Highlander's Kiss (Clan Matheson #1)

As they rattled along the grass and gravel path, the forest caging them in on their left and the loch on their right, a mass of black cloud overhead churned and nearly obliterated the stars and moon. Ahead, one lone MacKenzie warrior burst through the trees and lifted a bow.

An arrow whizzed through the air and thunked into Matthew’s side.

She screamed. The reins went slack in Matthew’s hands and he toppled from the bench and hit the ground. Nay! She caught the flying reins, hauled the horses to a stop and ran back to Matthew. On her knees, she touched his face. Blood flowed from deep gouges in his cheeks and the arrow wedged deep in his side vibrated with each breath he struggled to draw. This couldn’t be happening. Not to Matthew.

“Matthew, please, stay with me.” She clasped him to her, the man who’d played sticks with her when she’d been just a child, who’d always picked her an apple or a piece of fruit when walking through the fruit grove. “I’m sorry, so sorry. I willnae leave you.”

“Lass, get back to the cart.” He gurgled and spat out blood. “You must go. Get to safety.”

“I willnae leave you on your own.” She lifted his head into her lap and rocked with him in her arms. “Go,” she shouted to the two cooks and the serving girl. “Hide yourselves well within the forest.”

“MacKenzies, they come,” Matthew rasped.

She followed his gaze out over the water. Fog churned and a galley sailed through the mist right toward her. At the center mast a MacKenzie flag flew and at the helm, with a mighty two-handed claymore holstered across his back, Colin MacKenzie stood, his biceps bulging and his legs spread wide. No one could mistake the Chief of MacKenzie, and certainly not her. His aura, a dirty blood-red, spiked with black as his gaze landed on her. ’Twas his true aura, slightly thicker and heavier than his son’s, an aura he too had hidden from her until now.

She kissed Matthew’s forehead and held onto him tight.

“Take cover, lass. Be away with you.” Matthew’s breath came harder.

“I’m staying.” Tears streamed down her face and splashed Matthew’s cheeks and she wiped them away as she held him.

MacKenzie bellowed an order and his men tightened the square sail. The galley cruised toward shore and as the hull scraped the sandy sea floor, Colin MacKenzie bounded out. In the knee-deep water, he surged toward her then stormed onto land. Smirking, he withdrew his sword and pressed it against Matthew’s chest as he eyed her. “Get up, lass, or his life will be forfeit.”

“I’m no’ leaving my kin.”

“Aye, you will.” He pushed the point of his blade down harder and Matthew groaned as blood bloomed on his tunic under the steel tip. “His final death will be at your hand. If that is what you wish, then so be it.”

“Leave him be.” She shoved to her feet and slammed her hands into MacKenzie’s chest. “What do you want with me?”

“The fae have mingled with Gilleoin’s line and his offspring now carry their added abilities. Worse, Gilleoin and his progeny will continue to grow from strength to strength if I dinnae put a halt to it. That is why I want you. No’ only are you Gilleoin’s niece, but your grandmother is the seer, Nessa. I want the strongest of the village’s fae-blooded kind mingling with my direct line, which means you will be marrying my son and giving him sons with your kin’s mighty fae skills. I willnae have it any other way.” With his fingers pinching into her arm, he hauled her toward his vessel and swung her on board. “Gordon, bind her to the center mast,” he snapped at his man.

“Aye, Chief.” A hulking warrior stormed toward her down the center aisle.

The wind from the churning storm rammed into them and she toppled into the mast. Her head hit and black dots danced before her eyes. Matthew. She couldn’t leave her kin to die alone. And Tavish. She needed to warn him, only she couldn’t hold on, couldn’t push along their merged link and tell him of what had happened. All went dark and she sank into complete and utter oblivion.



In between Tor and Kirk, Tavish swung his claymore at a MacKenzie and blocked the warrior’s swift blow. Their blades clashed dead center, steel ringing loud in his ears. “Let’s send these MacKenzies back to where they came from,” he yelled to his brother and cousin.

“We cover each other’s backs while we do.” Tor grunted and shoved forward. He met two attackers head on and battled.

“Colin MacKenzie has orchestrated this attack with complete precision,” Kirk gritted as he launched himself at the warrior he fought. “Thankfully though he didn’t take into account that Cherub would be here. She’ll even the odds up as no one else can.”