Page 1 of Tempting the Highland Devil
1
Arran clashed his sword against his opponents, drew back with his feet firmly planted on the ground, then dodged another strike to his neck.
“Surrender,” he said to Lily when he braced the sharp, glinting edge of his sword to her neck. A smile broke out on her lips, and she lowered her sword to the ground with a sigh.
“Ye have gone soft, me lady,” he said to his friend before he withdrew and chuckled. “Ye wouldnae have given up so easily in the past.”
Lily smirked as she rubbed her shoulders and bent to pick her sword again. “Are ye callin’ me weak because I had a child?” she questioned before her husband drew closer to them.
“Is that what ye are sayin’, Laird MacGregor?”
“Arran,” he reminded Lily’s husband before shaking his head and smiling at them both.
Arran watched as Killian kissed his wife’s forehead and drew her closer to his body for a hug. He preferred to be referred to as Arran, especially when he was in MacLennan, his best friend’s castle.
A few years had passed since he assumed the lairdship after his father, but Arran was still not used to the title. He was rarely ever in MacGregor anyway, so he could not be considered the ruling laird of the clan.
“Try joustin’ with me in the mornin’ tomorrow,” Lily said to him as they both sheathed their swords. “I will best ye.”
“Ye dinnae have the strength to best me, me lady,” he replied. Killian shot him another hard, but teasing glare, and Arran surrendered. “All right, fine,” he agreed before stepping away from them.
Lily and Killian were visiting MacLennan for the Samhain celebrations.
Arran’s mind flashed to the previous year when Killian and his men had attempted to kidnap Yvaine but ended up with Lily instead. He was still nursing those thoughts when a shrill voice sliced through the peaceful afternoon’s air.
He recognized the voice immediately. Even in his sleep, he could tell it was Yvaine speaking.
“Nay,” she thundered again. Shocked, Arran, Lily, and Killian exchanged confused looks then rushed into the keep to find Yvaine.
He went first and dashed fast into Duncan’s study, where the voices were coming from.
“Nay,” she cried out again when he burst right in.
“Yvaine,” Arran called on top of his voice. Killian and Lily rushed in after him, swords drawn, and charged to defend her from whatever trouble she might be in.
Realizing Yvaine stood with her brother, Duncan, and his wife, Amelia, made Arran pause in his strides.
“Did somethin’ happen? Who hurt ye?” he asked the question with a frown because everyone seemed calm in the room.
“Me braither is forcin’ me to marry,” Yvaine told him, and his guts instantly tightened with a knot.
“What?” he looked to his friend and found Duncan’s steady eyes on him.
“I am nay forcin’ her. Yvaine is well grown, and it is time she found herself a husband who will protect her.”
“What do ye meanprotect her?” Arran thundered.
Lily stepped forward almost immediately too and interjected. “Yvaine is safest here or in our castle. Is there any threat? What does she need protectin’ from?”
“Has any highland clan threatened ye?” Arran questioned at the same time Lily spoke.
“Tell us what we need to do,” Killian also added.
“Calm down, everyone,” Duncan announced and raised his hands in the air to get everyone’s attention. “Nay one has threatened us,” he continued. “But only just a year ago, she was nearly kidnapped, and I worry that it might happen again.”
“I was nearly kidnapped by Killian,” Yvaine replied to Duncan with tears in her eyes. Arran looked to her and saw how she paled further than the ashen white her skin already assumed. “Killian is our friend. He’s Lily’s husband! There is nay threat to us. Ye cannae force me into a loveless marriage simply because ye are scared of what happened in the past, braither.”
“She is right, Duncan,” Lily chipped in.
