Page 45 of The Icy Highlander's Bride
"I havenae decided yet," Lana answered, which was as close to the truth as she was ready to give.
Ciara nodded at her sister and squeezed her arm. "Ye ken yer family is always here for ye," she reminded her.
Just then, they stepped into the outer courtyard, where Alexander stood, ready to greet them. He beamed at the sight ofLana dressed in beautiful blue, with a crown of white roses on her head.
"Sister." He smiled, taking her arm from Ciara. "How beautiful ye are."
Lana blushed at his compliment, and Ciara left them to find her seat beside Olivia.
Lana's stomach fluttered with nerves as she caught sight of everyone seated in the courtyard, waiting for her.
"Are ye alright?" Alexander asked. Lana was surprised by the sincerity of his question and the serious look on his face. "I daenae wish to force ye into a marriage ye daenae want."
Lana could only look at him, shocked by his words. First Daniel was giving her permission to take a lover, and now Alexander was asking if she wanted to cancel the wedding. When had the world turned upside down?
"I shouldnae have pushed ye," Alexander continued, sensing her confusion. "I was thinking of our clan and the benefits of joining with Daniel. It was wrong of me. I should have been thinking of me sister."
His kind words brought tears to her eyes, and she hugged him tight.
"I ken ye want what's best for me," Lana assured him. "It's just sometimes ye get a little distracted."
She smirked, waiting to see how he would respond, but he took the jab gracefully. He smiled and gave a knowing nod.
"But I daenae want to get out of this wedding." Lana was surprised by the confidence in her voice. "Daniel is… complicated. But he needs someone to look after his daughter. And I want that to be me."
Alexander took her hands in his own and bent down to meet her eyes. "As long as ye are sure," he said.
Lana nodded. A weight lifted from her shoulders as she realized how confident she was about this wedding.
"It isnae the love I thought it would be," Lana murmured, catching sight of Skye through one of the archways of the outer corridor. The girl was squirming in her chair, constantly checking over her shoulder for Lana's arrival. "But it might be even more important."
Alexander squeezed Lana's hands and kissed her on the cheek. Then he turned and held out his arm. Lana took it and walked confidently toward her future.
Daniel was waiting for her, a dashing figure in his clan colors. The sight of him took her breath away, surprising her with a surge of pride and readiness she had not expected.
His eye locked on hers, and for a moment, it was just the two of them. She caught the hint of a smile on his lips, and she walked faster as her heart fluttered with excitement.
19
"Iken ye hate to admit it, but ye are having fun."
Cameron bumped his brother's shoulder with his own, nearly knocking himself off balance as he hit Daniel's solid frame. Daniel chuckled as Cameron struggled to stay on his feet.
"And ye have had too much to drink."
Cameron denied this before sauntering over to the dance floor, content to dance with himself. Daniel shook his head at his brother, though he realized Cameron's words weren't too far from the truth. It was strange to realize he was dangerously close to happiness. As he scanned the room, he could hardly believe the great hall was teeming with such life.
It had been a long time since Daniel had hosted a party. He thought he would hate it, but after all of Cameron's talk about strengthening ties with neighboring clans, he was starting tothink it wasn't such a bad setup. Daniel could stay in his castle and invite all the neighboring clans.
His eye caught Lana on the dance floor, spinning around with her brother. As if sensing his eye on her, she looked up with a hint of a smile on her lips. Daniel felt drawn to her, and he was suddenly walking toward them.
"May I?" he asked, once he stood beside them.
Alexander smiled at him and stepped back to let him slide his arms around Lana for the next dance.
"Hello, husband," Lana greeted warmly.
Despite their angry words yesterday, things had softened between them. They were both caught up in the joy of the wedding and the well-wishes from all the friends and family around them.
