Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

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.

Which are your favorite tropes to read? *

• Marriage of Convenience / Arranged Marriage
• Forbidden Romance / Star-crossed lovers
• Second Chance / Separated Lovers Reunite

Do you like books that add twists to the historic period? *

• Yes I do, I think historical fiction allows a lot of space for creativity.
• No, I prefer it when books are completely true to the period.

Anything else you'd like to share? *

Submit

Five Years Later…

It was a wild and grand Yuletide, with a crowd to rival a Highland Gathering, but Thora Cameron couldn’t have been happier as she surveyed the Great Hall of Cameron Castle. By some stroke of fortune, all of her siblings, their spouses and their children had managed to attend the Yuletide celebrations this year and seeing them all gathered around the Yule log together filled her heart with joy.

That joy was only increased by the location. To host such a gathering required resources, and the knowledge that Clan Cameron had finally recovered enough from Lachlan Ross’s attempts to destroy it to be able to hold such a feast was uplifting.

It had been a hard road. Reestablishing trade, growing enough grain, potatoes and other crops to both feed the people and have a surplus to sell – none of it had been easy. The first year, he’d been forced to swallow his pride and ask Clan MacLeod for assistance to keep his home defended through the winter and spring. The first two years, Aedan had even sent out messengers to villages, offering an exchange of reduced taxes in return for tradable goods.

Her brother had helped, as she had known he would, along with her other brothers and their clans, and together, they had healed Clan Cameron. Now, they were enjoying the results, and Thora knew that Aedan, busy as he was with overseeing the festivities, was enjoying them most of all.

Giggling drew her attention to the cleared floor that would later be used for dancing. Domhnall was in the middle of the space, giving the children rides on his arms and shoulders – three or four children at a time, while his wife Katherine watched from her seat at the table, a smile on her face and a basket of sewing in her lap.

Two of the bairns climbing all over the Laird MacLeod were his own, and the day before, they’d announced that a third would be arriving near the end of summer. With two sons already, it was no secret that both Katherine and Domhnall were hoping for a girl, and equally certain that, girl or boy, Domhnall would be as besotted with the bairn as he had been after the previous two births. And far more confident than he’d been with the birth of his first son, Erik.

He’d been terrified that he’d hurt the child, that a bairn so small and fragile would break like glass the first time he accidentally used too much strength. But Erik had proved sturdier than that, and well able to make his displeasure known if he felt too constrained. By the time Conall had been born, Domhnall had learned not to worry so much. He was still cautious about his Gift, and always would be, but with Katherine and his children had come confidence in his control, and peace of mind.

Magnus alternated between laughing at his brother and wandering the Hall, speaking with various guests from outside the extended clan. After the fall of Clan Ross, Aedan had offered alliances to the other lairds who had once ridden by Lachlan’s side. None of them had refused, not when they knew Aedan’s marriage bound him through kinship bonds not only to three other powerful clans, but also the English court. Magnus had taken it upon himself to ensure that the large, widespread alliance functioned smoothly, and any arguments were settled without resorting to duels or potential feuds.

He’d truly come into his own, both as Laird MacDougall and as Ciara’s husband. His gift granted him a keen insight, and he was already known far and wide as being one of the fairest and most just lairds in the land. It was said that even the king himself consulted with Laird MacDougall when dispensing a thorny problem of justice, and Magnus rarely steered anyone wrong.

He and Ciara had borne twins, two years ago now, and were content with that, though by the sheen in Ciara’s eye, there might be a third child conceived within that family as well before Yule’s end. In the meantime, they had their son and daughter – Alric and Cianna – both of whom were currently clinging to their uncle’s belt and clamoring for more rides.

Kai, rogue and trickster that he was, had used his gift to make everyone a little merrier and a little less controlled as the Yule feast wore on. It had earned him a scolding from his wife, Thora’s good friend Ava, but even so, she was laughing as much as the rest of them, and Thora knew she wasn’t nearly as stern about it as she pretended to be.

And truly, what harm was it that there was more laughter and conversation flowing among the assembled guests, especially when it was not accompanied by alcohol? Unlike copious amounts of drink, Kai’s gift would leave behind only a slight weariness, easy to sleep off, without headaches or troubled stomachs.

Kai and Ava’s youngest born son, Devon, was sleeping at his mother’s breast, while their oldest played with his myriad cousins and his eldest uncle. At four winters old, Cameron MacLeod was among the older of the children surrounding Domhnall, and already possessed both his father’s eyes and his sense of mischief. Even so, he adored his brother and his cousins and could often be found playing with younger and older children alike.

In contrast to their mischievous brother, Thora’s twin Enya was quieter, seated at the table and sipping from her cup, a small smile on her face as she watched the children play

Cillian, Laird MacDonald to those outside his family and close friends, watched his wife carefully, and pressed another mug of sweetened tea and a plate of Enya’s favorite biscuits into her hands as they watched their three-year-old son Brian play around Domhnall’s knees at Cameron’s side.

The last member of the gaggle of children made Thora smile. Her daughter, Maeve, chased after her uncle with childish glee, giggling madly as Domhnall scooped her up to sit on his broad shoulder. Even though the child was only two years old, Thora knew her daughter would be Gifted. What the gift would be, she didn’t know, but she was determined to nurture it to the best of her ability.

That was true of all of them, she knew. Enya had some way of telling if a power might be present, something about the way it affected the body. She kept careful watch on all the family, especially the children.

Though young, over half the children were showing signs of inheriting the MacLeod Gifts. Enya had informed the entire family as soon as she was sure what her Gift was telling her, and all of them had sworn to see that no child ever felt a moment’s more confusion or fear than they could help.

Arms slipped around her shoulders, interrupting her thoughts, and Thora relaxed into her husband’s embrace. The years had mellowed Aedan and given him the peace and confidence he’d once been lacking. With it, and with some advice from elder lairds like Terion of Clan Mackenzie, he’d become a better laird, and Clan Cameron had truly prospered.

He’d always been a good husband, but the years had deepened their bond and strengthened the relationship between them. Time had also smoothed some of Aedan’s rough edges and eased his heart, as he learned to trust in her presence, and her advice. And Thora had learned as well. Aedan’s support gave her the strength to rely on others, and to trust that she did not have to be the only one to try and guide the future.

Now, when her visions came, it was easier to speak of them and easier to ask others to help her attend to the warnings, rather than attempting to manage matters alone.

A breath across her ear made Thora stifle a giggle. “What are ye thinkin’ me darling wife?”

“I was thinkin’ o’ our family, and how large it is, and how happy they all look. There was a time, years ago, that I couldnae imagine such a thing, nor see it in my dreams. Tae see it now feels like heaven on earth. I am so happy with ye, me love, and our daughter and all the people we love.”

“Aye… I ken yer meaning. But tae me, any place ye are is heaven.” Aedan nipped her earlobe, his hand sneaking down to her belly, and Thora swatted him with one hand, though she couldn’t help laughing at her husband’s amorous nature. After five years, the passion between them had yet to cool, and Thora loved every moment of it – even if Aedan did occasionally attempt to seduce her in what she considered inappropriate situations or locations.

“Save that fer taenight. Though we’ll have tae be careful.”

Aedan paused, shifting away from where he’d been to kiss the side of her neck. “Careful?”

Aedan had been supervising something else, some paperwork that Mac couldn’t handle on his own, when Thora had received confirmation of her suspicions from Enya. “Aye. Careful. We wouldnae want tae hurt the bairns, after all…”

Aedan froze. “Bairns?” A confused and tentatively joyful look spread across his face.

“Twins, me love. A son and a daughter fer ye, if Enya is right. And she almost always is.” Thora smiled at Aedan’s awestruck expression. “Two more children fer us tae love and cherish who will grow up strong to support our family.”

“That’s fair wondrous.” Aedan reached down to touch her belly again, laughing with glee, though it wouldn’t swell with child for some months yet. “Did yer visions show ye that?”

“They didnae have tae.” Thora reached up to cup her husband’s jaw, her eyes drifting back to her large, laughing family. “With family like this around them… how could they be anything else save loved, cherished, strong and happy?”

Aedan hummed, a warm smile blossoming over his face as he bent to give her a sweet, lingering kiss that made her skin tingle with delight. “How indeed, my little trickster? How indeed.”

The End.