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Was there a part that bored or that you didn't really like in the book?

Even a character, a scene, or anything. You could say no if nothing bothered you.

Which was the part you liked most in the book?

Even a character, a scene, or anything that you enjoyed.

How do you feel about books in the same series taking place in different centuries? *

• Love it! I enjoy seeing the world evolve over time.
• No, I prefer having a strong connection between storylines and characters

Would you be interested in reading a story centered around a pagan laird? *

• Yes, that sounds fascinating!
• Maybe, depends on the storyline.
• Not really, I prefer stories set in Christian Scotland.

Anything else you'd like to share?

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Five months later…

The winding road to the priory was quieter than Alexandra remembered. Snow still clung to the trees in patches, slowly melting beneath the weak spring sun. Callum rode beside her, one hand guiding the reins, the other reaching out occasionally to brush his fingers against hers as if needing the constant reassurance that she was still there.

The journey had been long, the anticipation longer.

They were finally returning to the place where it had all begun—where Margaret had been hidden, where Alexandra had lived a lie, and where so many truths had come undone.

But when the familiar stone arch of the priory walls came into view, unease pricked at the base of Alexandra’s neck. Something was off. There was no smoke curling from the chimneys, no voices echoing across the courtyard. The air was too still.

As they dismounted and stepped through the main gate, a young nun greeted them, her face pale and pinched.

“We’ve come to see The Prioress,” Alexandra said quickly, her voice catching on the name she’d once hated.

The nun’s eyes darted between them, lingering on Alexandra with visible recognition. She took a slow breath and gave a hesitant nod. “Of course… please, come with me.”

She led them through the quiet stone corridors, the weight of the silence pressing on all sides, until they reached the Prioress’s chambers. The older woman rose from her writing desk as they entered, and her eyes widened slightly as they landed on Alexandra.

“Lady Margaret,” she said, voice low and reverent, dipping her head. “Child, we heard such awful rumors—there were reports of the Mackenzies being attacked, of ye being taken. Are ye well? Have ye been harmed?” Her eyes shifted to Callum, and her recognition was immediate.

“Laird Mackenzie,” she said warmly. “We owe ye our survival. And more than that—we owe ye Margaret’s life. Twice now, it seems, ye’ve been the shield between her and danger. Thank ye again fer what ye did that day—and fer what came after.”

The Prioress’s words tumbled out in a flurry, her hands fluttering as she stepped forward, eyes wide and searching.

Alexandra took a slow breath, then turned her gaze to Callum. He met her eyes with a subtle nod, grounding her.

She turned back to the Prioress. “There’s something I need tae tell ye, Prioress” she said, her voice quiet but steady. “And it’s a long story.”

The Prioress blinked in confusion. “I… I dinnae understand.”

And so they told her. Slowly, carefully, Alexandra and Callum laid out the truth—how Alexandra and Margaret had switched identities, she calling herself Margaret and the real Margaret being called Alexandra… how the deception had been meant to protect the real Margaret from enemies who sought to harm the MacLeans. They explained the switch, the days spent in hiding, the weight of living a borrowed life.

The Prioress listened without interruption, her expression a careful mask of shock and dawning understanding. When they finished, she exhaled softly, folding her hands before her.

“All this time… I truly believed ye were Margaret,” she said, voice distant. “She played her role just as well.”

Alexandra nodded, her voice tight. “We both did what we had tae.” She paused for a moment, the memories flickering behind her eyes, then added more softly, her gaze steady on the Prioress, “We’ve come because… I’m Lady Mackenzie now. Callum and I were wed nae long after the battle ended. It was a quiet ceremony, but one filled with more love than I ever thought I could hold.”

The Prioress’s expression tightened, her brows drawing together as if the very act of empathy were a battle she hadn’t expected to face. She studied Alexandra, not with warmth, but with a critical gaze that carried the weight of old judgments. It was as though she were still piecing together how the wayward, stubborn girl she’d once chastised now stood before her clothed in nobility.

Alexandra, undeterred, pressed on, her voice lowering with emotion. “I only wish Margaret could have been there,” she said, her gaze unwavering. “We shared so much, the two of us. She was me strength when I had none, me guide when I was lost. I never imagined taking that step into a new life without her beside me.”

She swallowed hard, blinking back the sudden sting in her eyes. “That’s why we’ve come. Tae find her. Tae tell her everything. The truth, our truth, and tae share the joy we’ve begun to build. She deserves tae ken.”

The Prioress’s expression shifted, but rather than sorrow, it was a sharp, assessing look that flickered in her eyes. Her mouth pressed into a thin line as she studied Alexandra. “Well… Alexandra, or rather, Margaret isnae here.”

Alexandra blinked. “What dae ye mean she’s nae here?”

“She vanished the morning of the raid,” the Prioress said softly. “When the men came and the chaos spread, many scattered. Some of them returned but Margaret never did. Nay one has seen or heard from her since.”

A silence stretched across the room, heavy and stunned. Alexandra stared at the woman in disbelief, her lips parting but no words coming. She turned slightly, her hand tightening around Callum’s.

“She’s… gone?” Alexandra whispered, the word nearly catching in her throat.

“We prayed she found safety,” the Prioress said curtly, her tone lacking the softness one might have expected. “But the truth is—we dinnae ken if she did, and that’s all there is tae it.”

Alexandra stood frozen, her eyes wide and unblinking, her mouth parted slightly as if trying to form a question that wouldn’t come. The revelation settled like a stone in her stomach, her limbs stiff, her breath caught somewhere in her chest.

Callum glanced at her, concern darkening his features. When she still didn’t speak, he stepped forward, his voice low but steady. “Thank ye, Prioress, fer yer honesty.”

The Prioress gave a shallow nod, her mouth tight, already turning back toward her desk as if dismissing them with the same coldness she had always wielded. Callum gently placed a hand on Alexandra’s back, guiding her away as her eyes lingered on the woman who had once ruled her world with judgment and silence.

The corridor outside felt colder somehow, heavier. Alexandra walked in silence, her hand still in Callum’s, her mind whirling with the weight of everything she’d just learned.

“She cannae just be gone,” she murmured as they stepped into the cloister’s shadow. “Nae without a trace.”

She slowed her steps, her voice dropping even lower. “That day… after ye found me in the woods, when we returned tae the priory—I looked for her, Callum. I came back inside while everyone was distracted. I checked the corners, the chambers, the courtyard… but she was naywhere.”

Callum’s brows drew together, though he kept silent, letting her speak.

“I told her tae run,” Alexandra whispered, her throat tightening with the memory. “Told her tae get tae safety. And when I couldnae find her afterward, I assumed she did just that. I thought she’d return once things settled. I thought she’d come back here tae the Priory like we agreed.”

She stopped walking, her feet heavy, her eyes burning with the weight of realization. “But she never did. And I should have said something. I should have raised the alarm that very night. Instead, I waited. I waited and I hoped.”

Callum turned to her fully, reaching to take both her hands gently in his. “Ye did what ye thought was right, Alexandra. Ye trusted her tae survive. Ye had faith in her.”

Her gaze met his, pain flickering behind her eyes, eyes brimming with the guilt she had carried silently. “But what if she didnae? What if I was wrong?”

He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them gently, lingering. “Then we’ll find out. Together. I promise ye, we’ll keep lookin’. She’s out there somewhere, Alexandra. I can feel it in me bones. Maybe she just got lost. Maybe she’s still findin’ her way back. But she’ll come. She’ll find her way tae us. I ken it.”

She said nothing at first, letting his words settle around her, their warmth sinking into the cold place in her chest. Slowly, the tension in her shoulders eased, her fingers curling tighter around his as she leaned forward to rest her forehead against his.

“Come,” Callum said, his voice softening. “Let me take yer mind off things fer a bit. I’ve got somethin’ fer ye. A surprise.”

“A surprise?” she asked warily.

He gave a crooked smile. “Aye. Trust me.”

Still holding her hand, he guided her toward the stables, his thumb brushing slow circles over her knuckles, anchoring her. They moved in tandem, no rush in their steps, as if prolonging the moment could soothe the ache still lodged in her chest. Once mounted, they rode side by side down the winding road that had once carried them into uncertainty and new beginnings. Now, it carried them into something else—something softer, more certain.

The quiet stretched between them, not awkward, but restful, their shared silence speaking more than words could manage. Alexandra leaned closer into Callum’s side as the spring breeze brushed against her cheek, carrying the faintest scent of blooming heather.

When the first rooftops of the familiar village came into view, Alexandra sat straighter, her brows drawing together as recognition dawned.

“This place…” she murmured, eyes sweeping across the lane, the stone arch, the line of trees just beyond the bakery.

Callum glanced sideways at her, a half-smile pulling at his lips. “The same town we stopped at on our way tae Mackenzie land. Figured it was time we made new memories here. Better ones.”

Just beyond the village square, the sounds of laughter, music, and cheerful clamor greeted them. Bright fabric stalls fluttered in the breeze, and the scent of sweet pastries and roasted meat filled the air. A fair had sprung to life just as it had on their last visit, though this time the air felt lighter, freer.

Alexandra’s face lit up, her eyes wide with surprise and delight. “There’s a fair! Just like that night!” she exclaimed, glancing over at Callum. “Only this time, I can dance with ye without some overly eager lass tryin’ tae steal all yer attention.”

Callum chuckled, dismounting with ease before offering his hand to her. “Ah, so ye did notice that?”

She took his hand, sliding gracefully from the saddle. “Of course I noticed,” she said, grinning up at him. “I couldnae tear me eyes away from the two of ye, nay matter how hard I tried.”

Callum pulled her close, a playful glint in his eyes. “I only paid attention tae that woman because I couldnae pay attention tae the one I truly wanted. Ye were standin’ there, lookin’ like the only thing that mattered in the whole bloody world, and I couldnae so much as look at ye the way I wanted.”

Her eyes sparkled with mischief, the jealousy that once tugged at her heart now fully eclipsed by joy.

“Well,” she said with a smirk, “now there’s naethin’ stoppin’ ye.”

“Aye,” Callum murmured, brushing a kiss against her cheek. “And now there’s nay one else in the world I’d rather dance with.”

With laughter in their steps and music rising around them, the two of them slipped into the crowd, joining the dancers beneath strings of lanterns and ribbons. Just like that second night they’d spent together, they moved as if they’d always belonged—two hearts beating in perfect time, weaving a memory neither would ever forget.

As they danced, Alexandra leaned into him, her breath warm against his ear. Her voice was barely above a whisper, thick with emotion and anticipation. “I have a surprise fer ye too, husband,” she murmured, her smile playing at the corner of her lips.

Callum’s brow quirked in curiosity, his gaze flicking to hers, searching her face for a clue. But she only tilted her head, eyes sparkling with mischief and something deeper, something tender.

She slid her hand into his, fingers lacing with his for a beat before she gently pulled his palm toward her, placing it flat against her belly. Her eyes never left his.

For a moment, Callum stood still, unmoving, confused. Then his eyes widened, realization blooming across his features like sunlight cresting the edge of a mountain.

“Are ye—?”

She nodded, and the smile that broke across her face was radiant and uncontainable.

Callum cupped her face, awe and warmth etched into every line of his expression. He rested his forehead against hers, their dance slowing to a soft, swaying rhythm as the fair twirled around them.

“Gods, Alexandra… We’re going tae have a bairn?”

“Aye,” she whispered, her voice thick with happy tears. “We are going tae have a bairn.”

They stood together in the midst of swirling music and spinning laughter, wrapped in a moment that felt outside of time. Around them, the fair continued in vibrant color and joy, but for Alexandra and Callum, the world had narrowed to a single heartbeat—one that now pulsed from deep within her, a promise of the future they would build together, hand in hand, heart to heart.

Callum kept his hand over her belly, his thumb moving in small, reverent circles. “A bairn,” he whispered again, his voice filled with awe. “I never thought anything could make me happier than marryin’ ye, but this…”

Alexandra smiled, her heart brimming. “Ye’ll be a wonderful faither, Callum.”

He chuckled, then lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. “Let’s hope the bairn takes after ye, then. Smart, kind, and with just enough fire tae keep me on me toes.”

She tilted her head, mock offended. “And what if they take after ye, hmm? Fierce, stubborn, and convinced they’re always right?”

“A dangerous combination,” he said with a grin. “Especially if it’s a lass.”

“I think it will be,” Alexandra said softly.

Callum raised a brow. “I say it’ll be a lad.”

Alexandra laughed. “We’ll see, me love. But either way… it’ll be ours.”

The End.

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