Highland Oath Read online

  “It’s better you find someone who will love you, then to settle for the likes of my brother,” Raven said.

  “No man will ever love me,” Purity said and tucked her deformed hand under her arm. “I’d rather someone who could keep me safe.”

  “Maybe you should learn to keep yourself safe,” Raven said.

  “Raven!” Oria scolded for the third time.

  “You believe me wrong to think of learning to protect myself?” Raven argued. “What if there came a time you needed to protect yourself? What would you do? Cower and beg for mercy or defend yourself? I refuse to cower.”

  “I wish I had your courage,” Purity said.

  “You have courage. We all do. You just have to find yours,” Raven said.

  “You spend too much time with your brothers,” Oria said, but couldn’t help but give thought to Raven’s words.

  Raven laughed again. “And you don’t spend enough time thinking beyond Royden.” Her laughter faded and her tone turned serious. “There is one thing we have that can help us.”

  “What?” Purity and Oria asked eagerly.

  “We have one another. We have friendship.” Raven stretched out her hands to the two women.

  Oria took Raven’s hand while Purity hesitated since it was her deformed hand that was closest to Raven.

  Raven would have none of it. She grabbed Purity’s arm and yanked it out from under her other arm and took hold of her deformed hand.

  Purity’s eyes lit wide and her mouth fell open to speak, but words weren’t easy to find. Finally, she said, “No one touches my hand. They call it a devil’s claw.”

  “We all have a bit of the devil in us,” Raven said.

  “Hush!” Oria warned. “Don’t let anyone hear you speak such blasphemy.”

  “Think what you wish, Oria, but I heard my da claim it himself. He says the devil resides in all of us and only the honorable ones keep him at bay.” Raven squeezed their hands. “Friends?”

  Oria and Purity smiled and returned the squeeze. “Friends.”

  “You’re my first and only friends,” Purity said with a soft smile.

  “Then it’s good, lifelong friends we’ll be,” Raven said.

  Royden calling out for Oria interrupted the three women.

  “I have to go but we’ll talk again,” Oria said, scrambling to her feet.

  Raven watched her hurry off, then turned to Purity. “Why don’t we visit the other kittens in the barn.”

  Purity found herself blushing again. “Your brother may be there with someone.”

  “Did you catch him there with a woman?” Raven asked, jumping to her feet.

  “I did,” Purity admitted in a whisper.

  “Good, maybe he’ll be there again and we can learn what all the moaning and groaning is about since it doesn’t look like much fun to me.” Raven pretended to gag.

  Purity giggled. “I wonder myself. I only know that your brother seems to be good at pleasing women.”

  “Ahh, so the true reason comes out as to why you want to wed my brother,” Raven said teasingly.

  “I have little doubt that I will never have the opportunity to know such intimacy with a husband,” Purity said, sadness returning to her voice.

  Raven scrunched her nose. “Who wants to?”

  “One day you will, Raven, and I hope he’s a man of your choosing.”

  “Raven is wiser beyond her years,” Oria said as she walked with Royden.

  “Da says the same and blames himself for having raised her more accustomed to the company of men rather than women,” Royden said. “Da is hoping, as well as I am, that once we wed you will provide Raven with a much needed woman’s touch.”

  Oria smiled. “Your sister already realizes that and is ready for it. Raven has an independent streak that I don’t believe you’ll be able to tame.”

  “Can we tame her long enough to find her a husband, then she can be his problem?” he asked with a teasing grin.

  “Now I know where Raven gets it from,” Oria said with a laugh.

  “Raven is a handful. She speaks her mind when she should hold her tongue, gives her opinion when it doesn’t concern her, demands that she’ll choose her own husband,”—Royden shook his head— “I could go on and on.”

  “You forget how kind your sister can be and how much she loves you, Arran, and your da. She worries about all of you as much as you do her.”

  Royden raised their clasped hands and kissed hers. “I know, that is why my da hopes to find her a good husband that she will want to wed, though I wonder if any man will please her.”

  “It isn’t the man who will please her you need to look for. It’s the man who will steal her heart.”

  “Like you stole mine?” Royden smiled and kissed her hand again.

  “I doubt I stole your heart as fast as you stole mine.”

  “And when exactly did you lose your heart to me?” he asked, steering them toward an area that would afford them some privacy since the urge to kiss her was too much for him to deny.

  Oria smiled at the memory. “When I first met you.”

  He scrunched his brow trying to recall and when he did, his brow shot wide. “You can’t mean when we actually first met. You were so young, five or six years was it?”

  She nodded.

  He laughed. “It was when you tripped and I picked you up that you believed yourself in love with me?”

  “I knew without a doubt I was in love with you. You were kind, strong, and tall.”

  “And barely ten years,” he said, laughing again.

  “You were big for your age,” she reminded.

  “That’s something I’ve often been reminded of, but still, how could you know?”

  “My heart and stomach told me. Both fluttered and raced, and did all sorts of strange things not only that time, but each and every time I saw you.” Oria giggled as she confessed, “I even made sure to trip now and again around you so that you would pick me up.”

  Royden gave a hardy laugh. “And here I thought you were clumsy.”

  “I was in love with you then and I’m in love even more with you now. I could never love another, want another, have such a need for another as I do for you. You have my heart and love always.”

  Royden rushed them behind one of the storage sheds, pinning her against it with his body as his lips came down on hers. He’d kissed other women, nothing meaningful, more out of curiosity, but the kisses where nothing compared to how he felt when he kissed Oria.

  It was magical. There was no other way to describe it. As soon as his lips touched hers, he was lost in a world of pure magic. Everything seemed to fade away, concerns, fears, doubts magically disappeared and he felt a contentment he’d never felt. Of course, he also grew aroused and it had grown harder and harder to keep his hands off her. She hadn’t stopped him when his hands had touched her breasts the first time, though she had pushed him away when he had rubbed his hard shaft against her.

  It’s not that I don’t want you, but I won’t sully my family’s good name.

  Her gentle warning had stayed with him and he’d never done it again… until now with only three days till they wed. Knowing they’d soon be husband and wife, his impatience had grown along with his manhood.

  He settled his swollen shaft against the apex of her legs, in that sweet spot he yearned to touch and ached to slip into. He shifted his hips while pressing against her and he was beyond happy when instead of pushing him away, she pressed against him, encouraging him.

  Good Lord, but he wanted to slip inside her and bring them both the pleasure they had been denying themselves.

  Reluctantly, he moved his lips off hers and whispered, “Our wedding night can’t get here soon enough.”

  A small moan fell from her lips and sent his passion and need soaring. He wisely and hastily stepped away from her.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have encouraged you, but I can’t help myself. I have an awful need for yo—”

 
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deep and quick. “Don’t ever apologize for encouraging me or needing me. I’m happy that you admit it. Knowing you want me as badly as I do you fills my heart with joy.” He lowered his whisper to a faint murmur. “It does, however, keep me rock hard.”

  Her eyes fluttered closed for a second. “I can’t wait to touch you, feel you, have you slip inside me—”

  He stepped away from her again. “Don’t… my need and impatience are too great.”

  “So is mine.”

  Royden turned, ready to rush her off somewhere where he could satisfy them both, and disappointment stabbed at him. She had left their private spot to stand out where anyone passing could see them.

  “I’m as disappointed as you, but it’s only three days and then you’re stuck with me,” Oria said with a teasing grin.

  “And you with me,” he said, walking over to her and took her hand.

  A soft laugh fell from her lips along with her words. “It is good then that we love each other.”

  “Let me go, Arran!”

  Royden and Oria turned to see Arran all but dragging Raven toward the keep.

  “Not this time. You’ll answer to Da and you’ll tell me who it was you warned to run away,” Arran said.

  “Never!” Raven spat.

  Royden and Oria hurried over to them.

  “What’s going on, Arran?” Royden asked.

  “Our dear little sister was spying on me in the barn again and she had someone with her, though she refuses to tell me who so I can see her punished as well.”

  Raven looked to Oria, hoping her warning was clear not to betray Purity.

  “Do you know who she was with in the barn?” Royden asked, turning to Oria.

  Oria wanted no lies between her and Royden and the way he asked her she could answer honestly. “I don’t know who was in the barn with her.”

  Raven was relieved at her response. She feared what Bayne might do to Purity if Arran confronted him about it.

  “I don’t know what all the fuss is about,” Raven complained. “I only saw your naked arse this time.”

  “Raven!”

  She froze at the sound of her father’s shout. He had heard her.

  “She needs to be sent to the convent,” Arran said.

  “Traitor,” Raven snapped, glaring at Arran.

  “Inside now!” her da ordered.

  Raven took a wide berth around her da as she hurried to the keep, not that he’d raise his hand to her. He never did, though he looked awfully angry. She had given her word she wouldn’t do it again. For that she was sorry. She sighed, knowing she’d been wrong and wondering how to make it right.

  “Raven has a fierce, stubborn streak to her, Da, that I fear will bring her harm one day,” Arran said.

  “Or give her strength that she might need one day,” Oria said, feeling the need to defend her.

  “You will be a sister to her soon, Oria. Tell me you will help me with Raven or I fear I’ll have no choice but to send her to the convent,” Parlan said.

  A pain jabbed at her chest, but it was nothing to what Oria sensed Raven would feel if told she was being sent to the convent. Raven was far too spirited to be locked away and it hurt Oria to even think about such a dreadful thing happening to her.

  “I’m sure I can help her learn the propriety she lacks,” Oria assured him, hoping she’d be able to accomplish the task, but having doubts.

  “Mark my words, Da. One day Raven is going to do something that we won’t be able to help her with or protect her. And I fear that day the most,” Arran said.

  Chapter 5

  Raven took herself off to the woods to avoid the endless parade of preparations for the wedding in two days and her two brothers’ scowling faces every time they looked at her. Both had been annoyed that their father’s punishment had not been severe enough for what she had done. But having been sent to her bedchamber for the remainder of the day yesterday had been complete torture to her.

  It was also the reason she chose to remain outside. She couldn’t stand the confines of the keep any longer. Besides, Purity was probably in the woods. They had talked about visiting today, but Purity didn’t want anyone to know she was there. She feared her brother would discover and think that she came there to beg Arran to marry her again.

  Raven had stopped in the barn to scoop up the kitten Purity favored and when she reached the spot where they had agreed to meet, Purity squealed with delight.

  “You brought him,” Purity said and hurried to take the kitten from Raven.

  The kitten practically jumped out of Raven’s arms and into Purity’s to snuggle and purr against her. Then he crawled up her chest and along her shoulders, meowing as he went as if declaring Purity belonged to him. Once done, he curled himself in the crook of her arm to sleep.

  “It’s a shame you can’t take him home. He favors you as much as you do him,” Raven said.

  Purity sighed softly. “I wish I could, but he’s safer here and I do love to visit.”

  “You don’t need a reason to visit. We’re friends now and you’re welcome here any time.”

  “That means a lot to me, Raven.”

  Raven could tell that smiling didn’t come natural to Purity. Her smile always looked forced as if she smiled so rarely she didn’t actually know how to smile.

  “You need to name him,” Raven said. “He needs a strong name.”

  “King,” Purity said, stroking the little bundle of fur. “It’s appropriate since he rules and commands my heart.”

  “Like Arran?”

  Purity’s cheeks turned pink and soon blossomed bright red.

  “Your secret is safe with me,” Raven assured her.

  “How did you know?” Purity asked, realizing there was no keeping the truth from Raven.

  “The way you look at him. It’s the same look I see in Oria’s eyes when she looks at Royden.”

  Purity never thought to discuss her feelings about Arran with anyone. She’d been too afraid that someone would find out and she’d be mocked for it. After all, a man as handsome as Arran would never desire a woman like her.

  “It’s strange,” Purity said. “It wasn’t that I looked at him and thought myself in love, it was more that it developed over time. I’ve visited here more than you know, most people ignoring me or not even seeing me. I love visiting with the various animals since my father forbids me contact with the ones at home. Arran was the only one who acknowledged my presence. He actually talked with me, not for long, but enough that I took notice of him. Over time, seeing the good man he is and that he continued to talk with me, I simply lost my heart to him.”

  “My brother is a good man, except for yesterday.” Raven made a fist and shook it. “I could have pummeled him.”

  “I regret I didn’t come to your defense,” Purity said with a frown that seemed more at home on her face than a smile.

  “Nonsense. We agreed if I told you to run, you’d do just that. If you’d been caught, you no doubt would be forbidden to come here again.”

  Purity’s frown deepened. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to continue to visit. My father and brother discuss all sorts of things in front of me. I sometimes think they forget I’m there, then as if he remembers my father suddenly sends me away. My father and brother are extremely concerned about Chieftain Thurbane’s land being confiscated and his daughter forced to wed. He fears that more clans will fall to the King’s demand and more daughters wed to men faithful to the King. Sentries have been doubled and missives sent to other clans to see what they’ve heard or know. I fear my clan prepares for an attack.”

  A chill went through Raven. It was one thing to hear her father and brother talk about such a possibility, but to know a neighboring clan prepared as well made the possibility of an attack all the more real to Raven.

  “I won’t be forced to wed a stranger, especially one disloyal to the Highlands,” Raven said as if making a promise to herself.
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br />   “I think it was one of the reasons my father tried to get Arran to wed me. While he wants me wed, it’s a beneficial marriage he wants, since land equals power and is the true King of the Highlands.”

  “And women are used as pawns to gain that power,” Raven said with distaste.

  “You understand much for your age, more than I do and only four years separate us,” Purity said with a touch of envy.

  “I’m told I’m too young to understand the way of things or that I am a lass and it’s not necessary for me to know certain things.” Raven lowered her voice as if sharing a secret. “I have this urge to learn, to know things. It eats at me something fierce. I sneak and listen to conversations, not only between my da and brothers, but others in the clan. It’s also the reason I sneak to watch Arran when he’s with a woman. I don’t want to be ignorant of things, or others making decisions for me.”

  “I never gave thought to learning. I thought my life was what my father deemed it to be, but you inspire me to think differently,” Purity said, a smile returning to her face, a little less forced this time.

  “We could learn some things together, even teach each other things we already know,” Raven suggested.

  Purity actually laughed softly. “I doubt there’s anything I can teach you.”

  “That’s not true. You know the woods between our land and maneuver it with ease. My father will only let me go so far into the woods alone and with not being that familiar with the land and no knowledge of direction, I would get lost.”

  “The sun, the moon, and the stars tell you much, but trees impart much knowledge as well,” Purity said, realizing she was knowledgeable about something.

  “Tell me,” Raven urged, eager to learn.

  “If you look to go north in the woods, then look for the side of a tree where the bark is dull and dark. That side faces north. The tips of the trees look to the sun so they point south. If there is one thing you should remember about the woods over all else, it’s how the woods alert you to danger. The animals and birds fill the forest with delightful sounds, but when the forest turns silent—beware. Something is there that frightens them silent. Something that doesn’t belong, something unnatural to them.”