Page 66 of The Highlander’s Defiant Bride

For a moment, her challenge worked. A Mackenzie staggered, surprised to see a woman’s eyes blazing at him. But then another caught her arm, wrenching the spear away. She screamed, twisting, kicking, but more hands seized her, dragging her across the stones.

“Cameron!”

Her cry split the chaos. His heart stopped at the sight of Destiny being torn from the arms of those she had defended.

“Destiny!” His roar shook the courtyard as he cut his way towards her, every strike of his sword clearing a path. The horn of retreat sounded from the Mackenzie lines, and the attackers pulled back, dragging Destiny with them through the shattered gates.

And then he saw him.

Her father.

Alexander Gunn sat tall on his horse just beyond the smoking wreckage, his plaid streaked with soot, triumph gleaming coldly in his eyes. Destiny was dragged through the mud towards him, fighting every hand that held her, until she was thrust before his mount. Her father swung down from his saddle with surprising speed, boots splashing in the muck as he closed the distance.

He seized her arm, yanking her upright, and with the other hand, he levelled a blade beneath her chin, its edge catching the early morning light.

“Cameron Munro,” Gunn’s voice cut across the battlefield like a war-horn. “Yield, or she dies here and now.”

The fighting paused. The clash of steel died in mid-air. Men stalled where they stood, turning beyond the shattered gates where Alexander held Destiny captive.

At the centre of the courtyard, Cameron froze, his chest heaving. His gaze locked with Destiny’s.

Her eyes, bright, fierce, unbroken, met his. She shook her head once, sharply.

Do not yield.

Cameron’s hand clenched around his sword hilt, rage and terror coiling inside him.

Alexander’s voice rose again. “You can end this by returning the Mackenzie you hold. Do it, and I will release your wife unharmed.”

Cameron stepped forward, his muscles taut. When he spoke, his voice carried clear and steady across the devastation.

“You are a fool, Gunn. The prisoner is gone. He left Foulis three days ago, under escort to the king. And you were told this. Both your clan and the Mackenzies received my message.”

A ripple of shock rolled through the Mackenzie ranks. Voices rose, confused, angry. Destiny saw her father’s eyes flare with fury at the truth laid bare.

“Gone?” Alexander spat. “You expect me to believe you would defy me?”

Cameron’s jaw hardened. “I chose to obey the Crown. Not the madness of clans who cling to vengeance.”

Gunn’s expression twisted. He gripped Destiny’s chin, forcing her to look at him, his fingers bruising her skin. “Then you’ve left me no choice. If you cannot give me the prisoner, I will take what you value most.”

The blade pressed harder against her throat, drawing a thin line of red.

“Father, nay,” Terror and fury surged through Destiny’s words. “This is madness.”

But Alexander Gunn did not yield. His gaze stayed fixed on Cameron, wild and unrelenting, as though Destiny were nothing more than a bargaining chip he was willing to shatter.

Cameron’s vision tunnelled, blood roaring in his ears. He could not give Gunn what he demanded. The prisoner was already with the king, beyond reach, protected by royal authority. To yield now meant betraying his clan, unravelling every sacrifice made to send the prisoner safely away.

Yet Destiny stood with steel at her throat.

Every heartbeat dragged him closer to an impossible choice.

The Mackenzies roared their challenge, drums pounding like thunder. Cameron’s men looked to him, waiting, expecting, desperate. Mothers clutched children in the burgeoning light. Warriors on the wall stood frozen in grim expectation.

“Yield!” Gunn bellowed. “Return the prisoner you claim is gone or watch your wife bleed into the mud.”

Cameron’s chest heaved. “I told you. He is gone. He is safely in the king’s protection. You cannot retrieve him.”