HISTORICAL ROMANCE: Scottish Romance: Scars of a Highlander (Highlander Alpha Male Romance) (Historical Fantasy Scottish Time Travel Romance Short Stories) Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Cassandra Michaels
is there to do child?” Her father said. “I cannot ask my men to walk into the battle if I know for sure that they will never walk out again. I have to protect them. I have to make sure that I bring them home and back to their families.”
“You can do that without forcing me to wed someone I don’t love.” Abi said desperately.
“I’m afraid, daughter that this is the only option left.” Her father said. “I’m not giving you any choice in the matter anyway. I am your father and the leader of this clan and you will do as I say.” He said.
“You can’t do this.” Abi said, shaking her head.
“It has already been agreed.” Her father replied quickly. “You are to marry Alistair at dusk tomorrow evening and our clans will fight side by side in the war.” He explained.
“You can’t force me to do this.” Abi said quickly. She was angry. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest and her tongue waiting, poised to snap back to whatever her father had to say.
“Abi, I’m not asking you to do this for me. I’m asking you to do this for the men outside of this tent, who have come here to fight for their freedom. I need you to do this for them. I need you to make a sacrifice, so that their sacrifice isn’t their lives. Can’t you do that?” He asked her with pleading eyes.
Abi didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. She had been ready to argue back to nearly anything that he had to say, but she couldn’t argue back to that. The clan would one day be her responsibility and if she was ever going to lead them, then she had to put their happiness before her own.
“Aye, I can do that.” Abi said, as the defeat flooded to her eyes and she dropped them to the floor.
“You have a good heart, Abi.” Her father said warmly.
“Well, then it’s a deep shame that it will never feel love.” Abi said bitterly and then she turned to leave the tent before her father could say anything else to her. She could feel the eyes of the two strangers on her, as she made her way across the camp and back to her tent, but refused to look at them. She was too angry. She was too sad.
*******
Abi spent the rest of the day in her tent and refused to come out, until the roar of conversation had died down and she was sure that most of the clan had retired to their tents. She pulled open the door in her tent and looked out into the darkening scene. The fire was almost at the point of being purely embers, but they were burning brightly enough to see that she would be totally alone if she went out.
She had been wrestling her with her thoughts and emotions all day. She knew what had to be done was for the best of her clan. She knew that as their future leader, she couldn’t be selfish in her choices, but that didn’t stop the numbing feeling that was spreading through her. She’d always had this dream about falling in love and marrying because of that. She had always figured that she would meet someone one day and she would just know, but obviously she had been wrong.
She sighed with frustration and sat down on one of the stones that had been brought over for use as a stool. She had no choice, she had to do it. It didn’t matter how sad it made her. It didn’t matter how unappealing the red haired man had been to her, she had to do what was best for the many.
“You look upset Abi.” A woman’s voice called out from behind her.
Abi jumped. She had thought that she had been all alone and she hadn’t heard anybody approach. “Hello?” She called out into the darkness as she tried to find the person who had just spoken.
“What’s on your mind?” The voice said again and this time it was right next to her.
Abi’s head spun round and she found herself staring at an elderly woman whom she had never seen before. She looked like a gypsy with tattered clothes and a wild look in her eyes. “Can I help you?” Abi asked her, as she tried to gauge whether she was a threat.
“I doubt it.” The woman laughed
“You can do that without forcing me to wed someone I don’t love.” Abi said desperately.
“I’m afraid, daughter that this is the only option left.” Her father said. “I’m not giving you any choice in the matter anyway. I am your father and the leader of this clan and you will do as I say.” He said.
“You can’t do this.” Abi said, shaking her head.
“It has already been agreed.” Her father replied quickly. “You are to marry Alistair at dusk tomorrow evening and our clans will fight side by side in the war.” He explained.
“You can’t force me to do this.” Abi said quickly. She was angry. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest and her tongue waiting, poised to snap back to whatever her father had to say.
“Abi, I’m not asking you to do this for me. I’m asking you to do this for the men outside of this tent, who have come here to fight for their freedom. I need you to do this for them. I need you to make a sacrifice, so that their sacrifice isn’t their lives. Can’t you do that?” He asked her with pleading eyes.
Abi didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. She had been ready to argue back to nearly anything that he had to say, but she couldn’t argue back to that. The clan would one day be her responsibility and if she was ever going to lead them, then she had to put their happiness before her own.
“Aye, I can do that.” Abi said, as the defeat flooded to her eyes and she dropped them to the floor.
“You have a good heart, Abi.” Her father said warmly.
“Well, then it’s a deep shame that it will never feel love.” Abi said bitterly and then she turned to leave the tent before her father could say anything else to her. She could feel the eyes of the two strangers on her, as she made her way across the camp and back to her tent, but refused to look at them. She was too angry. She was too sad.
*******
Abi spent the rest of the day in her tent and refused to come out, until the roar of conversation had died down and she was sure that most of the clan had retired to their tents. She pulled open the door in her tent and looked out into the darkening scene. The fire was almost at the point of being purely embers, but they were burning brightly enough to see that she would be totally alone if she went out.
She had been wrestling her with her thoughts and emotions all day. She knew what had to be done was for the best of her clan. She knew that as their future leader, she couldn’t be selfish in her choices, but that didn’t stop the numbing feeling that was spreading through her. She’d always had this dream about falling in love and marrying because of that. She had always figured that she would meet someone one day and she would just know, but obviously she had been wrong.
She sighed with frustration and sat down on one of the stones that had been brought over for use as a stool. She had no choice, she had to do it. It didn’t matter how sad it made her. It didn’t matter how unappealing the red haired man had been to her, she had to do what was best for the many.
“You look upset Abi.” A woman’s voice called out from behind her.
Abi jumped. She had thought that she had been all alone and she hadn’t heard anybody approach. “Hello?” She called out into the darkness as she tried to find the person who had just spoken.
“What’s on your mind?” The voice said again and this time it was right next to her.
Abi’s head spun round and she found herself staring at an elderly woman whom she had never seen before. She looked like a gypsy with tattered clothes and a wild look in her eyes. “Can I help you?” Abi asked her, as she tried to gauge whether she was a threat.
“I doubt it.” The woman laughed
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