Chapter 3
Heather felt her legs give way and if it was not for her father’s firm hold around her waist, she would have collapsed as she watched the Dark Dragon—her husband—walk toward her.
He was draped in black, from the black metal helmet that concealed all but his mouth, a portion of his jaw and his eyes, eyes that seemed as dark as his garments, all the way down to his black leather boots.
He walked with such powerful strides that his black cloak bellowed out behind him or perhaps it was the pointed, stiff leather spikes that ran along his shoulders and down the upper arms of his leather tunic that kept the cloakflight.
He seemed to grow in size the closer he got and Heather’s fear grew with each step he took. It was no wonder he was called the Dark Dragon. He was a size taller than most men and broad with thick muscles that left no doubt as to his potent strength.
Fear reached up from deep inside Heather and gripped at her stomach.
He had to weigh eighteen or more stones where she barely weighed eight stones and her head reached only to his shoulder.
There was no possible way for her to defend herself against this man.
Her only way to survive this marriage was to submit to him and that thought terrified her.
“Welcome to our home,” Donald Macinnes said with a respectful nod when the Dark Dragon came to a stop in front of him.
“I came for what is mine. I will collect my wife and take my leave.” His strong voice added to the force of his commanding tone.
“Drink and food first, to celebrate the uniting of our people,” Donald offered.
“We leave now.” He stretched his black glove-covered hand out to Heather.
She kept her hand tucked firmly against her stomach, knowing once she took his hand—she was his forever.
Emma hurried to her sister’s side. “Please, share a drink with us. It will give us time to bid our sister farewell. We will miss her terribly.” Tears began to roll down her cheeks. “Please do not deprive us of a little more time with her.”
Heather turned from her father to comfort her sister as she had done so many times throughout the years.
The Dark Dragon glared at Emma. “Tears are wasted on me. Say your good-byes and be done with it.”
Both women were stunned by his heartless words, and Emma sent a quick look to Patience. Their plan had worked. They now knew that the Dark Dragon had no soul. The only question was—how did they protect their sister against the heartless beast?
Patience went to step forward, ready to try another plan she had given thought to and before she could speak the Dark Dragon’s powerful voice rang out.
“See that your wife holds her tongue, Hunter, or I will see it cut from her mouth.”
Patience’s green eyes blazed with fury and Hunter caught her firmly around the waist before she charged for the Dark Dragon.
“Now is not the time,” he whispered as she struggled to free herself.
Heather paled. Would he truly cut her sister’s tongue from her mouth? Could he be that monstrous?
Donald Macinnes stepped forward. “I will know where you take my daughter, and my family and I will know the face of her husband before you leave here.”
The Dark Dragon took a quick step forward and his voice turned to an angry growl. “You will make no demands of me, Macinnes.”
Patience jabbed her husband so hard in the ribs that his arms fell away from her and she charged at the Dark Dragon, her dirk drawn when she stopped in front of him.
“You will respect my father and his wishes or we can go to war now,” she shouted, shaking the dirk in his face.
Hunter quickly stepped forward, his heart pounding in his chest, fearful of what the Dark Dragon would do before he could reach his impetuous wife and calm the situation.
His heart slammed against his chest when in an instant the Dark Dragon’s hand snapped out, grabbed Patience’s wrist, spun her around, and slammed her back against his chest, forcing her dirk against her throat.
Hunter stopped where he was and Rogan stepped up beside him, both men keeping their hands off the hilt of their swords, not wanting to make the dire situation worse.
Heather never knew any fear when it came to defending and protecting her sisters and it was the same for her now.
She stepped forward, her only thought to save her sister, and said, “You have won. I am your obedient wife. I will go with you willingly. I only ask that you do not mar this day that I take leave from my family with bloodshed. And I ask my husband if he would be so generous as to respect my father’s wishes and do as he asks so he does not needlessly worry about his daughter.
I also beg your forgiveness for my sister’s impulsive actions. ”
Complete silence filled the Great Hall as breaths were held, waiting to see what the Dark Dragon would do. He did not make a move and there was not a flicker or hint in his dark, soulless eyes to her heartfelt words.
Suddenly he swung Patience away from him, snatching her dirk from her hand as he did. Hunter quickly stepped forward to grab her and steady her and to hold her in a way she could not escape him again.
The Dark Dragon threw the dirk, landing it in the wood floor close to Patience’s boot. “Turn it on me again and nothing will save you.”
To Hunter’s relief Patience did not reach to retrieve it. His wife was wise enough to understand not only the foolishness of her rash actions, but what it had cost her sister.
The Dark Dragon glared at Heather for a moment, and then once again silence filled the Great Hall as ever so slowly, he raised his hands to his helmet.
Heather held her breath and thought to close her eyes, fearful of what she would see but too fearful to look away. A gasp caught in her throat when he fully removed his helmet while several gasps circled the room. Heather’s one and only thought was—only evil could be that stunningly handsome.
His features were so strikingly defined that she was reminded of the painting her father had had done of her mum about a year before she died.
The artist had captured her features to perfection and that too was true of the Dark Dragon.
It was as if an artist had painted him to perfection, for all his lines and angles blended perfectly.
He wore his dark hair severely drawn back and tethered at the nape of his neck and not one scar marred his sun-kissed skin.
There was something in his captivating dark eyes that held Heather’s attention and would not let her look away. What it was, she could not say, but it nagged at her and refused to let go, and she silently reminded herself not to let evil rob her of her good senses.
She should be relieved that he was not difficult to look upon, but she was not. She was upset, for at first glance she had felt a twinge of attraction and that had not pleased her at all.
He kept his eyes on Heather for a moment as if with his helmet removed, he could take the whole of her in, and she shivered at his close scrutiny.
He turned his head abruptly away from her and looked to her father.
“With the Clans McLaud and McDolan hungry for war, I will remain close. I have land, a small keep with a few crofts surrounding it. It is but an hour’s journey from here.
I will settle with my wife there to help avert this brewing war. ”
“The small McCombs holdings belong to you now?” Donald asked.
The Dark Dragon confirmed with a nod.
“I am grateful you will remain nearby for the time being,” Donald said.
“What choice do I have when the murdered body of Greer McLaud’s wife has been found on your land? Greer is sure to accuse you of killing her, giving him the excuse he has been looking for to start a war with the Clan Macinnes.”
“This marriage will change many a clan’s mind of whose side they will fight on and hopefully prevent a war from starting and countless lives from being lost,” Donald said.
“Make no mistake, Macinnes, lives are lost well before clans declare war. It is the way of greedy men.”
Heather was impressed by his wise words, perhaps he was not the barbarian many claimed him to be.
The Dark Dragon turned to Heather with a look that could wither the staunchest of souls and said, “I have granted you this one favor. Do not ask for another. We leave now.”
Hope sank with his words. He would command and she must obey. It would be the way of things from this moment on.
He slipped his helmet back on, and then held out his glove-covered hand to her.
Once she placed her hand in his that would be it, she would belong to him.
There would be no escaping him. She wanted to run screaming from the keep but knew she could not.
Fate had dealt her another heavy blow. She was a fool.
She should have realized by now that life was harsh and would always be so, but she had hoped.
Hoped with all her heart that true love would conquer all. But it was not to be.
She reached out and accepted her fate. His hand grasped hers not firmly, but possessively, the strength of his grip letting her know that she belonged to him and that he would never let her go.
Emma cried out as the Dark Dragon led her sister out of the Great Hall, “We will visit soon.”
The Dark Dragon stopped and turned. “You will visit your sister only when I give permission.”
His words sent a chill through Heather. She was not his wife; she was his prisoner.
He rushed her along so fast that she felt as if her feet barely touched the ground.
That was when she realized that he had slipped his arm around her waist and lifted her ever so slightly as they walked.
Another chill sent a shiver through her.
If his one arm held such strength, how strong actually was he?
The thought turned her legs weak, and she feared they would no longer hold her. His arm suddenly tightened around her waist and she was lifted, the ground gone from beneath her feet, though her feet continued to move as if she could still feel it.