. The agenda of a reunion with an object that had caused me both misery and joy gave me a brief flash of anxiety. I tightened my grip around the man I loved, grateful for his support, his resilience bolstering my courage to continue on my quest of discovery.

Strong arms squeezed me back. “To prepare for the journey, we’ll need to go to bed early.” His playful tone hinted that he had no intentions of sleeping early.

“Animal.” I laughed, nipping at his neck.

He growled, his gaze roving over my body as if trying to decide what he wanted to devour and in what order.

“Catch me first,” I shouted, sprinting off.

Deep laughter boomed behind me as he raced to catch up, closing the distance, chasing me home.

CHAPTER Eighteen

I pressed my upper body into the warmth of Malibu’s back. Cool winds rippled through my unbound hair. A thick, morning mist veiled the dark gray landscape. Our horses slowed as we picked our way through increasingly congested forest. With solid focus, I centered myself, becoming one with Malibu’s breaths and heartbeat, joining my frequency with hers to quell the growing uneasiness lurking beneath my glassy surface.

Our return trip to the cave shed light on why Velloc’s men had traversed the distance on foot the first time I’d met them. Although the first time had been a difficult, full day’s walk, the trip today had become painstakingly slow, many sections barely accommodating the breadth of our horses. Dense foliage and tight turns hid the trail well, if there had ever been a trail at all. Thankfully, Malibu and I didn’t need to put much thought into the safest path—we followed Velloc and his stallion, mirroring every move they made.

Eventually, the near-impenetrable forest loosened its constricting hold, sparser growth giving us room to breathe. Within minutes, I discovered why the plants had yielded; the ground had turned into an obstacle course. Deep fissures opened up, running parallel to our southerly course. Boulders, ranging in size from SUVs to beach balls, were strewn about on the surface as if God Himself had tilled the steely gray bedrock. Malibu tensed, snorting her protest, righting her footing as loose shale slid away from every step.

The unforgiving landscape compounded my rising anxiety. I sucked in a lungful of air and exhaled through pursed lips, tamping down the unwelcome fear as we neared our destination.

Shafts of light speared through the treetops to the east as the surrounding rocks began to look familiar. Velloc led his horse into the same expansive area where his men had been waiting that first morning when he’d chased after . . . and then rescued . . . me.

Brilliant sunshine broke into the clearing, illuminating a mossy-green meadow. The tips of ferns peeked out from the forested edges. Granite boulders that stretched to the baby-blue sky sparkled as we approached.

The serenity and warmth of the glade wrapped around me, calming me unexpectedly. My first visit to the place had been dark—dismal. Now it shone brightly, beaming its splendor. Unfortunately, the relaxed optimism of the outside environment had only a fleeting effect on my inner barometer—pressure rising.

Velloc dismounted and moved to my side. I slid off my horse into his waiting arms. He kissed the top of my head, lacing his fingers with mine as we walked together, settling the horses by a tree. Once he’d secured their reins, he turned, gazing into my eyes. Tears had welled up in those dark pools that had always held undefeatable confidence. He cupped my face and brushed his lips softly against mine before kissing me with more tenderness than ever.

I smiled against his lips, nipping them softly as I pulled away to look up at the man I loved. “Velloc, you won’t lose me.” With my wild history, I had no basis for the claim, but I felt it deep in my bones.

He sighed. “You are my world, Isobel. Know that.”

I nodded, glancing beyond his shoulder, searching for the words to explain my jumbled mess of emotions as I tried to hold it together. I gazed back into those loving eyes. “Velloc, you are everything to me too. In this world. I don’t know what I’m meant to be . . . or why I’m even here. The box’s magick has a hold on me. I’m bound to it—controlled by it in a way I don’t yet understand.”

His arms banded around me, crushing me into his chest. A painful lump burned at the base of my throat. My arms slid around his waist, and I clutched him tightly, not wanting to let go.

Indecision had never been a part of my makeup, but at that moment, I wanted to call the whole thing off and go home with the man who held me in a death grip as if he feared losing me forever. What if his worst thoughts were justified? The man holding me was something real and true, a certainty amid a thousand unknowns.

My confidence waned, his anxiety seeping into my skin. I closed my eyes, burying my face into his neck, inhaling his scent, memorizing everything about the man who’d become my rock in a turbulent sea.

I inhaled a shaky breath. “Velloc . . . I can’t imagine my life without you.”

As if an unseen force watched from afar, the pressure to move forward increased. The microscopic grains in the hourglass had collected to such a mass, the weight of time itself fell heavy on my shoulders, bearing down on my heart and soul. The urgent need to flip the timekeeper—to restart the clock—had become undeniable, even as I failed to understand why.

The purpose of my journey back to the box had become about more than merely my strong tether to Iain. Renewing my connection with the artifact seemed essential to my very survival. Regardless of my wishes, I had to make at least a perfunctory appearance—have my hearing before the unseen judge and jury—no matter the results, even if the consequences tore me away from the second love of my life. That potential outcome and a sinking gut feeling clenched my stomach.

Velloc pulled away, interrupting my inner lecture about obligations put upon me by others. His strong hands clasped my shoulders, and I looked up. Lines of strain etched into his forehead as his tear-filled gaze held mine. My breath caught in my throat.

His deep voice broke when he softly uttered, “The box isn’t from here. We stole it from another tribe when we heard it brought a woman—a mate—to their leader.” He cast his eyes downward. “I’d . . . lost . . . mine.”

Whoa. We had much more to discuss than my issues. “Velloc, I—”

His lips captured mine, silencing the instinct to comfort my man. I tightened my grip on him, providing everything I could to ease his pain without words.

Velloc’s answer to my unasked question loaded several rounds of ammunition into an already-jammed cartridge. Had the other leader’s mate been snatched from another time too? Had she unlocked its secrets? Were there others? Had they time jumped more than once?

I needed to think about the bigger picture before haphazardly firing into an interrogation. Every domino in the line affected all the others, but the more I tried to focus, the more my mind clouded. The pull of the box tugged at an inner string that connected me to the inanimate object, as if some unseen game officiator sought to eradicate any distraction from its goal.

Velloc inhaled deeply, dropping his forehead down, resting it on mine. “Today isn’t about me, Isobel. I . . . needed you to know.”

A deep ache burned in my heart. My head spun. Panic had set in, and I didn’t want to leave. Conflicting emotions threatened to overrule any sense of purpose I’d had since my entire odyssey began. To a wanderer of worlds, knowledge might’ve been power, but human connections had become everything. “Velloc, please . . . I—”

“No.” His stern tone surprised me. As the two of us struggled, he became the strong one. “You need to do this. For us to be anything, you have to finish what you started.”

A broken record replayed in my mind: there hadn’t been time . . .

Velloc clamped his arms around me, squeezing the air out of my lungs. Before I had a chance to inhale a full breath, he tugged me toward the cave, keeping our arms locked together as we walked.

The inevitable had come. Prolonging the agony would only kill us slowly. Blessedly, my mind went numb as we rounded a corner of solid rock, approaching the entrance.

Daylight spilled into the shallow cave. My gaze tracked to the cause of all my turmoil. There she stood, gleaming and proud on her pedestal of rock, waiting for her continuing role.

Fear of the worst-case scenario gripped me as disappointment settled into my chest. I’d gained nothing; I didn’t have any answers to unlock the secrets of my artifact, and I wouldn’t have Velloc.

Like a dowsing rod, every cell in my body vibrated to a frequency from the box as fate conspired to play cruel tricks with my life again. Dread seeped into every pore. My legs grew leaden, and an elephant sat on my chest, every breath an insurmountable struggle.

Velloc urged me forward, crutching my paralyzed body. The closer I came to the master of my destiny, the more its power took hold of me. Ironically, a soothing feeling washed over me.

“Isobel, my fierce warrior. You can do this. You can do anything.”

I looked up into Velloc’s dark brown eyes, kindness and wisdom shining in their depths, realizing the supportive energy had come from him. He radiated strength and calmness, and it briefly overrode the object’s irrefutable command over me.

I exhaled the breath I hadn’t realized I’d held, glancing at the deceptively innocuous metal box. “Do you feel the energy it emanates?”

He followed my gaze. “I do. I did the night you came to me. Open yourself to it, Isobel. Make a connection with the vibrations.”

I turned in his hold, facing forward. Velloc kept his arms loosely wrapped around me from behind. I did as he asked and closed my eyes, relaxing as I accepted the pulsing frequency.

A warm tremor danced goose bumps across my skin before the heat spread deeper. The earlier calmness I’d felt settled further. Tiny vibrations hummed through my body, accelerating in intensity the more I opened the conduit. Chain reactions fired on a cellular level, energizing me from the inside out. Every positive emotion ignited, triggering a sense of euphoria. Like a highly faceted diamond held in a beam of light, the connection refracted optimistic possibilities into an explosion of vivid rainbows.

My eyes flashed open. For a split second, I glimpsed misty tendrils of iridescence reaching through the air toward me. But they vanished the instant I focused on them.

I gaped. “Velloc, did you—” Feel that? See that?

He dropped his lips to my ear, brushing the shell before kissing it. “Yes, love. I did.”

Wow. Too many unprocessed thoughts were usurped by the tremendous energy flowing around us, rendering me a mere observer to the events: I’d joined with an inanimate object, and yet, nothing about the relic was inert; Velloc had called me love—the endearment a first for us.

I turned back around in his embrace, gazing into eyes filled with myriad emotions. “Velloc, will you do this with me?”

He smiled, leaning down, nipping my lips softly before answering. “Isobel, I have been. Every step of the way, I’m with you. Always.”

I took a fortifying breath, lacing my fingers with his. We stepped forward, and I guided our hands down to the top of the box.

Our clasped hands trembled. From him or from me? A little of both, I decided.

Together, our fingertips touched the cool metal top, the surface warming at our touch.

Nothing happened.

I furrowed my brow. While the outcome had remained a complete mystery to me, I’d expected more than . . . nothing.

I pulled my hand up to my mouth, drumming my fingertips lightly over my lips as I tried to think my way through the enigma. Each event with the box had been different. Iain and I had both touched it in the twenty-first century, while he’d made contact in the thirteenth century. Then I alone had placed my hand on the surface as Velloc did on his end.

Energy practically sparked the air around us. Power from the relic held me in its grip like a tractor beam locked onto an incoming spacecraft. The artifact hadn’t shut down like the first time, when I insisted that Iain send me back. If anything, it appeared to be powering up.

The accelerating rhythm radiating from the object flowed into me, commanding my runaway heartbeat. I tensed as a strong pulse burst through my body.

Velloc squeezed me in reassurance. “Now, Isobel!” He shot his hand back up and clasped mine, dropping our hands onto the metal top.

The slightest touch charged electricity through my body as if I’d plugged my finger into an overloading transformer. I squeezed my eyelids shut and dropped my head, gasping as excruciating pain seared through every ligament. A scream ripped from my throat, echoing off the cave’s rock walls as incredible pressure threatened to detonate my body into shrapnel.

Velloc released my hand, shaking my shoulders. I opened tear-blurred eyes, flames of pain still shooting everywhere.

Iain stood on the other side of the box with his hands around it . . . only he wasn’t solid—I saw the jagged cave wall through his body. I reached up to touch his image, removing my hand from the box.

The pain ceased the moment I severed the connection. And . . . the portal sealed.

Iain solidified, becoming corporeal as my fingers landed on his forearm.

“Isa.” Iain whispered my name with a shocked expression, as if he saw a ghost.

Velloc yanked me, shoving me behind him as he growled. I stumbled back, my blank mind failing to process the unbelievable.

Two masterful warriors from worlds that existed centuries apart squared off for deadly battle.

Both owned the heart of one woman.

Me.

I watched in horror as the men launched at each other, colliding in midair.

CHAPTER Nineteen

My thoughts spiraled, the tornado carrying relevant fragments to the fringe, never quite pulling one to the clarity of dead center. The struggle to comprehend the unexpected twist of Iain and Velloc together—in one world—incapacitated my spinning mind.

The two men most important to me were locked in mortal hand-to-hand combat. I stood there dumbfounded, my mouth hanging so wide open my jaw nearly came unhinged. Complete shock at having them together in the same time—in the same space—froze me like carved marble.

Iain leapt from the ground with the force of a cougar, ramming his shoulder into Velloc’s ribs. They crashed into the wall of the cave, pieces of broken rock raining down. Velloc pushed off, spun them around, and turned, jabbing his elbow into the center of Iain’s chest. Iain grunted and wheezed, sucking air into his lungs after the sharp blow to a vulnerable nerve area.

Iain snapped a short punch at Velloc’s kidney. Velloc spun, deflecting the dangerous shot, and rotated his arm out to chop at Iain’s throat. Iain ducked, avoiding the impact. It was clear that Iain’s six-inch height advantage made no difference whatsoever with their evenly matched combat skills.

Blood dripped down their arms, smearing across their skin as they scraped across sharp rock walls. A coppery tang filled my nostrils. Grunts and heavy breathing punctuated the pulse hammering at my eardrum.

Hands flew up around each other’s throats. They shoved off from the wall, leveraging their footing, channeling their force into strangling one another. Both of their faces turned beet red.

Terror seized me. The sudden thought of losing one of them—of witnessing one die by the hand of the other—ripped through my shock. I screamed.

The sound startled both men who’d seemed to have forgotten my presence in the cave, let alone the fact that I was the woman they fought over. Velloc turned toward me, and Iain seized on the unexpected interruption, sweeping his foot into Velloc’s ankle, dropping him.

Iain jumped over Velloc, tackling me in a rib-crushing hug. The velocity of the collision staggered me backward. Over Iain’s shoulder, I saw Velloc spring to his feet. Iain grabbed my hand and slammed it down onto the box, his fingers overlapping mine as we made contact.

Velloc’s feral roar echoed around the cave as he charged us. Instantly, the wild look in his eyes changed to alarm, and Velloc lunged for me.

My heart slammed into my ribs, my mouth falling open in silent anguish, as the man I’d spent the last month and a half of my life with . . . and had fallen in love with . . . vanished.

Iain landed hard on top of me, sprawling us across the floor. Air whooshed out of my lungs from the impact and his weight. Elation by my reunion with Iain and shock at the loss of Velloc overloaded the last of my fried sanity. The world faded to black.

* * *

Pain filled my entire being, even though no physical injury marked the damage I’d sustained. With great concentration, I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut, holding back a threatening torrent. My heart burned a hole on the inside of my chest as consciousness brought awareness, along with a barrage of emotions I found myself ill equipped to deal with under even the most forgiving of circumstances.

The two men who loved me were intertwined so tightly into my soul that the loss of one felt equally as devastating as the loss of the other. Guilt filled the spaces in between like pervasive glue, connecting harsh reality to my inconceivable situation. For a moment, I grew jealous of Rip Van Winkle. Twenty years asleep, waking to a different world altogether, sounded ideal compared to my double-feature soap opera.

Familiar aromas welcomed me: fresh baked bread, smoke from a fire crackling in a hearth. But the scent of pine and musky male overpowered them all as I stretched sore muscles, pulling my arms over my head and pointing my toes. I’d awakened in Iain’s bed . . . our bed.

I peeked through cemented eyelids. Iain sat hunched over in a chair near the foot of the bed, staring at the floor. Grave concern carved deep creases into his forehead. At my increased movements, he lifted his face, his eyes widening.

“Isa!” He breathlessly exclaimed my name as he shot up, launching onto the bed. He leaned over me, caressing my face, tears forming in his eyes. “Damn, woman. You scared the hell out of me. You’ve been out cold for two days.”

Isobel Van Winkle—two days versus twenty years.

My body had done a hard shutdown to recover from unfathomable events. But even after forty-eight hours of dead-to-the-world sleep, my mind couldn’t go there. Not yet.

Despite his haggard expression and days of stubble on his face, Iain wore fresh clothes and had cleaned himself up. I lifted the covers. I’d been undressed and bathed. Naked. Again.

I tried to speak, but only a croak came out. Iain grabbed a cup of ale, lifting it to my lips as he supported my shoulders.

“Lass, I’ve been a wretched mess worryin’ about you. We all have.” Of course. Brigid and Iain’s entire clan had to know not only about my unexplained disappearance, but also my sudden return.

His hazel-green eyes gazed into mine for the longest time. Tears of joy blurred my vision at the incredible sight of his handsome face, the intoxicating scent of him, that rough Scottish brogue teasing my ears. I raised my hand, touching his cheek. I needed tactile proof that he was real and not just another vivid fantasy. He leaned into my touch, closed his eyes, and turned his head, trailing butterfly kisses from my palm to my fingertips.

The reality of Iain, flesh and bone, became my undoing. I burst up from the bed, assaulting his lips in a hard kiss, throwing my hands around his neck.

Every troublesome thought melted away like mud washed downstream in a cleansing rain as I held Iain in my arms again. Words escaped me. I couldn’t stop touching him. Frantic hands and hungry lips roamed everywhere—through his hair, across his jaw, to his ear, down his neck. My hot pursuit of every inch of his flesh was hampered only by his clothing and all of the ravenous attention he paid to me in kind.

I had to devour him. After days and weeks of not knowing for certain if I’d ever see him again, the need to physically touch the very thing I couldn’t for so long consumed me. Iain’s rough, urgent handling of my body told me he felt the same. We both needed a hard pinch to confirm the second chance we had didn’t dissipate into the wispy tendrils of a dream.

He bit my shoulder playfully and licked the mark he left. His short nails dug into my ass as he pulled me against his body, dipping his mouth to my breast. I cried out as he sucked my nipple, scraping it across the edges of his teeth, into his mouth. He growled, and his pure male satisfaction vibrated through me.

We tore his clothes off, literally. Iain ripped his shirt at the collar, yanking it over his head. My impatient hands unraveled his plaid. He grabbed the blankets in his fist and launched them across the room as he climbed between my legs. The cool air rushed goose bumps across my exposed skin as his every heated touch soothed me.

Iain paused.

Time stopped.

Firelight illuminated him from behind, igniting the ends of his chestnut hair into a halo around his head. He knelt between my thighs. Shadows darkened a face that beheld me in utter wonder as his gaze slowly traveled up my body with adoration. My chest rose and fell. His shaking hand touched the outside of my knee and skimmed up to my hip as he leaned forward.

“Isa . . .” The endearment fell from his lips in whispered reverence.

I sighed, drinking in his muscular beauty as the magnificent warrior stripped himself down to a mere mortal man, baring the incredible tenderness he felt deep inside for his woman. For me.

He lowered his head, placing a gentle kiss over my navel, and my stomach quivered. He trailed fingertips along my sides as he moved with methodic sensuality up my body.

“So . . .” He dropped another soft kiss on my ribs. “Damn . . .” He nipped between my breasts as I closed my eyes, arching up into the teasing touch of his lips. “Beautiful.” I smiled as he spoke the modern word in his thick brogue.

His shaft slid with slow, firm pressure through already-slickened folds. I gasped, curving my hips up into his, running my hands down his back until they rested above his flexed cheeks. He stilled, locking his body into perfect position over mine.

I opened my eyes, and he gazed down at me wearing that crooked smile I cherished. “Iain—” He swallowed my whisper in a hard, passionate kiss.

Our ravenous mouths slowed—teasing, sipping. We tasted . . . savored . . . as we nipped and licked. He drew his hips back, dragging his erection across sizzling nerves. The tip caught at my entrance, and he paused, pulling his face up. He stared deep into my eyes, infinite emotion radiating from those dark depths.

Iain gradually pressed forward, taking my body bit by bit while reclaiming my heart and soul. My eyes fluttered shut from the intense pleasure. His lips covered mine, muffling my low moan. In slow erotic torture, he branded me, imprinting that earthy scent, his salty taste, the tremendous feel of him deep within me as he claimed me as his . . . in every possible way.

Warmth infused into every cell of my body from the inside out. Only the two of us existed.

With fluid rhythm, he rocked back and plunged forward. The force of his thrusts increased. An aching pressure spiraled higher, and my cries grew louder. I dug my nails into his back as I hung on the edge of a precipice. He sank deep inside and stopped, dropping a damp forehead onto mine, his chest heaving in labored strain.

I whimpered at the pain of being denied, drawing in a ragged breath. He twitched inside, taunting me further. I moaned. So close.

The lack of movement only fueled my arousal. My breaths reduced to pants as the aching throb deepened. I arched my hips, seeking relief, but Iain shifted his legs over mine, leaning his weight back, pinning me down. He twitched within me again, his shaft bucking against sparking nerves. I gasped as a lone pulse fired hot around him in response. The single flash stoked the coals of my building inferno.

Iain’s hard body caged around me and, seated deep inside, remained motionless. I relaxed in his hold, opening myself to him, surrendering. His eyes widened, and the corners of his mouth curved. Pride washed across his features.

Iain owned me.

In slow rotation, he drew back and thrust forward. I fell at his mercy as his body commanded my ebb and flow.

Over and over, Iain rocked into me. A towering wave slowly built with incredible force. It crested, pulling us to the peak as it curled at the top. We gasped for air, gripping each other tightly by the shoulders. On a final hard thrust, I cried out as Iain shouted. We clung tightly to each other as the enormous pressure crashed into us, waves of ecstasy overcoming our bodies.

Two souls meant to be one—in the vastness of worlds unbound by time—had been reunited.

CHAPTER Twenty

Brodie Castle—Thirteenth Century, Three Days after My Return

The warmth of strong arms enveloped me from behind. A delicious soreness ached everywhere as I stretched. I smiled, failing to remember how many times we’d made love. All through the night Iain brought me food and drink, seeing to my every need during short breaks before he attended to me all over again, ensuring every desire had been fully satisfied.

Morning light peeked through the crack on the edge of the tapestry. The mouth-watering aroma of brewed coffee and freshly baked bread wafted up from the kitchen. Iain’s fingertips traced lazy circles on my hips as his lips pressed a gentle kiss onto my shoulder blade.

I turned, lying on my back. Iain remained on his side, his head propped onto a bent arm.

His eyes searched mine. In silence, he sought explanation of all that occurred but feared to know.

Where to begin . . . how much to tell . . .

Lying naked together, freshly sated from poetic lovemaking seemed an inappropriate time to talk about another man. Instead, I asked the question plaguing my mind.

“Iain, what happened?”

He shook his head. “I doona know. I sensed the moment you left. My heart lurched. A rift occurred in this plane and the disturbance rippled into me. I rode Dubhar hard back to the castle and burst into the room holdin’ the box. I felt the magick’s energy snap hot from its surface.”

“So . . . I didn’t split in two,” I said.

“Nay. You disappeared. Your coffee mug upside down on the ground was the only thing that remained,” he replied.

“Iain, I’m so sorry. I meant to touch it one last time, a nostalgic goodbye my only intention. I had no idea the powers holding court over my life weren’t done screwing with me yet.”

He pressed his lips onto my forehead in a gentle kiss. “Isa, I was lost without you. I stood there, willin’ every ounce of mental power I could muster at that box. Nothin’ happened. I refused to leave. Robert tried to drag me away. When my legs gave out from standin’, I pulled the box to the ground with me and laid there, holdin’ it for days.”

Fresh tears welled in my eyes at the love and loss he expressed . . . at what he’d endured. I never wanted him to go through such a horrific, heart-wrenching experience again. I took a deep breath realizing Velloc had to be suffering through the same grief. Iain must’ve sensed my mental path, because he tipped my chin up with his finger, forcing me to look into his eyes.

“Who was he, Isa?”

My lower lip trembled. I had to tell him the truth, regardless of the consequences. “For all intents and purposes, he’s my husband. Your box brought me to the man with whom I was meant to spend the rest of my life . . . twice.”

He dropped his finger, planted his hands on either side of me, and shoved hard into the mattress, launching off the bed on the upward bounce. He growled as he paced at the foot of the bed, shaking his head. “No. I’m your husband. I brought you here.” He stopped and glared at me, anger rolling off his tense shoulders. “You. Are. Mine.”

I sighed. Iain’s emphatic assertion wouldn’t alter the fact that he’d become a victim in the convoluted mess too. His territorial side staked his claim due to first ownership rights. But all kinds of arguments could be made as to why one man would have more right to me than the other; the amount of time spent together threw a vote in Velloc’s favor. No amount of debate toward either case changed my shredded feelings.

Both men held my heart. They had equal claim to it.

No way in hell would I say that to Iain, however. I stood from the bed, approaching him. His nostrils flared as he held his rigid stance, glaring at me . . . daring me.

I pressed against him, sliding my arms around his waist and skimming my hands up his broad back. “I am yours,” I said in a soft, firm voice.

He slowly exhaled the breath he’d been holding and relaxed his body, encircling me in his arms. “Isa, I’m never lettin’ you go again. Nothin’ will keep me away from you.”

A shiver raced up my spine, and I gripped Iain tighter. I’d once thought that very thing . . . moments before forces outside my control proved me indisputably wrong.

* * *

Late morning brimmed with activity in the courtyard as summer gifted the world with abundant sunshine. Iain shut the heavy oak door behind us with a thud. I raised my coffee mug to my lips, sipping the barely cooled, caffeinated heaven as we strolled down the grassy slope. I spotted the back of Brigid’s straw hat as she sat in her favorite corner of the garden.

I blew ripples across the divine liquid, taking another near-scorching swallow as the top layer cooled infinitesimally. My other hand tugged repeatedly at the bodice of my emerald gown. The garment I’d loved not so long ago suddenly felt confining. Running wild in animal skins for over a month had ruined my joy of dressing like a lady.

A frown curved my lips, and I dropped the fidgeting hand from my dress. How unsettling. I’d become like one of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys, stuffed into an itchy chemise and constricting gown that once adorned a beautiful princess in her medieval fairy tale. How quickly things changed.

Iain interrupted my internal battle. “She’s not been doin’ well.”

I glanced up at him, seeing worry lines etched into his face. “Iain, I’m so sorry. I wish I could’ve saved all of you from the pain I’ve caused.”

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, squeezing lightly. “I know, lass. You’re not the only one she’s been missin’.”

I stopped and furrowed my brows. Iain’s meaning dawned on my slowly awakening brain. I whispered in surprise, “Fingall.”

“Aye. He’s been missin’ since he left with Seamus and Gawain on the eve of Beltane. On the second day of their travels, in the middle of the night, the man simply vanished from their camp. Our search party found Seamus and Gawain. They’d been looking for Fingall.”

“Vanished.” I repeated the word as it rattled my alarm bell. I mentally added the item to a growing list of unsolved mysteries—a magick wall, a time-warping box, and a misplaced Viking.

Iain crossed his arms over his bare chest. “The only thing that’s kept me sane these past weeks is my greater concern for Brigid. She’s been . . . impulsive . . . as of late. Even for her.”

“She and I need some girl time.” I angled off toward the garden.

When I sensed Iain fall into step behind me, I stopped, and he collided into my back. I laughed, whirled around, and shoved my half-full coffee mug into his chest, releasing my hold. He shot his hands up, catching the falling mug without a drop of liquid splashing out.

“Girl time. Alone.” I arched a challenging brow, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

Satisfied my shadow would stay put, I strode purposefully down the hill. At the edge of the garden, I carefully stepped between rows of flourishing plants, holding my billowing skirt to my thighs with flattened palms.

I glanced up at Iain. He obediently stood at the edge of the training field, but his penetrating gaze peered above the coffee cup lifted to his lips as he tracked my every move.

I laughed softly at my overprotective guard while weaving through the fennel patch. Brigid hunched over a line of parsley plants, repeatedly stabbing the soil with a metal garden tool.

“Brigid?”

She jumped, her gaze flying up. “Isobel!”

Brigid launched from the ground so fast, I gasped when she tackle-hugged me onto a bed of rosemary. I laughed hard, wrapping my arms around her. “I’ve missed you too, my friend.”

We collected our wits and righted ourselves, surveying the damage. Our dresses fared well due to the thick plants breaking our fall. I plucked a broken stem from my gown, dropping it into Brigid’s basket. The rosemary, however, had been crushed.

“Pffft.” Brigid knelt down, cutting tender shoots from the plant and tossing them into her basket. “I’d been needin’ to harvest this one anyway.”

I sat beside her, the sun to our backs, as we trimmed up the broken pieces. Even a plant could survive unexpected devastation . . . with enough strength and the right circumstances.

“Brigid, I’m so sorry about Fingall.”

She smiled weakly. “He’ll be back. ’Tis but a temporary thing.”

“Hey, I disappeared and returned.” I held out my bare forearms. “Not a scratch on me.”

She pointed to a fresh nick and its droplet of blood. “Except for what I inflicted upon you.”

I laughed, nudging her and picking up two more broken casualties from the top of the plant. “You, my dear friend, I can survive.”

Brigid sighed. “I miss Gawain too.”

I blinked. “Wait. What?” I began to think I’d been rash in relinquishing my coffee.

Brigid’s eyes widened at my shock. Her mouth fell open for a few seconds before she burst into uninhibited laughter. “Och, Isobel. I dinna tell you? Iain dinna?”

I shook my head.

Brigid’s smile faded. “Gawain’s our brother. He’s a summer younger than Iain.”

“You’re kidding.” I shot her a deadpan expression, astounded by the number of mounting revelations. I recalled my encounters with Gawain. “How many siblings do you have? And why the hell do you all keep these damn secrets?” I felt foolish for not detecting the clues sooner.

She shrugged. “’Tis no secret; I thought you already knew. Iain’s my protective brother when I act without thinkin’. But Gawain . . .”

The long pause made my heart ache. I put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Brigid, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.”

“Nay, Isobel. You need to know. Iain and Gawain were the closest friends, or so I’m told.” Her gaze dropped to her hands. “Our mother dinna survive my birth. The boys both adored her, but the loss nearly killed Gawain. The tragedy did kill our father, who died soon after from heartbreak. Gawain hated me the moment I came into the world. He refused to acknowledge me. But Iain loved me all the more for it, clingin’ to the last gift his mother gave him. He protected and raised me from a helpless babe. Gawain’s heart dinna heal, and the rift tore my brothers apart.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “How awful. But they . . . Gawain’s still here, part of the clan.”

“Aye. Iain protected Gawain, treatin’ him as family like any of the clan. As I’ve grown older, Gawain has made peace with us . . . in his own way.”

“And you miss Gawain,” I stated.

“Aye. I’ve always loved him. Somethin’ in me reaches out to him. I canna give up on him.”

“I’m proud of you, Brigid. They’re both blessed to have you.”

I thought of the brazen Gawain who’d boldly pursued me, even in front of Iain, and everything clicked. He’d competed for my affection because his brother wanted me. A lifelong burden of shunning his family’s love had caused Gawain’s womanizing, encouraging him to seek some semblance of love elsewhere.

Brigid interrupted my reflective thoughts, “How’s Iain holdin’ up? You know, with him knowin’ you’ve . . . had another man?”

I gaped at her, surprised by the abrupt change of subject. “How did you . . . did he . . .”

She laughed. “The man roared the entire castle down when you returned but dinna waken, but I yanked him into my room before anythin’ that made sense was overheard by others. He said you were standin’ in another man’s arms, both of you barely dressed.”

Iain’s instincts had known the instant he laid eyes on Velloc. It spurred a near-deadly fight between the men. I glanced over my shoulder, locking gazes with the topic of our conversation.

Iain stood there—proud and protective—arms crossed over his chest, my coffee mug perched in perfect balance on the palm of his hand. I smiled. Even though he didn’t know the full story behind the incriminating evidence of the past weeks, he’d accepted me back into his home.

I was enormously grateful for the boundless love he showed me and his family. We’d need that quality as we faced the truth together—as I owned what had happened with Velloc no matter the justification. My chaotic existence had stripped the innocence from me . . . from our marriage.

I turned back, looking at the pink cheeks of my friend. She’d suffered too. Unforeseen circumstances had challenged our virtuous optimism.

I answered her question. “Iain’s surviving like we all are: one breath at a time.”

CHAPTER Twenty-one

Brodie Castle—Thirteenth Century, Nine Days after My Return

A complex web of tension—built of fear, betrayal, and anger—took a week to blow over with the gale force of our renewed passion. No further word had been asked or spoken about where I’d been, who I’d been with, or what I’d done, but silent disregard for the Loch Ness Monster in the room served as a needed balm for our healing process.

Iain spent nearly every waking moment by my side, shirking duties as he delegated responsibilities to Robert and his guard. At first, I welcomed the nonstop attention. His escorting me everywhere resulted in his taking me anywhere, and in very creative ways.

But the novelty eventually faded when our honeymooning turned into a guarded imprisonment. Earlier that day, I’d asked Brigid to go hunting with me. To my exasperation, Iain uninvited her, unbeknownst to me, and had taken her place. Irritation surfaced as I chafed at the loss of my freedom.

As Iain raised his bow, nocking an arrow, my frustration boiled over. “Iain, this has to stop.”

My clipped words stopped his draw in midpull. He released the bowstring, holding the arrow between his fingers as he glanced at me. I slid off my horse, walking away from him through waist-high ferns toward the water. The horses nickered to one another, but the rustling sound of the brush told me Iain had followed.

“I’m my own person, Iain. Yes, I am yours, but not as property. You can’t corral me. I need my freedom.”

When I turned around, he stood directly behind me, his brows drawn in concern.

Encouraged by his receptiveness, I flattened my palms to his chest, continuing. “My vibrancy comes from all life has to offer—the adventure and discovery, the challenge and success, the joy and heartache. The risk we each take when we venture out into the world is part of the journey. It’s a path you cannot deny me no matter the danger, regardless of fear.”

“Isa, I canna lose you again.” He said it with a certainty I believed . . . we both believed.

“What if we worked together to find a solution?” I suggested.

He grinned wide, flashing a model-perfect smile. “I’ve been thinkin’ the verra same thing. Let’s bury the box.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “No, Iain, we can’t. I need the box.” I took his larger hands and clasped them together, enfolding them in mine. “I have to go back.”

Iain’s hands exploded outward, throwing my arms wide, nearly knocking me off my feet. He grabbed my shoulders, steadying me. When he pulled me closer, inches from his furious face, I realized the save had been other than to prevent my fall.

“You’ll do no such thing. I will keep you from that box. The damn magick of it has no right to send you back.” He growled out every word.

“Doesn’t it?” I asked softly. I forced my composure to stay calm, trying to reason with him. “I never asked for this life, to be tossed about between times, but my existence has been ruled by outside forces. There are secrets to be learned. The box has a power that can be harnessed. I know it in my gut as sure as I’ve felt anything substantial in either realm.”

Iain’s chest rose and fell in quick rhythm. His nostrils flared. But I pressed on, needing to break through, unafraid of his anger because I knew it stemmed from his love for me.

“I have to have a purpose, Iain. I can’t dismiss all the turmoil I’ve experienced to chance and coincidence. It would ignore the greater meaning. My life’s quest—the need to discover history—demands I take full advantage of the gateway through time.”

Iain eased the grip from my shoulders that threatened to bruise my arms, releasing me with a slow unclenching of his fists. His massive chest inflated and he puffed out his cheeks, blowing air through pursed lips. Then the hard expression softened, his gaze drifting to the ground as he weighed my argument.

He looked back up, staring at me for long seconds, clenching his jaw. “I canna promise I’ll agree to the idea. But . . . I will listen.” He spoke through gritted teeth as he restrained the fierce animal raging to break free. I understood why.

“Iain . . . you know I love you.” I frowned, unhappy I had to admit the sentiment in such an unromantic conversation. “I’m here with you now. I’m broken, though. I left a man behind who is every bit as destroyed as you were when I disappeared. A piece of my heart hurts, Iain. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I loved him very much too. I still do. But nothing about what he and I have changes anything about what you and I share.”

He scowled, crossing his arms. “How can you love two men, Isa? How can you share all of your heart with one man when you give it to two?”

“I don’t know, Iain.” I paced, trying to make sense of it. “When I was with him, he protected me and loved me without hesitation. He kept me alive and safe . . . helped me flourish in his world. I gave him everything of me in return. Not because I felt obligated, but because he’s a good man, suited to me perfectly, and I fell in love with him. Now I’m here with you. You’re a good man, suited to me perfectly, and I’m in love with you. I’ve no idea how that’s possible, but obviously some power outside the three of us seemed to know it would happen.” I placed my hands on his chest again, one over his beating heart, as I looked up into his eyes. “Iain, I wasn’t whole there either. My life is incomplete without you.”

The tightness of his face gentled at my words. He took a slow deep breath and exhaled it. My gaze dropped to his lips, and he dipped his head down, giving me a soft kiss.

He nipped my lower lip as he pulled away, his gaze fixed to the ground again in deep thought. “The box brings together soul mates . . .” Iain made the connection I had, entertaining the notion that greater forces operated beyond our purview. His realization made tremendous strides, turning us onto the same page, providing hope for us to tackle the problem . . . together.

“I’m living proof it does. Only, from my original point of origin, my two soul mates span two millennia.” It floored me to hear the magnitude of my statement.

Iain’s eyes widened. “Och, lass! You were that far back?”

“Yes. I lived in a Pict village. Velloc, the other man, is chieftain of his tribe,” I replied. I relayed my adventure to Iain in summary, providing any pertinent details on a need-to-know basis. I felt no need to share anything that would only cause damage.

“And you think you can manipulate the powers of the box?” Iain asked, doubt lacing his tone.

“I do. Maybe not at first, but with every succeeding touch, I sense subtle changes happening. I’ve absorbed some of the box’s power. Its energy hums through me, my connection to it strengthening the closer I approach. Its vibration beckons me to touch its surface, like there’s a mission it has to achieve, and when it transports me, it accomplishes the task. Each exposure provides another clue to the rules of the game being played with my life. With trial and error, I think I can travel without risk.”

He roared in laughter, stress overruling the bare threads of his restraint. “Doona for a minute think I’m goin’ to allow you anywhere near that thing with you spoutin’ tales of ‘trial and error’ and what you think to be true.” Towering walls shot up around the fragile openness he’d offered.

Okay. Two steps forward, one shove back . . .

“Iain, the box, and even your wall—and its mystery you’ve not yet disclosed—are tied to me. Despite your relationship to them, they’re a part of me. Energy flows through them, feeding into me, and my body responds to their power. To deny me a right to explore that is like prohibiting a child to walk or a bird to fly. We’re linked in fundamental ways. I need to know why.”

He squinted at me, calculation and assessment rattling through his brain as he shifted his jaw left and right. “The cost to what you suggest is high.”

I nodded. Lives were at stake—mine, his, Velloc’s. And how we each fared through the rough seas of the ever-changing storm could even alter the course of history already written, but not yet lived by any of us.

“It doesn’t matter the cost.” My resolve came from many reasons, the key being I couldn’t live with not finding out. Destiny awaited me. If I didn’t have the courage to see my task to its culmination, I knew regret would haunt me for the rest of my life.

His gaze pierced into me as if he sought an answer deep in my soul. He lifted his arms toward my shoulders, but dropped them before touching me. “You’ll give me time. I am a man. You belong to me, and I doona know if I have it in me to let you go . . . to risk losin’ you. Mayhem threatens to overtake my mind at the mere thought of sharin’ you with another.” He growled, curling one corner of his upper lip.

No one would’ve asked for our complicated situation, but we had to cope the best way we could, a limited toolbox and a dynamic project challenging the best of our skills. I took a cue from Iain’s tone: we’d gone to his limits in our conversation.

“Fair enough,” I replied, stepping into his arms.

Iain hugged me gently, resting his chin on my head on a heavy sigh as we clung to the solidity of what we held now, knowing tomorrow held no guarantee.

CHAPTER Twenty-two

A cool breeze teased my flushed skin. I darted left, spongy moss beneath my bare feet giving me traction. Iain’s deep laughter rumbled into the silence. My fingers grasped at thin air. The iridescent-winged creature flashed brilliant blue, opening his wings to spiral aloft on a rising current. With a final flap, he vanished up into an oak tree’s canopy, dappled light and shadows camouflaging his wings amid rustling leaves.

I spun around and returned to our picnic defeated, but with a grin on my face from ear to ear. Iain reclined back on a plaid. The sunlight glistened on his glorious naked form and gleamed tones of copper from the chestnut strands of hair fanning above his folded hands.

He closed his eyes. “You were bested by a butterfly.” His lips slowly lifted into a smirk.

“Damn hellion. Eluded my every turn.” I laughed, padding across the woolen blanket and straddling him. The ends of my hair brushed down my breasts and pooled across his chest. I leaned forward, grazing my lips up his neck, whispering in his ear, “Only a butterfly can escape the likes of me.”

I stretched my chilled legs along his, covering his deliciously warm body with mine to steal some of his incredible internal heat.

On a relaxed sigh, I settled into the peaceful moment. I hadn’t forgotten for one second who I’d become—or the multiple facets of my life—but during the gift of time I had with Iain, I vowed to do my best to be completely here with him. At every opportunity, I immersed myself in the bright moments of chasing butterflies or basking in the warmth of the sun. Fleeting seconds of pure joy kept my barely restrained dark thoughts and emotions in check.

Iain squinted up at me through the sunlight blinding him and softly kissed my lips, nipping the lower one as he pulled back. “Isa, I . . .”

Strong arms wrapped around me. Rough hands rubbed up and down my back. His heavy pause and labored breaths hinted at the gravity of the topic before he uttered a word.

“I need you to be whole, Isa. It’s like I have you . . . but I don’t. You had a luster to you that’s dulled. I need you to shine again.” He took a deep breath.

I gave him a wide berth, ensuring nothing I said influenced what he communicated to me.

Several minutes passed before I realized he wanted me to say something. “I understand, Iain. I want to shine again too.” I dropped a tender kiss to his chest.

His tone grew more commanding. “We do this my way, though. I need to be involved. My instincts scream for me to protect you from harm, yet the moment you go, I’ve lost the power.” He pulled an arm up between us, grasping my chin with his fingers, locking his gaze onto mine. “My. Way.”

The urge to relinquish the reins to him was an irresistible temptation, and my independent streak gave way to my man offering his protection. My guardian bared his soul, yielding to my plea, and I made an internal vow to ease his upcoming struggle every way I could as a rush of optimism flooded in.

I nodded, grinning. “Yes, Iain. Whatever we do, we do your way.”

He laid out a rough plan he’d obviously been crafting. I bounced what-ifs off him. Through the afternoon, we ran scenario after scenario until we felt we’d exhausted what would likely happen, what could happen, and what we couldn’t imagine happening, but went there anyway.

In the end, his way ended up being a team project, along with a couple of absolutes he demanded that I adhere to for him to be able to live with his decision. I agreed to the stipulations, not only because of how far he’d come in accepting my continued adventure, but more importantly, because they epitomized all his core qualities: commander, strategist, protector, fighter . . . lover. My enormous respect for him demanded my care and diligence in honoring those wishes.

“Two days,” he said when we’d finalized our plan. “Give me two more days to spend every moment lovin’ you. Then we’ll see if you’re right.”

“Thank you, Iain.” I kissed him, grateful he had such a generous heart.

I vowed that the next two days, and every single moment I spent with him in his world unto eternity, would be completely his. The great man I loved deserved nothing less.

* * *

Day three arrived in a flash. The cherished time Iain and I’d spent together had imprinted onto my soul like a fiery brand. Every precious moment had been filled with love . . . and plenty of lust.

I sat in the great hall, popping a final bite of a warm, cheesy apple tart into my mouth. As Iain bounded down the stairs, I savored the last coffee I would have for a while. My hands trembled as I lowered the mug to the table. I ran dampened palms down my leather-clad thighs, grateful Iain hadn’t burned my Pict clothing, even though he said he’d been seriously tempted.

Iain stalked up from behind and leaned down, kissing my ear. “Ready, lass?”

“No. Yes.” I sighed, standing from the stool and stepping into his solid embrace. “As I’ll ever be, I suppose. At least this time, I know what’s about to happen.”

Iain laughed, “We’ve a plan,” he replied. “It remains to be seen if it actually happens.”

He laced his fingers through mine and led us down the darkened hall toward his study. The room already sparked with energy as if anticipating our arrival. I exhaled a quick breath through puffed cheeks as Iain pulled me forward until we stood in front of the mysterious wall. The pinpoint lights in the stone tapestry vibrated as we hovered near. Iain shot an intense stare at me from those vivid hazel eyes, wordlessly directing me to follow his lead.

He pressed his left hand to the upper corner of the wall on an empty section of solid stone. The sparkling expanse shimmered—solid, and yet in so many ways, not—like heat radiating off one-hundred-twenty-degree pavement. He closed his eyes, drawing his brows in concentration.

The wall made a low crackling noise. Its surface pulsed energy out into the room, throwing it into and through me like the bass vibration at a rock concert. The euphoric sensation bordered on erotic. I stared at Iain in amazement. Focused, Iain seemed oblivious to my reaction. He removed his hand, reducing the charge on a scale of one to ten from a twelve down to about a five.

The blast had permeated me on an atomic level. Residual energy continued to snap through my veins long after he broke contact with an entity that was in no way merely just a wall or a map.

Iain had juiced me up. In preparation for utilizing the wall’s smaller cousin, he’d given me a measured dose of the power it wielded. The heady aftereffect left me reeling . . . and craving more. I’d become the drug user, Iain the pusher.

Funny, when we went over our plan, he left out the details about the whole plug-in power source. He’d only said he thought he had a way to create enough power for me to go back with a one-sided connection. He hadn’t disclosed that he’d planned to make me the transformer.

The hopped-up residuals made me feel slightly aggressive about his secret keeping again. C’mere, little girl. Have a taste of this powerful drug, but I control the supply. However, in no position to complain about Iain’s rightful property, I kept my criticism under wraps.

Iain obviously knew how to use the wall’s power. My ire about all that Iain knew, but leaked in bits and pieces, skipped like a stone across the calm surface of my mental pond before it sank. Unsure about what rights I had to demand explanations, yet simultaneously knowing I’d become entitled to insist upon them, I managed to curtail a lash out, staying focused on the prize.

“We are so going to talk about that wall when I return.” Aaand . . . I failed to harness it all.

He chuckled, kissing my nose and turned me about by my shoulders, nudging me forward. “We shall see, lass. We shall see.”

We entered the outer room in stark silence. Nervousness rose from the pit my stomach, into my chest, and out my trembling fingertips as we stood in the small space with the magick box sitting in faux innocence between us. Flames danced atop the rushlights in their iron frames from an errant gust of air through the wide-open door I’d insisted upon. I wondered whether the box vibrated or if my trembling body had altered my perception. Probably both.

Iain’s expression held distinct pride. He no longer harbored any doubts. The man owned me in every way possible in our scenario, and what he had of me had become enough for him. His brave allowance of my continuing journey bore testament of how far he’d come in such a short period. I loved the courageous man with all my heart.

The time had come to save a man very much in need of it also. Plus, solve the mysteries of time travel, find out why I’d been marked as unique by being chosen, and ensure time itself hadn’t rippled due to my cavorting through it.

Piece. Of. Cake.

First we needed to ascertain if my ego had overstepped the bounds of my abilities, or if I actually possessed the power to jump through time on my command versus some otherworldly alignment of circumstance.

Iain pulled me into his arms, crushing his mouth to my lips in a soul-searing kiss. So intense were the emotions he conveyed, I hesitated momentarily with my resolution.

But Iain had never wavered in anything in his life. Built no other way but to decide and proceed, he boldly carried out his actions free of doubt. We’d both agreed when formulating our plan that we’d live our lives without regret.

He grasped my hands between his and raised them to his mouth, gently kissing my fingertips. “I love you, Isa. I need you to hear the words I feel so strongly. I. Love. You.”

My chest ached as I fell even harder for the invincible, yet very human man. Heartfelt words spilled from my lips before the choke at the base of my throat locked it up. “Iain, I love you. More than words could ever express . . . I. Love. You.”

Iain grinned wide until the corners of his mouth fell the slightest degree. We held eye contact the entire time as we lowered our clasped hands onto the artifact already humming with power.

A charge pulsed into the room, and through me. Iain lifted his hand from mine at the last moment. I gasped, and Iain . . . vanished.

I had only one thought in the split-second shift: see you soon . . .

* * *

Silent darkness enveloped me, highlighting the isolated feeling that had grown more and more pronounced during my odd adventure. Iain warned me I might arrive unaided when his hot-wired power boost gave him the confidence that he could send me on a one-way trip without Velloc’s help. Still, alone in a foreign land topped my list of “Things I’d Rather Not.”

The electrical surge from the time jump had gifted me another body-rocking orgasm. I’d decided the unsettling side effect had to be due to sensory overload. At least I’d been prepared for that one. Science fiction had the whole feeling-like-you’re-being-torn-in-two thing all wrong.

My vision adjusted in the inky blackness, and I quieted my mind, opening my senses. The rolling cadence of ocean waves rushed in the background. Awareness came as my surroundings clarified my location. We’d made a teensy miscalculation in the flight plan: I hadn’t landed on the floor of the cave . . . I’d been catapulted into Velloc’s home.

The situation’s good news happened to be very convenient. I didn’t have to travel the vast distance to Velloc’s village on foot by myself. I sprang up off the pallet and pushed open the leather flap, considering the bad news as I looked at the abandoned, dying fires. Velloc gone meant he and his men were away from the village. We hadn’t considered Velloc’s absence in the rules that Iain had set forth, and I’d renegotiated due to practicality.

The rules were established, not only for Iain’s territorial alpha-male comfort in allowing me to return, but also for my protection. Iain had lost control the moment I left, but he trusted my adherence to his few conditions as a way for him to keep me safe, even if he wasn’t here to personally guarantee my well-being.

My mind tackled the new scenario on the fly because, if I’d learned anything on my journey over the last weeks, adaptability ensured survival. I stepped out of the dwelling, collecting up an extinguished torch. I held the tip against the smoldering coals of a fire until the fibers ignited enough to create a makeshift flashlight. The glowing torch illuminated the space back inside, allowing me to search for clues. My whole gaining-knowledge-for-power mantra remained alive and well.

I swung the light through the room, surveying everything within arm’s length. The box sat at the head of our sleeping pallet. Its relocation made sense if Velloc wanted to make it work again without having to live at the cave. They must’ve left the box back in the cave the first time I’d arrived for a reason, though. I’d investigate that issue further later.

The beginnings of a plan developed as I chewed my lower lip. Iain’s rules helped guide my decisions as I worked through the sections aloud, soothed by the sound of my own voice.

“Rule number one: ensure my safety at all times.” We’d agreed I should remain in the cave a single day and night to await Velloc if he wasn’t in the cave when I arrived. If he didn’t show, I would travel along the same route, to the best of my recollection, back to the village. Not only had that been deemed unnecessary, I’d gained thirty-six hours in my quest by already being at the village. I only hoped the head start would help make up for time lost to actually find Velloc.

I poked around further in the small space, turning around. The table and chairs were empty. He’d taken his waterskin and personal weapons. And no yellow sticky note had been left saying, “Honey, I ran to the store. Back in a few.”

With no other clues visible, I returned the torch outside and scraped its glowing-orange tip out on the flat surface of a rock while I scanned the sleeping village. Finding my mate would have to wait until morning, since nothing short of an attack on our village would have me interrupt sleeping, or otherwise indisposed, couples.

Rule Number One repeated through my mind: ensure my safety at all times. I laid my head on an improvised fur pillow I’d made, inhaling Velloc’s scent. I missed him.

Pining for Velloc reminded me of Rule Number Two, which had been scored into my memory when Iain said with absolute conviction, “When you’re there, you belong to Velloc. When not . . . You. Are. Mine.” Iain stomached the gut punch of my returning by demanding I spend a lot more time in his world. My responsibility in the warped scenario had become a necessity for both our sanity and the relative happiness of the two men affected: love the one you’re with.

I grumbled to the box. “Kinda hard to do, since I’m alone right now.”

My only audience replied with a snap of energy, traces of power still sizzling from its surface. The artifact’s remaining activity had powered down to a low hum. Our connectedness emanated a soothing warmth into my body that lulled me toward sleep.

Morning would arrive on the flip side. When it did, I planned to make maximum use of the restriction I had under Rule Number Three, which ensured my return without a supplemental power boost.

“I have one week.”

CHAPTER Twenty-three

Highlands of Scotland—Ancient Reign of the Picts, One Day after My Return

I burst into abundant sunshine after realizing I’d overslept. I hoped I hadn’t lost too much time and had no idea why I’d slept so long—my body should’ve still been on thirteenth-century time. Again with the time-travel jet lag.

The tangerine sun’s half-sky position, and the Highland’s eighteen hours of midsummer daylight, hinted that hours of precious light had already burned off along with the morning haze. I searched for familiar faces as activity frenzied about like an ant farm, everyone capitalizing on the brilliant blue-sky day.

Suddenly, a raven-haired blur raced by. I shot my arm out, clotheslining her. Before I could blink, she flipped me flat onto my back, knocking the wind out of me. I coughed, trying to speak as she glared down at me, poised to attack.

Finally, I found enough oxygen to rasp out, “Dotán, it’s me.”

A smile brightened her face as she extended a hand. “Isobel!”

Her strong grip hoisted me up, and I dusted my ass off laughing. “Damn, girl. You’ve got one hell of a defensive reflex.” My spoken English wasn’t lost on her ears; she and I had spent time daily learning each other’s language, especially slang.

I switched to Pict, cutting to the chase. “Dotán, where have the men gone?” I grasped both her hands in mine, stealing her attention away from squealing kids that were teasing the puppies.

“On a hunt for horses,” she replied.

Raiding. Great. Commonplace piracy threatened to derail my entire trip.

Velloc and I had done plenty of game hunting. I knew all of their favorite stomping grounds, searchable in the span of what remained of the day, but we’d never gone raiding.

“I need a waterskin. Were any men or young boys left behind?”

Dotán nodded. “Ungust is injured and resting. Talorcan stays at the pens tending two mares about to foal.” She disappeared into her dwelling and returned, handing me a filled deerskin pouch. I tucked my head under the long leather strap, securing it diagonally across my chest.

“I’m going to find Velloc. If he returns, tell him to wait here for me.”

Dotán’s shocked expression matched my screaming gut. I’d tipped from the edge of crazy toward insanity.

I patted her shoulder, laughing. “It’ll be okay, Dotán. I promise.” I jogged off, heading to the stables, not sure if I’d been trying to reassure her or me.

A pregnant bay mare, heavy with her distended belly, stood in the shade of a rowan tree laden with creamy-white flowers. She raised her head, interrupting her afternoon snack of tall blades of grass, her ears swiveling at my approach without much concern. My sprint-induced gasping breaths had likely alerted her of my presence long before my arrival.

I poked my head into the teepees and scanned the area, searching for Talorcan. With no sign of him anywhere, I went to the stream. The teenage boy, about fifteen years old, napped on a flat rock shaded by an overhanging ledge, his reddish-brown hair fanned around his head.

“Talorcan!”

The boy bolted straight up, scrambling to his feet as if he’d been caught sleeping on the job. I laughed. He had.

“I need you to take me to the raiding party.”

He squinted at me, the lunacy of my suggestion registering on his face. He shook his head. “I’m to birth the remaining foal.”

“Did you birth the first one?” I asked in a clipped tone.

He grinned proudly. The expression gave his face a ruggedly handsome quality over his boyish charm. “Yes.”

“And did you need to do anything? Did you touch the mare? Did you have to pull the foal out? Did you assist in any way?”

His face fell as his gears turned.

I continued, helping my cause. “Aren’t older men tending the sheep, cattle, and horse herds?” I remembered seeing two of them in the fields as I confidently spoke the words.

Without answering my redundant questions, Talorcan whirled around and charged toward the pasture behind the stables where a few horses remained, including Malibu. I smiled.

That’s the spirit. If I’d had an opportunity to choose a guide, a determined one on a mission to prove his worth suited me perfectly.

While I waited, I unsheathed the knife strapped to my thigh, cutting a few inches off the end of the leather strap on my waterskin. With efficiency, I tied my unruly locks into a ponytail at the nape of my neck.

By the time I’d secured my hair, Talorcan had mounted, nearly tearing off without me. I jumped toward his horse, waving my arms, and yanked on a rein to ensure his compliance.

I glared up at the kid. “I’m going with you.”

He scowled in protest.

“Take me with you. Have you thought to bring weapons?”

He grunted. Hotheaded and young, two things had escaped his reasoning; I’d demonstrated my value by pointing them out to him.

“You will come with me,” he commanded.

How magnanimous of you to offer. I watched as the cocky kid dismounted. He crossed the field to one of the teepees, emerging with weapons for himself.

I charged over to him, shaking my head. “Oh, like hell. I’m not your guide. You are mine. Bring whatever you want to protect yourself, but I’m arming up like no woman you’ve ever seen.” I pointed to across the field. “Harness the dappled gray for me.”

He grumbled behind me, but a glance over my shoulder confirmed he’d angled off to retrieve Malibu.

I stepped into the round, sown-skin structure and found an assortment of weapons: swords, axes, knives, bows and arrows, shields, and arrowhead-tipped spears. I scanned the collection, spotting my training pieces that were separated from the rest on the end. Velloc had been the last to touch them. I imagined him laying them down with care—the ax on the ground, the short sword’s scabbard crossed over the ax’s wooden handle.

Even though Velloc had trained me with them, they were, in every way, deadly weapons with blades honed razor-sharp. I grasped the handles, feeling the perfect weight and balance in each hand. I fastened the scabbard to my hip and strapped the ax to an outer shin with scraps of leather.

On a just-in-case thought, I grabbed a bow and quiver and a couple of thick furs. I pushed the flap aside and stepped out, tossing one of two small shields to Talorcan. He snapped out his arm, catching the disk. I attached my shield to the bow and quiver strapped across my back.

My guide sparked my curiosity, and I cocked my head to the side, evaluating him. A lean, muscular build and quick reflexes indicated someone physically ready to fight, but the men had left him behind. His reasoning skills would sharpen with experience, but Talorcan’s eagerness to correct the situation of being overlooked suggested he didn’t fear any repercussions of charging off to join the raiding party by shirking an assigned duty. Brave, and perhaps stupid . . . but it worked to my advantage.

I approached Malibu, grabbed a handful of her mane in one hand as I planted my other, and jumped up, swinging a leg around. I sat astride and bareback, ignoring my half-naked state around the recent postpubescent man. He seemed focused on joining the action, and I intended to fuel his attention toward that end.

With a nod from me, Talorcan took off toward the south. We raced along a well-traveled path through our favorite hunting grounds. After several hours, we passed the turnoff I’d taken with Velloc, which led to the cave that had held the box.

I kept my attention on the trail ahead, thoughts in the present moment. Talorcan showed impressive skill and care in how we rode the horses. He pushed them to a comfortable limit, but held them back for endurance.

By nightfall, we stopped at a fast-flowing stream and dismounted. The horses lowered their heads, taking long pulls of clear water, lifting up and snorting before dipping their muzzles again. I cupped my hand into the cold stream, raising a swallow at a time to my mouth, slurping up the mineral-rich, fresh liquid.

Talorcan helped me gather dried leaf-litter brush, creating our beds for the night. We slept without a fire under the canopy of surrounding trees. Babbling sounds of the stream and an occasional horse snort were my lullaby as I sank into a mindless, exhausted state.

Hard shaking startled me. A firm hand over my mouth prevented the scream I almost let loose. I looked up into Talorcan’s squinting eyes. He nodded, removing his hand. In silence and on foot, he led the horses a good distance back the way we’d come the night before. We circled around and stopped behind a large mass of scrub.

Within seconds, dozens of warriors armed to do battle raced by on horseback in the same direction we were headed. Our hidden location obscured my view of the men racing past us, but Talorcan’s behavior and their direction indicated we were safer being undetected. My first exposure to a neighboring Pict tribe had been a blurred ride-by-sighting.

I whispered, “Talorcan, are we friends with that tribe?”

He grunted. Either he didn’t know, had just shared a strong opinion, or didn’t want to talk about it. Talorcan’s closed demeanor confused me. Velloc had openly shared things. We were mated, however, and we also had an unusual understanding and respect born from circumstance.

“Have you been this way before? Do you know where you’re going?” I asked.

“Velloc went to raid the Decantae tribe. Velloc’s stories described the place well enough.” He shrugged.

Well, damn. Thank God for nightly oral history. The men sharing adventures while the tribe hung on every detail—Talorcan in particular—served as the perfect mental map for our journey.

Talorcan’s keen awareness of potential dangers made him a natural guide. My budding appreciation of his instinctive abilities grew as I realized that his field skills vastly outweighed any perceived immaturity.

We traveled in a southeasterly direction until he gradually slowed the pace of our horses. Our approach brought us alongside a steep cliff face on our left and a drop off on our right—with little room for error in between. Talorcan concentrated, and I joined him, my senses reaching out to the environment around us. Every sound filtered into my ears. Scents carried messages on the wind. I twisted around, sharp eyes scanning our exposed flank, searching for any movement that might indicate a threat.

We negotiated the harrowing stretch in about ten minutes and entered dense forest, no longer exposed. Talorcan stayed on high alert, however, causing me to do the same. Tension filled the silence, but I focused on my breaths and maintaining a connection with everything around us.

We emerged from the tree cover and veered left, keeping our horses a few feet below a rise. Talorcan stopped, dismounted, and climbed up a rocky outcropping. He dropped his body lower and lower as he neared the crest until he belly crawled along the ground.

I slid from my horse and followed him, mimicking every movement he’d made until we both hugged the ground together as if sprouted from the same root. We overlooked another tribe. Below, a village with teepee structures, horses, and people carried on various daily chores much like our own tribe. Uncertain what information we’d glean, but not seeing any men or horses I recognized, I remained quiet and observed, waiting for a sign from my guide.

Talorcan glanced over at me, the first acknowledgement of my presence beside him, and laughed quietly, slinking backward, tugging on my hand to do the same. His sudden sense of humor surprised me. The cultural wall of ice between us appeared to be melting, boding well for conversation. As we walked back to the horses grazing on soft grasses, I dipped a toe into the frigid, thawing water, testing the theory.

“Talorcan, why were we looking over the ridge? What did you see?”

He regarded me while pressing his hands on his horse, swinging his agile body onto its back. I mounted Malibu, and we rode a good distance, carefully working our way across and around fast-flowing tributaries, distancing ourselves from the subjects of our spying. Finally, he replied.

“They are the Smertae,” he said.

“Are the Smertae our friend or enemy?” I asked.

“They are sometimes friend, sometimes enemy. The others that rode past us this morning were Cornavii. The number of horses and men of Smertae are down by more than half.”

That meant their men were gone too. “Did they fight in a battle?”

He shook his head. “Not here. I’ve been tracking the Smertae. They’ve traveled in our same direction. Soon, we’ll meet up with them all.”

“Including Velloc?” I asked.

He glanced over his shoulder. “Yes. Velloc will be there.”

Rather than pepper him with questions on how he knew everyone would be there, or what he expected to find when we arrived, I let the discussion settle. The man of little conversation had offered more information in one exchange than on our whole journey thus far.

The tribal names rang an academic bell. Ptolemy’s ancient and begrudged map—thanks to the Roman geographer torquing the top half of Scotland onto its ear—had listed them all. Hearing the names gave greater meaning to our northerly location.

“Talorcan, what is our tribe called?”

“Caereni,” he said.

Caereni. Mental gears fell into place right as he spoke the word. The sheep people—herders.

As silence wrapped around us like a comfortable blanket, my stomach growled. Brilliant Isobel hadn’t thought to pack food. At least we’d found abundant clean water sources, enabling me to save my filled waterskin for emergency use.

We journeyed across rocky mountainous terrain, around tributaries and streams, and through dense and sparse forests. Gloaming dusted the clouded sky in hues of gray and midnight blue as Talorcan led us up a steep rise. The air chilled as we dismounted to survey the landscape from the top of the ridge.

When we reached the crest, the magnitude of what we saw ahead robbed me of my next breath. A massive invading army pressed through the southeastern Highlands, its metal scales undulating like a dragon stretching from head to tail before its next meal. Soldiers made camp across the land as far as my eye could see . . . numbering in the tens of thousands.

The unfolding historical event gave me my first solid time stamp for the period. The Roman army had marched into the Highlands in the later part of the first century, with true military campaigns happening from around AD 80 to 84. The Roman governor Agricola’s battle occurred around AD 83 or 84. What scarred the expanse of ground ahead had to be his army or a close predecessor. Tacitus, the venerated historian for the Romans, had called Picts . . . Caledonians.

A hand on my wrist yanked me from my awestruck historical reflection back into the reality. Talorcan led us with haste back to the horses. We rode them as hard as the difficult terrain would allow, skirting exposure along the ridge, picking our way down to the shelter of wooded areas between the legions of soldiers and our recent overlook.

Darkness fully fell by the time we reached a more dense cover of trees. The shroud of thick foliage brought forth an entirely new adventure. Varied animal calls that cried and howled into the night in random intervals became a tribal roll call. I identified ours for the first time when Talorcan replied to a shout-out.

In the span of a few slow breaths, shadows materialized from the night, surrounding us. I recognized the men from our tribe but remained on horseback, scanning their faces, searching for Velloc.

Our gazes locked at the same moment. By the time I slid from my horse, I landed within his hard embrace. We stood there for an eternity, tightening our hold and gently releasing, inhaling each other. Velloc gripped me against his chest, our heartbeats falling into sync.

Talorcan tethered the horses. In hushed tones, he regaled the tribesmen with all we’d seen along our travels. The quiet chatter faded with the men into the night, leaving me alone with Velloc.

He pulled back, tilted his head, and crashed into my lips with a hard, possessive kiss. Our hungry mouths fought for supremacy. His hands roamed across my back, around my hips, and up my chest, tugging at fabric until his callused fingers touched my skin. I cried out softly when he pinched my nipple, my hand dropping to the heavy bulge in his leather pants. Nimble fingers tore through the laces, releasing his hardened shaft. I caught it in my hand, stroking once from base to tip. He growled low against my neck.

Velloc backed me into a tree, pinning me. The fur hanging from my shoulders protected my back from the rough bark. He ran his hands down my thighs, squatting slowly as he pulled the deerskin pants to my ankles.

I couldn’t see anything . . . but felt everything.

Hot breath fogged the sensitive skin at the juncture between my thighs. A single lick made me gasp. His lips and tongue assaulted the throbbing nerve center, sucking hard. My hand flew over my mouth to muffle a scream I couldn’t harness. He growled, vibrations inciting a riot against the tender flesh, and I moaned as a deep ache filled my depths.

Velloc shot up and pressed into me, stepping inside my bound ankles. Firm hands gripped under my thighs, lifting my hips. I clamped my legs around his waist, and in a fluid movement, he impaled me. I bit down on my lip, drawing coppery-tasting blood as I silenced a scream.

Deliberate thrusts met curving hips. Every movement pulled him ever deeper inside. The primal coupling fired my arousal toward total meltdown as a devastating ache consumed me. I moaned, hovering over the brink, each slight movement taunting a climax just out of reach.

Velloc’s hands gripped my ass, pulling me hard into his forceful plunge. I hissed at the intensity. Ache turned nearly unbearable until a single spasm lit me up—causing my loud gasp—then detonated, exploding through every nerve ending. My body jerked forward, and I threw my face into the fur on his shoulder, burying my scream.

He staked his claim, driving harder, while erotic pulses spiraled through me, firing hotter. My every exhalation came with a low moan in utter pleasure. I gripped his shoulders as he hardened and swelled further. He gasped, his body going rigid. On a low growl he gave a final thrust, his release overtaking him. He slowly dropped his face into the crook of my neck.

Time stopped. Breaths panted. Pulses raced.

We simply clung to each other, actions speaking in wordless beauty our desire: we never wanted to let go.

Reunited in body and spirit, my heart ached as it rejoiced. I pressed my lips to his ear. Not another minute would be wasted on my twisted journey. With no guarantee of a tomorrow, whispered words tumbled from my lips sent from the depths of my soul.

“I love you, Velloc.”

My words were spoken in English, but he knew. Heavy emotion misted around us through our hearts, binding our souls. The small phrase culminated our experience with meaning so vast, it stretched to the ends of the glittering night sky.

Commotion behind Velloc prompted him to drop me. His hands shot up as an afterthought, grabbing my shoulders so I didn’t land on my ass. Animal calls from the tribes fired out, one after another. Velloc tugged my arm once then released it, running off. I quickly fastened my pants and bolted after him, a waning gibbous moon casting plenty of silvery light to guide my way.

Every movement Velloc made, I copied. We traveled in the shadows of trees, darting from trunk to trunk. A gathering of hundreds of men from dozens of tribes rippled under the cover of night. I hugged into Velloc’s side, slipping my hand in his. He grasped it firmly, squeezing.

Most of the men had stripped their bodies, baring inked symbols on their skin in armored protection by their gods. Many, like Velloc, had brass or golden torques around their necks.

Velloc dropped his skins and fur at the base of the tree behind me. He lifted his hands to my face, cupping my cheeks gently. “Stay here, Isobel. Find a place to hide. Our return will be quick.” Velloc said the words in hushed tones, sealing his promise with a passionate kiss.

I nodded, agreeing. Before my next blink, he vanished, and everyone disappeared into the night.

CHAPTER Twenty-four

The field around me, littered with molted skins off the backs of all the tribesmen, hadn’t been completely abandoned. Talorcan, my former guide, and two men from other tribes remained. They all stalked after their counterparts to watch. In the darkest part of the night, the Romans were about to get a very unwelcomed awakening.

I grinned. The archaeological historian in me didn’t want to sit out on all the fun either. The protective company seemed like a heaven-sent favor as we followed to observe history.

We snuck up the rise of a hill and all became clear. Down the opposing slope, our tribesmen crept closer to their prey by hiding behind trees and scrub. My elevation afforded a panoramic, moonlit view.

An entire Roman legion camped in small groups along the other side of a North Sea inlet. Flickering lights illuminated their supply ship anchored offshore. The second sighting of Roman soldiers blew my now-habitually blown mind. Their bold exposure in the wide open stated the confidence they had. I smiled. Only fools boast before an unknown enemy, and they had no idea their adversary followed no rules of warfare.

We had a commanding vantage point of the unfolding scene. My fingers gripped the alligatored bark of a pine tree as I peered around its wide trunk. Three Roman soldiers scouted the fringes of their encampment, one squinting toward our location. My fingers instinctively flew to the blade strapped to my thigh. The hard wooden handle grazed the palm of my hand, soothing my anxiety.

A hawk’s cry marked the start of the raid. Subtle movements occurred at the corner points and sides of the nearest encampment as our tribesmen seized upon unguarded fronts.

Like water spilling over a cliff, a silent river of men descended, incapacitated, and pirated. One soldier had his throat slit. Another was stabbed from behind. A spear flew through the air, piercing an unarmored chest. Every tent was entered and exited without incident. A single Roman let loose a shout seconds before being silenced with two daggers to his lungs. Several soldiers turned heel and ran, only to be chased down by their Pict attackers. The entire scuffle ended before it began.

Neighboring fires marked the location of the rest of the Roman legion. I searched for a sign of retaliation, but I saw no reaction. No alarm had been sounded. The space between camps must have appeared smaller than actual size. The Roman’s loss of men and weapons wouldn’t be discovered until later, morning perhaps.

The action slowed as Picts scoured the soldiers’ bodies and belongings for loot. A few Picts led dozens of plundered horses into our forested protection.

Images whirled in my head. My memory banks imprinted a beautiful firsthand account of an undocumented event. Too distant to see or smell any of the bloodshed, the violence left me unfazed. Were it not for the cold breeze feathering across my arms and the scent of smoke from the fires, I would’ve thought I’d watched a well-choreographed movie scene.

All of a sudden, a dark shadow crossed my vision. I gasped as hard arms clamped around me from behind, pinning my hands to my thighs. The man in front stepped closer, and the stench from their unwashed bodies made me gag. A large, blond-bearded man lifted my ponytail and sniffed it, holding it between filthy fingers.

“Ahhh, look vhat vhe found: a fehr, golden-haired beauty dressed like zhe zavages. Are you zheir prisoner?” He spoke English in a thick, Germanic accent.

No, master-of-the-obvious. I’m yours. The man held his mouth inches away, suffocating me with his putrid breath. He crushed his offensive mouth on mine in a disgusting, bruising kiss. I bit down hard on his lip.

“Bitch! You’re vild like all zhe heazhen Caledonians. Let’s zee just how vild you ahr.” He tore at the cloth covering my breasts.

I spit on his face, struggling in the vice-grip hold of his friend. My jailor shifted his hands up my arms, thinking it gained him more control over his prisoner. With my hands unbound, I gripped the handle of the short sword strapped to my thigh. I unsheathed and plunged the blade into the thigh of the man behind me. He screamed, releasing his hold.

I pulled the weapon out, reached up, and slashed forward. My forceful side arc met flesh, ripping through the midsection of the soldier below the lone armor over his chest.

A foot swept my ankle from behind, and I toppled sideways to the ground. My attacker jumped on me, his hand clamping onto my wrist, his body pinning me down. His weight shifted over my chest, pressing the air from my lungs, making me work for every cubic inch of oxygen.

With crushing force, his hand squeezed my wrist until blinding pain forced me to drop the sword. Colored dots spotted my vision while he wedged my legs apart, his hips snaking his body between them. A hard erection pressed into my groin. The brute drew his weight off, brought a hand down, and yanked my pants down to mid thigh.

As he fumbled with the front of his clothing, my freed lungs gasped for air, firing more oxygen to my brain to think. No amount of wriggling bought me enough leeway to reach the discarded blade or the ax strapped to my ankle. With my legs pinned and his weighted leverage, I couldn’t even bring a knee to his groin. I bucked and squirmed, trying to gain breathing space any way I could, until a pressure at my entrance stopped me, fearing any more movement would only further his cause, not mine.

I sucked in a lungful of air and ripped out a piercing scream. My attacker went rigid. He gasped and fell forward. A wooden spear protruded from his back at a low, sideways angle. Dead weight collapsed onto my chest, knocking the wind out of me. Again.

The body was dragged off, and strong arms lifted me from the ground. I stared into Velloc’s wide, wild eyes. He banded his arms around me, hugging me so hard I found it difficult to breathe for the third time. Though, nothing in the world, not even the need for oxygen, would’ve had me push his loving protection away.

Velloc released me. His quick, thorough hands skimmed my body, moving clothing aside, confirming I hadn’t been harmed. He pulled my pants up and fastened them. Suddenly exhausted, I rested my forehead on his broad chest, encased in his protective hold, just breathing.

His finger lifted my chin, forcing me to look up into eyes shadowed by deeply furrowed brows. “Isobel, did he . . . did they . . .”

My heavy blinks moistened eyes dry from a shock-filled stupor. I shook my head.

On a slow exhalation, I pressed trembling hands into Velloc’s lower back, clinging to him. Disturbing, gruesome images tortured my mind like a broken record, the scene replaying against my will. I’d killed a man—disemboweled him. Another died on me. The repulsive, metallic scent of blood mixed with other putrid odors assaulted my nostrils.

I spun around, gripping Velloc’s forearm, pulling us away from the stench of death. With deep breaths, I sucked in every cool, fresh lungful of air possible. He ran a hand up my arm, spreading his comforting touch across my shoulders. His quiet strength held me together like the binding of a book.

Without warning, I doubled over, dry heaving over a patch of barren ground at the base of a tree. My empty stomach clenched in protest. Velloc’s hands rubbed up and down the length of my back, his voice murmuring soothing, unintelligible words. After a few minutes, I stood again, leaning into his side, feeling a yellowed shade of green.

The sounds of horses nickering and snorting increased as his tribesmen came forward, leading our animals. I moved toward Malibu. Velloc pulled me back and lifted me up onto his horse instead. Through distant eyes, I looked down as someone handed him my cleaned weapon. He sheathed it in my scabbard before mounting his horse behind me. Exhausted and thankful for the reprieve, I closed my eyes and leaned back into his solid, warm chest.

Rapid movement jerked me awake. Velloc’s arms tensed around me, easing when I settled back into his hold. I absently watched the shadowed scenery blur by. We galloped the same way Talorcan and I had traveled. Velloc worked his horse forward through the group.

When we reached the front position, Velloc leaned away, speaking in low tones to Sennian, his second in command. Sennian nodded, and the commander changed our course to the left, separating the Caereni from the dozen or so other tribes.

Several hundred strong, we picked our way through densely woven forest, galloped across shallow streams, and traversed rocky terrain. The pace slowed as we climbed up a steep, rocky slope in a northerly direction.

Sennian halted, letting out a low whistle. Two scouts appeared on either side of us. They rode forward, one at a time, through the mouth of a narrow chasm, its sheer gray walls stretching up to the night sky. One of them returned.

“The passage is clear,” he said.

Our scout led the way. Velloc held his stallion back until dozens had funneled into the narrow opening. My breaths shortened as we entered. Walls ascended on either side until they vanished into darkness. The channel we squeezed through stretched eight feet across at its most-tapered point. Dead-calm air and the echoing hoofbeats added to the claustrophobic nightmare. Even the horses showed their anxiety, heads pulling back, tails swishing, muscles tensing. They hated the confinement as much as we did.

After what seemed like an hour, but likely only a tense fifteen minutes, we emerged from the natural bottleneck. The line of animals ahead of us wove through boulders half-buried in the grass-covered earth. I looked around at the moonlit scenery as we followed their lead.

The group meandered along the perimeter slope of the mountain until a small stream cut across our path. We changed direction to follow the flow, the snowmelt leading us down from the mountain to where it fed into a long, narrow loch. Sennian led us around the shoreline until an area opened up between the forest and the water large enough to accommodate our party.

Velloc dismounted and pulled me down into his arms. Numbness occupied the space between my ears as I let my man take charge.

Four men stayed mounted. They rode off in opposite directions, two to the west and two to the east, skirting the water’s edge. Safety remained a top priority, and the mood remained tense and alert.

While we waited for the patrols to return, others collected firewood, dropping gathered branches into a pile next to a sizable fire already taking shape. Minutes later, our security system returned, giving us a measure of peace for the moment. Then all four men took off again, presumably to stand guard at our flanks.

I stared out over the loch. The glassy surface appeared inky black, the setting moon behind us casting a shimmer over its peaceful surface. Churning happened beneath the calm, though. Outside tributaries secretly flowed beneath the vast watershed we’d traveled through. A shiver raced down my spine in response to a reaction that had nothing to do with the cold night temperature. Attentive to my needs, Velloc added his fur to the one already wrapped around my shoulders.

Rabbit, pheasant, and legs from what looked like several deer were brought out by the fire, skewered, and rotated on spits made from nearby branches. My mouth watered. Apples, pears, quinces, dates, and other exotic fruits were brought out and passed around; the raid had yielded more than stealing horses and winning a small battle against a large, advancing enemy.

I wriggled my hips between Velloc’s bent legs, nestling further back into his embrace. We sat on a gently sloping flat boulder as the men regaled each other with tales of the success they’d achieved only hours before. A sense of home and family surrounded me. Velloc tightened his hold, crossing his hands over my knees. I rested my cheek on his forearm, watching the orange tips of the flames snap into the air.

“Velloc, what brought you down to the Roman army?”

He nuzzled his lips against my ear, kissing it lightly. “A scout from a southern Pict tribe came to us, warning of the invaders coming north. We went down there to assess the situation, bringing most of our men. Larger tribes sent only part of their forces. Our combined group was only one of several raiding parties all across the enemy line. We attacked to ascertain their weaknesses before we regroup and return again. You call them . . . Roman?”

I nodded. “Yes. The Roman army comes from a land far away . . . over the ocean. They attempt to conquer the world.”

“Do they?” He asked the question harmlessly enough, but it reminded me of the secrets he knew about me . . . and how much more I knew about the world.

“No. But not for lack of trying, unfortunately.” I sighed at the great and destructive ego of man.

I reflected on the Battle of Mons Graupius and the questionable victory the Romans had claimed. History depended on who wrote the book. Tacitus had documented the event as a Roman victory with minimal losses on their side, yet they never occupied the Scottish Highlands. They erected a wall decades later, followed by a second wall. The barriers had separated the Highlands from what they did occupy—England and the Scottish lowlands.

“They bring as many as thirty thousand men.” I wanted him prepared. He needed to know the size of the force they faced.

Velloc’s muscles tensed at my news, and I turned in his arms. Dark, penetrating eyes questioned mine before he nodded. His gaze traveled to the ground in thought.

“All our tribes combined have more than that many men,” he commented.

“Would they unite like tonight?” I asked, even though I knew they had.

“Yes, to defend the land and protect our people, we would combine for a common cause.”

He stared at me, searching my eyes, hesitating. The wisdom he held in his expressions—in careful questions and the way he directed, led, and protected his people—explained a great deal about why his people followed him without question. I would follow Velloc across oceans upon command.

His voice fell to a whisper. “Did we win?”

I smiled. He’d weighed the consequences of knowing the course of events before they played out. His knowledge about whether they won or lost could impact the way they fought now. The information would either change the course of history, or resign him to their destiny.

How would I ever know the extent of my impact along the preordained timeline?

I grasped his hands in mine, squeezing them. “Velloc, no one knows. The arrogant Romans were the only ones who told the story. They claimed victory, but no evidence suggests they actually won. They never stayed.”

Velloc nodded. His seriousness bore the gravity of the situation, penetrating every crease on his furrowed face.

I kissed him, drawn to the quiet power of his discernment, palpable in the air around us—between us. Long, lazy nips of his lips, his tongue caressing alongside mine, and his arms traveling up my back, pulled me closer, combining us . . . defining us as one.

His gentle hands on my shoulders separated us, and he closed his eyes, touching his forehead to mine. “Isobel, why are you back? He let you go?”

The conversation had to happen. I’d been avoiding the difficulty I knew he’d have with the reality of the situation. So many qualities that Velloc possessed, Iain shared. Two men identical in core values and personalities existed over the span of twelve hundred years. It made me wonder at the oddity of being soul mate to them both. No wonder the box had paired me twice.

In silent prayer, I begged for it to end there. My sanity couldn’t deal with another surprise mate. Twice in a lifetime was more than most ever hoped to have. Some never found love. Two perfect matches—at the same time—filled my glass completely.

“I insisted I had to come back, Velloc. I love you. My heart belongs to you.”

He sighed loudly, but I kept talking, needing to get it all out in the open.

“It also belongs to him. He is my husband—the first man who has ever known my body; the only man before you to ever hold my heart. I love you both.” I pulled back enough to catch his gaze.

He listened, his solemn face . . . unreadable.

“He’s a man very much like you—a leader, strong, kind, fierce. He didn’t ask for this. We’d just been married and my heart was wrapped completely in him.

“When I met you, I thought I’d been trapped here. Your ferocity and protectiveness captured my love in a heartbeat’s time. I’d been imprisoned by your love long before I’d understood what had happened.” I paused, taking a breath, waiting for his reaction.

“You love us both.” He spoke slowly, digesting all he’d heard.

“I do. Iain had a hard time accepting that I love another man. I imagine you will too. None of us deserved to have this happen, and yet, what each of us share together is so rare, so precious.” I expressed every ounce of compassion that I felt in the gentle tone of my voice.

“How did you come back?” he asked.

“The box had been passed down through time. You have it now. I imagine your people continued handing it down through the generations until Iain’s people gained possession of it. His tribe is a clan called Brodie. Your people, the Picts, are his clan’s ancestors. I don’t really know if he descends from your tribe specifically.” I thought about the chain of events. “You said you obtained the box from another tribe?”

“Yes.” He arched a brow. “I stole it.” He smirked.

I laughed. Pirating between tribes had been suspected, but firsthand knowledge confirmed it. Historians had correctly theorized some of the mysteries of the early Picts.

The reminder surfaced a new idea. I settled back into his arms, watching muted watercolors paint the world of the loch, the short midsummer night bringing forth morning’s gloaming.

“If the box has already traveled between tribes, it’s possible that it might still change hands. His clan might not have even descended from yours.”

The realization swirled up unasked questions like a dust devil lifting grains of sand left undisturbed until the right conditions for liftoff. I snatched one from the whirlwind of my mind.

“How did you become leader of your people?”

“My brother was chieftain before me. I supported and advised him. Our people respected him. During a hunting party, a bear killed him. I had to put my shock and grief aside; it had been a hard winter and our people needed to be fed. We wrapped his body in skins and continued the hunt. Anger at his loss cleared my head, fueling my actions like nothing ever had. We brought more food back on that hunt than we’d killed in months. The men never wavered. They followed me when our brother died and officially made me their leader upon our return.”

I knew it. History had been wrong.

Bede, “The Father of English History,” far-reached his limited knowledge of the Picts all the way from England, using hand-me-down information and experiences more than six hundred years forward from where I stood. With inadequate information, he’d concluded a matriarchal society existed among Picts solely because the Irish claimed to have supplied the Picts their only women on the sole condition that Pict kings were to be chosen from the female royal line.

Velloc, however, made crystal clear the reasoning behind his rule. The decision had been made for experience and obvious leadership skills. They pledged allegiance to the one who immediately protected and guided them, giving their people the best chance to flourish.

Pride in the knowledge that I’d gained—and in the man that had provided it—filled me with renewed hope. My sense of purpose grew with even that small historical revelation.

I leaned back into the warmth of his chest, lacing my fingers into his and wrapping our arms around us. “I have to go back.”

“When?” he asked, pressing his lips to my temple.

“In a few days. Iain agreed to have part of my time with all my heart, rather than all of me with a piece missing.”

Velloc nodded but said nothing.

The air hung heavy with our love and his desperation about the situation. As alike as my two warriors were, it surprised me how differently they dealt with the same issue. I wondered if a storm simmered below Velloc’s calm surface. I turned in his arms, burying my face into his neck, holding him tighter.

Velloc lifted me up, untangling our arms. He led us to a secluded, elevated cave protected by surrounding boulders. The vista afforded us a breathtaking view just as a blinding sun broke the horizon. He pulled me to the ground, holding me in his arms as we witnessed dawn’s arrival.

Dark storm clouds edged into view from the north. The snow-capped mountains above us commanded their own weather, funneling a cold wind down through the valley. My focus, however, remained steadfast over the peaceful water as shimmering sunlight stole the show.

CHAPTER Twenty-five

Highlands of Scotland—First Century AD, Five Days after My Return

Warriors, hundreds strong, moved across the field like a single large predator hunting its prey—all sleek muscle, stalking gait, and focused eyes—as their leader and his mate rode proudly at the front of the pack, guiding them to their common goal: the solace of home.

A sleepy village snapped to life before my eyes. Women who were hanging fish and meat, carrying baskets, and preparing fire pits dropped everything midtask, rushing to greet us. Not a single man in our pack broke rank, but I could feel their pent-up energy building behind us. A massive spiritual and physical collision happened when bodies connected with bodies, shouts ringing out in joy.

I dismounted Malibu and stood among them. I’d become one of them in every way, and yet, a chilling detachment seeped numbness into my heart.

Homecoming fell bittersweet onto my shoulders, my arrival counting down the coming of my departure . . . back to another time. The melancholy of a great vacation ending too soon doused my mood, and I plunged into an empty abyss, circling aimlessly, needing to find my North Star.

All the travel had made me weary. I’d become a wandering vagabond without a home, searching for my place in the vastness of my new reality. However, my despondency lightened somewhat as I thought about another man . . . a thousand years forward and a day and a half away . . . who held my heart.

A dog nearly knocked me over as a child chased after the reckless beast. I wandered from the frenzy of activity toward the nearly completed broch. The circular stone structure had a large square entrance. Rough-cut rocks had been dry stacked, but the roof still opened toward the sky. Stepping inside gave me no more indication of its use than the ruins left to taunt us in the twenty-first century. My fingers skimmed the jagged surface, a heavy sigh escaping my lips.

My purpose had clouded. Uncovering truths lying hidden in time had been my singular goal for so long. But well along that path, I’d begun to struggle for a reason to reveal history’s secrets. To what end would it serve?

Velloc’s scent hit me seconds before disturbed air changed the echoing sounds of the ocean. His warm arms wrapped around me.

Emblazoned brightly, my path lit up like a spotlight-lined landing strip in the darkest night. The lost traveler’s way stood behind her.

I’d gone from an historical interpreter to a vibrant thread woven into the tapestry of time. I had two guides who held integral pieces of the puzzle as to how and why I’d been chosen. Velloc didn’t hold all the answers, but since I knew he’d stolen the box from another tribe, I had an idea of where I could find them. And Iain knew a hell of a lot more than he’d been willing to share.

One question remained: would both men cooperate in my task? I had to find out. I had to know one thing more than anything. Why me?

“How do you feel about my having to go back?” I asked.

He bent down and touched his lips to my ear, murmuring, “I don’t like it at all. What if I don’t let you go?”

I laughed. “You act as if that’s an option. None of us have total control of what we want in life, but when I travel in time—and where I’m destined to go—is governed by that box.”

“Without the box, you’d have no way back.” The edge in his tone loaded his threat.

“You would do that? Take away the box?” I asked.

His pause dragged heavy between us. “Yes. You’re everything, Isobel. It doesn’t matter that someone else waits for you. What matters is that you seek to be with him rather than stay with me. You are mine. I won’t let you go.”

“Velloc, please. This is bigger than my wants or yours. I know what happens in history. Maybe my travel through time has already happened and charted the historical record that I’ve read. I don’t know. What I do know, to my very core, is that my next step is to learn about the box: from where it derives its power, who controls it, and why I was chosen. You’ve no right to deny me, just as I have no right to deny my fate.”

The sudden release of his hold knocked me off-balance. I spun around, but he’d disappeared. I darted out of the broch just as he entered our home. I marched after him.

My eyes adjusted as I searched the darkness of the room, and I spotted his bent form kneeling at the head of our pallet before the box.

He spoke softly. “This box brought me you.” He stared down at the artifact.

“Yes. Without it, I wouldn’t be here,” I replied.

“The thing that brought peace and joy back into my life will take it away . . . take you away . . .” His quiet voice drifted.

I went to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I will be back, Velloc. Often. Iain’s agreed to a certain amount of time spent with him. Can’t you do the same? I will give you all of my heart when I’m here. Know and trust in that.”

Velloc shook his head. He struggled with the same fears Iain had. They each risked losing me forever. Velloc had already lost his first wife. He’d also had less time to adjust to the concept of my traveling between two men than Iain, and Iain had demanded that time.

Between Velloc’s calves, I knelt behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, sliding my hands up his chest, kissing his bare shoulder. “We have a saying in my time: ‘If you love something, set it free.’ A bird is meant to take wing, not be caged. Let me fly, Velloc. I love you. My love for you alone will bring me back.”

“What of this war with the Romans? How does that fit into your plans?” he asked.

I took a deep breath. He’d be fighting in the war. They all would. A dark menace would descend upon them, scouring the land, threatening them all.

“I don’t have a plan, Velloc. I’m living life one day at a time as any other does. You’re a valiant leader and remarkable warrior. The greatest battle recorded cites victory to the Romans, but without their hold on the land, it’s an empty claim.”

He shook his head again, “No. Isobel, I can’t protect you if you’re not here. Wars exist in every man’s time. I do not know this man, Iain.” He lifted my hands to his mouth, kissing my fingertips. “I trust only this—only you . . . here with me.”

He placed his hands on the metal lid. I put a hand over his, careful not to touch the metal. “Velloc, no one has a guarantee for tomorrow. We live for today. I’m here with you now, and I love you. My purpose beyond that is greater than you, me, or Iain. I need to find out what role I play in the adventure.”

“No. You live for today? Live for right now.” He twisted, tumbling us back onto our bed, lacing his fingers with mine. “I’m on the path with you, holding your hand . . . only me.”

I opened my mouth and his lips silenced my protest, his body calming the fight right out of me. I spread my hands across the lean muscles of his back, pulling his weight down until all I felt and thought about was him.

He was right about one thing. I would live for the now.

* * *

Shadowy tendrils of fear slithered into my mind. I shot upright. Trace light framed the doorway. I spun around, scanning the room. Our small home was empty.

Velloc . . . and the box . . . were gone.

I scrambled outside and searched the shoreline, the village, and the broch for any sign of him. Sea mist swirled everywhere, shrouding the land in eerie camouflage.

The snort of a horse snapped my head around. Fog curled around a figure wearing a black, hooded cloak. He was seated on a black beast larger than any we had in our herd. His horse reared, whinnying as its hooves clawed the air, and I froze. The stranger cradled the box in his arms.

His animal turned around and charged into the mist. I sprinted after them, only to watch the horse, rider, and box evaporate like a ghostly apparition. Stunned at what I’d just witnessed, I ran straight to the spot where he’d disappeared. Energy sparked through the space they’d occupied and filtered through my body.

I jumped at a shift in the air current to my left, my heart slamming into my chest. Velloc stepped out of the fog. His expression seemed grave but not distressed as he stared at me.

Panic welled up.

My pulse raced.

Nothing made sense.

Constants that I’d clung to in the masquerade of my life crumbled into illusion. My mind had already accepted as fact that the box remained present throughout time, facilitating my travel between my worlds. The greater forces at work transported me from place to place—not the box.

The parameters had suddenly changed with the box vanishing into thin air, my miniscule understanding of everything and everyone surrounding the box made glaringly obvious.

In anger, I shoved Velloc’s chest hard, knocking him back a step. The man I trusted most had betrayed me. The foundation I’d tried so hard to build, to have solid ground beneath me, had been rocked by a singular act.

“How could you? You threaten to take the box from me, and while I’m asleep, you give it to another? Who was he? Why?” I glared at his chest, clenching my jaw, feeling as if my entire being was about to detonate, exploding from my heart out.

His finger hooked my chin up, forcing me to look into his eyes. “I gave no one the box.” His terse words bounced off the ice dam in my mind.

“Riiight. You expect me to believe he just strolled in and stole it from you as we slept. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” As my acid words dripped out of my mouth, they floated into my ears. The impossible had become very plausible in past weeks. Even I had to take a step back and wonder how much more fantastic the journey could get.

He tilted his head to the side, his eyes never straying from mine. “Isobel, it is true. I startled awake to find the box gone. My first thought? The tribe I’d stolen it from had taken it back. I rushed out, alarmed for the safety of our village, armed for a fight, but saw only the one man. As for how he got past us, I have no explanation.”

My gaze drifted down his completely naked body. He gripped a spear in one hand and knife in the other. Velloc’s state of undress and weaponry supported his claim, and relief flooded in, displacing my anger.

I exhaled, crumpling into his chest, feeling defeated. “Velloc, I’m sorry for doubting you.”

He wrapped solid arms around me. “It’s already forgiven, Isobel. I understand why you panicked, but know that my love for you would never allow me to deceive you.”

Velloc was asking for my unwavering trust, and yet we both needed to have it in one another. A soft voice, a plea, left my lips. “Velloc, we have to go to the tribe you stole the box from.” If what he’d said was true, another woman like me would be there. With no other viable lead to follow, foraging along the same route the box had previously taken seemed my only option.

He sighed. “Yes. We do. If I’m to have a happy wife, we do. Drust, however, might have me killed for stealing his box and returning empty-handed, asking again for what I’d pirated. The Lugi don’t handle offenses brought to light very well. Given the risk, my agreement makes me worry that I’ve wandered into a realm of madness.”

I laughed. “Yeah? Well, it’s good to know I’m not alone. Insanity craves company.”

Velloc shook his head, laughing as he ruffled the hair at the top of my head. He grabbed my hand, and we jogged back to gather supplies.

* * *

At a full gallop, Velloc led us on a different path than we’d taken before, heading due east. The direction enabled us to cover more ground with less tributaries and mountains barring our way. The few waterways we did encounter had only the faintest markings of a trail, thick foliage masking most of the path on the rarely taken route.

In a day’s hard ride, we reached the coastal tribe of the Lugi after pushing our horses just below their limit. Adrenaline had successfully conquered the tired in me, but with all the physical and mental stress I’d had over the week on such little sleep, I knew exhaustion would soon be the victor.

We approached the sprawling village. Hundreds upon hundreds of stone dwellings and teepees spanned across the landscape and stretched back into the woods. The impressive size made our village look small-town to their big-city. An inlet from the North Sea cut down the middle of their community. Wooden footbridges crossed the waterway in several locations.

Velloc boldly led our horses straight through the heart of the activity. Both women and men stopped to take notice of our arrival. Some wore animal skins similar to ours; others wore colorful fabric tunics and ornate jewelry and belts. Their blue-tattooed markings were somewhat different, many resembled birds. Recognition filtered into my brain. Lugi—the raven people.

Scents of cooking meat filled the air as dusk dimmed the night sky. A procession formed, people following us either out of curiosity or defense. I opened my senses to their emotions and detected plenty of animosity amid the curiosity.

One long fire pit stretched along the path we walked. Game and foul roasted at various intervals on long wooden spits. We stopped our horses at the far end of the fire next to a man pulling cooked meat from a deer leg with his fingers. He fed it with tender care to a beautiful woman.

Velloc leaned toward me, speaking low. “This is Drust, chieftain of the Lugi.”

Velloc swung his leg over his steed and dismounted, nodding for me to do the same. I slid from my mare, stepping close to his side.

Drust looked built for war but remained relaxed as we approached. His long, wiry, brownish-red hair had been tied back. He dressed in garb similar to ours, only his coat of fur was clasped at the neck by an ornately crafted chain made of chunky gold links.

The woman had sleek, black hair, high cheekbones, tan skin, and bright, blue eyes. On her slender form, her striking dress had thin, braided straps of gold and black threads that held up a low-cut bodice and flowing, black skirt. A gold torque highlighted her long neck, and a golden cuff decorated one wrist and an opposite bicep.

I whispered to Velloc, “Is that the woman the box brought to him?”

He nodded in reply as we approached the couple. They leisurely turned their attention to us. The man regarded Velloc, squinting as he set and clenched his jaw. The scrutiny transferred to me, both of them giving me a thorough head-to-toe-to-head inspection. I’d been clothed in skins and fur, but nothing hid my wild mane of long, blond hair and curvaceous body in the midst of mostly dark-haired, leanly built people.

“You risk your life by coming here, Velloc,” Drust said, his low, gravelly voice steady.

I glanced at Velloc, catching his sardonic smile. “I risk my life at no time by coming here.”

Drust guffawed. “You have the confidence of a fool.”

“I know my abilities—my strengths to your weaknesses. Care to test and see which is right?” Velloc asked.

The man paused, stroking his sparsely bearded chin with a finger and thumb as he stared at Velloc. “No. We will spend the time catching up. I’ll deliver you to your tribe strapped to the back of your horse later.”

Velloc smirked.

Drust bristled, shook his head, and laughed again. “Come. Sit.” He pointed at another log positioned perpendicular to them on his right. Velloc took a seat next to the chieftain, and I sat next to Velloc. Drust growled low, glaring at the crowd that had gathered around us before they scattered.

Their leader regarded me with piercing, steel-gray eyes before shifting his attention to Velloc. “Tell me your assessment of the Romans.” Drust pulled more meat off the leg he held, feeding his woman. She pulled the bite from his hand with her teeth and kissed his fingertips.

Velloc summarized the events of the attack, and Drust indicated he’d sent a fifth of his forces to participate in the exercise. I kept my gaze fixed on the woman beside him as they talked. She appeared to be a few years younger than me. Her long, raven hair and sky-blue eyes revealed nothing about her origins. She blended with their people as if she’d been born into their tribe.

Velloc said, “Tell me about your woman. The box brought her to you. Yes?”

The chieftain scowled. “I invite you to talk and you choose a topic sure to incite to me. You know we hold that box sacred.”

Velloc maintained a low, measured tone. “I do. You know about the loss of my wife. You’d already found your woman. I took the chance to find mine.”

Both Drust and his woman turned their gazes to me again. She leaned forward, an expression of hope blossoming on her face as her eyes widened. Her lush, pink lips parted slightly.

“And . . . did you?” Drust asked.

“I did,” Velloc replied. “She has traveled to two different time periods. Once to . . .” He glanced at me, raising his eyebrows.

“The thirteenth century,” I supplied.

“Where she met and married her husband. The box then sent her to me, to be my mate.”

The woman toppled off her perch onto the ground and made no move to get up. She stared at her lap for long seconds before lifting her face to look at me in amazement. Drust leaned down to her, speaking in hushed tones meant only for her ears. She nodded.

She spoke to me in a language I failed to recognize. I shook my head. “I only speak English, some Gaelic, and Pict.”

She tried again in Pict. “You come from another time? From the future?”

I nodded. “Yes. My name is Isobel. I’m from the twenty-first century.”

Drust and his woman stared in wide-eyed disbelief. Their shock suggested their situation had to have been different. Disappointment edged out any hope I’d held that I might find a kindred spirit—someone to share in the celebrating and commiserating of our circumstances.

Velloc’s sharp mind missed nothing. “Your woman does not come from another time?”

“She does,” Drust replied. “Scota came from the past. From a land called Egypt. We do not know the exact time period she comes from.”

I blinked. Princess Scota? As in, legendary Egyptian queen, mother of all of Scotland?

Pieced analysis of myths and legends theorized her father was pharaoh in the time of Moses. I stared at the woman. Her angular features were suddenly very Egyptian. My historically addicted mind went haywire with thoughts of the mysteries we could solve with a single slumber party.

Hell, mythology had nothing on reality. Scota hadn’t married an Egyptian general. The woman hadn’t been a woman warrior who’d led an army into our land, defeating the mystical Tuatha Dé Danann. She’d been snatched out of her time and dropped into Scotland by the same magick that had brought me here.

“Scota, I’ve heard of you. I think perhaps legend has your story wrong. Was your father Smenkhkare?”

“Smenkhkare. Yes,” she replied, amazed.

At least the legends had some things right. “Then you come from around the fourteenth century BC—almost fifteen hundred years ago.”

Velloc interrupted, keeping us on task. “Drust, we need to learn all you know about the box. Isobel needs to go back to her time, and she cannot without the box.”

Drust’s eyebrows furrowed as he growled, “You no longer have the box?”

Velloc shook his head. “At dawn today, it was stolen from us.” He pinned a hard stare at Drust. “You know the thief. I feel it as certain as the heart beating in my chest. You treasure highly what you’ve not come after me to recover. I find your lack of retaliation . . . interesting.”

I had no idea Velloc suspected something more behind the story of the artifact than he’d led me to believe. The mental chess he played with Drust fascinated me; that the subject happened to be the one item guaranteed to allow me passage between worlds had me hanging on every word.

Drust’s molten-metal eyes narrowed, focusing on me. The man conveyed cunning in two seconds flat—I practically heard the gears turning in his head. He leaned forward, speaking in a low, steady intonation as he slowly shifted his eyes to Velloc. “It does not concern me what your woman wants. If she comes from far in the future, she is more valuable here than anywhere else. Isobel will help us scrape the Romans from the land and dump them into the sea.”

Velloc nodded and smirked. “Yes, she will.”

My mouth dropped open at Velloc’s agreement and lack of my defense. His painful grip above my knee silenced a building, explosive protest. Despite my instinctive reaction, I remained quiet, trusting him.

The men continued to talk, but my sudden state of mental paralysis tuned them out. As they droned on about the information I’d shared with Velloc and their best strategy for defeating the enemy, fear gripped me cold and hard in the pit of my stomach, making me feel nauseous.

My wants and needs flowed like oil, not mixing with the local water, spiraling down the drain. Their discussion focused on fighting the enemy and protecting their people. The impending war that already encroached on their doorstep took precedence over any desire I had. I’d gone from an era of women’s rights to a time when a woman’s place was bearing and raising children.

I shot upright, unable to care about my safety with speaking protocol in a culture that deferred to men and their leaders. Anger at being disregarded had simmered into a churning boil.

My clipped words held venom. “I’m helping no one until I’m assured of getting my box back.” I glared at Drust in defiance, and his nostrils flared. Oh, yeah. I’d pissed him off.

The brazen outburst, coupled with my demands, trampled over the respect I should’ve shown. But I didn’t care. Seething fury had hurled good sense straight into the scorching fire pit behind me. Seconds ticked by, sounder logic seeping into my brain as Drust unfolded, rising to his immense height.

The man’s eyes narrowed, his brows furrowed, and his lips flattened into a grim line as he stalked forward until the chieftain towered over me, his hot breath trekking across my cheeks. Velloc made no movement, but peripherally, I saw him tense like a coiled snake ready to spring.

Drust’s fierce growl dictated out proper etiquette. “You stay seated in my presence. You do not speak unless I’ve given explicit permission. You are a guest . . . or prisoner . . . at my pleasure.”

The word prisoner soaked my smoldering brain like an icy rain shower and put things in the proper life-or-death perspective. Hotheadedness would not only get me nothing, it would likely get me a whole lot of nothing I wanted.

On a deep sigh, I lowered my eyes, showing him the respect he demanded. “Yes, Drust, forgive me. My emotions got the better of me.”

Drust backed off a step, snorting. He glared down from his imposing height, waiting.

Velloc scowled. His deep, constrained breaths gave me no indication of the target of his anger, but my mind, wide-awake as an espresso junkie’s, knew he fumed beneath the surface.

The smart girl in me turned and lowered myself back down next to Velloc. My impetuous, insolent ass intended to stay there, roots shooting down into the log, mouth sealed shut. Velloc loved me, had my interest at heart when circumstance allowed, and would negotiate on my behalf when and where he could.

Drust remained standing and paced back and forth between Scota and the end of the fire pit. “I need to know more than how many Romans. We need to know when they plan to strike. To anticipate their position at different times gives us an advantage—our cleverness to their size.”

He stopped before me. Silver eyes bored into mine. “You will tell me these things.”

The paradox of an unbelievably difficult position settled into my very lucid thoughts. I hadn’t expected a pop quiz, but a photographic memory only helped if I could provide them with pertinent facts. Unfortunately, the Roman’s accounting of the engagement was, at the very least, completely biased. Plus, providing what little known facts I had—as history purported them—could skew events in favor of the Picts to disastrous, history-changing proportions. Even if the Romans claimed victory only on paper, they survived and returned in numbers large enough to have Rome believe their accounting.

On the other hand, how did I know historical record hadn’t already included my influence? My situation left me no way to confirm whether disclosure would change the layout of time, or if my mere existence in the worlds I’d visited already had. Serious brain cramp and a dose of anxiety stopped my fruitless suppositions.

I looked up at Drust. “I’ll tell you all I can, which is more than you know. My accounting of Roman records will give you the edge you seek. However, I’ll do so only after you share the information we want.”

Equal parts humor and respect lit up Drust’s features as his gaze danced from me to Velloc. The unexpected response made me tighten my lips down to prevent laughter from bursting out. Drust returned to his seat and shook his head, laughing.

“Velloc, you’ve a feisty woman there.”

Velloc smiled and placed his hand on my thigh, squeezing gently. “Yes, I do. Now you see why I want to please her. Trust me . . . she more than satisfies me.”

I clenched my teeth to stop my jaw from falling. Locker-room talk belonged elsewhere . . . like in a locker room.

Drust chortled. Then his face grew serious again. He appraised us with narrowed eyes and a clenched jaw as if weighing his options.

I’d shown up to the chess game fully prepared to win. Not only had I shown bravery in standing up to the fearsome leader, I’d also used tactical leverage to get what I wanted.

In my carefully worded statement, I’d changed Drust from demanding my obedience into showing me the respect of a worthy adversary. I smiled. The battle he wanted to win on the field first mandated my win of our negotiations.

Drust smirked, arching a brow as he looked pointedly at me. “You’ll hear the story tonight.” Then he glanced at Velloc, “Whenever you find the box, I have no doubt you will return it to me.”

The man’s confidence in our actions irritated me . . . but also piqued my interest.

CHAPTER Twenty-six

Over a thousand gathered in a natural amphitheater skirting their community. The grass-covered ground sloped upward, providing ample seating for those in attendance, which happened to be only a fraction of the entire tribe. From our patch of earth, fires still burning in the village allowed me to watch people moving between dwellings while we waited for their oral recitation of myth and legend to begin.

Velloc leaned in close to me, speaking low. “You were very brave today.”

I put my head on his shoulder, laughing softly. “Brave had nothing to do with my outburst. My anger got the better of me; I got stupid.”

He put his hand on the side of my head, smoothing my hair. Gentle lips kissed my forehead. “Sometimes our emotions rule us. How we handle the consequences . . . defines us.”

How profound. The man had the wisdom of several lifetimes. No wonder Velloc’s people had elevated him to their leader without hesitation. Great men are revered by those who seek their inspiration.

At the focal point of the earthen funnel where we sat, Drust stepped forward. A fire burned between where the chieftain stood and the audience awaiting his narrative.

I zeroed in on him, my breath catching. He stood commandingly tall, wearing a black cloak with a hood drawn over his head that hid his face. Before I got over my déjà vu, Drust began regaling the crowd. The acoustical topography projected his booming voice to everyone on the hillside as clearly as if he’d spoken through a megaphone.

“We are born of a people who have been graced by a god. On black wing he descended from the sky.” Drust flared the side of his cloak out, spinning hard to one side. “The creature spoke our language, understood our plight, and loved our tribe. His ancient form shifted to a human body bearing a great gift.” He turned hard, fanning out the other side of his cloak. “Our great leader took the metallic box from him and, with it, received infinite knowledge, fertility of the land and animals, and a love like he’d never known.”

The wind kicked up. Dark, churning storm clouds flashed spider-webbed lightning across a black backdrop above the ocean. A sudden downdraft extinguished the fire at his feet, and murmurs erupted around us with the sudden darkness.

The air had a cold bite that even my thick fur didn’t banish, and a violent shiver racked my body. Velloc leaned closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, and I nestled into his side for warmth.

A blinding, fiery bolt struck from ground to sky directly from the fire pit, lighting it with renewed fury. The charge lasted only a few seconds, but in that brief time, I saw everything.

A second dark figure shimmered into existence. My eyes had difficulty focusing on its form. What appeared to be a black hooded cloak on its back lifted and stretched wider, like the wings of a bird. Its head turned, and a mane of midnight hair flew about the beautiful face of a man. He looked straight at me, his sparkling, iridescent eyes piercing my soul for the merest second. While I was captivated by those mesmerizing eyes, the man handed Drust a box . . . the box.

Had Drust known all along that the box would come back to him?

As the lightning flashed its last and brightest pulse, the apparition vanished along with the charge into the atmosphere. The collective gasp from Drust’s people gave good indication that storytime had never been so unique.

Blown didn’t even begin to describe my state of mind.

Modern-day scientists gave no literal credence to the gods of ancient mythology. Cultures spanning the globe—Greek, Roman, Scottish, Japanese, and Native American to name a few—paid homage to deities. Our analytical minds downgraded visits from their gods as spiritual representations rather than actual occurrences.

Shocked numb by my thoughts, I stared at the box Drust held in utter disbelief. There’d been no trap doors or hidden panels in the—now two—instances that I’d witnessed the guardian of the box disappear into thin air—David Copperfield had nothing on the phenomenon. Unless another explanation presented itself, the being flashing in and out of our world was either extraterrestrial, interdimensional, or a time traveler who’d already mastered his craft.

Drust recited their lineage beginning with how the box found a mate for their first leader. When that chieftain’s son came of age, a perfect match had been obtained for the son. On down the family tree he went, detailing battle successes and major events along the way. In the span of less than thirty minutes, I’d been given an auditory history lesson on their tribe.

He lifted the newly reclaimed artifact high into the air, bellowing deeply as his voice carried over the wind. “I am Drust, son of Bruide, born into this world from a woman whom our god had deemed worthy, and matched to a woman whose sons and daughters will bring our tribe great prosperity.” He lowered his arms, tucking the box into his side. “May tonight remind you all of our noble history, fill you with pride of our past, and grant you hope for our future.”

Shouts, whistles, and animal cries marked the end of his talk. The animated crowd dispersed into the darkness, chatting about the miracle they’d witnessed.

I stood and raced down toward Drust, drawn to the artifact. Velloc rushed to my side as I crossed the twenty or so yards in a few seconds.

Drust held the box in his two hands as he met my bewildered gaze. He smirked and turned, calling back. “Follow. See where our box is housed.” He paused midgait, glancing over his shoulder. “I trust you’ll leave it to remain there in its rightful home.”

Well, that presented a problem, didn’t it? For me to fly from Velloc’s world, I’d have to commute from our village to the nearest airport—a full day’s ride by horseback. And I’d have to stay in the good graces of the air traffic controller. No FAA existed in Drust’s world to which I could vent my grievances.

One challenge at a time, Isobel.

In appreciation of having a gateway back to Iain, I decided to worry about logistics another time. Drust wanted information about the enemy encroaching on their lands. I would share what little information the Roman accountings and my memory could provide.

Drust went into the heart of his village, past the line of fires, and stepped into a circular, stacked-stone dwelling that was so small, only three people could comfortably stand inside without the necessity of a group hug. My claustrophobic nature had me watch from outside while Drust stepped through the uncovered doorway. He placed the box atop a gray stone pedestal carved into the shape of a raven. The gleaming box adorned the depicted god’s head like an ornate crown.

I stared at the box after Drust left the structure. Only Velloc’s tug on my arm pulled me away from my visual trance. I accompanied both men with my thoughts jumbled. Right when I believed I’d gotten a solid grasp on my transformed reality, one more surprise demonstrated I understood nothing at all, testing the boundaries of my already split-wide-open mind.

“I’ve shown you all I know about the box.” Drust stopped, turning to me. “Now you reveal all you know about our enemy.”

Unable to worry about divulging too much and altering future events, I inhaled deeply and dove off the cliff. I trusted that the forces orchestrating my masterpiece would allow me to soar after the plunge and cast my gaze unto a world as it should be . . . ordained by powers beyond my control.

“You already know the number of men they claimed to have brought against your people. That number was their entire army—including their reserves—but the total was estimated, not confirmed. Agricola, the Roman governor, claimed they were outnumbered by your people, whom they called Caledonians, but were only able to engage you in open battle after threatening your granaries, which had been recently filled from a bountiful harvest.”

Drust interrupted. “If they take the granaries, our people will starve this winter.”

I nodded. “They employed the tactic to lure you onto the field. Your people had been attacking in smaller ambushes that their army was unable to defend against or prevent.”

As I talked and walked, we approached several larger structures that were built in the same dry-stacked-stone style as the rest of the permanent dwellings. Drust inclined his head toward the entrance of the smaller of the two, and I followed Velloc inside.

A torch in an iron sconce lit the room with an orange flickering glow. Basic furniture filled a space that was easily three times larger than Velloc’s home. Wooden chairs surrounded a square table. A pallet covered in folded blankets and a fur lay on the floor next to a wall. Drust took one of the seats at the table. We joined him, sitting in two other chairs.

“Tell me more,” Drust said.

“Agricola stated two prebattle speeches occurred: one given by him to the Roman army; and the other given by the Caledonian leader, Calgacus, to the Caledonians.”

Drust scowled and shook his head. “There is no tribal leader named Calgacus. That Roman name leaves a bitter taste on my tongue.”

I glanced at Velloc, and he nodded and tipped his head toward Drust. I continued. “Modern-day historians have questioned Agricola’s account, which was documented by a revered Roman historian named Tacitus. The number of casualties that Tacitus claimed the Caledonians suffered compared to the Romans cast doubt on his recounting of the event.”

“How many did he say we lost?” Drust asked.

“Around ten thousand. He alleged the Romans lost only a few hundred.”

Both men broke into rumbling laughter. “This Agricola tells lies to inflate his standing before his people. Our warriors are swift and cunning. Many more Romans would die than Picts.”

I nodded, impressed with their quick perceptiveness; in seconds, the men saw through the deceit of another leader’s ego. I continued, “The Roman army is comprised of Romans, Britons, Gauls, and Germans. In his speech, ‘Calgacus’ supposedly stated the Caledonians had an advantage with the moral support of their women and parents, whereas the Roman army—comprised of conquered and indentured men from countless countries far from their home—would be easy to defeat once discouraged.”

A hard stare from Drust made me pause, and I glanced at three golden goblets filled with liquid that sat on the table. I grasped mine with both hands, raised the cup to my lips, and swallowed the bitter wine down. Velloc did the same. Drust pounded a fist on the table so hard the third goblet jumped, caught on its bottom edge, and toppled, spilling its contents across the table in a dark stain.

He growled, “No enemy will put words into our mouths or declare our victory would only be due to their less loyal, unmotivated ranks. We defeat an adversary with our skill, strength, and courage. The true reason for our victory will be nothing less than our total superiority.”

I righted the cup and said, “Many experts have called Agricola’s account false. The narrator biases the record; Tacitus was Agricola’s son-in-law and never even traveled to Scotland. The battle was recorded based on Agricola’s accounting to Tacitus alone. Unfortunately, history is too often accepted as fact based on one side’s skewed observations, motivations, and opinions.”

Drust calmed to a degree. “Where and when did this falsely documented battle supposedly take place?”

“I don’t know. There’s uncertainty with the exact location of the battle. Named the Battle of Mons Graupius, the title was given in the late-fifteenth century. The accounting said your people fought from the high ground of a mountain, then retreated back into the cover of forest. The Grampian Mountains are a great mountain chain on your lands. The battle could have occurred anywhere along the eastern slopes. When it occurred is also vague: historians say it was in AD 83 or 84.”

Drust rose, scraping back his chair with his legs. “Enough talk for tonight. I have much to think about, and the hour is late.”

Velloc and I both stood, watching his departure. Tense silence filled the air.

I leaned into Velloc’s side, seeking comfort from the man I loved on our last night together before my journey back. His expert hands sought my flesh, discarding clothing articles along the way. Hungry kisses consumed any worry I might’ve had into a scorching need to become one with him. We stumbled back down to the pallet, naked by the time we hit the mattress, absorbed in an animalistic mating within seconds.

Talk afterward came in awkward statements until we gave into the heavy issues on our minds. Nothing I said would make it any easier, but I had to try. Velloc had to have some hope to get him through the days ahead.

“When will you return?” he asked.

“A week’s time. After one week here and one there, Iain thought we could decide if the duration should be altered.”

“It should be altered.” He gave me a grave look.

I sighed. “I agree. This last week was filled with days on horseback, half of which we didn’t share together. Maybe two weeks would be better.”

“Forever . . . would be best.” He grinned, his face lighting up.

I kissed his grin. “We’ll have to string together weeks at a time to make our forever.”

“Don’t go. Choose to stay. Be with me.”

I shook my head. “I can’t, Velloc. If I do, I’m betraying every other part of me that makes up the vibrant woman you love. To stay with you, gives you only part of the woman all of the time. Instead, you will have all of the woman part of the time.”

My argument fell on the deaf ears of a man who wanted more. He wanted the entire woman all of the time. Unfortunately, we hadn’t been granted the luxury to have everything. I couldn’t have both Velloc and Iain simultaneously, nor would I want to cause us such madness. My heart could only handle loving one man at a time.

* * *

Dawn’s sun warmed my face. The hot spring beside us babbled a soothing chorus. With care, I pulled the fur over Velloc’s face to shield his eyes and let him sleep longer as I slipped out of his arms.

We’d dipped into the amazing, mineral-rich waters of their ancient hot tub and used one of the soaps that Scota had spirited to me before telling us of their treasured place the night before. Instead of making primal love again, Velloc simply held me tenderly as we drifted to sleep.

I dressed in the damp skins I’d roughly cleaned the night before. We had agreed it would be best for me to go alone. Velloc didn’t need to have the last image of me to be of my vanishing into thin air.

A short walk back from the copse of trees led me to the structure that housed the box. No guards barred my way. No security seemed necessary when a god served as an interdimensional alarm system, returning the stolen artifact to its rightful owner.

Had it been returned to the rightful owner? Possession had dictated my involvement on every end of each jump. Where the box went, I followed. The nuances of the realization made me remember Iain’s statement back in the professor’s office: I think it found you. Even the apparition had beckoned me to journey to Drust’s village. My calendar had rapidly filled with days where my path followed a custom-made, freshly paved, yellow brick road.

The box hummed with energy more than ever before. I wondered if it had grown in power due to its own travel between dimensions . . . or wherever it had been. A charge filled my body, matching the intensity of the artifact that sparked into the surrounding air.

I took a deep breath and placed my hands on its cool, metallic surface. A warmth spread beneath my hands, but nothing happened. I stood there for several minutes, waiting.

How anticlimactic.

The electricity flowing through everything, including the atmosphere in the room, felt greater than on any other attempt, yet nothing completed the circuit. I drummed my fingers on the lid wondering what I could do to mimic what Iain had done.

In frustration, I circled the pedestal, then went back around again, pacing. Minutes ticked by. Sunlight streamed further into the doorway, sending a shaft of light directly onto the box’s front surface. The sun’s radiant heat warmed my hands, and the box surged. We needed more power. Whatever blocked my easy transfer would only be overcome by a greater force on my end.

I focused. Deep breaths inflated my lungs as I opened myself up to everything around me. Vibrating particles flowed into me from the air, the box, and the sun’s radiation. On an exhale, I forced every ounce of energy I’d collected down onto the box as I touched the surface again.

The familiar orgasmic jolt shot through my body, and the box disappeared.

I blacked out.

CHAPTER Twenty-seven

Brodie Castle—Thirteenth Century

Loud groaning interrupted a deep sleep. Pain behind my temples finished the job, extricating me from the sticky hold of a vivid dream forgotten the moment my dry eyes pried open. A scratchy growl rumbled from my throat as my hand flew up to a throbbing head that acted more like the victim of a hangover than a neutral body part topping my shoulders.

I blinked slow and heavy, willing moisture beneath my lids to focus on the blur above me. Something very wrong had happened. My prone body felt like lead, fused entirely to the floor. A soundless vibration pulsed into the air, quivering every cell in my body.

I shot upright, and my lungs seized.

Iain’s wall hovered so close to me, if I moved my right arm a fraction of an inch, I’d brush against the rippling surface. Fear gripped me as I scrambled away from the so-not-innocent architectural element while staring up at it openmouthed. I thought the enigma had seemed sentient before, but the slab that spanned the entire side of the room had come fully to life.

The sparkling gray stone had transformed into what looked like molten platinum. Slight air-current disturbances made tiny waves undulate like invisible dragonflies had dipped onto a mirrored pond. Points of light that had once pulsed in response to my touch now streamed bright beams across the room, animating dust particles in luminescence.

Unable to overrule my curiosity, I poked a finger at the liquid façade. A membrane resisted my touch, bowing fractionally before giving way. My hand disappeared, and incredible energy flowed into my arm from the connection. Startled, I pulled back.

I jumped to my feet, hyperventilating, disoriented by the shock of electric energy and my unexpected locale. Whoever punched the time-machine coordinates had miscalculated the landing pad, sending me into the thirteenth-century plane nowhere near the box that had always been my portal. The unstable game kept throwing me curve balls.

I felt nauseous. Someone needed to arm travelers with a cure for time-jump sickness or, at the very least, a bag.

For breathing.

Or . . . puking.

With my arms spread wide for balance, I spun in a slow circle, scanning the room for the box, confirming that it hadn’t been moved there. Laser beams from the wall hit every part of my body, across my skin and the deerskin clothing I wore. I felt some residual heat, but only a fraction of the voltage charging through the actual wall itself.

“What are you?” I addressed the light-show maker as if expecting a response. None came.

The wall had clearly been the travel gateway in my recent go-round. Iain held the only knowledge to help me decipher the change in protocol.

I darted through the doorway in search of him. As I moved through the castle toward the front door, queasiness unsettled my stomach. Like a dry-lander on the deck of a ship for the very first time, I shuffled sideways as the floor seemingly swayed beneath my feet.

Everyone seemed unconcerned about, or totally unaware, of my arrival. People in the kitchen carried on with their duties as usual; I passed soldiers finishing a meal in the great hall; the wolfhounds sat at the end of a table, brows raised in anticipation, eyes fixed on their treats for the day.

I burst out the front door into a day so bright, my hand instantly shot over my eyes to shield them. Squinting alleviated only some of the blindness. After several hard blinks in an attempt to adjust to the vision-shocking sun, I lowered my arm. And my jaw dropped with it.

No sun caused the sensitivity, because it had gone missing from the sky. In fact, the blue sky had gone MIA too. No ice-capped mountain panorama framed the landscape. All that appeared above the horizon line beyond the curtain wall was a misty iridescence, ebbing and flowing with atmospheric currents. It looked like a white aura borealis had swallowed the castle whole.

Soldiers trained on the fields, women tended the garden, and a dark-gray plume of smoke still rose from the smithy’s smokestack. The entire clan acted as if the day held no properties different than any other day.

Iain. Brigid. Someone needed to explain what the hell had happened to the world in the week I’d been gone, before I slipped into complete and irrevocable insanity. I glanced skyward, toward a Heaven I hoped still existed somewhere up there.

“Really? Still with the tolerance lesson?”

Determined to get answers to every question I’d restrained for far too long, I charged into the courtyard. Iain stood alone to the far side, overseeing about a dozen of his youngest soldiers training with claymores. He lifted his face and our gazes locked. I closed the distance between us as the anger of a thousand volcanoes threatened to blow.

In a fluid movement, Iain twisted, tossed his sword point down into the soft earth, and strode toward me. Had I not stopped a few feet from him, we would’ve collided.

“How dare you—” I yelled.

“What the hell—” he shouted.

“—keep valuable information from me—” I clipped out.

“—do you think—” he growled.

“—when I have every right to know?” I finished.

“—you’re wearin’ in front of my men?” He glared down, moving in front of me to shield me from the view of others.

I seethed, struggling to process what he’d said over my tirade. Comprehension seeped its way past my attitudinal huff. I looked down at my body. Lots of exposed skin shimmered in the brilliant light. The parts that were scantily covered boasted suede-hugged curves.

He yanked me by the arm, dragging me back up the hill. I trotted to keep pace with his swift strides. Red faced and shaking, his level of anger trumped mine. He shouldered the oak door open, crashing it into the stone wall inside with such force, splinters flew and pieces of stone crumbled. I scrambled up the stairs for fear my arm would be torn from its socket if I didn’t keep up.

We arrived at the threshold of our bedroom. Iain kicked the door open and threw me forward as he stood in the doorway, staring at me, his nostrils flaring. He stalked inside and closed the door behind him without ever breaking eye contact.

I’d never been afraid of anyone before—let alone Iain—but he looked as if he’d gone mad, and I trembled in uncontrollable fear. He took measured steps over to me. I retreated until the backs of my knees hit the bed, and I sat down. I swallowed hard and remained silent. My eyes had gone dry from my wide-eyed shock. I took several hard blinks, looking up at him, my pulse racing.

“You will not wear such lack of clothin’ outside ever again.”

His words came out ominously calm.

“No one yells at me in front of my men, including you.”

I trusted his deadly composure far less than the shouting.

“I will not tolerate your demandin’ anything from me when everything I do is for your safety and that of my people.”

He leaned down, dropping his face to within an inch of mine, his tone just above a whisper. “I hated you being gone, knowin’ you were in another man’s arms, knowin’ he fucked you while I missed you so bad, my chest ached.”

I exhaled. Iain was hurting. The animal he barely contained threatened to break free because he loved me.

“Iain, I—”

“No.” His fists clenched and unclenched by his sides, his nostrils flaring again as he snorted. “Clothes off. Now,” he growled.

Iain stood nearly on top of me, ripping the material off with his eyes. His body shook with barely restrained power.

Like a giant, fifty-ton pillar at Stonehenge, Iain towered over me, immovable. He forced me to rise while pressing against his body to comply with his command. I undressed as quickly as my shaking hands allowed.

At some point escaping my notice, he’d dropped his clothes. The instant my last clothing item fell to the floor, he bore down on me hard, herding me to the center of the bed. He pushed against me, skin to skin, owning the space between my legs. In a powerful stroke, he filled my wet, ready body.

His penetrating eyes stared into the depths of my soul. Love, lust, and possession sparked his olive irises, dissolving my misguided fear. I arched up, pressing my breasts up against him, tasting his lips with slow, soft nips.

Iain growled, pressing me down into the bed. No tenderness would soothe his raging beast breaking free. He devoured my mouth in a bruising kiss and slammed into my depths with such force, I grew certain his marks would be everywhere on my body from the inside out.

An indefinable need tore loose in me too. My carnal met his primal. We consumed each other, desperate to release the tension under which we’d been suffering. With every hard drive into me, my hips met his, deepening the impact.

The slaps of hot, slickened bodies mixed with labored grunts as sounds rebounded into the chamber. My climax built on a steady ache, simmering below a boiling point, driving me toward frenzied insanity.

Pleasurable pain thrummed endlessly on a charged tightwire. Iain drove in hard then paused. The break in rhythm cascaded me over the edge, and my muscles clenched around him. A tremendous orgasm thundered through me, and I screamed.

Iain went wild. He plunged into me as I buried my face into his shoulder. His unrelenting thrusts escalated my ecstasy, sending another set of punishing waves crashing through me. I gasped for air, gripping him so tightly, we became one. He roared and stiffened, his release overtaking him.

Heart racing.

Head spinning.

Lungs tried to supply oxygen to my brain, and the rush of fresh air set off a chain-reaction epiphany.

All had been set right in the world. My priorities had been reestablished.

Iain was my world in his realm. Nothing mattered but Iain—not some historical imperative, not a sense of purpose, and certainly not a man who existed twelve hundred years in the past.

Iain needed me . . . all of me . . . for every moment I could grant of myself. Hundreds in his clan depended on him for his selfless love and protection. He gave of himself completely to their needs every single day of his life. When Iain needed to be replenished—so that he had something of value to give to his people—I would be there to provide.

I clung tightly to him as his protective body settled around mine. Iain’s massive arms and legs imprisoned me, allowing just enough room for my easy breath. I nestled closer, enjoying the security of his captivity.

A hazy bliss descended, calming my mind and body. I sank into a peaceful state far beneath the surface, where thoughts were too buoyant to hold within my grasp.

CHAPTER Twenty-eight

Waves swelled and lowered, lifting and dropping, until motion sickness pulled me from restless sleep. My hand flew to my mouth. I almost dashed to the garderobe or a chamber pot, but the uneasiness subsided. On a deep breath, cold, crisp air filled my lungs. An attempt to open my eyes brought reflective light shining so brightly, my lids protested themselves shut.

The disorientation grew when I attempted to sit up and discovered I already . . . stood. I lifted a hand to my brow, trying to shield my vision, but dropped it when equal light came from below. Unable to stop curiosity, I forced my eyes wide open.

Speechless—because I’d gone completely thought-less—I blinked in disbelief, dragging air into shocked-frozen lungs. The world had done another complete three-sixty . . . into a fantasy wonderland.

Microscopic, glittery particles hung suspended in midair, bouncing prisms off of each other. The refracted light seemed to come from everywhere, reminding me of a ski trip I’d once taken where the dry, freezing conditions had crystallized the air into billions of infinitesimal diamonds.

I stroked a splayed hand through the vapor. Cool to the touch, the molecules parted, swirling into disturbed mist. A glance down told me not only had I been transported to Wherever Land completely naked, I floated upon the obviously buoyant, somewhat-solid particles. We undulated together in slow rhythm from a current I sensed by a gentle breeze against my legs.

I took a hesitant step forward. My footing held, secure on the stiff, cotton-candy substrate. With no landmarks or features to gauge any direction by, I wandered aimlessly through the sparkling whiteness, seeking an explanation of my being deposited into all the soft-and-fluffy.

Clearly, stress had breached into my sleep, gifting me a confusing “awareness” dream—a dream within a dream. My subconscious often tricked me into believing I’d awoken into a realistic façade before it shocked the hell out of me, continuing the nightmare.

Only . . . the scenery around me resembled no realistic plane I’d ever been on.

And . . . I couldn’t remember the nightmare.

“Hellooo . . .” My voice sounded muted in the vast nothingness.

Something soft whispered across my right shin. Mist swirled in the wake of a dark shadow moving in my same unidentified direction. I hurried to follow.

As I closed the distance, I realized my pace hadn’t quickened. What I pursued . . . had slowed. The closer I approached, the more the creature’s details sharpened into focus.

I jarred to a stop. Memories of a black-cloaked image flickered, and my heart slammed from zero to sixty, hammering permanent dents into my ribcage. A burst of air from an invisible source cleared the air around us as the creature stopped, its back remaining toward me.

Midnight feathers covered enormous wings, the tops arching higher in agitation, the tips grazing the cloud-covered ground. Each plume rippled to attention as menace poured off the entity, sparking the air with its warning as if a cobra flared its hood, readying a strike. An undetected breeze tousled the figure’s long, glossy, black hair.

“What are you doing here, human?” His voice poured out deep and silky smooth.

Irritated that my subconscious decided to torture me, I laughed dryly. “Ha! Good question. When you find out, let me know.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly very aware of my nakedness and his extreme maleness. When I realized I couldn’t cross everything, and doing so would be hiding from my own fabricated fear, I dropped my hands, planting them on my hips, waiting.

He rotated around in slow motion. Those extraordinary wings arched further. An angular profile gave way to a strong jawline and high cheekbones when he squared off with me. Thick, ebony lashes lifted, flashing obsidian eyes that shifted into glittering sapphire emeralds. A bared chest and corded abdomen led to black leather pants that hugged tapered hips. Worn combat boots—in badass black, of course—had laces yanked to the perfect state of undone.

Deadly.

Gorgeous.

“Done assessing me like your next meal, female?” His gaze arrested mine as his head tilted down a notch, dark brows hooding those brilliant eyes.

“Pffft. You wish, Batman.” I laughed.

He dropped a scorching gaze down the length of my body, and chills covered every inch of my skin. My hands twitched as I fought the urge to shield my hardened nipples.

“Stupid woman. I could pin and fuck you before you ever knew what hit you.”

“Oh, really? That phenomenal? Funny, I’d have pegged you longer than a ten-second slam.” I grinned, thoroughly enjoying the unexpected sparring match with my alter ego.

A low growl ripped from his throat. He flashed from feet away to a breath apart. My lips nearly brushed against the expanse of a heaving chest, my breasts one deep inhalation too close to the top of his abs. The abrupt toe-to-toe forced me to angle my head up to look into those hypnotic eyes. The winged manifestation of my mind had to be a good seven-and-a-half-feet tall.

“What’s wrong, Sunshine? Lil’ ol’ me ruffle your feathers?”

Something stopped him. He didn’t touch me, even though he could have shattered every bone in my body with a wrist flick. His nostrils flared, heated puffs fogging over my face.

Emboldened by the perceived restraint, I unfurled my cocky smartass flag to fly at full mast. “Sylvester got that tongue, Tweety?”

A pulse of fury actually reverberated through my body, and my smile faded. I swallowed down the taste of his rage, detecting notes of resentment with an aftertaste of chaos.

An additional voice sounded out. “Skorpius, is that any way to treat an honored guest?”

Sunshine stood his ground like carved marble, glaring down at me with those prismatic eyes.

Refusing to back down, I held my stance without a single blink.

“Skorpius.” The voice layered, a deeper, undeniable command penetrating the surface tone.

Sunshine snorted a final hot puff over my face and backed off, but only by arm’s length. Another leviathan stepped into view just beyond him. I leaned slowly to the right to see the newcomer.

Twins. Not identical, but brothers beyond a doubt.

I stared back and forth between the pair, amazed. In difference, they went polar opposite: brilliant day to darkest night, alabaster skin to tanned olive, platinum locks to inky jet. Wings of purest snow brushed against those of gleaming coal. The same chiseled facial features were softened by glistening silver eyes framed by gold lashes and brows. Bare-chested, and built in every way like his brother, he wore white linen pants and stood barefoot.

“Well, aren’t you going to introduce us?” the newcomer asked.

Sunshine grunted. “Girl-That-Annoys-Me . . . Orion.” Every feather on those black wings shook—like a dog ridding his coat of water—as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Incredulous at the complexity of the dream, I laughed. “Seriously. Good angel, bad angel? Named for opposite Greek-god-inspired constellations in the sky?”

Orion shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest, seeming to assess my worth as he visually sized me up. “So? We have a sense of humor.”

I grumbled, “As if you named yourselves.”

Impatient with the conversation with my psyche, my gaze wandered around the expanse of white mist, wondering when the scene would mirage into the next dream or a semi-aware self-analysis.

Orion’s pure voice spoke calmly. “Ms. MacInnes, if we uttered our given names, your eardrums would burst. And since you’ve inadvertently left the portal wide open, so would every piece of glass in your beloved Brodie Castle.”

“Right . . .” I slid a glance back toward them, playing along with the vivid dreamscape.

“What do you think of her?” Orion asked.

Sunshine tilted his head, shrugging. “Who am I to judge? She looks scrappy. Beneath her pixie, however, brews a volcano of attitude.”

I rolled my eyes. Never had my five-foot-nine ever been called anything resembling petite. “I would so kick your ass, Sunshine.”

He barked out a mocking laugh. “See? I rest my case.”

I waved my arms. “Hello, boys. Standing right here. Gonna talk about me? How ’bout we answer some of my questions. ’kay?”

They both smirked as if amused, or impressed.

“Go ahead, Ms. MacInnes,” Orion said.

“What’s with all the time travel, dropping me without notice—or my permission—anywhere you see fit? And what’s with Cupcake stealing the box away?” I nodded at Sunshine, trying so hard not to smile as he ruffled at yet another sugared nickname, but failed miserably, a short laugh escaping. I quickly pressed my lips together again, trying to behave.

Sunshine cast an impatient look at his brother. Yeah, well, that makes two of us. Orion shook his head imperceptibly. They had a whole nonverbal conversation going on in front of me too.

“Ms. MacInnes, we do not control the time travel. You do. Cupcake did not steal the box. He’d been given a task. As always, he completed it with efficient precision.”

Sunshine growled low at being called Cupcake. Again.

“Wait. What do you mean, I do?”

“Perhaps it would be better to show you,” Orion said.

The mist surrounding us dissolved, even though my feet still stood solidly on an unseen floor. Iain’s entire castle grounds appeared below. Soldiers practiced on the field. Women turned a fresh row in the garden. Two young girls chased after a grasshopper, their peals of laughter reaching my lofty ears. I even saw Brigid beneath a tree. She held a leather-bound book in her lap, but it was closed, and her gaze stared off into the distance.

A strong wind blew, masking the view as white clouds flew by. When the vapor cleared, the castle grounds were gone, and the image was replaced by a half-built pyramid. Slaves worked, positioning enormous stones of granite with an elaborate pulley system. Captivated, I focused on the long-mysterious method of hoisting the massive pieces of stone. The vision honed in where I’d concentrated, but then shifted to a marble room within a palace.

A young man stood near a reflecting pool. He wore a fine, turquoise linen tunic fringed in gold embroidery and had ornate gold bands around one bicep. A disturbance in the air, like heat shimmering above near-molten asphalt, occurred opposite the water, and a black-cloaked figure materialized into the scene.

I squinted. When I concentrated on the detail of the material instead of the figure as a whole, feathers appeared, the hood became tousled raven hair, and I saw the face in profile.

Well, hello, Sunshine.

He held a box. The box.

The Egyptian fell to his knees, interpreting the appearance as a visitation from one of his gods. He threw his upper body down, hands over his head, bowing facedown.

Words I couldn’t hear were exchanged. The Egyptian stood hesitantly as Sunshine walked forward, right over the water, and stood before the man, offering the box. The man accepted the gift with a questioning look on his face, staring wide-eyed at the treasure. Sunshine nodded. Completely absorbed in the box, the Egyptian missed it when Sunshine flattened his feathers, refracting the light in the room, and vanished.

I glanced at the boys that orchestrated my movie. Orion concentrated on the show, but Sunshine looked bored. I laughed.

The image clouded over again, drawing my attention. I shifted my weight to my other hip, crossing my arms over my bare chest, instinctually covering up even though neither of my companions seemed to care . . . or even be remotely aware.

A third image appeared. We hovered far above an island chain. From an eagle’s eye in flight, our view descended, passing over a snowcapped Mt. Fuji and the misted valleys of Japan.

A group of primitive people built a step pyramid along the shore of the southernmost island. I watched, amazed. An ancient Japanese tribe worked on a structure similar to the Egyptian pyramids. The scene played out, the box gifted again by Sunshine to an apparent tribe chieftain.

Iain’s castle shimmered again under the disappearing mist like a mirage. My mind reeled, digesting all the new information. Otherworldly beings had gifted the box, and its power, to master races throughout time.

Had those been actual events or mere symbolic representations? Modern-day scientists and historians had long grappled with many unsolvable mysteries because prior races had possessed superior, inexplicable knowledge. Thoughts of Atlantis teased through my mind despite the legend’s lack of representation in this history lesson.

“Have you seen enough, Ms. MacInnes?” Orion’s gentle, low-timbered voice asked.

“Why do you keep calling me ‘Ms. MacInnes’? I’m married. It’s Brodie.”

Orion smiled as Sunshine twitched. I imagined he bit his tongue about a colorful nickname for me, or likely restrained all-out laughter at my irritation of the formal, incorrect moniker.

“We’ve watched you pre-time jump and post-time jump. We’ve known you unbound by definition. ‘Ms.’ is unidentified—without specific label.”

“An anomaly. How delightful. I’m trying to find myself and you peg hole me into belonging nowhere. Perfect. And . . . you’ve been stalking me,” I grumbled. “Peachy.”

“I’m a watcher, not unlike you,” Orion replied.

Sunshine quipped, “And we’ll call you anything that amuses us.”

I tilted my head to him at the remark. “Touché. Back at ya, Cupcake.”

Their faces remained emotionless.

The watcher remark sank in. “We’re the same. Great. I have died, haven’t I? It’s Lost all over again. I’m in a crashed plane on the bottom of the ocean somewhere. So if we’re both ‘watchers’ over—” I coughed “—time, why don’t I have wings?” I stepped closer, reaching a hand out to brush my fingers over Orion’s bright iridescent feathers. They bristled in warning. He growled for the first time, and I jerked my hand back, eyeing him as he settled down.

Orion spoke in his low cadence. “We, Ms. MacInnes, are not of the same species. Do follow along. Time is of the essence.”

I sighed. No shit. “Fine. So what the hell am I watching? I don’t think you’ve been paying close enough attention. There’s been a whole lot of participating going on. Two soul mates? Really? And my very existence had to have disrupted time itself.”

“Bingo, Einstein.” Sunshine grinned smugly.

I glared at him. “You wanted me to mess up time? You boys play a very stupid game.”

Orion gave me a small smile, ever the patient one. “The time adjustments are necessary and mandated by our Authority. I suppose it’s a sort of game. Only this game has no good and bad. No win. No loss. None involved know the rules. In a way, you are the referee.”

“An observer,” I replied, irritated.

“A game changer,” Orion corrected.

I scowled, confused anew.

Even Orion sighed at my apparent slowness on the uptake. “Tiny snags have happened in time. You’ve been gifted the ability to pull them back smoothly without damaging the fabric.”

“Why me?”

Orion shrugged, examining a nonexistent speck on his pristine right pectoral before brushing it away. “Why not? Desire. Motive. Birthright. Complete boredom from the Authority. Who knows.”

Sunshine piped up. “Ours is not to question why . . .”

My mind finished his sentence without control. I ignored Smartass’s bait, focusing on Orion. “And the soul mates bit? Is that real, or was that devised for entertainment?”

Orion arched a regal brow. “Is there any doubt they were meant for you?”

“Well, no . . . but—” My mouth dropped open as frustration fuzzed my thoughts.

Sunshine grinned, taking the reins from Orion. “Stupid questions are wasted breath, Hotshot. I suggest you keep your focus. You do have to save time, after all.”

Both of their corporeal forms began to fade into the sparkling mist.

Sudden urgency spiked my pulse as my informants disappeared. Literally. “Wait! What if I have questions? Or need help?” Realization hit me. “How do I control my time travel?”

“Tick. Tock.” Sunshine’s disembodied voice faded into a swirl of white fog.

“Fine. Abandon me.” I grumbled an incoherent string of curses, wondering if they’d ever really been there in the first place. Dreams messing with my head? Not a new thing.

Still suspended high above the Earth in frothy fairy dust, I searched in vain for a way down. Irritated, I charged through the glittering fog in a direction only identifiable as forward until a clear path presented itself, the mist falling away. A dark area opened ahead, and I rushed toward the only discernible gateway out of the total whiteout.

No light entered the black hole of a passage. The void completely shrouded whatever existed beyond, yet something drew me forward, and I held no fear of its unknown.

I stepped through the threshold, unsure of what awaited me on the other side. A low pop sounded as a membrane gave way, catapulting me through. I stumbled forward from the sudden release, landing with my hands sprawled across . . .

Iain’s map desk.

In his study.

My fingertips rustled through vellum maps lying under those obsidian, faceted paperweights. I drank in the richness of carved woods and neatly rolled parchments. The wall’s brilliant spotlights illuminated the room. Cold stones beneath my feet radiated a chill into my skin, while the familiar scent of dusty surfaces and leather tomes filtered deep into my lungs, sealing the deal for my rapidly processing mind.

Very real.

I whirled around. Iain’s wall had spit me out from the other side, the molten stone surface and laser-point light show still vibrating in full force and effect.

In panic, I panted, quick bursts forcing air out through puffed cheeks. Information overload threatened my sanity once again. With forced concentration, I slowed my spinning thoughts enough to focus on comprehension rather than apprehension.

I peeked down. I remained very naked. Unwilling to make unconfirmed assumptions, I marched right back through the wall. Glittering mist enveloped me immediately. I spun around, seeing the darkness of the wall from the other side, apparently.

Memories of the places I’d visited on my otherworldly tour increased the density of the vapor, concealing the doorway. I concentrated on the castle, and the dark gateway reappeared, the haze dissipating.

Orion.

Skorpius.

As if the power of my mind conjured them, I saw their distant black-and-white winged forms through the mist as they walked away, their faint conversation drifting into my ears.

“. . . she bought it?” Orion asked.

“I’m betting all-in she didn’t,” Sunshine replied, sounding less gruff and more astute.

“Good. We wouldn’t want her to back down now.” Orion stopped, turning slightly.

Sunshine also stopped, cocking his head. “Funny, I’d thought for millennia The Traveler would’ve been bigger and . . . male.”

The midnight wings spread their full span in an instant. Black velvet brushed onto a shimmering canvas of white became the only thing visible.

I blinked, and they vanished. Undisturbed mist remained in their place. Orion’s fading voice whispered into my ears. “Have faith, Ms. MacInnes. All is exactly as it seems.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but not one thought filled my head to form any kind of response. My time on the not-a-dream-after-all plane had apparently concluded.

With nowhere else to go but back, I turned, bracing myself to avoid a collision with furniture, and stepped through the gateway. Both feet landed squarely on solid stone.

My gaze traveled slowly up from the floor as the sum total of revelations filled me with awe. Everything came to vibrant life around me—from the wall’s sparking energy to the silent maps hiding a fortune of information—as a clear epiphany broke my calm surface.

The box had been the first bread crumb, the wall another. Both led to a riled discussion with the yin–yang angel brothers who’d stacked my deck with more questions than answers.

Markers in my journey, every guidepost had simply showed me the way. I went down the path, choosing right or left at forks in the road, but the doorways did not define me. My actions every step of the way determined my course, revealing the person that existed inside.

Before I fully embraced who I’d become, the one I continued to discover daily within myself, I needed answers about the factors that had influenced my journey.

I needed the information Iain still withheld from me. I needed to know everything.

CHAPTER Twenty-nine

The wall hummed behind me with residual energy, powering down while my mind charged up. Sometime after my exhaustion-induced, post-reunion nap with Iain, I’d somehow made it down to Iain’s map room and entered into another plane . . . by pure intention. Or had I?

Although I couldn’t remember opening the wall for my angel meet-and-greet, the moment I wanted to return from the other side, mere thought had manifested a dark gateway inside the sparkling wonderland. Orion had said I’d left the portal wide open—he’d meant the wall.

I stood in the empty study, considering my stark nakedness, wondering how I’d arrived there in the middle of the day without attracting attention. Hell, maybe I hadn’t. Midday in the castle tended to be like Grand Central Station.

In spite of any potential scandal I might have already unknowingly caused, I closed my eyes, wishing my body back to the warmth of our bed with every ounce of mental intention my mind could muster. I cracked an eyelid open. Yeah. Nothing.

Streaking had to be the farthest thing from ladylike behavior, but since I couldn’t conjure up clothing, or a study-to-bedroom gateway, I had no viable alternative. I took a deep breath, preparing for round two of “Castle: Wild and Scandalous.”

With my peripheral vision blocked into an ignorance-is-bliss mode, I burst through the door, strode down the dark hall, and raced up the great hall steps two at a time. If anyone happened to notice what I’m sure would pop open even the sleepiest eye, not peep had been wisely made.

Our bedchamber door, the second one on the right, stood open a few inches. Iain would never have done such a thing, lending weight to the whole you-bared-while-unaware theory. I pushed the heavy door open far enough for me to squeeze through the space, a loud creak alarming out from the dry hinge. How I’d not tripped the medieval security system the first time, I had no idea.

Iain shot upright, jumping out of bed, eyes zeroing in on me. A gravelly voice croaked from his throat. “What’s goin’ on? Where’ve you been?”

I laughed. “Apparently, I walk in my sleep. Into. Other. Dimensions.”

Iain scowled, gears sticking in his sleep-blurred mind. “What?”

He tugged me into his warm embrace, pulling me under the cool sheets of our bed. His mumbled, incoherent words that followed had something to do with my lack of clothing again, my not listening, and his handling of some random village issue. I shrugged, nestling against him, turning on my side. He wrapped his body in every way possible around me as I gave the best explanation I could offer.

“I woke up in the mist surrounding the castle . . . above the castle.” I pointed to the ceiling. “That’s not all. I talked with two men. With wings. They looked like warriors, but I think . . .”

Even with all the unbelievable magick Iain accepted as everyday reality, I hesitated. The list of fantastical kept growing. The limits of reason continued to be tested. Iain gently rubbed my forearm, so I forged ahead, sharing with the only other person I could.

“They seemed like angels. Only one had black wings and seemed not at all heavenly. His twin brother had wings of pure white. They showed me things—astonishing eras where they’d gifted the box to other cultures. I’ve seen the dark angel twice in the past, with the Picts.”

Iain remained silent. My only clue that he hadn’t fallen asleep behind me was his continued caresses up and down my arm.

“Iain, I have to know. The secrets stop now. I’m in too deep. What the hell is going on?”

His sigh feathered warm air across the shell of my ear, firing goose bumps down my spine. “We’re stewards of their magick. My clan has held the box and this castle for as long as I’ve pulled air into my lungs. Our lore is passed down from father to son and mother to daughter.

“They exist in a framework that holds time linear, even though the actual passage of it exists only for us, not for them. They step through dimensions where separate events happen all at once, each layered upon the other.”

I shook my head. “How? A person is born, ages, and dies. Time progresses.”

“Aye, Isa. A man, as he ages, sees the hands of time pass. He remembers what’s happened, experiences the present, and looks forward to a future. Everyone does. But to someone outside, each moment is crystallized. All are grains of sand in an hourglass, happenin’ when scheduled from each person’s vantage point, occurrin’ all at once in totality.”

Whoa. My head spun. I’d married a warrior and philosopher. My mind balked at his concepts, even with recent events. I sighed, wondering, yet again, how I fit into the game. But Iain continued, pulling me out of analysis.

“Our castle exists, and yet it doesn’t. Built eons before its time, key areas are constructed of an element from their dimension. Everythin’ there is light, white, and prismatic, but the box, the wall, the great hall ceilin’, and the cornerstones of our curtain wall are heavy, dark, and absorptive. The dark matter pulls you into the light, transportin’ you where you’re intended.”

“You knew this all along?” My voice faltered, raising an octave.

Iain had withheld vital information. He’d blatantly lied. I pushed away from him in anger, but he tightened his arms, pulling me against his chest. I struggled until his strength made any resistance I gave wasted effort. I growled in frustration. So many things would have been easier if I’d known the mechanics of how everything had worked from the beginning.

“Isa,” he whispered. “The secrets were not mine to tell. Only once they’d shown you, could we talk about the powers they hold and my responsibility with them.”

“What is your responsibility, Iain? What do they expect of you? Are they angels?” Maybe if he understood what they expected of him, I’d better grasp my role in the master plan.

“I doona know,” he said. “What they want of me does not matter. My responsibility is first to my people who depend on me. The castle provides me the ability to shield them. The secrecy was somethin’ ingrained in me by my da, who passed down the knowledge.”

Iain rested his head gently on mine, loosening the iron grip of his arms as my body eased. His intuitive nature must have sensed my interest in cooperating rather than fleeing. I cringed at the memory of how many times I’d fled, rapidly, and on foot, from paradigm shifts.

I should imagine the unimaginable as the norm.

“How do you protect your people with the castle? What power does it have besides the portal through the wall?” I asked.

“You went through the wall?” he asked in surprise.

“Yes.” I sighed. “How else did you think I got there? I don’t even know how many times I went through it. Damn thing has a serious kick I had to brace myself for. Have you been through the wall?”

“Nay. My place is here, with my clan.” He paused, placing a tender kiss on my shoulder blade. “The element I mentioned transports the entire grounds into a space between dimensions. Although we train and engage in battles outside our curtain walls, we go undetected from the outside world when a serious threat to the castle appears. An English army advancin’ across the countryside would never find our walls to breach.”

My jaw dropped. They intermingled with neighboring clans—I’d seen evidence of their filtered hospitality at the festival—but to vanish from the face of the Earth? It boggled my mind.

“What do they see? What does someone standing in the woods see when it disappears?”

“They see the land as it existed before. When we’re gone, a former reality takes our place.”

Of course. Breathe. Everything will all make sense . . . if you admit nothing has to.

I forced out a lungful of air. Iain lived his entire life with the facets of my new reality. He would help me adjust—help me accept things. No other constant existed that I trusted more than Iain.

His hand tugged gently at my shoulder, and I turned toward him. Kind, hazel eyes penetrated my fear. His calmness soothed me. I persisted, asking every question I had. I needed to continue the interrogation until the well ran dry.

“What if I watched from the woods as it disappeared? In the time it takes me to blink, does the entire landscape transform?” I asked.

“Aye, I imagine it does,” he replied.

“When do you do it? How do you make it happen? Why did you do it now, when you knew I’d be returning?” Questions tumbled out as thoughts flowed, before I forgot what I needed to ask, before I got lost in the enormity of his replies.

He laughed softly as he brushed locks of hair back from my face, tucking them behind my ear. “I transport us when the walls are threatened or when I’m instructed by our guardians—your angels—and, at the very least, about once a month. Transport replenishes the power within the stones.”

“Is that why the box has more power now? Because of all the jumps I’ve made?” I wondered.

He shook his head. “Nay, you’ve been gainin’ power. Somehow, it’s energizin’ you each time. Remember when I used the energy from the wall to boost your travel with the box?”

“Yes. The wall came alive at your touch.” I remembered the lights brightening.

“Weel, ’tis a similar thing when I transport the clan. To make the transfer complete, I leave my hand there ’til the wall becomes completely porous. Then, we’re truly a part of their world.”

“The entire clan knows, right? They’d obviously have to. No one can leave . . . and the sky is definitely not blue anymore.”

He laughed, nodding. “Aye, they know. They were all either born here, knowin’ no other way of life, or, on a rare occasion, they married into our clan. Outsiders that accept our way of life take a pledge of secrecy with the penalty of death for breakin’ their oath of allegiance to us.”

“Wow. How many have married in?” I asked.

“Not many. Only two men and one woman have joined the clan in my lifetime,” he replied. “As to the why of the matter, I had to conceal us from attack. I’d hoped you’d make it through even with us between worlds. Robert is leading the men now into battle against an uprisin’ from neighbor clans.” His voice grew somber. “Now that you’ve returned, I’m to join them.”

“You waited for me?” I asked, surprised.

He smiled, caressing my cheek. “Aye, my beauty. I waited for you. You strengthen me. Now I can go and defend my people secure in the knowledge that my woman is safe, she is here to protect my clan in my stead, and she loves me.”

Iain’s lips descended, feathering over my mouth before capturing my lips in a hungry kiss. I ran my hand through the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer. We made love again in the late afternoon, and again and again on through the night. The rest of Iain’s world fell away as I celebrated my entire world held in my arms.

* * *

The next day dawned with Iain preparing to join in the fight. I woke fully satisfied, yet enormously tired, from a night filled with passion. Iain crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, watching me as I dressed in preparation to take my place as Lady of the Castle.

“Why are you are leaving, when Robert’s already been commanding in your place?” I asked, pulling a scarlet gown over my head.

“Aye, Robert is fully capable of leading our men; but Fingall has still not been found, and Gawain and Seamus have not returned.” He sighed. “One clan rising against us has ties to a man who married into our clan. He swears he’s had no contact with his kin, yet I need to be sure the Brodie are secure. We can only travel to the in-between for a short time. Our true home, the place we flourish, is this world. I need to make certain we’re protected here.”

I nodded. We all needed blue sky and interaction with others, even if those things brought storms and conflict. We had to enjoy the sweet things—at the risk of losing them—to fully live.

Gotta risk it to live it.

I turned, tightening the ribbon laced across my ribcage and fastening the loose ends in a bow behind my back. Iain’s faraway look as he stared at the floor told me his mind had already left. He was a good man, dedicated to those that relied on him, regardless of the personal cost.

When I slid my feet into the leather slippers, he stood and took my hand, leading me downstairs to the map room. The wall shimmered and beamed as if anticipating us.

Iain released my hand and walked over to it, placing his hand in the upper left-hand corner as he’d done before. “This spot is where the control happens. Place only one hand flat here. No matter where we are, it takes us to the opposite place. Since we’re between worlds, my contact now brings us back.”

“Sounds simple enough, I guess. How will I know when to hide us again?” I asked.

“You’ll know. We’ve scouts to report back if we’re threatened.” He glanced over his shoulder at me. “And if you’re not here, Brigid knows what to do.”

I nodded, watching the lights fade until they became only pinpoints on the wall. The design suddenly struck me as resembling constellations in our galaxy rather than locations on an earthly map. The fluidity of the sparkling gray backdrop stilled as it adopted a solid state. Energy that had been sparking in the room when we arrived had dimmed to a low hum.

“You mean, when I go back.” I said.

He removed his hand from the wall and turned to face me, taking my hands into his, keeping a small distance between us. “Aye. We agreed a week here and a week there. But I doona know how that can continue. Your people here need you. I need you.”

I nodded, tears springing into my eyes. My two worlds were at odds with each other, and the strain had begun to unravel me inside. I didn’t know how much longer I could continue living two lives when each one needed all of me.

A strong man stood before me, opening his heart to me. Offering me everything he had: his world, his heart. I smiled at him, refusing to let tears fall.

“I’m here for you, Iain. Go and fight for us. Come back to me safe, and we’ll talk about our future. You’re right, I’m needed by many. I’ll make sure they’re cared for and protected.”

He dropped his head, grabbed my hips, and crushed my body into his while kissing the breath out of me. I melted into him. My man and his clan weren’t the only ones with needs. I thrived off Iain’s love. The joy and accomplishments of his people great and small were my successes too. Those were the things that gave me purpose every day.

I followed him out to the courtyard. In one fluid motion he mounted Dubhar. The horse pawed restlessly at the earth, dressed in the clan colors on his bridle. The animal had been outfitted with a thin saddle and a rolled blanket, food and supplies tied to the back.

A group of people gathered, likely attracted by the real-world blue skies sparkling overhead. I jumped when a light hold grasped my waist. Brigid’s smiling gray eyes greeted me.

“Hello, sister,” she said.

I laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist too. “Hello, sister.”

Iain gave me a last look, and I drank in the spectacular sight of my warrior: long chestnut hair rippling in a slight breeze, a fresh braid dangling from each temple, his angled jaw shadowed by darker stubble. A hard edge defined his expression as his fierce hazel eyes pierced a silent message into my soul. He did this for me . . . for us.

I belonged to him.

And he . . . belonged to us all.

CHAPTER Thirty

New purpose filled my heart and pumped through my veins as I watched the drawbridge lift into place, locking us within the protection of the curtain walls while we remained in the real world, ticking away on history’s clock. Iain galloped off, dense forest beyond the meadow swallowing man and horse whole.

In silence, I renewed my vow to the role he’d given me—caretaker of his clan. Brigid and I wandered back to the village, and the small crowd that gathered to bid Iain a safe journey walked with us. I surveyed our people and the surrounding landscape with fresh eyes.

I clasped one of Brigid’s hands with both of mine. “I want to spend the morning focusing on everyone’s needs.”

My voice carried loud enough for everyone to hear. The group exploded with excitement, several people addressing me at once. I grinned, eager to help them in every way, determined to understand and become an integral part of a world that had chosen me.

“I’ll need pine board to build more beehives,” said Agnes. “Mairi’s been helpin’ me with the harvestin’ and candle makin’.”

Jamie, one of Iain’s guard left behind for protection, spoke up. “M’Lady, three of the cottages need roof rethatchin’ before winter.”

A tug at my skirt drew my attention downward. Round eyes of emerald green looked up at me. A stem, covered in dozens of creamy-white flowers with pink striations, was thrust between us, clutched in his little hand. The orchid blooms resembled ascending angels, their broad, scalloped skirts and high-arching wings fluttering in the breeze.

“Why, thank you,” I said, taking the flowers from the lad. Between my fingers, I twirled the conical bouquet-on-a-stem, delighted with the secretly symbolic gift.

As we passed by the garden, I glanced at the stream flowing inside the curtain wall, feeding into the millpond. I realized not everything existed independent of the outside world. The water had flowed when I was on the other plane. Had creatures swam through both realms with the water current? The mechanics of what could and could not breach the time barrier perplexed me.

People broke off a few at a time, going to their homes or finishing their day’s tasks. Agnes, the beekeeper, joined Mairi, donning a similar linen-shrouded hat and gloves. Mairi held a smoldering stick up and blew smoke into one end of the four-foot-tall, two-foot-square wooden hive, forcing the bees out. Agnes pulled out pieces of honeycomb and carefully placed them into a lined basket at their feet.

Brigid squeezed my arm when only the two of us remained. She whispered, “I’m off to find Donalda. I need to order a few new gowns. Agnes is pregnant with her first bairn.” Before I had a chance to reply, she skipped off toward the seamstress’s cottage.

I laughed at Brigid’s boundless energy and walked into the smithy, marveling at all the gleaming weaponry hung on the wall. Hamish slid a red-hot blade from the forge with huge forceps. Then he laid it upon an iron anvil and hit the fiery surface with the hammer in his other hand, causing sparks to fly.

“Hamish!” I shouted above the ear-piercing clash of metal.

He glanced up, grunting.

“I need four iron candleholders about so high.” I held my hand about shoulder height, and he nodded in reply. “Where would I find someone to supply wood?”

“Uilleam’s the woodcutter. He stocks the kitchen every few days in the late morning,” he said.

“Thank you,” I shouted over my shoulder as I dashed off.

I rushed up the hill, hoping to catch Uilleam if he hadn’t yet stocked for the week. When I arrived in the kitchen, midday meal preparations were in full swing. Rowena, a generously curved woman with ruddy cheeks, oversaw the kitchen staff of a half dozen while they cut meat, added herbs to stews, and pulled out small bread loaves from a stack.

I stood there long enough to get Rowena’s attention. She began to cross the room. Rich scents of a brewing stew wafted into my nose, and my gut clenched. I rushed out of the kitchen and into the hall, my hand flying to my mouth.

My entire skin dampened as I struggled with a wave of nausea. I took several slow, deep breaths until the intensity of the attack subsided. I laughed dryly, musing that Agnes might not be the only one pregnant. During that fleeting thought, the smile fell from my face, complicated reality sobering my mood. How stupid of me not to think about what unprotected sex with two men would produce.

Burying the ramifications of my actions into the sand along with my head, I dragged my body up the stairs, pressing my cheek against the cool stones of the wall as I went. The clan seemed to be doing fine without me, and I needed to lie down and rest a while. Later, I would calculate my cycles to determine if I was pregnant, who the father might be.

With a shoulder into the heavy door, I stumbled into our room and collapsed onto the bed. Layers of blankets cushioned my fall as a dizzy spell spiraled me out of consciousness.

* * *

A new day brought our Highland mountains gray skies with a steady drizzle. I’d found and met with the woodcutter. Brigid had been kind enough to fetch the seamstress up to the castle so that we could both select fabrics for new gowns. Dress patterns and jewel-toned cloth squares were spread in a mosaic across the wooden surface of a long table in the great hall.

I perused the length of the table, sucking in slow breaths, feeling a little green from what seemed like morning sickness. I’d put thought to the matter, realizing I hadn’t had any flow since my time-jumping—and bed-hopping—adventure had begun. The calculations meant, if the symptom rang true, that I was likely about nine weeks pregnant with Iain’s child.

I sat down, rubbing soft pink satin between my fingers. The color made me wonder if the babe would be a boy or a girl. Brigid and Donalda chattered on about the best fabrics to suit Agnes while two men came up from the cellar and transported a large wooden barrel across the room toward the larder.

Surrounded by the commotion of a normal day, I wondered if I should tell Brigid her possible aunt status. I discarded the notion, deciding a quiet time would be better. Based on recent experience, her people expected their secrets to gain a proper amount of age anyway.

All of a sudden, the main door flew open, hitting the stone wall behind it with splintering force. I spun at the startling noise. Brigid shrieked, and I gasped as Gawain stood there covered in crimson blood.

Brigid ran toward him, but he held his arm up, pegging her with a commanding stare. She stopped, crossing her arms. “’Tis not my blood. Robert sent me.”

He looked squarely at me. “Isa, shroud the castle. The battle was a distraction. They’ve advanced in great numbers in our surroundin’ forest.”

“Won’t they see us disappear?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I doona know. It matters not at this point. Our men are a day’s ride away and in the thick of battle. Our enemies laid a well-planned trap.”

“What about Iain? He was to have joined you; he left a day ago.”

“If he came through that forest, they have him. I spent all mornin’ skirtin’ the perimeter to make it through to you.”

My hand flew to my mouth. The idea of the enemy capturing Iain skyrocketed my nausea.

Brigid tugged on my arm as I sat there dumbfounded. She said, “Gawain, go to the apothecary. Have him attend to your wounds.”

He nodded once and left, pulling shut the oak door with a thud.

“Not his blood, my arse,” she grumbled as she continued to tug at me. “Isobel. Come. The wall,” she implored.

Her focus was commendable. Three siblings pulled apart by their past, united in a heartbeat to protect their clan. They were right. We had no time to worry about any one of us; we needed to guarantee the safety of everyone. I jumped to my feet, and the two of us rushed to the study.

Brigid closed the door behind us, and I stepped to the far left side of the wall, glancing back at my friend through the streams of light. She nodded toward me in encouragement.

“Okay. Here goes everything.” I took a deep breath, willing positivity out, as I placed my hand on the shimmering surface of the wall.

Even in its fluid state, the cool membrane held firm in its upper-corner section. A power exchange occurred, flowing into and through me, surging back out again at our point of contact. An immediate reaction began: a low hum grew in volume; the lights flashed, then dimmed.

The floor swayed, and I swallowed hard. As I stood there with a hand on the key to our camouflage, the room spun like a cheap carnival ride. I tried to brace my feet wider but lost my balance. To avoid lifting my left hand from the wall and severing the connection, I took the only other option: I dropped my right hand onto the surface, landing it squarely on a cluster of lights.

“Isobel!” Brigid screamed.

By the time I whipped my head around to look at her, my friend had disappeared. Suddenly, a blinding flash of light surrounded me, and the world went dark.

* * *

Lying flat on the ground had become a familiar state of being each time I jumped through time without warning. A faint noise crackled in the distance, and a glow off to one side penetrated the darkness of wherever I’d landed. I sat up, propping my hands behind me in dirt. The box sat upon the pedestal housed in the room designed for it . . . in Velloc’s time.

I shot to my feet and threw my hands onto the box, desperate to return to the castle. The metal sat cold, completely inert. For the first time, no energy whatsoever transmitted from its surface.

Even with the resounding clue that something had changed, denial fueled an attempt to gather more power from the environment around me. I scrunched my face and took a deep breath, concentrating hard. But my effort came up empty. A growl of frustration rumbled from my throat.

The only other times the artifact had transported me with a one-sided connection had been with the wall’s power boost and with the sun’s radiant heat. There had to be a way to find more energy. I whirled around, frantic to get back, needing to make sure I’d gotten the clan to safety.

Flames danced in my sightline from the long fire pit. Perfect. I strode over to the blaze, rolling up the sleeves of my dress, and I held my hands out to the warmth. With focus born of my desperation, I drew in energy from the kinetic orange flames. More than heat infused into my body; a conduit for pure power had been opened. On a cellular level, every molecule in my body vibrated.

I looked up as I waited until I’d gathered enough, my urgency dancing the edge of madness. The ends of my hair fanned around my face from a strong wind behind me. A few members of Drust’s tribe walked by, casting silent, curious glances my way. Their expressions made me wonder if I glowed in the dark.

Without a word to any of the passersby, I returned to the box, placing my hands upon the top. I pressed them onto the cool metal, opening my mind wide, sending a prayer to my God and their god to send me back.

My plea fell on indifferent ears. Nothing happened. A relic so eager to wreak havoc with my life had suddenly forsaken me.

The heavy feeling of failure crushed the air from my lungs. In one accidental move, I’d abandoned those that needed me—the very ones I’d vowed to protect.

I stumbled from the suffocating enclosure, unable to breathe. I crumpled to the ground, burying my fisted hands into the folds of the scarlet gown Iain had asked me to wear the day he left—the dress I should’ve been wearing in his time, not Velloc’s.

Salty tears streamed down my cheeks. I forced a shaky breath into my lungs, casting my face up toward a glittering night sky.

“Fine. I don’t have it all figured out, do I?” A loud sob followed by a hiccup racked my chest. “Skorpius? Orion? God, if you’re even up there helping people instead of fucking with their lives . . . if any of you can hear me, if any of you care, please, just make them safe. And please . . .”—my voice fell to a whisper—“please, protect Iain.”

Another loud sob broke loose. My heart thudded heavy in my chest, deep ache burning a gaping hole into my ribcage. I couldn’t imagine any time where I existed and Iain didn’t. His convoluted explanation of time not being linear was no comfort in my perception-skewed reality, especially since I only had access to Iain under rules I didn’t understand.

The powers at work had made their decision, casting me back to an ancient Scotland. I wiped my face dry with the back of my sleeve and stood as I took stock of my situation. Velloc hadn’t expected me back for another five days, and we hadn’t discussed his plans in the meantime. Had he gone back to his village? Or had he remained with Drust and the box?

I wished for the latter, not relishing the idea of a long ride on horseback to find him again. The predawn hour under a moonless sky made finding the structure where we’d last been with Drust a blind adventure. However, I persisted and found the dwelling, sliding my hands along the roughhewn stones to locate the entrance without the aid of torchlight.

I stepped inside further darkness and decided a torch would’ve been a good idea. I hoped no other occupants slept in the bed besides Velloc. Weary apathy made me proceed without clear judgment as I removed my gown and chemise. I took a careful step, and my toes touched the edge of the pallet.

I gasped as an arm crushed around my ribcage. A hand encircled my throat, and fear shuddered through me. The bare skin of my assailant pressed against my naked backside. I swallowed, trying to calm my racing heart.

“Velloc?” I coughed, after forcing the word past the grip on my esophagus.

The choking hold eased. “Isobel,” Velloc whispered.

Strong arms spun me around, crushing me in his embrace. I slid my hands around his waist, holding him tight. I clung tightly to the solid evidence that, if I could count on nothing else in my twisted existence, at least I had a beloved constant in each world.

My only hope, wrapped in a pervasive layer of fear, was that I hadn’t made Velloc’s world my only world and inadvertently thrust those I loved—in the other—into harm’s way.

CHAPTER Thirty-one

Highlands of Scotland—First Century AD

Stuck in the past in one respect didn’t mean I intended to remain there in another. After an entire day of attempting to return with a box gone completely lifeless, I accepted that a return may no longer be possible. Events unfolding between the tribes and the invading Romans accelerated a need to abandon futility and join reality. The Pict game plan about the impending war had been altered, and I either joined in the fight or remained an uninvolved observer.

My scarlet gown, chemise, and leather slippers had been neatly folded into a pile and placed on the floor in the back of the small shrine. I rested a hand on the cold relic responsible for all the upheaval in my life. In remembrance, I focused on all the joy I’d had: smiles and laughter, nights of incredible pleasure, and a mating ceremony uniting a clan with its destined laird and lady were images I burned into my mind.

I whispered, somehow certain if anyone on any plane of existence listened it would be heard, “Keep them safe. Bring Iain back to them.” Tears welled in my eyes, threatening to spill over. On a deep breath, I reined in my overwhelming emotions. “And if anyone at all can hear me, please, let me go back.”

My selfish plea faded on a cutting burst of wind. I pulled the fur tighter around my body, nodding once, satisfied no more could be done with simple wishes cast about in an era when life and death hung heavy in the air.

The weight of a gentle hand landing on my shoulder reminded me of the urgency of our impending departure. I reached up, covering Velloc’s hand in mine.

“I’m ready.” I turned away from my one link to everything, resolving to return and try again.

I stepped into the gray day. A bitter-cold storm lashed her wrath onto a nation racing toward their enemy with a vengeance. The sea of warriors had made a mass exodus from north to south, collecting every able-bodied man along the way.

Velloc mounted his stallion as I jumped onto Malibu. I regarded the fearsome sight of my mate—broad shoulders and flowing black hair, additional woad tattoos marking his body and face, and those fierce, dark eyes. Velloc surveyed his tribe. Hundreds were mounted on horseback, but a handful rode in horse-drawn chariots.

From what Velloc had shared with me, most of Drust’s people had left over the course of the last few days, establishing themselves in the woodlands and marshes along the perimeter of the shoreline. The infiltration enabled us to both keep a watchful eye on the Romans and prepare to attack as our influx of warriors continued.

Velloc raised his right arm overhead. “Caereni! We will show the Romans how they underestimate the people they’ve made their enemy.” Velloc yelled over a whipping wind, but all heard. Animal cries and shouts replied. Velloc kicked his horse and charged ahead. We bolted forward, following a great leader to meet the fight that had been brought to our doorstep.

Thundering hooves drowned out the overhead storm, clods of earth flying up at every strike. Adrenaline pumped hot through my veins as excitement charged the atmosphere. Images of the impending battle teased my thoughts as raw muscle flexed in fluid motion beneath me.

Our tribe of men galloped southward for nearly an hour. Gradually our progress slowed, hindered by the thickening forest. We wove through trees and scrub. I cut to the left, urging Malibu forward until we joined Velloc near the front of our group. He eased up on his reins and edged closer, gazing at me with penetrating eyes.

“This is the battle, then,” I said. “You’re taking the fight to the Romans before the harvest.”

He nodded once. “No enemy will claim victory over a people who refuse to give up the land. They are uninvited, making themselves comfortable in our home.” He flashed a wicked smile. “We will make it very uncomfortable.”

I laughed. “If you plan half the attack I witnessed on your scouting mission, I’ve no doubt they’ll think twice about crashing the party.”

Velloc stared at me until his lips pressed into a thin line, his shoulders shaking with laughter. I’d adapted the phrase to his dialect, but nothing escaped his quick wit. I laughed with him, enjoying the miniscule time we had to rebond before more serious matters took away the opportunity.

We slowed our mounts to a walk, and the group continued to pass us a few yards to our right.

“You miss your Iain?” Velloc asked.

I glanced over. Velloc faced forward, negotiating his horse through a rocky stream. Mixing the two worlds in my head messed with my mind and emotions. I’d endeavored to keep the two separate. When one man asked about the other, my struggle to maintain composure amplified tenfold. Common sense dictated they know as little about each other as possible. Each of our emotional needs, however, took precedence over steadfast rules and assumptions. A part of me yearned to talk about the difficulties plaguing me, but I had no one to talk about them with other than my men. Velloc needed to know how I felt and where he stood. And he had asked.

“I do miss him.” I took a shaky breath. “He left to fight a smaller battle. Right before I left, the enemy captured him.” The words choked me, my throat cramping on a held sob.

Velloc stopped and pivoted his horse. Malibu jolted to a halt with a whinny. “Iain is chieftain of your tribe?”

“Yes.” I frowned. “What does that mean, Velloc? What will they do to him?”

He stared hard at me. “They will keep him alive as long as they need him.”

I nodded. So many things went unsaid with Velloc’s statement, and my fear running rampant refused to clarify them. Alive had so many variations. What would become of Iain when they no longer found him useful? Velloc had satisfied his curiosity about my state of mind, and I had no desire to prolong my pain. I negotiated Malibu around him, following the others disappearing into the forest.

Velloc advanced on my mare so fast, I had no time to process the movement before I found myself swept onto the ground. A strong embrace kept me upright as my head spun.

He buried his face into my hair. “Isobel,” he whispered.

The soothing coo of my name feathered over my ear like warm sunshine on a bitter morning. I exhaled, melting into his arms. Tears cascaded down my face, unchecked. I hurt. In my denial, in my perseverance, and in the rush of activity around me, I hadn’t allowed myself to grieve for the loss. The brave man that held me saw my need, forcing me to lean on him.

So many things had been stolen from me: a modern life with dreams I’d had since childhood, a husband and clan I’d grown to love, and the free will to decide what I wanted my life to become. But dwelling on problems had seemed unproductive and immaterial in light of the life and death battles Velloc’s warriors and their people dealt with on a daily basis.

Velloc tightened his embrace. “Why did you come back early? Because they’d taken him?”

Explanations of liquid walls with beaming lights transporting me through layered dimensions fell beyond the scope of the energy I possessed, so I stuck with the simplest explanation. “I . . .”

I faltered in getting the right words out of my head. How do you streamline the fantastical? Velloc already knew I’d time traveled and had come from the future. One more stretch of his imagination would allow him to relate to me on my level. To have Velloc know my successes and failures in the magick that surrounded me would set free the part of me I’d locked up tight out of fear.

“I’d been charged with keeping the clan safe. Iain believed I could. A large wall, very much like the box, transports not only me through time, but also . . . an entire village.”

I paused as he pulled back. His attentive eyes gazed down at me, and I knew he understood.

“When I placed my hand on the wall, exactly as Iain instructed, the transfer began, but I hadn’t braced my feet before touching the surface. I hadn’t expected its power to make me dizzy, and in an attempt not to fall, I dropped my other hand on the wall also. The power it contained grabbed hold of me and threw me back to you.”

A sob tore free as emotion lanced a fresh wound into my heart.

“I was supposed to make them safe!” My anguish-laced words were barely coherent as I buried my face into his chest.

Velloc eased away, tipping a finger under my chin. I blinked away tears, clearing my vision. His eyes searched mine. Gentle, callused fingers brushed against my temple as he tucked windblown locks of hair behind my ear.

“You’re not the only one responsible for the safety of your tribe. Nor am I for mine. They chose us to lead them. We accepted, aware of our strengths and weaknesses. We know we can’t be everything. They know we cannot. If we falter, another person replaces us, protecting them.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath, clearing my head. In the master plan of things, I couldn’t be certain fate hadn’t caused my misstep. Even if carelessness caused my fumble, being haunted with misery about the possible consequences was pointless.

As I forgave myself, I realized Velloc had highlighted something I’d forgotten. Brigid stood behind me as more than a figurative backup. My mind latched onto the thought: she’d done the right thing in my stead.

The knowledge strengthened me. “Someone did protect them.”

Velloc kissed the top of my head as I vowed to be present for him in every way. My survival, and therefore his, depended upon my clarity in every moment.

I shifted and smiled up at the man who supported me in so many ways simply by being true to himself. A rugged, fearless warrior on the outside protected the heart of a man who loved with conviction without reservation or prejudice. I tightened my arms around him, pulling him close, his physical comfort magnifying the warmth he’d spread inside me with his words. The minutes he held me in silence felt like a precious eternity.

I slid my hands up his muscular back. “Come, let’s join them. Lead your tribe to victory.”

Velloc devastated me with a rare smile of pride. Joy lit up a darkly handsome face worn by the elements in a hard life fully lived. He hooked his arm around me, tugging me toward our horses. I laughed as his contagious happiness surrounded me. Amid a march toward the most stressful of events, the man had lifted my spirits. I’d thought I couldn’t fall any harder for Velloc. I’d been wrong.

Buoyant on his generous spirit, I spun in front, leaned up, and kissed the smile off his face. He enfolded me in his arms as we explored each other’s mouths. My hands skimmed up his chest and locked around his neck. He pressed forward, kissing my breath away.

Velloc reluctantly tore his lips from my mouth, panting as I gulped for air. He dropped his forehead, resting it on mine. We needed to rejoin the men. Safety among numbers and diminishing daylight made catching up with his tribe imperative. He growled, releasing his possessive hold, and a whimper left my lips as we separated, the moment ending.

Velloc tugged me forward by the hand. We mounted our horses and raced southeast, Malibu pacing behind his stallion. He veered left, choosing a sparsely wooded path to make up lost time. We pushed the animals hard until darkness hampered the ability to navigate with speed. As we slowed to a walk, I questioned whether we’d be able to find the others in the obscuring night.

Sounds filtered through to us on the wind: a gentle snort, then another. We’d found someone’s camp for the night. Velloc shot up an open hand, and I silently reined in Malibu. He scouted ahead, disappearing, while I waited with bated breath in the silent darkness.

Velloc returned and led us toward a ridge. The horses climbed at our gentle urging, picking their way to the top. Rocks tumbled down the steep incline during our painstaking ascent. We passed a group of untethered horses, but I saw not one man.

Seeing and feeling had become two very different things for me, however. My Pict training kicked into high gear as I sensed the environment. A large amount of consciousness weighed heavy in the space around us, bordering the tree line, and into the forest. Before reaching the peak of the ridgeline, Velloc turned us into the heavier woods. Within seconds, we were surrounded.

Familiar faces emerged from the shadows, and I sighed in relief, the aggressive air turning friendly as we dismounted. Several Caereni clapped Velloc on the shoulder in hushed tones of greeting and news. I pushed my way through the throng of men that flowed in, seeking to get by Velloc’s side and overhear the shared information.

Sennian moved forward as the other men respectfully eased back, encircling their two leaders. The large gathering stood dozens deep around us; I remained, without remark or reaction, on the inside edge of the group as his commander reported. “We’re a day’s protected ride from the Roman front line. Their numbers are spread over open ground.”

“Have we preyed upon them?” Velloc asked.

“Yes. Our scouts delivered word that our night raids weaken them. They pull in tighter as we pick off their exposed men on the outer edges.”

Velloc nodded. “Good. Go and rest. Tomorrow we join our brothers.”

Velloc led our horses to a copse of pines and tied their reins to a gnarled pine branch. Across from them, he settled against the base of a wide oak, its enormous trunk deformed into a cradle. He opened his arms up in invitation, and I sank against his side under our impromptu shelter.

Excitement for the impending encounter kept me awake. Thoughts lit up my mind about what we’d find; how the enemy would handle our preemptive strike; and where, in all the action, I would be. What role would I play?

I fidgeted against Velloc’s chest, nervous energy releasing from my body. I sighed, trying to sink into numb mindlessness. He lay there calmly, never flinching, his breaths steady and even. I draped an arm and leg over him, pulling myself further into his body heat. He wrapped an arm around me, beneath my fur, rubbing callused fingertips up and down my back. The gesture soothed me.

“Velloc?”

“Yes, Isobel.” His low, graveled voice uttered my name like a growled purr.

“Will I be in the fight?” I asked.

“No.” He stopped caressing, his hand gripping my back tight.

“What would you have me do? Where will I be?” I wondered.

“You want to see the battle, but I need to feel you’re safe for me to fight without distraction. You’ll watch from a high vantage point.”

“But you trained me to fight. I can help,” I countered. A sudden need to be involved erupted from somewhere deep within, the undeniable urge surprising me.

Velloc shook his head sharply. “Our numbers are great enough. One woman will make no difference to the outcome either way.”

His meaning hit me with the silencing force of a sucker punch to the stomach. He hadn’t meant the insult, but the gravity of my plight flowed heavy in my veins, weighing on my heart.

What if I didn’t matter? Could my presence be a giant fluke? Had I been nothing more than casual entertainment . . . a diversion to alleviate the boredom of those that created the game? Skopius and Orion had indicated that I played a vital role. They said my very existence mattered.

I pressed my lips on Velloc’s bare chest, breathing in his masculine scent as my thoughts coalesced. My journey had been more than a coincidental fall down time’s rabbit hole.

Nothing had been written in stone of my outcome. I still lived, affecting lives in two worlds. No way in hell would I simply lie down, letting the events unfolding around me dictate my fate.

Isobel MacInnes remained the same feisty woman who’d fought for her place in a man’s academic field in the twenty-first century. That fighter inside me would carve her place in every realm until my very last breath.

I spread an open palm across Velloc’s chest, feeling his heart beat strongly beneath my splayed fingers. Forces beyond my control may have landed me here, but I had a mission to accomplish.

The people closest to me had become my priority, but they’d also played a large part in shaping the woman I’d become. Iain, Velloc, Skorpius, and Orion—they’d all had a hand in changing me. Not only had I grown as a woman, I’d become a warrior.

Those yin–yang angels had said the role I played was as an observer.

Observer.

My.

Ass.

My lips, still pressed against his skin, spread into a confident smile. I inhaled the sweet scent of victory before it had been granted, knowing it would.

“Velloc, you couldn’t be more wrong.” The statement flowed out as a whispered conviction. “One woman will make all the difference in the world.”

CHAPTER Thirty-two

Extraordinary dreams—aspirations of a girl impacting historical record—dwarfed in the shadow of the giant reality that loomed ahead. Tens of thousands of Roman soldiers covered the land like ants spilling out in angry thunder over their disturbed hill.

I slid off Malibu’s back, my jaw falling open at an incredible sight that no camera had ever captured and no objective record had ever detailed. Emboldened by the sheer number of our allies, the protection of higher ground, and the cover of thick forest, I stepped to the edge of the tree cover, allowing the bright afternoon sun to bath my skin in her warmth.

That same light glinted off the metal backs of a sea of trespassers who foolishly staked their egotistical claim out in the open. In complete disregard, they stretched across the land like a napping sunbather on a deserted beach.

In spite of our nightly attacks, I suspected they had no idea of the magnitude of the force about to descend upon them. A patient and ready aggressor, Picts would lie in wait up to their nostrils in the middle of a marsh for days for the perfect time to strike. The naïve Romans had no concept of the sleeping bear they’d poked.

A gentle tug at my hand pulled my glance over my shoulder. Velloc led me over to where Sennian crouched below the ridge. We joined him as he spied on the Roman troops. Several stands of trees camouflaged us from the kind of detection that only high-powered binoculars would yield.

“How will we attack?” I whispered into Velloc’s ear, uncertain of how my bold inquisition would’ve been taken by his commander.

Velloc spoke to Sennian as if unprovoked by my question. “I’ll meet with the other chieftains. Tonight we change the way we attack.” He slid a glance my way. “A well-fought battle defeats your enemy in mind as well as in body.”

I nodded. Fear of Pict warriors had been documented long before any confrontations had taken place. They’d been viewed as crazed aboriginals with magick on their side, and the Roman’s uncertainty of the strange and menacing foe had settled into their minds long before a weapon had ever been drawn. Defeat began on the psychological battlefield.

Not privy to Velloc’s discussions with the heads of the other tribes, I waited with the rest of his men. Nervous fingers stroked the blade strapped my thigh. In my other hand I held a spear, gripping and releasing the smooth wooden handle to a rhythm I’d developed in my head.

The slow adrenaline drip that my body naturally fed into my veins magnified the few hours of hard sleep I’d claimed. With the enemy so close, and the charged energy in the air all around us, alert didn’t begin to describe the heightened state of awareness I felt.

* * *

Gloaming descended, then faded away, diminishing light to the point where shadows no longer existed, and yet, were everywhere. Velloc had used the time to spread bluish woad on his fingers, streaking them across my face and running his hands in patterns across my body. The temporary tattoos marked me as his and would provide the protection of their gods. The blood-clotting properties of the herb would aid in healing if any of us were unfortunate enough to meet the edge of a blade.

The men had shed their clothes. Many held spears in one hand and a small shield in the other. Some had no personal weapons at all, but worked in teams to ready the larger weapons integral to our strategic attack. Uncertain as to what I should be doing, I began unfastening my clothes.

Velloc’s hand stayed my action, and I glanced up at him. My dark warrior, wearing a gleaming gold torque around his neck, shook his head.

His lips crushed down onto mine, urgency and passion flowing between us. I melted into his body, returning my feelings in our hard kiss. He broke contact and gripped my shoulders, pulling back before we got carried away. A hard stare straight to my soul branded his love into my heart without him ever uttering a word. My eyes blurred from tears, my love for him burning through every pore in my body. He nodded, my unspoken reply having been received.

“Stay to the back.” He repeated things we’d discussed throughout the tense day: we wanted both of us to remain safe and alive; our focus had to be on the task at hand; my cooperation in following his orders eased his mind, ensuring our safety.

“Yes. I’ll shift to keep our men between us and the enemy. I’ll move with the speed and agility of a cat.” I spoke with the confidence of my training.

Velloc laughed. Pride settled onto his features, the smile lingering on his face and in his eyes. The backs of his fingers caressed my cheek, and I closed my eyes, relishing the gentle touch.

“You be the cat. Anyone comes too close, bare your claws and rip their throat out with your teeth.” He grinned, clearly pleased with the idea of my viciousness.

“I’ll deliver their heart to you, my love, for attempting to touch your woman.”

He snorted. “You should be at the front. The Romans won’t have any idea the most beautiful is the deadliest.”

Velloc clapped my shoulder harder than I’d expected. I stumbled forward and laughed, watching him walk away as he checked the readiness of his men. The rough gesture served as a sober reminder; I stood among strong men about to fight to the death for their home and freedom. Weakness had no place here. Only the strong would survive.

Every action on our field of battle reminded me of my place. Each Caledonian descending from the mountains today, versus any other day, had come because of me. Were it not for the information I’d provided—Roman propaganda of their supposed glorious battle and victory—the encounter unfolding before my eyes would not exist.

My inner scientist thrilled at the chance to participate in perhaps the greatest mysterious battle in Highland historical record. Morality about having influenced a defense-turned-offense scattered into the cold wind.

A hush fell across the masses gathered in the forest. Our men remained together—one tribe among dozens, hundreds of men among thousands—as we closed in on the enemy.

Guided by Roman campfires that blanketed the black canvas as beacons, we crept our way along the edge of the forest, across the open plain, and to the perimeter of their camp. No alarm sounded. No one stood guard, which surprised me given the many recent tribal attacks. Complacency bred folly. Their faith in the night being like any other was severely misguided.

Velloc remained glued to my side the entire advance. Sennian led the group. Upon some sign I hadn’t picked up on, Velloc squeezed my forearm and left me buried deep in their protection. He worked his way to the edge as everyone fanned around the encampment. We floated through the night under the camouflage of darkness while our enemy remained blinded by firelight.

The scent of smoke drifted into my nostrils, and I turned my head toward fresher air; not a twig had snapped, no rustle had been heard, no way in hell would I give us away with a cough.

A hawk’s cry sounded into the still night. Our sea of men flooded into the shallow tide pool. As agreed, I held a defensive position in the center of our assault team.

Through the wide angle of an observer’s lens, I watched as hundreds of our men worked in swift unison, dispatching their prey. Guerilla warfare at its finest played out before my eyes. The Picts attacked in a blur as Romans were stabbed faster than my eyes could follow. Our Caereni moved in unison, seemingly protecting me no matter where I advanced.

My gaze shifted, focusing on Velloc. He wiped his bloodied blade on the pants of one dead man, sliced the throat of another by the fire, and thrust a spear through a third man’s chest before I inhaled my next breath.

Nothing went exactly the way we planned, however, just like the way all events had unfolded in my recent life. With Roman numbers far greater than ours, alarm shouts rang out from the Roman mouths we couldn’t silence in time. The true fight began.

Like a wildfire spreading, mayhem erupted everywhere. Soldiers swarmed forward from the center of the Roman encampment. I whirled around to find more of them behind us. We were surrounded. Our surprise attack on the outskirts had done nothing to prevent an obviously prepared enemy from outmaneuvering us.

Velloc bolted to my side. He shoved me behind him, facing the closest enemy attacking. His tribesmen fanned out in a loose circle, protecting us in the center. I watched a shadowed kaleidoscope of movement as our warriors ebbed and flowed, attacking and retreating, picking off Roman soldiers as they advanced and tightening back to protect the tribe as a unit.

I clutched a shield, holding it to my forearm, protecting my chest. My other hand loosely gripped a spear, balancing the weight, ready to tighten and thrust in muscle memory of Velloc’s rigorous training.

I rotated with Velloc, scanning the deadly rapid-fire activity happening around us. Grunts of exertion and cries of pain tortured my ears. The putrid smell of death and kicked-up dust filled my nostrils. I quelled my innate gag reflex; the battlefield was no time to get sick. Velloc safeguarded me as his men fought in a defensive formation to protect their leader.

Without warning, half a dozen Romans burst through the protective line. Velloc turned, knocking one attacker hard with his shield. The man’s own velocity turned him abruptly. A flash of metal later, the soldier crumpled to the ground, his throat slit.

An influx of Picts from other tribes helped to a degree, but did nothing to balance the sliding odds as more and more Romans pressed into the fray. Velloc’s men, and every additional Pict, had their hands full defending against strikes and blows.

Three soldiers rushed Velloc, one from behind. A cry of warning stuck in my throat as two Romans stepped between us, stealing my attention. Their evil smiles told me my woad-painted face and tangled hair did nothing to hide the fact that a woman stood before them on a field of battle. Hungry eyes traveled down my body as they advanced in gradual steps, holding their shields, but not raising their weapons.

I gripped my spear and aimed it dead center at the one to the left. He paused. The other took a step forward, and I moved the razor-sharp iron tip, pointing it at the one advancing.

My heart raced. Adrenaline pumped. I stood amid chaos and carnage, facing men who obviously wanted to capture me if they could, but would kill me without thought if I forced their hand. No part of me allowed either scenario, but my training would take me only so far. The opponents I faced had lived and breathed a life of war.

Advantage always fell on the shoulders of the one underestimated, though. If they thought my hesitancy a weakness, their choice to capture a woman would be their last mistake.

One leapt at me. I thrust my spear, lunging into his center mass as I threw my shoulder and arm into the motion. The strike would’ve made solid contact had my target not turned and grabbed the spear, yanking me forward. I stumbled into him. In reflex, I whirled around as his arm snaked around me from behind. My hand shot to my thigh, unsheathing my sword. His friend came closer, an evil grin on his face.

I raised my hand and jabbed backward. The blade sank into my captor’s midsection, and his hold on me loosened. In fluid seconds, I twisted the hilt as I bent and grasped the ax at my ankle, arced it up, and buried it into the heart of his friend. Shocked eyes stared back at me as drops of blood trickled out of his gaping mouth. I yanked both weapons tightly into my chest, ready to defend myself, as my two victims fell to the ground.

More Romans poured in all around us. We were in over our head. The Picts needed to pull back; a continued presence would be mass suicide. Our warriors had no pride getting in the way of self-preservation, and neither did I.

I searched for Velloc. We locked gazes. He had blood spattered across his blue-tattooed face and chest, strands of his long, dark hair stuck to his neck, and I thought he’d never looked more beautiful—a brave warrior fighting to protect his homeland, his people . . . me.

He shoved through fighting men, making his way toward me. I took a path of least resistance, angling between pairs of combatants, running in Velloc’s direction.

Suddenly, terror spread across Velloc’s face. I followed his gaze, spinning around.

A Roman launched my own spear into the air. The weapon flew with straight precision, exactly as it had been designed. I froze as the spear sailed toward me, my brain failing to send messages fast enough to make my muscles move.

The world spun. I landed hard on the ground, my face hitting the dirt. A crushing heaviness lay across my back. Breath was impossible. I pushed, squirming, trying to escape the suffocating confinement. The weight lifted and a strong grip on either arm pulled me from the ground. Sennian held me.

Sennian’s lips pressed into a grim line as he glanced behind me. I panicked, whirling around. Another tribesman held a limp body in his arms.

Velloc!

Bright blood covered his chest.

My heart stopped.

I struggled in Sennian’s hold, but his impenetrable arms locked down around me. A burning ache flooded my chest, scorching a hole with every beat as I looked at the lifeless form of the man I loved. A sob escaped, and I gasped for oxygen.

Every Caereni warrior around us cleared a path, hacking through the enemy with a renewed force fueled from anger. A few of our tribe were injured, some had died, but none had impacted them like the loss of their leader.

Sennian maintained a protective hold on me, guiding me behind those that rushed Velloc off the battlefield. I clung to the hope that he’d only been injured. The fierceness of the battle on open ground allowed no time or shelter for first aid.

Two Romans stepped into our path. The tribesmen leading our escape slashed into them as if they’d sliced heated blades into soft butter. After a few hundred feet, we met no further resistance. The enemy had their wounds to lick; we had ours.

The moment we breached the protection of the forest, Sennian released me as Velloc’s body was gently laid upon the ground. Velloc didn’t move. Tears streamed down my face, and my fingers trembled uncontrollably as I approached him. Dark red covered the center of a chest that failed to rise. The spear must have pierced his heart from the back when he tackled me to save me. Its iron tip broke no skin on my body, yet had struck a deadly blow to my heart all the same.

I collapsed onto him, racked with sobs. My carelessness, my very presence on the battlefield, had cost the man I loved his life. Jumbled emotions—regret, anger, sadness—caused me such heart-wrenching pain, I wished I’d been the one to take the spear.

A heavy hand squeezed my shoulder, and I glanced up through bleary eyes.

Sennian.

He pulled me up into his arms and held me while I shook like a nearly drowned cat pulled from an icy lake. Finally, the tears ceased, a numb calm spreading into my veins like a morphine injection.

As my body settled down, I pushed away from protection I didn’t want. Sennian released his hold, and I turned around to face harsh reality. Everything felt foreign.

My state of shock lifted me out of my head, casting me aloft as an observer to the events going on around me. Two men carefully wrapped Velloc’s body in discarded furs and draped the bundle with reverent care over his horse.

With my head vacant of thoughts, I walked toward Malibu, but Sennian intercepted me.

I looked into pleading, darkened eyes. Onyx hair framed his dirty, blue-painted face. “Isobel, ride with me. I can protect you, and Velloc would want you safe.”

By default, Sennian had become tribal leader, even if no one formally acknowledged the fact yet. I sighed. Reason hadn’t returned to my traumatized mind, and I had no strength left to argue.

With no reply as answer enough, Sennian guided me to his stallion. He mounted the animal first then gripped my upper arms firmly, hoisting me up in front of him. The rest of our tribesmen quickly gathered the last of the belongings, preparing to leave.

A small group struck out ahead of us, heading back north. Sennian’s arms caged me protectively as he grabbed the reins, leading his horse to follow the others into the dense forest.

Enough moonlight broke through sparse cloud cover to illuminate several riders ahead. My unblinking eyes stared at the horse that carried its fur-wrapped burden. The slow pace and somber mood made it seem like the funeral procession had already begun.

Thankful I could see his body, rather than have it ominously behind us, I found small comfort in knowing that even in death, Velloc remained in good hands. I wondered if his soul had gone elsewhere. Surely, it had gone somewhere, his energy in life having connected so readily to the world and all its living creatures.

I growled. Feelings of loss and frustration at the beautiful facets of a vibrant man whose life had been cut short—who would never take another breath—threatened to overwhelm me again. I needed to get out of my heart and back into my head to make it through the journey.

“Talk to me, Sennian. What about the battle?”

I felt his chest inhale deeply and exhale slowly against my back.

“Tonight’s battle is over. Our attack wounded them severely in body and mind. Now we see if the enemy retreats and reconsiders a foolish claim on land they will never hold.”

“How will you know?” The tribes had all packed up and left, from what I’d seen.

“Scouts will remain. There’s no need to stay when we’re only a few days ride from home.”

Home.

A bright moment of clarity pierced through the heavy shroud of depression. “Sennian, we have to go to the Lugi first. We need to meet with Drust. Velloc would’ve insisted upon it.”

Sennian’s entire body moved, his chin brushing the top of my head as he nodded. “Very well, Isobel. The Lugi are on our way.”

The moment I visualized Brodie Castle, that strong, familiar tug of energy pulled at my core. In my darkest hour, I smiled. Something along the timeline had clicked a stuck tumbler into place, unlocking the passage out of Velloc’s world.

Like a silent boarding call for the only passenger on the plane that could ever hear it . . .

I’d been summoned . . . home.

CHAPTER Thirty-three

A cold wind bit at my wet skin as I rose from the hot spring, but I ignored the discomfort. Linen towels warmed by a nearby fire were wrapped around me. Attendants led me over by the flames and sat me down on a stone bench.

Scota’s friendly face smiled as she knelt before me. She took a dampened cloth and wiped my face. With careful precision, she dipped a brush into a pot of woad paint and traced over the faint stain marks, darkening every symbol that Velloc had painted less than twenty-four hours ago.

I dressed with care. After I politely declined a fresh change of clothes, my clothing had been cleaned, thanks to Scota’s thoughtfulness.

As I pulled on my leather pants, tying the strands at the waist, I remembered how Velloc had left part of my outfit for me that first morning in his village. I fastened the same bikini top, recalling every time he deftly removed the scrap of material with a pull of his fingers and a smirk on his face.

With a duck of my head, I slung the bow and quiver of arrows over my back. I squatted and strapped my ax to my ankle. I rose up and adjusted the scabbard hanging on my left hip. My fur, fastened by a jewel-encrusted, golden torque gifted from Scota, draped over my left shoulder.

The women surrounded me as we walked together toward the sea. We passed by a line of Caereni tribesmen who fanned along the entire edge of the cliff as far as I could see.

Sennian, Drust, and many elder tribesmen joined the procession as we made our way down to the beach. We descended winding steps that had been cut into the earth and fortified with stone.

A small crescent of golden beach lined a bay that calmed the power of the ocean’s waves. An enormous funeral pyre built upon buoyant logs gently rose and fell with the lapping of the water. Velloc’s body lay in peaceful repose at the top.

I walked to the edge of the structure, kissed my fingers, and placed them briefly on his cold, blue lips. My hand dropped to my side, gripping the hilt of the sword he’d lovingly trained me on.

“Velloc, I love you. Beyond this world, wherever you are, our bond remains. You are forever a part of me. I’m who I am today because of you. You not only helped shape the woman, you created the warrior.”

Tears filled my eyes. I took a deep breath, willing the waterworks away. They’d been shed all day. I’d cried for hours until the dead sleep of exhaustion had claimed me. But the short time I’d had for mourning had come and gone.

Only a whisper made it past my cramped throat. “I know you’re still with me, watching. Your best warrior?” I smiled, cherishing the reminder. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

With a sharp nod, I stepped back. Drust motioned to the elders as Sennian moved to my side.

The men unfastened the rope anchoring the vessel to a metal stake and tossed it onto the pyre’s wooden base. With two men on either side, they pushed the craft out into the water, wading up to their thighs as they guided it out. On a count together, they gave a final shove and the monument to a great leader, tribute to a courageous warrior, the last earthly remains of the man himself was set to sea toward the east at nearly the exact moment the sun set to the west.

The flames of a fire blazed on the beach to my far right. An archer lit an arrow and held it midshaft in his fist, thrusting it high in the air. The ridgeline rippled with motion; in a rapid wave, lighted arrows illuminated the edge of the curving cliff.

I looked forward again. Our archer’s arrow had been nocked and drawn. He glanced at me out of respect, and I nodded.

His arrow flew, straight and true, into the base of the structure. Pitch must have sealed the joints between the wood, because the entire vessel ignited into a raging firestorm within seconds.

A volley of flaming arrows followed. Brilliant orange points of fire arched over us and landed into the waves, snuffed out by the cold water. The North Sea’s current stole away the blazing inferno, pulling it toward the horizon line and out of sight toward the south.

Velloc’s body may have left, but I felt him.

With each heartbeat and every breath, I would forever remember how he was instrumental in shaping the strong person that I’d become. Velloc had become a permanent part of me—a true soul mate that transcended the physical world.

I took a fortifying breath and turned, climbing the stone-lined steps alone. I walked through the heart of Drust’s village with a steeled mind, stray villagers I passed becoming part of the landscape.

On a singular mission, I’d dressed to pay my respects to a warrior who gave his life for me in his world. I’d armed myself, intending to save the life of a warrior in another.

I didn’t need to remember my way back to the shrine Drust had erected to house the artifact as cherished by his people as it was by me, The Traveler. The relic had tied itself to me in such a way, I felt as if I had an internal GPS to the damn thing. By the time I stepped into the small, circular structure, it vibrated with incredible intensity.

I had no misgivings about leaving the world of the Picts without saying goodbye. Although I’d been accepted as one of them by the Caereni tribe, by Drust and the Lugi, and by Dotán and Scota and other friends I’d made along the way . . . I didn’t belong here any longer.

My heart had left the Pict world the moment Velloc’s stopped beating. I now belonged in Iain’s world.

In many ways, I belonged in no world . . .

As I lowered a steady hand onto the box that had governed my fate with two men in three worlds over the span of two thousand years, a newborn strength stretched its legs within me like a deadly jungle cat roused from a long nap . . . hungry and ready for the hunt.

A slow smirk curled my lips. “I belong to time itself.”

I slammed my hand down hard, connecting the circuit, sending me home.

* * *

I landed on braced feet in Iain’s shadow-filled, thirteenth-century study. On the next heartbeat, I whirled back around and barged into the cloudy dimension of angels and visions. A warrior on a mission, I intended to pack my arsenal with every weapon known to man . . . and then some.

I shouted into the misty ether. “Sunshine! Where the hell are you?”

White crystalline particles floated around me as I marched forward. I stopped, my biceps and thighs tensing, my chest heaving. With determination, I lowered my head, closing my eyes.

Power in all the soft-and-fluffy worked off of the whole your-wish-your-command concept. I visualized the larger-than-life form of Skorpius: black wings, raven hair, strong jaw, dazzling blue-green eyes, and just the right amount of attitude.

A menacing presence raised the hair on the back of my neck. I stood my ground, leaving my back to an entity that could obliterate me from existence with one bored exhalation. I knew it. He knew I knew it. No need to discuss the obvious.

Perfect. I smiled. The kind of control I wielded continued to amaze me. “Well, well. Think of a sugar-frosted Cupcake and one magically appears. I conjured you straight from my mind.”

An intrusive pressure pushed into my mind, Sunshine’s low voice echoing as if he’d uttered the words from his lips. “Imagine that . . .”

I gasped, chills racing down my spine.

Low laughter boomed bass tones into my body. “And ‘hell’? Isn’t that rather oxymoronic?”

Irritated at his amusement, I crossed my arms, jutting my left hip out. My short sword swayed with the movement. “Whatever, Sunshine. Look, much as I’d love to spar words, I don’t have time for pleasantries. I have a man to save.”

A snort parted the loose hair on my nape. “Go on. I’m listening.”

I turned and leaned forward, glaring straight up at the creature as his darkness towered over me. With a rod of a finger forged straight from the steel of my spine, I poked hard into the center of his sternum. “You . . . are going to help me.”

Another snort fanned hot air across my cheeks. His sparkling, faceted eyes narrowed, taking true measure of my worth. With a click, he set his jaw as he seemed to swallow my attitude.

I felt like the cockiest slayer before the legendary fire-breathing dragon. Not one ounce of me cared. I notched my chin higher, setting my shoulders back, daring him to defy me.

A slow smile spread across his face, turning his menacing demeanor deadly. “Well, today is your lucky day, Runt.”

I didn’t move. Not a muscle in my body would twitch until I had everything I needed.

The overpowering nature of the male arching over me intensified as his voice filled my head again. “Ahhh, but you do have everything you need, Ms. MacInnes. Remember? Your wish? My command.”

My urgency tamped down a tremendous urge to break into a grin at the power he suggested. Sunshine’s barbs kept me sober to the mission at hand.

“Again with the ‘Ms. MacInnes’ shit?” I grumbled and turned, expecting him to follow.

“Does it irritate you?” he asked. The sound of his voice boomed ahead of me, coming from the darkness of the portal, even though I couldn’t see his form.

“Yes.”

“Then, yes, Ms. MacInnes.”

I grunted in appreciation of his thoughtfulness and stepped through the portal.

Both feet landed solidly on the cold stone floor as I stared at the toes of my leather Pict boots. With a unique heightened sense of awareness, I distinguished the power of the wall behind me, the energy snapping through my veins, and the undeniable presence of Skorpius that I felt but couldn’t see.

I stormed from the room in my deerskin pants and halter top without giving a damn who saw me. Iain could get good and pissed at me again, and I would love every damn minute of it.

The dark corridor led to a silent great hall of an abandoned castle. The only sounds that penetrated the creepy quiet were the breaths from my charged lungs. Shafts of light from the clerestory windows illuminated suspended dust motes seconds before I strode through them.

Adrenaline fired superhero strength into my arm as I pulled open the heavy front door like it had been bladed on ice. A bright, blue-sky day belied the graveness that had descended onto the clan. No one trained in the courtyard. Children were absent from play. Besides the occasional person walking from one cottage to another, everyone had gone into homebound lockdown.

I leveled a glare beyond the castle grounds, where our clan’s attackers had lain in wait, and pulled my gaze closer in, surveying all that fell under my protection. No one and nothing would stand in my way of fighting for them.

An enemy who dared take our leader—brazen fools that had put every soul here in jeopardy—had become my target.

Fire blazed in my heart.

Fight whipped through my veins.

With one love lost in the heat of battle, I refused to lose another. Flames scorched into my nostrils as a raging beast I’d never known existed awakened, ready to obliterate everything in its path.

I strode down the hill toward the stables with single-minded purpose.

In my tightened fist, I gripped the hilt of the short sword strapped to my hip. Velloc had trained me well. We both had no idea the skills he’d helped me hone into sharp reflexes would be used to save his rival—the other man in my life.

Now . . . the only man in my life.

I burst through the closed doors of the stable, heading down the fenced stalls in search of a suitable mount. The stable boy with the bright red hair watched in shocked silence as I chose a brilliant white mare I’d never seen before. She pawed the ground while her ears trained forward, as if she was excited to see me, as if she knew my presence meant her freedom.

“She ready for battle?” I asked, stroking a flat palm down her velvet neck while I unlatched the stall door. The horse buried her muzzle into my hair, learning my scent.

“Aye, M’Lady. No one would take her. Laird had been trainin’ her . . . as a gift . . . for you.”

My breath hitched, my heart melting. Damn, that man never failed to surprise me.

I opened the gate. She walked forward, but not beyond me. The beautiful beast led me out into the courtyard.

“No need for a saddle or bridle?” I glanced at the wide-eyed youth.

“Nay. Laird trained her like his stallion,” the boy replied.

“Perfect,” I murmured, the word meant for Iain.

I turned my head, not quite glancing over my shoulder. “Her name?”

A secret gift to me.

Bright white to black midnight.

His shadow to my light.

Dubhar . . .

“Solus,” I whispered the perfect counterpart as the stable boy shouted the name.

With a hand pressed to the base of her neck and a spring from my thighs, I leapt to her back a split second before she charged off. I launched both hands into her mane and gripped her with my thighs, gaining balance as she raced through the courtyard.

An observant eye up in the watchtower caught our fast approach and lowered the drawbridge just in time for us to gallop over the wooden beams without breaking stride. In seconds, we devoured the distance between the curtain wall and the forest’s edge.

Under the cover of the forest, I opened my senses, amplifying every sound that wasn’t generated by the horse as she unleashed her pent-up energy. The sun’s bright beams pierced ample light through the sparse canopy, giving us plenty of visual warning of any danger ahead. I felt Sunshine’s power traveling with me in some manner. Together, our energy resonated outward.

I had no idea where we needed to go, but some inexplicable sense told me it didn’t matter. My internal compass had pointed us in the direction we headed, and I felt we were expected.

I smiled broadly. Fine. Go ahead. Think you know what to expect. Underestimate me. Please.

The usual forest chatter quieted, an eerie absence of sound filling the space thicker than the surrounding dense brush.

We’d arrived.

Without any indication of whether those that surrounded us were friend or foe, I proceeded forward. Cockiness born of rage made me believe no enemy of Iain’s would harm a woman, even a well-armed woman. In fact, shock at my unusual appearance might give them pause—hesitation would become opportunity in disguise.

Through the broadcasted silent treatment, I sensed an approach long before I saw or heard the rustle of leaves. With a firm squeeze of my thighs, the well-trained Solus came to a stop, her ears switching back and forth at the sounds closing in on us.

Robert appeared from the brush, flanked by Duncan and Calum. I exhaled a held breath and dismounted, jumping down to the ground. I stood before the threesome who stood as an imposing wall of broad chests and massive legs spread in wide stance.

“M’Lady, why are you here?” Robert’s gaze traveled from the Pict paint on my face, across to the sword on my hip, and down to the ax strapped above my right foot. He folded his large arms over his chest, nodding understanding, if not agreement.

“Robert, who the fuck has him? Tell me where to go.” I kept my voice low and steady in an attempt not to belie my thundering heart.

Robert’s jaw dropped. “Nay.” He shook his head. “You’re not goin’ in there.”

“I am. Where are they? Camped somewhere?” My gaze flicked behind them, but all I saw was the green of the forest.

“Aye. They’ve dozens of tents lining the inlet below. We’ve sent emissaries to negotiate, and they’ve seen Iain. He’s alive”—his voice dropped—“barely. We’ve tried everythin’. They only want one thing: the one thing Iain cannot relinquish and swore his life to protect.”

His meaning dawned on me. “The box.”

“Aye,” Robert grumbled. “Not that we’d give them a single stalk of wheat.”

“Well, they’ll be given something more valuable than the box. In exchange for Iain, I’m offering myself.”

“Och, Isobel. I’ll never agree to that. Iain would rather die than allow such a thing to pass.”

I smiled, arching a brow. “Robert, trust me. They have no idea who I am. Not one of those poor souls has any clue what I’m capable of. By the time I’m through with them, my name will be whispered in their legends.”

He glared at me. “Nay.”

I walked up to Robert and patted his forearm in reassurance that I knew wouldn’t be received. With arched brows and a pointed look toward his two men, I dismissed them. At Robert’s imperceptible nod, they disappeared back into the brush.

With a voice as smooth as spun silk, I said, “Robert. You either point the way, or I will wander about in the open. Don’t see my defiance as insubordination; I’m not one of your soldiers. It is my responsibility—as much as it is yours—to keep the clan safe.”

Robert growled in frustration. He lowered his head and shook it slowly as if he thought he’d gone mad for even listening to me.

I whispered the clincher. “Besides, you do know where I go when I disappear, right?”

Robert sighed. “Aye.”

He didn’t clarify. I didn’t ask.

“Then you also have no idea what I’m capable of, do you?”

Robert looked down at me, straight in the eye. “Nay, M’Lady. I do not. I’ll tell you all you need to know and protect you as best I can.”

He turned around and parted the bushes, waiting for me to pass through.

A message boomed into my head, and I jumped.

“Impressive, Ms. MacInnes.”

I laughed at Sunshine’s rare compliment as I followed Robert through the woods to strategize—first for a rescue . . . then for an annihilation.

CHAPTER Thirty-four

Beyond the Forests of Clan Brodie—Thirteenth Century

Dozens of white tents stretched across an open field beyond the protection of the forest. Men ambled about carrying out tasks as if today were any other day. Smaller copses of oak and pine dotted a trail to the enemy camp.

Enemy camp.

What a joke compared to what I’d witnessed. After provoking an entire legion of Roman soldiers, the handful before me? Child’s play.

“Stay to the shadows.” Sunshine’s reminder filtered into my mind.

Not one stubborn cell in my body questioned the commanded suggestion of my backup that would be instrumental in my risky endeavor. The eyes of hundreds of my restless Highlanders watched through the trees as I embarked on a mission that I’d insisted upon and that they’d vehemently balked at. “Suicide,” Robert had whispered with such anger he’d nearly shouted.

I crept beneath tree-provided shade with the agility of a cat on the hunt, easing ever closer to my prey. Slow is smooth. Smooth is . . . deadly.

Behind the last gnarled trunk, I stopped. Bound energy hammered through my veins. Fueled muscles yearned to unleash the power of their adrenaline-sparked charge. Raw anger burned a fire so hot at my core, each swallow scorched my throat and every breath singed my nostrils.

Fearless, I strode toward the main tent, stepping from the shadows into the light. No audible alarm sounded. Two larger men dressed in their red-and-black plaid, one red haired and one flaxen, angled toward me. Our paths collided a few yards before my destination.

Red moved into every inch of my personal space, blocking me. “You are verra lost, wee lass.”

I glared up into cold, blue eyes, stepping between him and his friend. “Do I look lost to you?”

Not awaiting a response, I shouldered past them, walking straight up to their leader’s tent. Growls grumbling behind me told me I’d acquired two escorts.

I scoffed at the closed entrance flap, shot an arm up, and barged into the lion’s den. My narrowed eyes scanned the room. Colorful cushions lined the ground. A wooden table and three chairs stood in a corner. A narrow table along the back wall held a line of dripping rushlights. I ignored the stench . . . from more than the candles.

Directly to my right, I felt a presence.

No fear. Stupid man.

I tilted my head, tracking him peripherally. “Stewart. The man I wanted to see.”

A gruff laugh followed. “Aye, lass. Aren’t you a sight, with your painted face and wild hair.”

I slid an irritated glance toward him. He stood weaponless. At a good six-ten or so, with shoulders carved from mountains and hands the size of treetops, the man needed no additional aid in the weaponry department.

His predatory gaze traveled along my body. “Och, you are a brave one. I’m shocked you made it all the way into my tent without being disarmed.”

I turned fully toward him. “Your men must have thought you needed to see me as I stand. Wise men.”

“Aye, they are. What business do you have with me?” he asked.

“Iain.”

Instant understanding showed on his face as the uttered name conveyed volumes.

“Ahhh, you are Iain’s. Only a woman who loves a man would dare such a thing. Come to rescue him, did you?”

I laughed. “Do you really think little ol’ me could snatch anything from you?”

He snorted, his shoulders shaking with restrained laughter. “Nay. ’Tis impossible. Tell me, what do you want, if not a rescue?”

“I understand you want the box.”

Stewart smiled. “You’ve been well informed.”

I leveled a hard stare at my adversary. “You have not.”

Stewart’s jaw popped. His massive chest inflated with a deep inhalation. “Enlighten me.”

“You first,” I countered. “What do you know of the box?”

Stewart folded his arms, eyes narrowing. With slow steps he circled me, gaze traveling up and down my body, assessing deeper than what his eyes could see. I held my ground, relaxed and unmoving.

He stopped, and I turned, facing him again.

His tongue slid along the upper row of his teeth before he spoke. “I know all I need to. The box holds magick. It makes the castle disappear.”

I laughed. “You are truly misinformed. It is not the box that makes the castle disappear.”

He raised his eyebrows.

A deadly confident smile spread across my face. “I do.”

Stewart’s eyes widened. “Och, woman, you’ve gone mad. I’d never believe such folly.”

With deliberate care, I reached toward my left hip. I flicked a glance toward the hilt and back up at Stewart, conveying my intent. “May I?”

He dipped his head, his watchful gaze never leaving my eyes.

Using an index finger and thumb, I pinched the end of the sword, freeing it from its leather scabbard. I rested the blade on the palm of my other hand, offering up the weapon to my enemy for his inspection.

Stewart made no move to look down. I waited. After a good minute or more, he broke the staring match, dropping his gaze to see what I held. The intricate metal designs in the cross of the hilt would tell a man of war—bred from a culture with oral traditions steeped in lore—what he needed to know.

He gasped. His brows furrowed deeply as his gaze flew back up to my eyes and scanned my blue-painted face anew. “Pict,” he whispered, shaking his head. “Impossible.”

I smiled, sheathing the weapon without permission. “And yet, here I stand.”

“That tells me naught,” he gruffed.

“Well, allow me to show you everything.”

Sunshine?

One minute, I stood in Stewart’s shadow. The next, a cocoon of gloss-black wings blocked my vision. With a slight adjustment, the feathers canted, enabling a view of my surroundings. The spicy-sweet scent of cinnamon wafted into my nostrils . . . from Sunshine?

Stewart roared, spinning around. He swiped at the air where I’d stood, but his arms sifted right through me—us.

“Had enough yet?” My bored tone masked the vibrating urgency I had to get to Iain. Patience. Patience, then reward.

“Aye, woman. Aye.” Resignation stained Stewart’s tone.

Sunshine’s wings vanished. Stewart growled, glaring at me as I stood before him once again. “Tell me what you want, woman.”

“Hand over Iain.”

Stewart chuckled. “I’ll do no such thing.”

Anger erupted uncontrolled from the depths of my soul. My arm shot out. Stuttered, shadowy images followed in the wake of my punch. A hard fist connected to sternum, and the impact of a speeding car slamming against a brick wall threw the behemoth Highlander ten feet backward, crashing loudly into the far table.

Niiice.

“Thank you,” Sunshine silently replied.

Toppled candles ignited the backside of the tent in hungry flames. My escort posse barged in. I spun around in time to see Sunshine materialize, knock both arms back, and plant iron fists into each man’s face. Before they dropped to the ground, Sunshine vanished.

Stewart moaned, dragging himself up. I walked over to him, and he stared at me in wide-eyed bewilderment.

“Iain. Now.”

Smoke rapidly filled the space. Stewart coughed as he glared and stepped beyond me. I followed him out of the tent.

An entire clan of enemy warriors faced me when I stepped into daylight. Tension crackled into the air, but not one man flinched. They obeyed Stewart. And at the moment, Stewart obeyed me.

Two rows inside the outer perimeter of tents stood a tent with a man posted on every corner. Stewart went to the entrance and pulled the flap open, turning toward me. He leveled a hard stare at me, chest heaving, his irritation no secret.

Robert had prepared me as best he could. The knowledge of what to expect helped to a degree. I steeled myself, focusing on the mission: save him.

I stepped inside.

The tent was barren. It smelled horrific; blood, urine, and feces created such a stench, I had to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose, unable to do so any other way. Trampled patches of grass were dark with stains.

In the center of the makeshift prison, a wooden post had been sunk into the ground. Manacles bolted into the top of the square pillar held the wrists of a crumpled, naked form.

My breath caught. Iain lay mercifully unconscious face down in the dirt. Blood matted his hair onto his shoulders. Multicolored, dark bruises covered nearly every inch of visible skin. The backs of his thighs had been flayed. The bottoms of his feet . . . burned.

I swallowed hard, slowly walking over to him, unable to process the methods of torture those heathens inflicted on my poor, broken man. With gentleness born of fear, not wanting to inflict any further pain, I knelt beside him, resting trembling fingers over his back. I sighed in relief. The skin was warm. His chest rose in shallow, uneven breaths, but it rose. Robert had been right. Alive . . . barely.

A growl ripped from my chest as I spun around. Stewart had disappeared, likely planning our demise. I didn’t give a fuck.

“Skorpius. Show yourself.”

The angel appeared, and he looked more pissed than I, if that were even possible.

“Free him. Get him home.”

Sunshine flashed to Iain. The manacles holding his wrists popped open. The angel caught Iain’s arms before they fell, and he scooped up the injured body with care.

We walked out of the tent facing Stewart and his men. Every mouth fell open.

I glanced over my shoulder. Yeah, they didn’t see Iain floating in the air. They saw a dark, menacing creature with black wings opened to their full span and eyes that swirled iridescently.

The sea of men parted, uncertain of what to make of me or Sunshine. Quietly, he said, “Isobel. I can only take one of you back at a time.”

I turned toward them, kissing the tips of my fingers, placing them on Iain’s cracked lips . . . his warm lips.

I inhaled a deep breath. “Take him, Skorpius. Only him. Make him safe. Keep him alive.”

“But—” he started to protest.

I cut him off. “Take him. Stewart won’t harm me. He needs me. By the time I leave, he’ll be too busy dying to care.”

Sunshine nodded, and they vanished.

I only made it a few steps beyond Stewart’s crowd of angel-shocked men, before Robert and our clan charged down from the forest.

Robert approached with a pained expression on his face. “Iain . . . ?”

“Is alive. Our friend took him back to the castle.”

The Brodie clan descended with shouts of fury against those that dared challenge us . . . on an enemy that had committed crimes of war against a defenseless man.

Robert growled low. “M’Lady, doona worry. I will exact revenge.”

I glanced back as swords clashed. The glorious sight of an enemy falling at the hands of an outraged victim-turned-vengeance-dealer made me smile as flames devoured their encampment.

“Aye, Robert. Make them suffer. Kill them slowly. Destroy them all.”

CHAPTER Thirty-five

I rode Solus hard. The decision to send Iain to safety was never second-guessed, but the long minutes it took to reach the castle felt like unmoving hands on a stalled clock. We thundered over the drawbridge just as it settled into place. We charged up the rise, straight to the keep. Before she fully stopped, I slid off and ran into an already-open front door.

It seemed the entire clan milled about in the great hall. All their attention turned to me. Without a word, the sea of people parted, and I ran across the room and down the corridor. The strong power signature radiating from Sunshine told me exactly where they were.

The door to the study remained closed. I pressed down on the iron latch, carefully pushing the door into the room.

The place was a mess. Iain’s map desk had been shoved against the bookcases. Rolled parchments had fallen from their categorized homes, littering the ground like tan tubes of pick-up sticks.

Iain’s battered body stretched across the stone floor while Sunshine’s arm supported his head and shoulders. Those tremendous black wings were opened and curved protectively over Iain’s form.

Sunshine glanced up with a grave expression. “He’s badly injured. Every breath he takes is a struggle for life.”

“What can I do?”

He shook his head. “My expertise falls outside the realm of easing suffering.”

I growled, angry I’d been put in these circumstances over and over again, unable to be in control of anything, incapable to help those around me—the ones that needed me the most.

Energy still hummed hot and furious through my veins. I stared at the wall. Laser lights that had been beaming statically began pulsing rapidly. It powered up at my presence, responding to me like an excited dog wagging its tail.

The wall.

“Skorpius, move to the other side.”

The angel eyed me in surprise but followed my command.

I stepped between the two men and the wall. The surface pulsed as shimmering waves appeared, and the lights stopped beaming, incredible energy building beneath its sparkling exterior.

I glanced down at Iain. He’d gone so far under—away from the cruelty of the world—that his expression was relaxed . . . peaceful. Short, broken breaths were the only movements he made.

Shadows filled the room. A dark angel surrounded him. His body had been grimly painted by every shattered vessel, bruised muscle, and broken bone.

They’d stolen him. Forces still conspired to take him. Yet he clung to life by a thread . . . for me.

My gaze lifted to Sunshine as I slowly knelt. Everything in my programming made me fight for the man I loved with every weapon in my arsenal.

A whisper fell from my lips. “Will it work?” I raised my hand to a wall humming with power. It begged for my touch.

Those iridescent, blue-green eyes pierced into my soul. “For a price. Everything has a price.”

“If he lives, I will pay the price.”

Sunshine nodded once.

I pressed my palm onto the heated surface. Raw energy poured into my hand, running hot and furious through my body. I gritted my teeth and tensed my arm. The conduit fired so much power into me, I barely maintained the connection.

My free hand hovered above Iain’s chest, over his heart. With a focused determination I’d learned from the hunts, from the meditations, from every soul-searching, self-finding reflection, I aimed the exhilarating energy straight into Iain’s body.

Before I even touched Iain’s skin, a reaction happened. Warm, yellow light emanated from my hand, and Iain’s body jerked. Sunshine shot an arm over Iain’s abdomen, holding him securely.

I lowered my hand onto Iain’s chest. The contact sent the glow deep into his body. Iain’s lungs shot up, his mouth opening on a loud gasp. I clenched my jaw. His face contorted in pain, and I felt his suffering. Beads of sweat trickled into my eyes. I pinched them closed.

The wall’s energy buffered me from feeling the brunt of Iain’s pain as it assaulted me. If Iain could take every blow, every strike, every consequence of protecting people he loved, so could I.

Then it ended abruptly. The pain . . . gone.

I opened my eyes, and Iain’s bright, hazel eyes stared up at me in wonder.

Well, hell. That made two of us.

I quickly scanned his body. His skin was still dirty; his hair still encrusted with blood. But his color was pink and healthy. No more broken limbs. No more bruises. He’d been made whole.

Iain flicked a glance at Sunshine. His gaze returned to me, tearing away from the shocking form of an angel hovering over him.

“Och, lass. I’ve died, haven’t I?”

I laughed, so damn happy. “No, love.” I bent down, brushing trembling lips over his in the gentlest kiss. I pulled back, kneeling over him, staring into the beautiful olive eyes I’d missed. “Iain, you have no idea. The living’s just begun.”

* * *

Behind the castle, I walked in the rays of the sun while Sunshine kept to his beloved shadows. Iain bathed upstairs. Rowena insisted on preparing a special meal for the two of us, saving the enormous celebration for tomorrow at my request. Tonight would be a private reunion.

“Thank you for your help, Skorpius.”

He growled. I laughed.

It bothered him that I saw the teddy bear behind the dragon. I wondered if I’d see him again since the adventure had ended.

“You have many adventures still to come. You know how to reach me. My aid will follow.”

“My own genie in a bottle,” I mentally teased.

“Hardly,” he choked out, and I laughed, imagining his eye roll hidden in the darkness.

“What did you mean about the price to be paid?” I asked.

“Ahhh, now she’s curious. The fool acts now . . . questions later.”

“Fine,” I said. “I’m the fool. Tell me the consequence of hastiness—the price of saving a man not yet destined to die.”

He barked out a laugh. “Destiny. A word humans use to explain what they can’t control. How does it feel to be different now?”

I digested the way he phrased his words. Their meaning dawned, even if acceptance did not. “I’m no longer human?”

Rich, deep laughter boomed out. “Ms. MacInnes, with everything you’ve been through, you’ve become more human than most of humanity. Due to your travel through time, not to mention all the power you absorbed from that wall, you’ve also become something more. The babes you carry as well. I’d imagine Iain has also, now that I think about it.”

“And what’s that?” My short-bus mind slammed to a stop. “Wait. Babes?”

The breeze changed direction, and the feeling of power emanating from Sunshine disappeared. A whispered word carried on the wind tickled into my ear.

“Immortal.”

My jaw dropped. Without thought, my hand flew to my belly. It never occurred to me the power flowing through me . . . had changed me . . . on a molecular level. And Iain?

I rushed into the castle, raced up the steps, and burst into our bedchamber. Iain’s broad smile greeted me, his relaxed body soaking in the wooden tub. I’d never seen a more beautiful sight.

A slow smile spread across my face. I unsheathed my sword, pointing it at him, stalking across the room.

“Och, Isa. I’ve been back but an hour and already you’re pickin’ a fight. You doona think I’ve been tortured enough?”

I smirked, propping a hip on the edge of the tub, reaching down, and grasping his hand. “Yes, you’ve suffered enough for a thousand lifetimes. Apparently, I’ve committed you to suffer an eternity.” I aimed my blade toward his open palm.

“Donna stab me!”

He yanked his hand away, but I jerked it back, and the sharp point of my sword pierced the center of his hand.

“Ochhh!”

I pulled the blade away from his skin. A stream of blood trickled across his open palm and into the water. Within seconds, the wound closed and the bleeding stopped. Iain dipped his hand under the water and lifted it. He stared at the unmarred flesh.

“What magick is this?” he asked on a whisper.

“Exactly. And Sunshine, I mean Skorpius . . . you know, the big, black, badass angel? He said not only are you immortal. So am I. And”—I sheathed the blade back into its scabbard and gazed lovingly into Iain’s eyes—“Skorpius also said so are the babes I’m carrying.”

“Bairns? You’re carryin’ my bairns? Two of them?” His eyes widened as he grinned like an idiot.

I laughed lovingly at his instant pride and happiness. “Damn. I hope there’s only two.”

His strong grip seized me, and I toppled into the water on top of him. Waves sloshed out of the tub, splashing everywhere as he kissed me soundly.

I pulled away. “My weapons!”

Iain tossed them out, the metal clattering onto the stone floor. “We’ll forge you new ones.”

He ripped the clothes from my body, holding me down. I struggled, trying to sit upright.

“Hold still, woman. You look—and smell—like you’ve been to hell and back.” He flipped me over, pulling the last torn scrap away. “Let . . . your . . . man . . . take care of you.”

I relaxed in his hold.

What a wonderful idea.

CHAPTER Thirty-six

UCLA Archaeology Department—Twenty-first Century

The letter had been penned on parchment from the thirteenth century . . .

written in ink from the thirteenth century . . .

tied with a silk red ribbon from the thirteenth century . . .

wrapped around a Pict short sword and battle ax . . .

forged twelve hundred years earlier than that.

I exhaled slowly through pursed lips, carefully positioning the time-capsuled package in the center of Professor MacLaren’s desk. Out of nostalgia, or unsolved mystery, MacLaren had left the box exactly where I’d placed it. Good thing too. If MacLaren hadn’t kept my mysterious disappearance that coincided with the box’s appearance a secret, we might’ve ended up in the back forty of a police station’s evidence lockup.

The desk’s immaculate, shining surface showed that MacLaren had been in residence within the last few days. Iain and I had no idea if we’d arrive alone or shock the hell out of my mentor, but the risked chance outweighed the not knowing.

Iain stood behind the desk in his finest plaid. The heirloom brooch fastened to his hip gleamed in the light of the room. He lifted his gaze up to me. We owed everything to that box.

I walked to the far wall of the professor’s enormous tribute to the past. Dusty tomes were stacked neatly on their sides to protect the aged spines. Definitive proof would be found in the facsimile edition of the Codex Laurentianus Mediceus by Tacitus, but the horrific Latin scrawl was nearly illegible. My index finger hovered over the books until I found a powder-blue, unjacketed cover. I lifted three other historical first editions to free the one that would tell us everything: Clarence W. Mendell’s Tacitus: The Man and His Work.

With bated breath, I curled into a corner of the coffee Chesterfield sofa, the leather softly creaking as I tucked suede-clad legs beneath me. I flipped the pages to the second half of the book, scanning every section that mentioned Agricola. Everything had remained the same.

I glanced up at Iain who remained rooted where he stood, silently watching. “Nothing’s changed.”

He nodded once.

Satisfied for the moment, I replaced the book and methodically stacked the professor’s other collectibles into their rightful place. A light layer of dust coated the mahogany shelf. I drew a smiley face in the evidence that a cleaning lady had never touched its surface; MacLaren refused to trust anyone to care for his treasures the same way he coddled them . . . well, besides me.

A huge grin stretched onto my face. Everything I needed to assess my historical impact was hidden in plain sight. I stepped back, scanning the entire wall on a reminiscing scavenger hunt.

“What’re you doin’, Isa?”

I glanced over my shoulder. Iain had moved closer and stood with his arms crossed in front of the gilded mirror. “Shhh . . .” I cringed the moment the sound left my lips, knowing I’d pay for the inconsiderate silencing later.

My gaze roved a shelf at eye level until I’d found it: the pressed orange poppy I’d hidden for MacLaren to find, if he’d ever bothered to clean. A few shelves down to the right . . . and there was the second: the hot-pink corner of a smartass note I’d left on the virtues of cleanliness. It peeked out from between two volumes of George Buchanan’s History of Scotland. I tugged at the corner, pulling it out a bit further to announce its presence and, I supposed, mine.

I tapped a finger to my lips, trying to remember where I’d placed other clues of my existence. Firm hands gripped my shoulders, turning me around.

“Enough, Isa. You were here. To know that is enough.”

I nodded, laughing. “Yes, you’re right.”

He wisely tugged me from the modern-day static wall where I could spend days researching through books on the effects of my presence in history, all illustrating the same clear and undeniable conclusion: I’d been there all along.

Iain paused as we stood by our box. His gaze tracked left toward the mirror. Mine followed, and the reflection took my breath away.

He wrapped his arms around me. I slid a hand around his waist, tipping my head onto his shoulder, admiring the beautiful couple: his chestnut hair, bronzed skin, and white linen shirt beneath a green-and-black plaid; her wild, unbound blond locks, tanned skin, and new deerskin hunting outfit he’d had newly made for her and insisted she wear.

Iain hooked a finger under my chin, and I gazed up into his olive eyes. They conveyed trust, protection . . . love. The last time we stood together in the room, I was unsure. But I doubted no more.

He whispered, “Isa, our history had been written long before it ever began.”

I smiled, beaming up at him. He’d spoken the utter truth.

“Iain . . . take me home.”

EPILOGUE

From A Dark Corner of the Room—A Few Seconds Later

It took an obscene effort to mute my innate powers, hiding my presence from the couple so brilliantly in love with one another, a mere mortal would have to wear three pairs of sunglasses. Cue the eye roll.

I stepped from the shadows the moment the blissful pair disappeared, raising both hands as I gestured high into the air my masterful orchestration. “Aaand . . . they lived happily ever after.”

My heavy military boots thudded with every footfall as I crossed before the mirror, perfect peripheral vision telling me what I already knew as a black reflection blurred over the flat glass. Darkness existed, ironically epitomized in the flesh and blood of a beautiful, yet feared, creature. An abomination. A savior. A world saver.

Okay, the last moniker stretched the truth beyond even my sardonic belief. All the glory rightly went to Isobel. A facilitator, perhaps, would be a more accurate title for my unique services.

Isobel had done such a beautiful job in handwriting the heartfelt note to her professor about her experiences. The restraint she showed in keeping only to the most pertinent details—striving to keep history from unraveling again by the accidental slip of her pen—was truly commendable.

Fortunately for Isobel, I saw my mission through to the end. Lucky for the world, she had the Guardian of Time to peer over her shoulder and make certain she had a little push at the exact moment she needed it.

I lifted the perfect, ribbon-wrapped parcel in one hand and the box with the other, tucking the latter under my arm, mentally adding “cleaner” to the endless list of hats I wore without complaint.

With a single nod, I paid respect to a place in time Isobel would never see again—a world she’d left behind the moment she truly accepted her role. Priorities had a way of reordering themselves when circumstances changed. She’d almost made me believe in the human race again.

It had been a long haul. So many things had been arranged to achieve the near impossible. My deep rumbled laugh echoed into the room as I vanished, reflecting on my favorites.

Sheep across a road . . .

A push into a stream . . .

Stealing away a box . . .

. . . or a beloved, seven-foot-tall Highlander Viking . . .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I’ve been blessed to have numerous people provide me with insight and guidance during my journey as a writer. To all those who offered support, in gestures big and small, I thank you. A diverse team of people were directly involved in the making of this novel and are mentioned below; however, any errors within the published novel, whether existing there intentionally or not, are my errors alone.

On a hot, muggy night at RWA Nationals in 2010, in an overcrowded restaurant with three of us huddled around a tiny table as we practiced pitching our manuscripts, a new friend asked what other story ideas I had. When I shared the rough synopsis of Forged in Dreams and Magick, she looked at me wide-eyed and said, “That’s the story you need to write.”

I am indebted to that now-dear friend and critique partner Heather, aka “City Beta,” for all the advice, support, tough critiques, laughter, and commiserating every step of the way.

Appreciation goes to my dear friend Misty, aka “Swamp Beta,” for the endless support and love, for trying out a Highlander time travel romance for the very first time, and for texting me while reading with every OMG!, sigh, and character-rooting shout.

I am profoundly grateful to my “Alpha Beta” who is my most fervent supporter, my best friend, my advisor, my counselor . . . my beloved husband. Words will never be able to adequately describe how important you are to me, but know that you make me the vibrant person that I am. It is because of your immeasurable love, patience, and support that this book exists.

Enormous thanks go to Kristi Yanta, my editor, who helped me polish the story into a diamond. Thank you for every feisty comment, every smiley, and every OMG! I cherish them all.

Gratitude also goes to my proofreader and formatter, Claire Ashgrove, for straightening out not only my grammar errors, but also for going above and beyond to offer valued comments and suggestions.

I am thankful to the contest judges and coordinators who read early versions of Forged in Dreams and Magick and challenged me to hone my craft, especially those who granted my writing awards as a finalist or winner in their paranormal categories: Gateway to the Best; Hold Me, Thrill Me; The Catherine; Unpublished Beacon; and Lone Star Contest. Your encouragement and belief in my writing was instrumental in motivating me to finish the story.

An immense thank you goes to all my friends and family for your encouragement through this three-year adventure. Your love and support have meant the world to me.

KAT BASTION BOOKS

Highland Legends Series

Forged in Dreams and Magick

Bound by Wish and Mistletoe

(November 2013)

Born of Mist and Legend

(Releasing in 2014)

Found in Flame and Moonlight

(Releasing in 2015)

Romantic Poetry for Charity

Utterly Loved

(Foreword by Sylvain Reynard)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kat Bastion is an award-winning paranormal romance writer, poetic warrior, and eternal optimist who loves getting lost in the beauty of nature.

On a never-ending, wondrous path of self-discovery, Kat throws her characters into incredible situations with the hope that readers join her in learning more about the meaning of life and love.

Her first published work, Utterly Loved, was shared with the world to benefit others. All proceeds from Utterly Loved, and a portion of the proceeds from all her other books, support charities who help those lost in this world.

Kat lives with her husband amid the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona.

Visit her blog at www.talktotheshoe.com, her website at www.katbastion.com, and her Twitter account at https://twitter.com/KatBastion for more information.

Content

Kat Bastion
Forged in Dreams and Magick
Highland Legends - 1

Chapter One

CHAPTER Two

CHAPTER Three

CHAPTER Four

CHAPTER Five

CHAPTER Six

CHAPTER Seven

CHAPTER Eight

CHAPTER Nine

CHAPTER Ten

CHAPTER Eleven

CHAPTER Twelve

CHAPTER Thirteen

CHAPTER Fourteen

CHAPTER Fifteen

CHAPTER Sixteen

CHAPTER Seventeen

CHAPTER Eighteen

CHAPTER Nineteen

CHAPTER Twenty

CHAPTER Twenty-one

CHAPTER Twenty-two

CHAPTER Twenty-three

CHAPTER Twenty-four

CHAPTER Twenty-five

CHAPTER Twenty-six

CHAPTER Twenty-seven

CHAPTER Twenty-eight

CHAPTER Twenty-nine

CHAPTER Thirty

CHAPTER Thirty-one

CHAPTER Thirty-two

CHAPTER Thirty-three

CHAPTER Thirty-four

CHAPTER Thirty-five

CHAPTER Thirty-six

EPILOGUE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR