Epilogue
Only one person stood between Liam and Jean.
It was an aging, bloated laird who hadn’t had to face a real battle in years. Whatever grand speech he intended to make was cut short as soon as Liam disarmed him and slid his own sword across the man’s neck. Ballach, the laird of Clan Gibson, gurgled as blood dripped from his neck and fell down.
Two men had pulled Jean gently on the ground. At the sight of Jean, they froze. “We were hired to take a territory back, not to steal it or to harm a woman.”
Liam hesitated. He watched as the rest of the mercenaries had dropped their arms, but none of the soldiers he brought were experienced in medicine.
They’d needed Jean for that.
“Ye know who she is?”
“Aye.” The man cracked a smile. “We have heard many stories of the princess of Sinclair. She is impressive.”
“She is worth a lot of coin.”
“Coin, we like, but not like this. Never like this.”
Jean was unconscious, and there was too much blood running down the side of her head. How many times had she hit her head in the past two weeks? Too many.
She’d woken up then, but she was not waking up now.
“Can ye save her, then?”
One of the men stepped to the front, he was the one who usually mended their wounded and he was the only choice Liam had at that moment.
The man cleaned and bandaged her head wound, but she didn’t wake. Along with the others they put her in one of the boats and took her back to the territory. At least there she would be safe while she recovered.
Despite abstaining from sending a messenger to Laird Armstrong, Liam’s father still arrived two days later, followed closely by Laird Sinclair, their respective wives, and two dozen warriors.
Liam hadn’t slept. He had repeatedly refused to leave Jean’s side, even when he received word of his father’s arrival. It wasn’t until the cabin was filled with her parents and his guards that Creighton finally convinced Liam to leave.
“What are ye doing here with all these men? Will there be war?” Liam asked as he rubbed his hand over his face.
“Half of these men will accompany me to Clan Gibson. I will be taking the mercenaries with me to provide evidence of Ballach’s plans. The other half are to help finish rebuilding here.” Creighton leveled a look at him. “I need someone to go to Gibson and see who is acting as laird.”
“Not me.”
“Ye are my heir…”
“And she is to be my wife,” Liam said sharply. “If I had not been such an idiot, she would be my wife already. Would ye leave Mother if she were unconscious?”
Creighton smiled. “Nay. I would not. Nominate a guard to go in yer stead. How is she?”
“Ferg, the mercenary medic, and Mara keep butting heads, but they both agree that Jean has developed an infection. They are keeping her fever down, but there is not much else we can do but wait.”
“Talk to her father.”
Liam smiled briefly. “Nay. Talking to her father about her is the one thing I fear Jean will never forgive me for. I need to talk to her first. As soon as she is awake. I willnae wait a second longer. I should never have left it this long. The moment ye love someone, ye should tell them.”
“Aye. We all make that mistake, Liam. Ye have nothing to worry about. Jean would let a bump on the head be her death. Ye will have time.”
“Ye should send a Sinclair soldier to Gibson’s land. Show that our alliance is stronger than ever but that we arenae planning on taking Clan Gibson. Give them a chance to prove that they have a leader who can right things.” Liam turned to walk back to the cabin.
His father stopped him cold. “Being a laird is hard, Liam. ‘Tis tricky to keep the peace and lead during war. Ye are ready.”
Turning back, he frowned. “Are ye planning on stepping down, father?”
Creighton grinned. “Careful, pup. I have a few more years left in me.”
Then, his happy smile faded, and he nodded to the cabin. “Something is happening.”
Heart-pounding, Liam turned to see Connor and Moira Sinclair walking out, tears running down their faces. “No. No!”
“Liam.” Connor tried to stop him, but Liam raced into the cabin and stopped short.
Jean was up, pushing over her blankets and scowling at Mara.
“My apologies, Liam. I didnae mean to scare ye. I wanted to let ye know that Jean is awake and asking for ye,” Connor said quietly from behind him.
When Jean looked up at him, she smiled with relief. “I didnae know what happened to ye,” she said softly. “Nobody would tell me.”
“May we have some privacy, please?”
The cabin cleared out, and Liam walked to her bed and sat next to it. She lifted an eyebrow. “My father is right outside.”
“Aye, and he knows that we are alone, and he did nothing about it. I’d say that he has given us his approval.”
“Approval? For our friendship? Are ye just now?—“
“I love ye, Jean.”
Abruptly, her mouth closed, and her eyes widened. “Liam?”
“I love ye. I dinnae know when I started loving ye. Maybe the first time I kissed ye. I’ve made so many mistakes, fueled by jealousy when there was no need.
I should have said something earlier, but I wanted ye to know that this had nothing to do with our fathers. When we wed, ‘tis because I love ye.”
“When?”
At the teasing lilt in her voice, he relaxed. “Ye do realize in most of these cases, I would offer my hand to yer father, and he would order ye to marry me.”
“Ye are welcome to try that. I am certain he is right outside the door and listening in.”
“Do ye love me, Jean?”
Her expression shattered. “Ye had a plan when ye came to rescue me, didn’t ye?
An army waiting in the trees. Everything was over in moments, but I nearly got you killed.
I could learn, ye know. I could learn to follow yer lead, but I fear I will always follow my heart first. My heart belongs to ye, Liam.
It always has, and it is because of that love that I should tell ye no.
A strong leader should be able to control his wife. ”
“Or, perhaps what makes a strong leader is the partner they choose. And I want an equal, Jean, nae someone to control. I will never ask ye to change, Jean. Ye follow yer heart, and I will protect it. Marry me, Jean. Lead with me. Fight with me.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she nodded. “Aye. I’m yers. Forever.”
There was an exuberant shout from the other side of the door—probably her father—but her eyes were on him as he leaned forward and kissed her.
There was no alliance on his mind. No politics. Just this.
Just love.
“Ye owe me a stallion,” Connor said with his gaze trained on the dancing couple.
Creighton frowned. “Hardly! I said that they would wed within two months. Ye said it would take three.”
They sat next to their wives at the long table in the clearing. The light from the bonfire illuminated their faces as they relaxed and drank.
Overhearing her father’s conversation with Liam’s, Jean raised her eyebrow at her new husband. His lips twitched, but he held in his smile.
“Ye underestimated my boy,” Laird Armstrong continued. “He never fails.”
“While I am impressed at the timeline, I was the one who wagered she would make him work for it. I dare ye to prove me wrong,” Connor boasted.
Jean winced. She hadn’t made Liam work for it, had she?
Her mother cleared her throat. “Gentlemen, please dinnae tell me that ye wagered on our children’s happiness and are calling in those bets on the day of their wedding.”
This time, Jean did look over her shoulder. Both men had flushed and were looking steadfastly into their ale while they muttered something under their breaths.
“I didnae make ye work for it,” she said as she looked back at Liam.
“May I point out that in my mission to woo ye, I deposed an entire clan of their villainous laird?” he said mildly. “And killed a wolf.”
Indignation swelled up inside her. “I did not make you do any of that! Ye did that for yer clan!”
“At yer insistence. Ye pushed me at every step and I am grateful for it. I even love ye for it, but ye do need to take some credit for it as well.”
“Credit? Did ye wager on our marriage date as well?” She teased.
“Have I told ye how beautiful you are today? How much I love ye? How glad I am that ye are mine?”
She accepted another kiss from him and smirked. “Ye think I am so easily distracted?”
“My kisses are never meant to be a distraction, mo ghraidh.” His expression shifted as he looked over her shoulder. “She formally requested to leave.”
Jean swallowed hard. She didn’t need to turn to know who he was talking about.
Mara had struggled these past few weeks.
She’d asked to help plan Jean’s handfasting.
It wasn’t necessary, with Jean and Liam’s mother planning, but Jean knew Mara needed something to do.
Her recent experiences were weighing on her shoulders, and she’d needed a distraction.
Now that the handfasting was over, Mara had nothing left to distract her. “I know. She needs to travel a little, find herself, and I suspect that she needs to see Clan Gibson for herself. To know that it is no longer a threat.”
“Would ye like me to ask my father to deny it?”
She wanted to say yes. To keep her new friend close and help her heal.
She also knew that what Mara needed, Jean couldn’t give her.
“Nay. I would like her to wait until the new laird is chosen, but from the latest report, I know that Gibson is struggling, Ballach didnae take proper care of his people, only expand the land. Leave a legacy. Mara will help where she can while she heals. We could go, as well. For a few weeks. Keep an eye on her.”
“We are not needed, and until I know for certain that ye are all right, ye are not going anywhere.” A flicker of anxiety crossed his face when he cradled her face.
Up until a few days ago, she was still experiencing some pain in her head and ankle, but today, she’d stood next to Liam with no pain and pledged her heart and her loyalty to him.
Turning her head, she stared at her friend. A few men had approached her to dance, but she’d politely declined all of them. Her head bobbed with the beat of the fiddle, but there was still pain in her eyes that Jean knew only time would chase away.
“Verra well.” Wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck, she smiled. “Ye know, I shouldnae even be out of bed right now. In fact, my ankle is starting to feel weak again.”
Suddenly, she was off her feet. With a shriek, she clung to Liam as he cradled her in his arms. “Liam!”
Around him, everyone cheered. “I didnae mean you had to carry me!”
“If ye are in pain, I will carry ye,” he said solemnly, but there was a twinkle in his eyes.
He knew she wasn’t really in pain.
“And where are ye carrying me to?”
“To bed, of course. Where I plan on keeping ye for at least three days. Maybe even a week. To be safe. I dinnae want ye to be pained anymore.”
“A week. Will ye be there in case I need anything?”
“I dinnae plan on leaving yer side, wife. Someone has to make certain that ye dinnae get bored. Ye tend to stir up some trouble when ye are bored.”
“Trouble?” She gasped, but it was drowned out as the cheers grew louder when he carried her away. “Ye married trouble, remember?”
“Oh, I know.” His eyes had nothing but love in them as he looked down. “I know.”
Straddling him, she kissed him passionately as she worked on her dress.
Her hands weren’t the only ones that were busy, and it didn’t take long before her dress was off her shoulders and down to her waist. Her naked breasts touched the chilly air for only seconds before Liam’s hands and mouth were on her.
He moaned before he gently sank his teeth into her. Her center flooded with desire, and she rocked against him.
Slipping down his body, she wrestled with his trousers, but suddenly, she found herself on her back, skirt up to her waist.
“Liam!”
It wasn’t his cock probing between her legs but his fingers. “Are ye looking to see if I’m ready for ye? I assure ye, that I am.”
“Aye, I am aware.”
Jean smirked. With a growl, Liam curled his finger inside her, and she hummed in pleasure and lifted her hips. He leaned down and kissed the inside of her thigh. Her toes curled with anticipation.
“Liam, please. Please take me. Right now. I am begging ye!”
He slipped his tongue over her most sensitive bud, and her cries joined those of the night as she exploded. Liam rose over her, kissing her, and nudging her thighs open. “Do ye need more,” he panted as his cock nudged her. “Or can ye take me?”
“Aye. Right now, Liam. Right now!”
When he slipped inside her, he cradled her head and kissed her. All the frustrations that had built up during those interrupted private moments melted away.
It was just her and Liam. Love. Passion. Everything that had brought them together, that kept them together during the dark moments, it was still there. It was always there. And he showed her that with everything stroke, every murmured word of love.
He built her back up again, hard and fast, and when she shattered again, he was right there with her, spilling himself inside of her.
“Jean. My sweet Jean,” he whispered as he lowered his head to hers. “I love ye, mo ghraidh.”
Laughing breathlessly, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love ye, too, Liam. Always and forever.”
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