Free PDF Seduced by Her Highland Warrior (MacKinloch Clan, Book 2), by Michelle Willingham
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Seduced by Her Highland Warrior (MacKinloch Clan, Book 2), by Michelle Willingham
Free PDF Seduced by Her Highland Warrior (MacKinloch Clan, Book 2), by Michelle Willingham
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Back in her husband's bed
Alex MacKinloch is chief of his clan and, in these dark times of unrest, he has united his people.
The void between him and his wife is proving a much harder challenge. When Alex discovers Laren has been keeping secrets from him, his thinly veiled frustration can no longer be contained.
The pleasures of the marital bed seem long forgotten to Laren. Yet her warrior husband is looking at her with increasingly hungry eyes… This powerful highlander has seduction on his mind and his wife in his sights!
- Sales Rank: #2062775 in Books
- Brand: Harlequin
- Published on: 2011-07-19
- Released on: 2011-07-19
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 6.62" h x .76" w x 4.21" l, .30 pounds
- Binding: Mass Market Paperback
- 288 pages
- Great product!
About the Author
RITA ® Award Finalist and Kindle bestselling author Michelle Willingham has written over thirty historical romances, novellas, and short stories. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her husband and children. When she's not writing, Michelle enjoys reading, baking, and avoiding exercise at all costs. Visit her website at: www.michellewillingham.com.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Glen Arrin, Scotland—1305
Soldiers gripped spears in their palms and charged forwards, their weapons aimed at his wife and daughters.
Blood dripped from a wound on his forearm, but Alex MacKinloch wouldn't stop running. A primal roar resounded from his mouth as he lifted his sword and hacked his way toward the women. His lungs burned as he fought, the battle haze clouding his awareness of reality. In the distance, he saw his wife Laren's gleaming red hair as she struggled through a water–filled ditch. Her skirts weighed her down and she held their younger daughter in her arms. She didn't see the dozens of soldiers approaching as she tried to evacuate the fortress.
I have to reach them. Or they'll die.
It was a reality he didn't want to face, and the thought of his Laren falling beneath a soldier's blade was a horror he couldn't grasp. His arm ached with a vicious pain, but he fought a path towards them. The soldiers blocked his line of vision until all he could see was a swift storm of arrows.
A pulse thundered in his ears until he realised the arrows were coming from their younger brother Callum, who was guarding the women and children. Flames erupted from the wooden keep that stood high above them, like a dying sentry.
The fortress was going to fall. He ran as hard as he could and heard his kinsman Ross breathe, 'Mary, Mother of God.'
As Alex rushed forwards, he heard the cracking of wood.
'Callum, dive!' shouted a man's voice from behind her.
Laren MacKinloch struggled through the forest, her skirts sodden with water as the keep surrendered to the flames and collapsed. She stared through the trees, in shock at the sight of her home.
Gone now.
And what of Alex, her husband? 'Take Mairin and Adaira,' she begged Vanora, handing over her daughters. 'I'll join you in a few moments.'
'You can't go back,' the older matron warned. 'This isn't over yet.'
'I won't leave the trees,' Laren promised. I just need to see him. I need to know if he's safe.
She didn't wait for Vanora's reply, but moved back to the forest's edge, holding on to a slender birch tree for balance. Her breath frosted in the evening air as the cold settled around the glen.
When English soldiers surrounded the men from both sides, she felt her heart branching into silent pieces of terror. Dear God, no.
She couldn't hear what was happening, but the look of grim finality on Alex's face meant that the worst was near. As she stared from her hiding place, the years seemed to fall back. No longer was he a powerful chief but instead, the man she'd once loved. The fist of heartbreak caught her and tears dampened her cheeks. They'd grown so far apart over the past two years, and now she didn't know if she would see him alive again.
If she had one last moment with him, there were too many words to speak. Too many things she'd locked away in her heart for far too long.
Her palm pressed against the tree bark. Though Alex couldn't see her, she kept her gaze fixed upon him, as if she could memorise his face and hold it for ever.
A fiery pain blasted through her right side. Laren's knees buckled beneath her and she gasped in shock at the arrow embedded within her skin.
The searing agony stunned her and she could barely keep her senses about her. Though it was a shallow wound, piercing the soft skin sideways, near her ribs, she'd not realised how close she was to the battle.
She forced herself to snap off the feathered end, sliding the arrow free of the wound. Blood poured from her side and she pressed her dark cloak against the flow, fighting the dizziness.
You have to go back to your girls, her mind warned. She couldn't stay, no matter how much she feared for Alex's life. One of them had to live, to take care of their daughters.
It wrenched her apart, having to choose between her husband and her children, but she forced herself to continue. If the English gained the victory, they would come looking for the survivors. Her daughters needed her and she had to protect them.
She struggled up to the top of the ridge. Each step sent another wave of pain raging through her side, but she ignored the wound, hiding it beneath her dark cloak. There would be time to tend it later.
When she reached the girls, her elder daughter threw her arms around her waist, weeping. At the ages of four and not quite two, Mairin and Adaira weren't old enough to understand what was happening. Laren caught her breath, keeping Mairin's hands away from the injury while she spoke soft, reassuring words.
'Where is Da?' her daughter demanded. 'Is he safe?'
'I don't know.' Laren's throat tightened with fear, her eyes burning. 'But we have to wait here for him, away from the soldiers.'
'I'm afraid,' her daughter sobbed.
Laren brushed a kiss against Mairin's forehead. So am I.
The earth trembled as dozens of horsemen surrounded their army on both sides. Robert Fitzroy, the Baron of Harkirk, watched in fury as more of the Scots poured in, reinforced by the French. His hand tightened upon the hilt of his sword and he wanted nothing more than to bathe his weapon in their blood.
The MacKinlochs were supposed to die this day. Hadn't he burned their fortress to the ground, slaughtering their kinsmen? He'd already planned to set up an outpost here, to secure more land for King Edward Plantagenet, but he could see his victory fading away like smoke.
'Pull back!' he ordered and his soldiers obeyed. Though it splintered his pride, he hadn't survived half–a–dozen battles by making foolish decisions that would endanger his neck.
As they retreated into the hills, Harkirk cast a backwards glance. This wasn't over. Not by half.
He vowed that the next time he looked upon the face of a MacKinloch, it would be mounted upon a pike outside his gates.
It took a quarter of an hour to reach the ridge and Alex helped his brother up to the top of the hill. Nairna looked worried, for although they had survived with only minor injuries, traces of battle madness lurked within her husband's face. But Alex felt certain that once they brought Bram home, his brother would make a full recovery.
When they reached the clearing, the first glimpse of Laren sent a roaring breath of relief back through Alex's lungs. The instinct pulled at him, to go to her. He needed to hold his wife and breathe in the scent of her skin, touching her soft red hair.
Laren started to take a step towards him, but she abruptly stopped, her face ashen. Her hand pressed to her side and then she turned her attention to their girls. Their clansmen were watching, and at their sudden attention she shrank back.
He couldn't understand why. Aye, they'd grown apart over the past two years, but was it so much to ask that she show him a grain of affection? That she could welcome him back into her arms? The pain in her eyes bothered him, for he didn't understand it. Wasn't she glad to see him alive?
Though Mairin and Adaira called out, Laren bent and spoke quietly, as if to prevent them from running to him. Adaira clutched Laren's leg, burying her face in her mother's skirts.
A thousand moments passed by in a single second. Pride froze out the aching emotions, and Alex stared back at his wife, wishing she would meet him halfway. But she merely gave him a nod and moved away with the girls, unable to face him.
Something was wrong. She'd closed herself off from him and he didn't know why. His hand tightened on the door frame and he forced himself to look after Bram. 'Will you be all right with him?' Alex asked Nairna, who had helped her husband to sit upon their bed.
'Aye.' She poured water into a basin and retrieved a cloth to tend Bram's wounds. When she had wrung out the cloth, she sent Alex a pointed look. 'Go to Laren. She needs you.'
He left them alone, watching the way Nairna cared for her husband. The deep love in her eyes and the answering look in her husband's face brought a surge of envy. He wanted to be with Laren right now, to shatter the invisible wall between them.
The thought became a thorn, digging deeper into his pride. She was the woman he'd pledged to protect. Years ago, she would have thrown herself into his arms, not caring what anyone else thought. She'd have clung to him, whispering words of how she'd worried.
But now she kept her distance from him, almost as if they were strangers.
His frustration strung tighter as he walked among the survivors, asking about their welfare. During that time, not once had Laren moved towards him. Her face was white, as though she were too timid to move.
Damn it all, he didn't care if she no longer wanted him. They'd survived their brush with death; right now he wanted to hold her. He needed her in his arms, whether or not she was too shy to answer the embrace.
He crossed through the people, moving directly towards her. Without voicing a single word, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. She let out a slight gasp, but her hands moved up to his shoulders, resting there. He didn't speak, didn't reveal any of the thoughts coursing through his mind. Adaira and Mairin each grabbed his legs, but right now, he needed Laren.
Dimly, he was aware that she wasn't quite holding him in return. Her hands were there, but there was no warmth, no answering embrace. His heart numbed when he pulled back to look at her, his hands resting at her waist.
He'd mistakenly believed that if he made the first move she would welcome him back, that the past two years of distance wouldn't matter any more, because they were alive. But she didn't look at him, as if she were too shy to speak.
He let his hands fall away, saying nothing. The girls were chattering, asking him questions about when they could go home, where they would sleep, and he couldn't give them an answer.
His kinsman Ross came near, and asked, 'Do you want to bring your family to our home for the night?' Since Ross's home was on the opposite side of the fortress, it had escaped the fires.
Alex never took his eyes from Laren, but agreed. 'Aye, if it's no trouble to you.'
'Not at all. Vanora will want to fuss over the wee ones, as she likes to do.' His gaze grew sombre, staring at the smoke that rose from the valley below. 'And you'll be needing a place to stay until you can rebuild the keep.'
'I'll take the girls there now,' Laren said quietly, 'if you think it's safe to return.' Her voice was shaky, but at his nod she guided their daughters away from the crowds. As they disappeared into the forest, Ross was saying something else to him, but Alex didn't hear a word of it.
His wife was behaving strangely and he didn't know why. Then his gaze drifted down to his hands. Blood stained his palms from where he'd held his wife.
It was Laren's blood.
Laren held Adaira's hand as Mairin skipped forwards. She kept her head held high, even though the tears flowed freely down her face. She kept her hand firmly upon the bleeding wound at her side, trying not to take deep breaths. When Alex had held her, his hands had pressed against it and she'd nearly passed out from the pain. The injury felt like an aching fire, but she refused to pity herself.
She'd said nothing of it to the girls. They were frightened after the battle and the last thing she needed was for her daughters to start crying again. Right now it took her full concentration to keep from breaking down in front of them. She'd never known that a minor wound could hurt this badly.
Now that the enemy soldiers were gone, she could return to Glen Arrin for a little privacy to tend it. The wetness against her hand told her that the bleeding had started up again and stars swam in front of her eyes.
You should have told Alex, an inner voice chided. The very thought of her husband sent a quiet ache of regret through her. When he'd taken her in his arms, the urge to cling to him and sob out her miseries had been so tempting. But the last thing he'd needed was a hysterical wife bleeding all over him in front of everyone. He had to be strong in front of the clan, to be the leader they needed in this time of crisis. There was time to speak of it later, when they were alone.
Laren took a deep breath, wiping the tears away. For now, she had to bring the girls to Ross's home for shelter.
'Why are you crying, Mama?' Mairin asked, coming to her side. 'Are you sad?'
'I'm just tired,' she lied. She had to hold herself together right now. Alex would be busy sorting out places for the rest of the clan to live; likely he wouldn't join them until later tonight.
'Da!' Mairin shouted, breaking free of her. Laren turned and saw Alex striding towards them. Her heart sank, for he looked furious. Instinctively, her hand went back to her wound, pressing against the flow of blood.
'Why didn't you tell me?' he demanded, raising up his hands. Upon them, she saw her own blood.
'It's nothing,' she said. 'I'll be all right.' To the girls she said, 'Mairin, I want to talk to your father for a moment. Take Adaira down to the bottom of the hill and wait for us.'
Her daughter paled at the sight of Alex's face and didn't argue, retreating with her sister.
'What happened?' he demanded.
'It was just an arrow. It pierced the skin here…' she pointed to her bleeding side '…but it's only a small wound. I'll have Vanora help me with it.'
'Were you trying to hide it from me?' In his voice, she heard traces of fear, mingled with his anger.
'You had too much on your mind and I didn't want to be a bother, not when it's something so minor.'
'You were shot with an arrow, Laren. Why in the name of God would you think I wouldn't want to bother with that?'
Most helpful customer reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Finding love again
By Jen (Red Hot Books)
I wasn't sure how I would feel about a romance featuring a married couple. But for the most part, I enjoyed it. Of course, this isn't a story about the first blush of love or the first stirrings of passion. Laren and Alex have been married for about five years. They were wonderfully in love when they exchanged their vows, but the crushing loss of a baby three years ago drove a wedge between them that they have not been able to overcome.
The book opens with the MacKinloch clan under attack. Their homes are burned to the ground and Laren is injured. Despite her wounds, she doesn't turn to her husband. And it's his fear of her death coupled with the realization of her distance that wakes Alex up to the serious chasm between them. He vows to fix things, but watching the two of them try to reconcile is frustrating and sad. Alex is the chief of the tribe and he expects Laren to be the lady of his people. But she is terribly shy and her childhood as a poor outcast makes her feel unable and unworthy to be what her husband wants her to be. Instead, she finds her solace in glassmaking. It's a skill she learned from an old priest after her son's death. She finds beauty and purpose in her art and she has done it for years in secret.
Laren's glass can generate the money they clan needs to rebuild. But Alex feels betrayed that she has kept this secret all these years. The two of them clearly love each other. However, it's difficult to watch them blunder through their relationship. Alex lords over Laren the same way he rules the clan. He tries to bend her to his will. Though admittedly, his intentions are good, he does real damage to her spirit and makes her feel that he doesn't value her for who she is. At the same time, Laren is guilty of being a martyr. She hides her feelings and keeps her secrets by telling herself Alex doesn't need to be burdened by them. I wanted to just shake them both, especially during the first half of the book.
Things do get better, though, as our couple begins to understand and accept each other. And watching them finally come together is quite lovely. There is deep loss and sadness in their relationship, but there is real love there, which makes their journey worth watching... especially once they begin to communicate.
An external threat does hover over our couple, in the form of the clan's enemy... who is trying to crush the MacKinlochs once and for all. Also, we've got some strong secondary characters, like Alex's brothers, which give the book more depth. I'm really interested to read poor Callum's story --and I hope it comes next.
Overall, I found that I did enjoy this, especially once our couple started actually talking to each other. 4 stars.
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
A compelling and fulfilling story that will keep readers eagerly anticipating more
By Helena
Survival in the rugged world of warring clans and the Scottish highlands is cleverly juxtaposed to the delicate beauty of glassmaking around which, this novel is wrapped.
In `Seduced by Her Highland Warrior ` Michelle Willingham has woven such a unique tale in a crowded fictional world of Duke, Lords, and Countesses across the pond, that even with the much-written about Scotland , this novel is a standout and a refreshing tale.
The story of Alex and Laren MacKinloch rates unique for several reasons. Among them: the couple is married, topped by the fact that they are semi-estranged following the death of their son though they share a love for their two daughters.
It was wonderful to read a book that begins with a married couple who have a family yet, while clearly loyal to each other and bound by love, are separated by pain but not distracted by other pleasures or rivals.
A reluctant Lady to Alex's chieftainship of the Mackinloch clan, the well-paced action opens with the destruction of the clan's keep which sets the backdrop for all action and plot to revolve around. Willingham has created a rich cast of characters that support Alex and Laren including his many brothers and their wives, his formidable mother Grizel and Laren's friends, Vanora and Nairna and Alex's tormented brother Callum and fellow highlander Hamisch MacPherson.
Since the death of her baby, Laren has thrown herself into learning the craft of glassmaking to keep it alive while Alex, has struggled to keep the Mackinloch a viable tribe. As Alex rises to his position, Laren becomes a talented stained glass artist relishing the beauty she creates from the pain she keeps at bay. The loss of their son and her husband's sudden rise to chieftain have estranged them as Alex seeks to win back Laren and she in turn tries to become the `lady' of the clan he needs.
Following the sacking of their castle, Laren, eager to do her part in helping the clan rebuild and survive, is commissioned by an abbey to create stained glass windows which become her therapy and focus. This exacting craft whose enduring beauty is a marvel to all, is thoughtfully shared through scenes and the transformation of the sand to glass and spectacular colors evoke the conversion Alex and Laren experience in their journey back to one another.
Desperately shy and painfully aware of her familial status, Laren locks herself away in the furnaces near the keep with her apprentice Ramsey whom she has sheltered from an abusive father. With the help and encouragement of friends Nairna and Vanora, Laren slowly works to meet Alex half way.
I loved how Wilingham brings readers deep into the character's point of view allowing us to see through their eyes, feel their emotions and understand these rustic highlanders. Through Laren's exquisite glass making, readers come to comprehend the distress of her lowly upbringing, challenges of marrying `up' and the raw loss of her baby son.
Alex's relentless re-building of the fortress to defend his dwindling clan is symbolic of his determination to rescue his marriage and protect the lands and people over which he now resides as chief.
The lifestyle, love, loyalty and hardships a medieval Scottish clan suffer are portrayed with grace through kidnappings, destroyed homes, betrayals and war and the very fine characters Willingham has breathed life into.
As Laren and Alex bridge their way to one another, their youngest daughter is kidnapped and together with a rival clan, they must battle the evil English Lord who would destroy all chieftainships. The action is riveting and unforgiving as medieval battles can be, but this particular fight produces many unexpected results and survival.
A compelling and fulfilling story that will keep readers eagerly anticipating more as it beautifully unfolds to reveal layers of depth through characters, action and emotions. This novel speaks to the heart on many levels.
This story of love - between Alex and Laren and for Scottish clans - loyalty and belief in fellows is a powerful one which wraps around you like the mist around the Scottish lochs. I eagerly anticipate Willngham's next novel!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Live Love Laugh
By Amazon Customer
This was a definate five star book. Most romance novels leave us with happilly ever after though most of us do not feel it is entirely possible. This auther has shows us a "after" glimpse of life after the ceremony. The characters are real and believable. Laren and Alex are real characters who find out the reality that we all grow and change and that we have to share a part of ourselfes with our partner so that they are a part of our life. Alex and Laren face a horrible loss of a child and deal with it by pulling apart. This story starts with Laren nearly losing her life and prompts the characters to find a way to bridge the gap that has grown between them while averting disaster due to a pending war with other clans due to a evil English Lord. Laren has found solace in her art of glass and window making since the loss of her child. Alex has buried himself in concerns of his clan. Together they must rebuild their fortress, protect their clan, protect their children and find a way to bridge the distance between them. Laren eventually finds her voice a Lairds Lady and discovers that love a clan is similiar to loving and protecting her family. Alex discovers that sharing his feeling is not a sign of weakness as a leader. Beautifully written real story. LOVED IT!!!! Auther does an amazing job of also giving us flash back glimpses of the love story leading up to the marriage. Again, must say, LOVED IT!!!
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