Page 11 of The Irresistible Warrior
Declan was quiet a moment, the weight of her words settling deep and realizing the urgency of his dilemma, asked, “Will you marry me?”
Aura stared at him, completely confused.
He shook his head. “I didn’t mean to be so bold, but this is a strange situation.”
She arched a brow. “And you think marrying me will solve the problem?”
“Let me explain,” he said, his voice calm and assured. “A marriage—between us—would put an end to this madness. No more chieftains showing up with daughters like wares on market day. No more women flinging themselves at my feet. With you as my wife, even in name only, a marriage of convenience, there would be no further offers. And that gives us time. To think. To act. To end the curse.”
Aura didn’t so much as blink. “So, this marriage benefits you.”
“It benefits us,” he said without sparing a moment. “With a marriage, you’d have protection. No one would question your place in this village. No one would dare with you being my wife.”
“I’ve lived just fine without a husband,” she countered. “No one’s questioned my place so far.”
“Because no attention has been brought to you,” he said. “Not so now. You didn’t fall when in front of me. That makes you different and being different can cause problems. Tongues will wag, suspicions will be cast, and senseless blame laid. That can make for a dangerous situation and being my wife protects you from that.”
She narrowed her eyes. “So, you would fix it by shackling me to you?”
He turned a charming smile on her. “No shackles. No demands. Just an arrangement. You’d be free to do as you please. But under my name, you’d be untouchable.”
His handsome features were hard to ignore, but she did her best, not wanting them to get in the way of any rational decision. “You want the freedom to solve your problem without interruption. What do I get besides a headache and a village full of accusations and whispers?”
“You’d get peace,” he said simply. “Freedom from suspicion, from fear, and the possible storm that’s brewing.”
She held his gaze, neither budging.
After a moment, Declan turned another smile on her. “I can see I’m not going to win this debate, at least not today.”
“Nay, you’re not,” she agreed, cool and composed, though not feeling so. “This is something that takes thought.”
He dipped his head. “Then think on it, but I beg of you, please don’t take long.”
Aura didn’t respond. But she didn’t say nay, either.
And that, for now, was enough.
CHAPTER 5
The morning sun was pleasant, though Aura didn’t expect it to last. Late autumn could be unpredictable in the Highlands with snowflakes falling unexpectedly. So, she would keep an eye to the sky throughout the day. She walked the familiar path toward the village, a small basket in hand filled with freshly prepared salves for Freyda. Her boots whispered over moss and dirt, her thoughts louder than her steps.
Declan needed her.
There was no denying the desperation in his voice when he had tried to convince her of the wisdom of his proposal. Calm and composed on the surface but underneath, she’d seen the fraying edges. The pressure mounting, the burden of a wish he could neither control nor escape.
Butshedidn’t need him.
She favored her life. Her solitude. The way the forest answered only to her. She studied what she wished, experimented, helped heal when possible, and when the day was done, she had peace. Quiet. Freedom.
Marriage—no matter how convenient—threatened all of that.
Still… she hadn’t said nay.
The hum of voices reached her ears before she stepped beyond the last of the trees.
She frowned.
The village was in disarray. Horses tethered haphazardly, carts half-blocking paths, and people, so many people, clustered and calling out in loud, impatient tones.
