Taken By the Vicious Highlander (Taken by Highland Devils #5)

Chapter 2

2

T oday’s the day.

Lilith groaned at the sound of a loud knock at her door and stretched out her coiled limbs. Her blankets twisted around her, pulling her deeper into the warmth of the mattress.

Another louder knock at her door pulled a more terse groan from her dry throat. “What is it?”

“Are ye awake, darling?” her friend’s voice rang out songlike through the cracks of the door.

Ariah’s excitement only made Lilith’s chest tighten as the weight of her decision lingered heavily.

“Aye, I’m awake, just nae out of bed?—”

The door flew open furiously as her red-haired companion burst into her chamber, flowing fabric hanging listlessly in the breeze she created. The flowers in her arms bobbed slightly with her movements, and her smile widened before it faltered.

“Ach! Goodness me, Lil! Ye look horrendous!”

“Wow. Thank ye, Ariah.” Lilith’s deadpan tone only increased her friend’s excitement.

“Weddings are the best, are they nae? I’m so excited for ye! Here are the satin robes ye and I were talkin’ about the other day, and I picked these flowers this morning—all to calm yer nerves while ye get ready,” Ariah said cheerfully as she hung the robe close to the hearth to warm it and then put the flowers in a vase by the mirror.

Lilith felt her heart swell slightly, touched by her friend’s gifts. “Thank ye, Ariah. Ye didnae have to do that…” she trailed off as her eyes followed Ariah around the room until she sat on the edge of her bed.

“I ken well, but I wanted to!” Ariah said without hesitation.

Before Lilith could get another word out, Ariah patted the blankets covering her feet and asked, “Ready?”

Heavy as that word has ever been, Lilith gulped and slowly nodded her head.

Ariah’s squeaking voice rang out as she hopped up and grabbed the robe, holding it out expectantly for Lilith to step into. Moments after tying the satin bow around her slim waist, servants filed into the room, followed by Melissa.

“I still cannae believe that ye want to marry me braither,” Melissa said with an air of nonchalance that Lilith only dreamed of affecting one day.

Melissa spoke without so much as a second thought to her words, and Lilith felt a fleeting pang of something like jealousy— or is that sorrow?

Without waiting for her response, Melissa said seriously, “Look, if ye dinnae wish to do this, then ye shouldnae.”

Ariah’s movements faltered briefly before she pretended to busy herself with rearranging the flowers in the vase.

Lilith had already had this conversation with both of them quite a few times over the days since her engagement was announced.

She tsked softly before smiling and turning her back to them, rolling her eyes as she did. She stood stoically by the window, a draft caressing her heated body. Looking out at the courtyard below, which bustled with final wedding preparations, her focus wavered.

Her mind replayed the moment in the study when she had agreed to marry Damon. His words, his commanding presence, and his unwavering gaze had all left her feeling cornered and yet oddly secure.

“Ye are thinkin’ too much again,” Melissa intoned, startling Lilith out of her thoughts. “It’s a bad habit of yers, Sister,” she added with a wink.

Lilith smiled faintly. “Hard nae to, considerin’ what’s ahead.”

“Aye, but ye have made yer choice. Nay sense frettin’ over it now. Unless ye truly are regrettin’ it. I mean, I ken me braither, and I wouldnae blame ye if ye did.”

Both of them chuckled, while Ariah adjusted her skirts and sat down in front of the hearth in an almost exhausted way. Her movements were deliberate, but Lilith noticed a certain absentmindedness in her demeanor.

Was she truly tryin’ to give Melissa and me the space to have this conversation? How sweet of her.

“Aye, Melissa, yer braither is a brute. But nay. I do want this.”

Melissa released a breath she had been holding and reached for the tea, muttering under her breath while Lilith continued, “This is about the clan, about duty.”

Catching Lilith’s knowing gaze, Melissa blushed and handed her the tea before replying, “I ken we’ve gone over this. It is me right to believe that me friend deserves more than just duty.”

Lilith accepted the cup with a grateful nod, her gaze flicking to Ariah, who now looked tired, though she masked it well.

“Ariah, are ye well?” she asked, her brow furrowed with worry.

Her friend’s head shot up, her smile a little too quick. “Of course! Just a bit worn out from all the excitement.”

Lilith studied her for a moment longer before letting it drop, but she did notice Melissa’s eyes narrowing slightly as she watched Ariah.

“Are ye sure?” she asked, her tone gentle but insistent. “Ye’ve looked a bit peaky these past few days.”

Ariah waved her off with a laugh. “I’m fine. Just glad that I’d get to rest tonight.”

Melissa didn’t press her further, but the concerned look she exchanged with Lilith didn’t go unnoticed.

She’s been doin’ all of the preparations—I must remember to thank her properly.

Shelving her concern, Melissa asked, “What about yer happiness, Lilith?”

“I’m doin’ what’s right. For me people. For Clan McCallum.”

“But what about ye, Lil?” Ariah chimed in.

Lilith smiled, though frustration threatened to bleed through her tone. “I’ve said it already—this isnae about me. It never was.”

Melissa sighed, shaking her head. “Well, I think I’ll go have a word with Damon, just to be sure this is truly what he wants as well.” She straightened and made her way to the door.

“Good luck with that,” Lilith muttered under her breath, earning a chuckle from Ariah.

After Melissa left, Ariah moved closer, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

“What is it?” Lilith asked absentmindedly.

“Are ye… ready for tonight?”

Lilith frowned. “What do ye mean?”

Ariah blushed, her fingers twisting nervously. “I mean… the wedding night.”

Lilith stiffened. “This is a marriage of convenience, Ariah. There’s nothin’ to prepare for tonight.”

Ariah hesitated before pressing on. “There doesnae need to be love between ye for… things to happen, ye ken? Have ye talked with the Laird about it?”

Lilith’s stomach twisted, but she forced calm into her voice. “Of course I have,” she lied, hoping to put an end to the conversation.

Ariah seemed unconvinced but nodded anyway. She opened her mouth as if to say more but then closed it, shaking her head.

Lilith narrowed her eyes at her. “What is it?”

“Nothin’,” Ariah said quickly. “Just… promise me ye will take care of yerself, aye?”

Lilith nodded—another lie.

Great. Just when I thought I calmed me nerves, I have to be reminded of tonight, again. Will we…?

Melissa returned all too soon, her face a mask of disappointment. “It’s time,” she said quietly.

Lilith blanched.

“Ye will be fine, Lil,” Melissa assured her, her voice more gentle. “Me braither may have a reputation for bein’ a brute, but he will respect ye, protect ye, and treat ye well. Always.”

The words settled over Lilith as she swallowed hard and nodded. Gathering her layered skirts, she followed her friends out of her chambers and down the main staircase toward the Great Hall.

Myriads of color and sound assaulted her senses. The air was thick with anticipation, and her chest tightened. She watched as Melissa and Ariah sat on the front bench.

The aisle was now empty. Damon stood at the front, his back turned toward her.

The immovable stone walls of the hall started to close in on her as she took slow, calculated steps toward her groom. Her hands clenched and unclenched as she started to count her breaths.

What if this is a mistake? Is there another way to save the clan? What if ? —

The ringing in her ears and the thoughts racing through her mind all faded into nothing when he turned to face her.

All she was able to see was Damon, standing at the front of the long aisle, his piercing eyes locked onto hers. It was all she could do to stay upright as the edges of her vision faded.

He dipped his chin, almost as a gesture of understanding, and extended his palms toward her—a somehow calming act that sent a wave of relief through her ribcage. With each slow step, she cataloged his tweed jacket, his relaxed fists, his curly black hair, and his ice-cold blue eyes.

Palms aside, his expression was completely unreadable. As she drew nearer, she recognized the familiar muted notes of fresh cedar and vetiver. The edges of her vision shook violently as the walls vaulted back into place, and the strains from the harp filled her ears once more.

“Ye look beautiful.”

The sincerity in his voice stroked her spine, catching her quite off guard, and she managed a quiet, trembling, “Thank ye,” before turning to face the priest.

The ceremony passed in a blur. Vows were exchanged, hands were bound, and when the priest declared them husband and wife, she let Damon lead her back down the aisle and into the feast, his hand enveloping hers. It was the out-of-tune clinking of glasses that snapped her back into the present, as her new husband stood to address the crowd.

Rising from his seat silently, commanding attention with his mere presence, the air seemed to go still as he cast his gaze over the gathered clansfolk, his eyes sharp and unreadable.

“Tonight,” he declared, his voice low but steady, carrying effortlessly across the room, “we mark the start of something new. Change is never easy, and I ken ye’ve suffered under Magnus’s rule. Cruelty and greed reigned where there should’ve been justice and strength.”

The room remained silent, a mix of curiosity and unease rippling through the attentive faces.

“But let me be clear,” Damon continued, his tone firm. “That chapter is closed. I am nae Magnus Flanagan. I dinnae rule with spite or malice. I will be fair to those who are loyal and true. To those who challenge me, however…” He let the words hang in the air, their weight unmistakable.

Lilith felt a shiver run through her at his words, not entirely certain if it was from fear or admiration for his unflinching resolve.

“I ask only for what every clan deserves—unity and trust. Together,” he said, resting a hand on Lilith’s shoulder, “we will rebuild stronger than ever before.” He raised his cup in a subtle toast. “To Clan McCallum.”

A tentative cheer rose among the clansfolk, growing louder as people exchanged glances of cautious hope.

The music resumed without a moment’s delay, and Damon turned to Lilith, his expression still unreadable. “Dance with me.”

The corners of her eyes tightened. “Ye might consider askin’ for once.”

A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “Would ye refuse yer husband?”

Before she could answer, he extended his hand. With a reluctant sigh, Lilith took it, letting him lead her to the dance floor.

The crowd watched intently as the new Laird and his bride moved together in time with the music. Damon’s hand rested firmly on her waist, the other clasping hers with a grip that was strong yet not unpleasant. Lilith couldn’t deny the heat of his touch, though she wasn’t sure if it was from nervousness or something else entirely.

As the music swirled around them, Councilman Sebastian Morris approached with a grin that spoke of overindulgence in ale, his cane punctuating loudly with each step.

“A fine match, Laird McCallum. Young Lilith here is our pride and joy,” he said, bowing slightly to them both. Then, with a tip of his chalice and eyes bulging with foolish drunken stupor, he continued, “We’ll be expectin’ a strong McCallum heir soon, aye?”

Lilith flushed deeply, but Damon remained impassive, merely inclining his head in acknowledgment before leading her back toward their table.

They had barely taken their seats when someone from the crowd shouted above the chatter, “Kiss yer bride, Me Laird!”

Lilith froze, her cheeks burning as all eyes turned to them. Damon shifted his attention to her, his expression as cool and composed as ever. Slowly, he reached for her hand, lifting it to his lips and pressing a deliberate, lingering kiss to her knuckles. The heat of his breath and his familiar scent sent red-hot blood rushing into a new, deep space between her hips.

The room around them erupted in laughter and groans of disappointment.

Damon released her hand, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. “More than this,” he said with a violent sort of calmness, “isnae for yer eyes to see.”

The implication of his words sent a wave of elation through the guests, their laughter and cheers echoing in the hall.

“Speakin’ of…” he trailed off.

Adding more excitement into the mix, Damon rose from his seat without warning and bent down, lifting Lilith into his arms in one fluid motion.

Lilith buried her face in his chest, mortified by the renewed cheers and whistles. She felt him twitch as her hot breath hit his neck, and he held her tighter.

His voice was loud enough for only her to hear as he said, “Time to go, lass.”