Page 69 of The Ruthless Highlander's Hellion
The laughter of kin and kinsmen warmed the air as Alexandra stood beneath the fluttering Sinclair and O’Donnell banners, the braided handfasting cord still looped loosely about her wrist.
Caelan approached first, his expression tight as always, though the stiffness in his jaw gave way to a crooked smile.
“Well, sister,” he said, clasping her forearm and then Nicholas’s, “ye’ve gone and done it, haven’t ye?”
Alexandra smiled, her heart full to bursting, and gave her brother a pointed glance. “Aye, and not a moment too soon. I had to fight for it, but I’ve never been more certain.”
Caelan gave Nicholas a look that was half warning, half reluctant approval. “Ye break her heart, O’Donnell, and I’ll be forced to remind ye that I’ve bested fiercer men in duels and debates both.”
"Understood, but ye have me word ye have nothin’ to worry about," Nicholas said.
Beside him, Rosaline stepped forward and kissed Alexandra’s cheek, her hands soft and warm as she whispered, “Ye’ve chosen well, lass. He’ll love ye fiercely.”
Erica was next, appearing beside them with that easy grace she had, her long braid whipping slightly in the Highland breeze. Her face, still bearing the softness of youth but now touched with the solemn weight of leadership, beamed with joy.
“Och, look at the two of ye,” she said, pulling Alexandra into a hug before doing the same to Nicholas.
Alexandra felt her throat tighten and could barely speak as she clutched her friend close. “Thank ye, Erica,” she whispered. “Or should I say, Lady McLaren.”
Erica laughed and gave her a wink. “I think I prefer Erica when it’s ye sayin’ it. But I’m proud to stand here with ye today, and I ken the Highlands will be safer and stronger with the two of ye united.”
Nicholas patted Erica on the back and nodded with sincere respect. “We’re honored to stand beside ye, Lady or nae.”
Alexandra’s gaze was drawn toward Nicholas then, just as he bent and swept his young son off the ground, hoisting him up with practiced ease onto his broad shoulders.
Charles squealed with laughter, gripping his father’s head like reins as his legs swung about.
“Maither! Da’ says I can ride like a knight now!” the boy called down to her, and Alexandra burst into a rich, warm laugh.
“Then I expect ye to defend yer clan well, Charles,” she teased, reaching up to ruffle his leg affectionately as Nicholas grinned down at her.
The procession from the ceremony hill to the castle courtyard had begun, and the sound of fiddle and pipes swelled in the background. Kilted men and gowned women followed behind, tossing flower petals and calling blessings as they went. The clans had become one now—one path, one bloodline, one future.
The air was alive with song and laughter, children skipping along the path, elders walking arm in arm. Alexandra’s cheeks were flushed from the chill and joy alike, and her heart beat steadily with a happiness she hadn’t dared dream of months before. She glanced sideways at Nicholas, who was walking with the ease of a man at peace, one hand on her back and the other steadying Charles on his shoulders. His strength, his presence—it anchored her.
For a moment, Alexandra let herself drift inward, carried by the quiet hum beneath the music. She had known pain, fear, and the weight of duty worn like a stone around her neck. But now, as she walked beside the man she loved, with her brother at her back, her people surrounding her, and a future shining bright ahead, she felt something she’d almost forgotten as a captive.
I'm free.
She blinked against sudden tears, not of sorrow but of overwhelming gratitude. She had not imagined this joy for herself—not when she was betrothed to Leo, not when she was taken to O’Donnell lands, not even in the moments she first realized she loved Nicholas. But here it was, as real as the soil beneath her feet and the hand that held hers. She was Alexandra Sinclair no more—she was a wife, a mother, and a Highland lass who had chosen her own fate.
They reached the castle gates amid cheers, and the courtyard was strewn with garlands and banners, food and drink already waiting. But before the feast began, before another song rose in the air, Nicholas leaned close to her ear.
“Happy, lass?” he murmured, his voice low and rough.
“Aye,” she whispered back, her lips brushing his jaw. “More than I ever thought I could be.”
The castle courtyard had been transformed into a Highland dream, bursting with color, laughter, and the clamor of celebration. Tartans from both the O’Donnell and Sinclair clans fluttered overhead, strung like banners from post to post. Long tables, polished and groaning under the weight of roasted meats, oat cakes, bannocks, wheels of cheese, and sweet berry tarts, stretched beneath the canopy of lanterns swaying in the breeze. Children darted between the tables with sticky fingers, women danced in circles with laughter on their tongues, and the air smelled of pine, spiced ale, and meat fresh off the spit.
Alexandra walked beside Nicholas, her hand still looped in his as they took in the joy of their people. Clanfolk clapped them on the back, pressed cups of mead into their hands, and shouted blessings as they passed. Charles skipped ahead, his small kilt bouncing around his knees, his smile stretching from ear to ear. He turned suddenly and looked up at Alexandra with wide, hopeful eyes.
“Maither, may I have an oatcake now?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he glanced from her to his father.
Alexandra’s heart swelled as she knelt before him and pulled him into her arms. “Aye, love,” she said warmly, pressing a kiss to his head. “I love hearin’ ye call me maither. It would make me very happy to hear ye call me that every day from now until the end of days.”
Charles grinned, wrapping his arms tight about her neck.
Not far off, Erica raised a cup in their direction and winked, prompting Alexandra to stand and walk toward her. Erica was resplendent in deep green, the McLaren crest pinned proudly to her shoulder. They clinked cups and drank, and for a moment, the world felt calm despite the bustle and merriment around them. Alexandra touched Erica’s arm and gave her a knowing smile.
