Page 17 of Highlander the Conqueror

“It puzzles me at times myself, but it is who I am.”

“Perhaps you inherited it from your parents or sisters?”

She chuckled. “Not from my sisters. They are far different from me. And I definitely did not inherit it from my da who loses his temper on occasion. As for my mum, she was kind in her own way and stubborn as well. Your brother Warrand, was he like you?”

Slayer crossed his arms over his chest. “Define like me.”

“Fine looks, strong stature, commanding nature,” she said without hesitation.

“Those are not words anyone would use to describe me.”

She amended her description with a smile. “Unkind. Terrifying. Vengeful.”

“So, you do know me.”

Sky thought she caught a slight smile on his lips, but it was too brief to be sure. “I am learning more about you and judging you for myself. You cannot be completely unkind when you have treated me well.”

“There is a reason I have treated you well,” Slayer said, knowing he could not delay telling her any longer.

“I assumed it is out of duty. A pledge you made perhaps to your brother or father to protect me, to keep me safe.”

He leaned forward, bracing his arms on the table. “Aye, it is out of duty. The duty of a husband to his wife. We are wed, Sky. You are my wife.”

Her eyes sprung wide, and she stared at him, the news so shocking that it stole her voice and sent her heart beating wildly. It couldn’t be. She could not be the infamous Gallowglass warrior’s wife.

A knock sounded at the door before any explanation could be offered and Slayer went to the door.

“News, my lord, you will want to hear,” a warrior said.

“I will be right there,” Slayer said and shut the door, then turned to Sky. “I need to go, but I will explain when I return. Warriors surround the cottage, so do not even think of running away. You should also know that you will not be staying here alone. I will be staying here with you, and we will be sharing the bed.”

CHAPTER6

Shock continued to keep Sky frozen where she sat. This truly was a nightmare she was living. How was it that she was the wife of the most feared Gallowglass warrior when Slayer had told her that her da had arranged a marriage between her and Slayer’s brother, Warrand? Had Slayer’s father manipulated her da into the marriage or had her da agreed to the change once Warrand died?

She shook her head. What did it matter how it came about? She wanted nothing to do with such a union. Foremost, she was fearful of Slayer and rightfully so. His commanding nature and superior strength often left her feeling vulnerable and that was not something she would want in a marriage… to be afraid of one’s own husband. If that weren’t enough, she would be part of a new clan. No one would accept her and without her sisters she would be more alone and vulnerable than she had ever been.

Feeling helpless and fearful, tears threatened her eyes. She did not know what to do or if there was anything she could do.

Proof.

She should seek proof that what Slayer told her was the truth. But why would he lie? There was no benefit for him in a union with her, just as there would have been no benefit if she had wed Warrand. So, why did Slayer’s father arrange a marriage for her with Warrand in the first place? The question poked at her, thinking it was something she needed to know.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself!

Sky jumped and looked around the cottage expecting to see her sister Leora standing there, her voice had been so strong in her mind. Leora was right. It would do her no good to dwell on the problem. One thing was certain though, until the issue could be settled, she and Slayer would not be sharing a bed.

* * *

Slayer hadno intentions of being gone long, and there was no reason for him to be concerned about Sky’s safety while he was gone, though he found he was. He had not told her that the cottage sat in the middle of the Gallowglass compound. The Gallowglass came from all over to practice here in the woods and in the fields. Several longhouses housed endless warriors. Smithies and arrow and bow makers were in abundance and a well-guarded structure held prisoners who could prove useful if kept alive. No one dared to come near it and those who had foolishly tried never reached the perimeter, the first line of sentinels never failing to stop them. To reach the cottage, four perimeters would need to be breached and the Gallowglass would never allow that to happen.

The sun had lost its dominance to the clouds and Slayer wouldn’t be surprised to see it rain. He kept a quick pace through the woods knowing exactly where the warrior with the news waited. It was the spot where messages were left for him when he stayed at the cottage so he would not be disturbed unless it was an emergency. He temporarily changed those orders being here with Sky. Any news was to be delivered immediately.

He grew anxious to speak to the warrior waiting there when he spotted it was John. He had sent John and Angus to various areas in the Highlands that were ripe with gossip and tales to see if they could learn anything about his father and brother’s deaths. Tales often liked to be told when drink was involved. Some were truthful, others nothing more than boastful encounters, while some were born from a seed of truth.

John would not disturb him unless he had important news, and he was eager to hear it, calling out to him as he approached, “What have you found out, John?”

“A boastful tale that may hold some truth,” John said.

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