Page 15

–Broderick–

I HAD EXPERIENCED a lot of strange things in my time as a dragon, but nothing as impactful or telling as what happened between Aspen and me just as we were about to make love one last time before going downstairs to welcome the king.

One moment, I was looking at her.

The next, I seemed to be caught in some kind of vision.

From the looks of it, I gazed through Aspen's eyes, seeing myself in the woodland astride my black horse along with several other MacLeod warriors. It was clear by the fierce scowl on my face, the Viking sword in hand, and how fast I raced in her direction, I was ready for battle.

“What are you doing?”

she whispered into my mind, turning astride her horse with a fearful look in her eyes as I rushed to intercept those with whom she traveled. Sutherlands, all, with the worst of the lot, their laird, by her side.

Her eyes rounded, and she shook her head as I crashed blades with the first Sutherland to intercept me, desperate to get to her. I slit his neck and attacked the next one while the warriors traveling with me crossed blades as well. I was so intent on getting to her I was unaware of the incoming ambush until it was too late.

“How dare ye, MacLeod!”

Dugal roared, yanking Aspen off her horse and onto his lap.

“’Twill be war betwixt us now!”

Without a doubt, when far too many enemy clansmen attacked us and, for some reason, we didn’t shift into our dragons to defend ourselves. Instead, it was a bloody massacre as my men were pulled from their horses and slaughtered. Roaring in rage and pain at losing some of my closest friends and best warriors, it only got worse when four Sutherlands attacked me at once.

I ducked, swirled, and sliced my blade, downing three of them, but the fourth nearly got me had Lucas not come out of nowhere and caught him with a mace to the side of his neck, roaring like a berserker and fighting like a madman.

“I told you to watch over our clan, cousin,”

I cursed, still viewing myself from Aspen’s perspective, both terrified for her and enraged we were being bombarded like this. Things got even worse when everyone was killed except me and Lucas, and it became painfully clear we were overwhelmed by far too many. We fought valiantly with everything in us, but it didn’t look good.

“No!”

Aspen wailed in grief when, alas, we were both driven through and fell to our deaths, only for the vision to snap away.

We were back in my chamber in MacLeod Castle.

“Good God,”

she exclaimed, blinking back tears while trying to reacclimate to our surroundings after what must have been a shared vision, clearly relieved to see me alive and well.

“What the hell just happened?”

“I dinnae know.”

I shook my head, trying to understand when her dragon tattoo caught my attention, and I took her wrist.

“Though I suspect this has everything to do with it.”

Aspen’s gaze fell to the soft glow emitting from her tattoo before her attention drifted past me.

“I think you’re right because your Viking sword is also glowing.”

Seeming to sense something in that, she ran the pad of her thumb over her tattoo and murmured.

“We were given a glimpse of things that could come to pass.”

When her steady gaze returned to me, her inner beast flared in her eyes, warning my dragon to take heed.

“A glimpse of what will come to pass if you try to stop me from going with Dugal Sutherland.”

“Nay,”

I denied, refusing to believe it.

“I willnae let things get that far.”

“You might have no choice.”

She wiped away the tears my death had invoked and wore a look of determination I didn’t much like.

“Whatever happens, if I end up having to go with him, you can’t follow me.”

She shook her head and frowned, her tone as serious as her violet eyes when she looked at me.

“If you do, you and Lucas will die, leaving your clan without its laird, protector, and strongest dragon, and I’ll be alone with the Sutherland's six hundred years in my past.”

“Rest assured, ‘twill not happen,”

I promised, pulling her into my arms because I wanted her nowhere else.

“I will heed your vision and find a way around it if it should come to that.”

“I’m not sure you can find a way around a vision,”

she murmured before I cupped her cheek and dropped gentle kisses on her lips, trying to distract her from the conversation because, vision or not, there was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep her out of Dugal’s hands.

Better still, out of his bed.

More than ready for her back in my, our bed, I was about to chant away her clothes and deepen our kiss, but regrettably, I sensed the king and his men crossing onto MacLeod territory.

“Hell,”

I muttered, vaguely considering lying with her quickly this time, but I knew better. Despite Kenneth's assurances, I needed to get downstairs and see that everything was in order. Not just that, but the castle would be aflutter with news of the king's arrival, so best I be present to set their minds at ease, given the state of things lately and England’s ongoing aggression.

So, after dressing appropriately for a royal arrival in MacLeod colors, complete with a brooch at my shoulder, I saw to Aspen’s attire, dressing her like my mother had the first night because red truly did suit her. Not just that, but I wanted my clan’s colors all over her so there was no mistaking she was ours. Could the king overrule that?

Indeed, but I didn’t intend to make it easy for him.

Sheathing the Viking blade at my back, I joined her at the spacious opening overlooking the choppy, deep green sea. The retreating clouds gave way to a blazing melon and violet sunset, turning her eyes to a pure fiery purple.

“I love the weather here,”

she said softly, taking in the white-tipped waves beholden to an ever-gusty salt-ridden wind.

“So volatile and exciting.”

Her gaze dropped to the stone shelves leading down to last night’s memories, and a small, womanly smile curled her mouth.

“Like this place and the memories I’m making here on what I’m still convinced will be the best adventure of my life.”

Her eyes met mine.

“Already is, for that matter.”

“And ‘twill continue to be so,”

I assured, tracing my fingers along her soft jaw because it was impossible not to touch her.

“With me by your side until you're finally my wife and mistress of this castle.”

The corner of her mouth curled up even more.

“You don’t give up, do you?”

“Never,”

I swore, sighing as I slipped my hand into hers.

“’Tis time to go below stairs, lass.”

We said little after that but made our way along until she stopped in the same spot where she had stood the previous morning with Kenneth and Lucas. Her gaze once again swept over the tapestries with appreciation before homing in on the largest of them all.

“That’s a female dragon,”

she realized, admiring the elegant dragon navigating stormy skies and the masculine face caught in the clouds gazing at her through fiery eyes.

“Aye,”

I confirmed.

“’Tis a means to remember our ancestor Torra MacLomain and the considerable strength she brought to this clan when she found love with her soul mate, Colin MacLeod, seen watching her always.”

I touched the small of Aspen’s back, ensuring she caught the double meaning.

“There with her always.”

Our eyes met for a lingering look that told me Aspen cared for me every bit as much as I did her before we made our way down to the great hall and our waiting clansfolk. Keeping Aspen by my side so my people might see how much she meant to me, I spent time among them, assuring all was well before joining my parents and cousins in front of one of the fires. There was no need to catch them up on the vision Aspen and I had shared because they already knew it based on their various expressions.

“Whatever you do, you must heed that vision, son,”

my mother warned, eyeing the blade at my back before nodding at Aspen.

“’Twas born of not just great Viking magic, but of your mate, whose gifts are powerful in their own right.”

“And what are those gifts?”

Lucas asked curiously, eyeing Aspen with appreciation, and I didn’t blame him. She looked radiant after a night of lovemaking, her flawless skin almost luminescent and her ebony hair flowing in velvety waves down her back.

“Honestly, it’s always been hit or miss with me,”

Aspen confessed, shrugging.

“Nothing overly concrete, really. Just enough to know I’ve got a little something extra going on.”

“More than you might realize,”

my mother said, seeing something only she could when looking at my future wife.

“However it manifests, ‘twill be made up of what you have possessed without pause since childhood. Patience. A steadfast nature and refusal to give up on anything you set your mind to. ‘Twill also be made up of a great inner strength and the ability to weather whatever change comes your way with courage and perseverance.”

“I can only hope you’re right,”

Aspen said.

“She is,”

Kenneth said, his eyes flickering with his inner wizard as he saw the same thing as my mother. Something I felt more than saw, and I could only pray it kept Aspen safe if I somehow could not.

“I suspect you will become more familiar with it sooner rather than later,”

my mother said, taking in how Aspen and I were together now with a knowing look. One I had never seen her wear, and with good reason because I had never been in love before. Never felt this incredible pull toward another. Not even with Storm. It was so different, and I could see that clearly now. Feel it.

“I think you’re right,”

Aspen replied to my mother. Her inner beast simmered in her eyes, then vanished, telling everyone she was getting better and better control over her dragon. That, combined with coming together with her fated mate, was often the key to one’s powers expanding if they had been repressed.

Aspen offered me a reassuring smile, whereas most in her position would do the opposite. If anything, they would be trying to find a way back to the twenty-first century and out of harm’s way.

“So, is there anything I should know about King Robert II before meeting him?”

Aspen wondered.

“Things that might not have made it into history books? Not obvious things like him being the first Stewart king. More like personality quirks per se?”

“In that regard, we are lucky,”

I replied.

“Generally speaking, the king is a kind and generous man, with somewhat of a cheerful nature during less trying times.”

I shook my head.

“Outside of talk of the Sassenach’s, ‘tis rare we’ve seen him in a foul mood.”

“Well, that’s good,”

she said, choosing to see the bright side despite being aware the English were likely going to be at the heart of his discussion with us when he arrived.

“Should I assume he knows I’m from the future and the MacLeods and Sutherlands possess dragon blood?”

“You should because he does,”

I confirmed.

“Not just knowledge of time travelers but that of dragons was handed down to him through the generations, including from King Robert the Bruce himself.”

“Yet he prefers to keep his knowledge of dragons a secret like the rest of you?”

she presumed, cocking her head.

“When having them backing him could very well mean certain victory over England? I would think certain victory over any country he wished to conquer.”

“It verra well could,”

I agreed.

“But he swore an oath that dragons were to remain Scotland’s best-kept secret for the sake of history. For the sake of what might happen to his beloved country and its dragons if the truth ever got out.”

I shook my head.

“King Robert is first and foremost an honorable man who puts his countrymen before all else, so he would not put the MacLeods or Sutherlands in the line of fire like that.”

“And it would be just that, wouldn’t it?”

she said softly.

“One way or another, mankind would destroy you, us all, no matter how powerful we might be because we were higher on the food chain.”

“Without a doubt,”

I concurred, about to say more when my man signaled me from the door, then announced the king would soon arrive.

“’Tis time, lass.”

Praying things went well, I held out my elbow to her.

“Let us make our way to the courtyard so you might meet your first medieval Scottish king, as you would put it.”

Despite her circumstances, the adventurer in Aspen shone through in the excitement in her eyes when she slipped her arm into mine.

“Lead the way.”

So I did, and she finally met her first medieval king.

Unfortunately, that also meant she would end up meeting the last man I wanted her to.