“During the weeks I spent recovering at Ivanson in the twenty-first century, I had the chance to visit a village where I came across what they call a jewelry store. Within that store sat an array of glass-enclosed cases with a dazzling number of rings and other beautiful trinkets and charms. When I saw this ring with its two sapphires, the same exquisite color of your blue eyes, I couldnae pass it by. I offered the owner of the store one of my daggers for the ring and he graciously accepted, said he’d never seen the likes of such a well-kept piece of ancient weaponry.” He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed each one. “I wish to bind myself to you for the rest of my days. Speak handfast vows with me and I promise once a priest can be procured, we’ll be wed proper.”
“Handfast vows can too easily be broken. Jeremiah is on his way. He is devious, just as his father is, will demand his right to a betrothal. Afore Coll and Duncan brought me here, I gave Colin MacKenzie my word I’d wed one of his sons. I had no other choice, no’ if I wished to travel so far from him.”
“Duncan will never allow Jeremiah near you, and neither shall I. Should we consummate our handfast vows then there’ll be far less of a chance Jeremiah can make any demands on you that will hold. Think only of keeping your word to me, of the oath which you gave me by the pool.” He pulled out a strip of Matheson plaid from his sporran, clasped his right hand with her right and wound the tartan of her true clan around both their wrists, the ring held firm between their clasped palms.
Tears misted her gaze. This tartan was one she hadn’t touched in over twenty years and now it would bind them together in matrimony. His gesture spoke to her very heart, made those tears fall free and slide down her cheeks.
“Nay, dinnae cry.” He scooped her up, sat on the end of the bed and cradled her on his lap. “Please, no tears.”
“These tears are good tears, and this feels like a dream to be here with you right now.” Her heart lifted, such joy encompassing her. “I want to keep my word to you.”
“I need you.” The look in his eyes burned hungry and hot. “I want your hands all over me, for you to touch me as you did beside the pool, but this time when we both reach that peak together, I want my cock buried deep inside you.”
Warmth flushed her cheeks, his words heating her from within. She wanted that too, more than wanted it. “You say the naughtiest things.” Grinning and emboldened, she pushed him onto his back and straddled his thighs. “Since the moment you escaped Duncan’s dungeons, I feared your return, yet also secretly desired it. I wanted to be claimed by you, but I also had no desire to take you from your own fae kind and set you squarely within the ranks of your enemy.” She wriggled one finger between their clasped palms, slid the ring free and eased it onto her finger. “I want to speak handfast vows with you, then you must ride out and return with a priest, with all haste.”
“Of course. I’ll begin.” He cleared his throat, his gaze holding her captive. “I, Ronan Niall Matheson, of the House of Clan Matheson, pledge my troth to Kyla, of Carron Castle. With this handfast, I take her as my wife for the next year and a day, and as my chosen one for all time.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “’Tis your turn.”
“Aye, my turn.” She breathed deep, her fingers twined firmly with his. “I, Kyla, of Carron Castle, pledge my troth to Ronan Niall Matheson, of the House of Clan Matheson. With this handfast, I take him as my husband for the next year and a day, and as my chosen one for all time.” She touched the plaid bound around their wrists, her heart lifting even farther. “I will be Kyla Matheson from this day forth, once again taking my true clan’s name.”
“Aye, as you should have from the very beginning.” He plucked the tartan free, captured her face in his hands and gently stroked his fingers back and forth over her cheeks. “Any other requests other than that I ride out for a priest with all haste?”
“You must speak to my parents immediately and let them know of the danger they’re now in.” She covered his hands with hers, snuggled her cheeks deeper into his palms.
“I’ll ensure they’re made aware of the danger, to always be on the lookout. I adore your parents and have since the very beginning, would never wish any harm to fall upon them.” He stroked his thumbs over her lower lip. “Following your disappearance, I visited them often. Doing so brought me closer to you, even though we had no knowledge of where you were. All your mama knew was that she’d never seen a vision of death-warning hovering over you. Such an inquisitive child you were, always wandering here and there and your papa searched far and wide for you, listened out for any who might have heard of a lost child. Never did he hear a word or even receive a demand for coin. They were at such a loss for what had truly happened.”
“They never considered the MacKenzie had taken me?”
“Unfortunately we have many enemies, clans who both covet and fear our fae blood. They wish to have what we have, as well as destroy it too. The MacKenzie is only one of amongst many, and he’s never gone so far as to steal one of our children away. His preference is for warring and that alone.”
“Are they well? My parents?” She adored that he’d been so near them.