Mated By The Demon Collections: Paranormal Romance Read online

  ‘Then I will live alone and warm myself with the memories of what we shared, Raibert.’

  ‘No. We will marry and make new memories. I don’t care about clans and what the Gardyne’s have against the MacIntyres. I agree that what your father suffered at the hands of my clan was wrong, but we must not carry the enmity down generations.’

  ‘I will be disowned by my family and so will you, if we persist with this idea of marriage.’

  ‘Then so be it,’ Raibert said.

  ‘Your mother is ailing. Do you wish to cause her further heartache by marrying me?’

  ‘She is my mother. She wants her son’s happiness and that lies with you my Elise. Don’t you see that?’

  That night he watched her play the harp and the music as ever evoked vivid imagery – the forests at night, the sunlight falling on the lochs and bathing the hillsides; the heather blown by the wind; the skies sometimes sunny sometimes grey. Elise’s fingers seemed to have a life of their own as she played; her eyes misting over as they always did when she played. Raibert watched her body move as she plucked the strings, her hair falling over her shoulders, her expression of deep intensity…and suddenly he could take no more.

  ‘Come with me!’

  ‘Where to?’ Elise said, her fingers halting on the strings, her eyes questioning.

  ‘I cannot wait. I want you too much.’

  ‘Where will we go?’

  ‘To seek out an abbey, and a minister to bless our union.’

  ‘And what if I say I want to wait until I can take the permission of my father?’

  ‘My dear Elise, do you even now not understand? You do not need permission anymore. It is assumed that we have eloped and that we have consummated our union. I cannot wait to make that statement ring with the truth. Please my love, marry me!’

  Even as the words were out, a footman burst through the door.

  ‘My laird! There is an army that is approaching the castle, come by boat across the sea.’

  ‘What colours do their kilts bear?’

  ‘Some are red and green and some are blue and red.’

  ‘Could it be that the Gardynes and MacIntyres have come here together?’ Raibert said, and picked up a claymore. ‘Stay here Elise,’ he instructed.

  ‘No!’ Elise said, leaving the harp and picking up a sword. ‘I have been taught to fence and I can protect myself. We will fight side by side.’

  ‘Ok then, come with me, but if the army that approaches attacks, you must not enter the fray.’

  ‘Perhaps it is no army.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ Raibert murmured as he climbed the battlements to get a better view of the large party approaching.

  He heard pipers play as they drew closer and saw to his utter astonishment, Angus and Seonaid Gardyne with Mairi and Bruce walking alongside Alistair and Isobel MacIntyre, and with them a score or more Gardynes and MacIntyres.

  CHAPTER VIII

  ‘What brought about such a change in them?’ Elise asked Raibert as they led the dance after their union had been blessed.

  ‘The thought of losing us, I suppose,’ Raibert replied.

  ‘Your mother looks well,’ Elise remarked.

  ‘She most certainly does. I think it is because there is peace again on the moor.’

  ‘So the Campbells have not attacked again?’

  ‘No. They made their point and we made ours. Even they know that hostilities cannot continue if we are all to remain alive.’

  Elise laughed up at her husband.

  ‘And now, enough about our families. This is our night.’ Raibert said.

  ‘I can’t believe they got together and travelled all the way here to Skye to celebrate our marriage.’

  ‘I was most grateful to the gods that they were our families and not a warring clan come to challenge us when I had my mind on other things,’ Raibert said.

  ‘What other things?’ Elise asked.

  ‘Come, I think it’s time to show you,’ Raibert said, and swept her up in his arms, carrying her into the castle as the guests cheered.

  Their bed was strewn with the petals of highland blooms but they did not notice either them or the new silken sheets that Seonaid had embroidered for them. Raibert’s fingers trembled as he slipped the lace wedding dress off Elise’s shoulders and watched it slowly fall away to reveal her nakedness.

  ‘Oh my love, I am so glad we waited for this,’ Elise said, cupping her breasts and raising them up, offering them to her husband to kiss. Raibert accepted them gratefully, squeezing the lush flesh and running his tongue over the aroused tips. He sucked first one and then the other, marveling at their power to arouse him to bursting fullness. He pulled Elise close, raising his kilt as he did so, and bringing her pelvis forward to meet his. She moaned when she felt his manhood hot and hard against her thighs, then higher as Raibert’s kilt fell away and he nudged the petals of her flower aside and sought the tiny bud between them with the tip of his aroused member. Elise gasped with pleasure as Raibert threw her back on the bed. She couldn’t take her eyes away from his glorious manhood and she reached up greedily for it, pulling it gently towards her lips so that she could kiss and stroke it. The kiss deepened and Elise felt her mouth take off on a journey of its own. Raibert threw his head back, enjoying the exquisite pleasure of Elise’s warm mouth over him. Then he pulled himself from her mouth and pushed her legs roughly apart, his fingers exploring her, his lips on the inside of first one thigh and then the other. He pushed her legs up and away from each other as far as they could go before he pulled back for the first thrust. Elise was waiting in eager anticipation and when he plunged into her core she shuddered with ecstasy and cried out with pleasure. He filled his mouth with her breasts, feasting on them one by one as he settled down to a steady rhythm of thrusting into her moist softness, and Elise arched her pelvis to meet each thrust in mid air, pulling his head down to run her tongue along his ears and inside of them as he moaned. He rode her and rocked her from one ecstatic climax to another, taking her first one way and then another – throwing her body over his and inviting her to ride him to another shuddering pinnacle of ecstasy. When he fell back against the pillows panting for breath, Elise was upon him, raking her nails along his body, awakening the animal in him and he roared out her name, trailing fire down her navel and desperately seeking her core. He plunged his tongue like a spear into her moistness, causing her to cry out in agony and writhe against his hard lips as he found the bud between the two petals and teased it into an aching hardness before he plunged his turgid manhood into her yet again, taking her to new heights of arousal and fulfillment.

  When they lay back exhausted and replete, Raibert took Elise into his arms and kissed her forehead and her eyes. ‘And this, my love, is how you play your harp,’ Raibert murmured, ‘And that’s why there were times when I could take no more and had to walk away because the intensity of your playing made me want you more than I knew how to cope with.’

  ‘You mean my playing reminded you of this? Of making love the way we just did?’

  ‘Yes,’ Raibert said, plunging into her again and rocking her into a frenzy.

  Outside the pipers and fiddlers continued to play as the stars faded in the sky and the sun came out to bathe the heather clad hillsides that huddled protectively around MacIntyre Castle.

  CHAPTER IX

  ‘I have something to tell you Elise,’ Mairi whispered to her the next day.

  ‘Something good, I hope!’

  ‘Yes!’ Mairi seemed excited and embarrassed all at once.

  ‘You have fallen in love, of that I am sure.’

  ‘You’ll never guess with whom,’ Mairi said.

  ‘Well, as I have no idea which young men have caught your attention, I will not hazard a guess dear Mairi, but tell me quickly for I am agog with curiosity.’

  ‘It is Gilroy,’ Mairi replied.

  ‘Gilroy!’ Elise exclaimed, ‘That is indeed incredible news Mairi! And how did this happen?’

 
‘I am not exactly sure, but I did fancy him almost from the moment I first set eyes on him. But then he was meant for you and I didn’t want to put myself forward.’

  ‘Go on…,’ Elise said, ‘Tell me more.’

  ‘It was after you and Raibert rode away together when Gilroy turned to us and said he wanted to have no more to do with you, because you could never love him the way you so obviously loved Raibert. And then he said he would like dadaidh’s permission to pay court to me!’

  ‘Right after he was supposed to be wed to me? Well how fortunate that Raibert persuaded me to ride away with him!’

  ‘Indeed,’ Mairi remarked, ‘and we are to be wed next month. Will you and Raibert come for the wedding or are you going to continue to hide out here?’

  Raibert walked up just then. ‘What are you two sisters conspiring about?’

  ‘A wedding. Mairi’s. To Gilroy!’ Elise said, beaming.

  ‘Gilroy!’ Raibert exclaimed, ‘Is Mairi marrying him?’

  ‘Yes, my love, and she has asked us if we intend hiding out here forever or if we will go back home for the wedding.’

  ‘I have a wonderful idea,’ Raibert said, ‘Skye is so beautiful. Why don’t you get married here? I am sure Gilroy will be happy to make the journey across with the rest of his family and whatever friends he would like to invite to celebrate the occasion with him. What do you think Mairi?’

  ‘I think it is indeed a splendid idea Raibert – my new brother,’ Mairi said, her eyes shining.

  ‘You are a good husband,’ Elise said, taking Raibert’s hand as they walked outside in the gardens, ‘You are good to me and to my family.’

  Raibert smiled down at her, ‘Will you play the harp for me tonight to reward me?’

  Elise twinkled up at him, ‘Why wait for tonight? There are a few new tunes I think you would very much like to hear, my laird Raibert, and I can’t wait to play them for you!’

  ‘Oh but you are a wicked temptress, my Elise!’ Raibert laughed, swinging her up into his arms.

  The End.

  Highland Prophecy

  Highlander Romance

  Riley Moreno

  In the highlands of Scotland there is a tribe that lives near a forest. Allison is the chieftain's daughter, and while her heart has longed for adventure she knows that her duty lies with the tribe, for one day she will have leadership bestowed upon her. Monty, her best friend, is in love with her, but Allison does not return his feelings. Then, her father comes to her with a plan that could cause a revolt, and it goes against her very nature, for it involves a rival tribe and their leader, the handsome Liam. Can Allison go against everything she has been taught and see something special in Liam? And will Monty see it as a betrayal? Against the backdrop of an ancient prophecy, Allison has to decide her own fate.

  1

  The sun was sharp and the air was crisp in the moors of Scotland. The blue sky was peppered with small wisps of clouds, and in the forest all was peaceful. Trees stood tall and strong, while the lush green grass was like a carpet, covering the land. A deer strode through the forest, its hide brown with white spots, its antlers protruding from its head, looking majestic and regal. Black, beady eyes searched the world but saw no danger. Other, smaller animals darted around its feet, scurrying about their business. The deer stretched its neck and pulled some berries off a branch, chewing them, grinding them between its teeth. The animal's hoofs swept through the foliage on the ground, bits of leaves and bracken. Its mind was blank, only knowing that hunger gnawed inside.

  The air cracked like a whip. The deer twisted its head but it was too late. An arrow flew through the air and the sharp metal point pierced the animal's thick hide. It yelped as the pain rippled through its body. Scarlet blood oozed and seeped out of the point of impact, and the skin was soon stained with the dark red liquid. The deer was sent into a frenzied panic. It limped along, trying to find safety, but the life was ebbing away from moment to moment. Its legs began to drag and a hazy surrender passed through its mind. Finally its strength gave out and it collapsed on the floor, pain throbbing through every part of him. It looked up at the sunlight that broke through the canopy of trees, and felt something akin to sorrow. The last thing it saw before life finally slipped from its eyes were two shadowy figures who towered over it. The deer head some noises from them, and then felt a sharp pain as the arrow was torn from its wound. Then it was all over.

  “Good shot,” Monty said, inspecting the arrow. He held it up to the light to see if the head was still intact, and as he did so his muscles bulged. He had curly red hair that flowed down to his shoulders, and cut a big, hulking figure.

  “I told you I could do it,” Allison said, blowing a sharp breath out directly upwards, sending a few strands of raven-black hair fluttering away from her face. She clasped the bow in her hand, but after seeing the result of her handiwork she slipped it behind her, letting it rest near the collection of arrows that was already slung over her back.

  “It's going to be a good feast tonight,” she added.

  “Your father will be pleased,” Monty said, handing the arrow back to Allison. She took it and wiped the blood off against the floor, and then reached back to place it among the other arrows. She was a fair girl, about eighteen years old, and she wore an emerald green tunic that clung around her womanly figure. She knelt down and ran her hand along the animal's neck, patting it and closing her eyes to say a silent prayer.

  “What are you doing?” Monty asked. Allison opened her eyes to glare at him, then closed them again.

  “I'm saying thank you to the animal for giving up its life so we can eat it later.”

  Monty scoffed and shook his head.

  “You're too softhearted. It's only an animal. It's meant to be eaten. Why waste your time when it's already dead. If you feel that much sorrow then perhaps you shouldn't have killed it in the first place.”

  “It's just a matter of respect,” she said, feeling sorry that the animal's life had to be ended for the sake of her father's birthday. She pulled out some rope and began to tie its legs together, winding the thick cord around its ankles. As she did so she noticed that Monty was staring at her, a look of ardor in his eyes. She tried to ignore it but it was difficult, and she found it unsettling.

  “Are you going to help?” she asked in a stern, frustrated tone. Monty smirked, enjoying the fact that he was annoying her, and slowly joined her to help tighten the rope. They worked quickly and closely together, although Allison kept her body turned away from his. Yet even so she could feel his eyes staring at her, wanting her, undressing her.

  “You know your father is going to want you to marry soon,” Monty said.

  “He can want that all he likes, it's not going to happen,” Allison replied.

  “You don't have a choice. You are the chieftain's daughter, it's tradition.”

  “I don't give a damn about tradition. Nobody is going to make me do anything I don't want to do,” she said defiantly. It was a conversation she had had many times with her father, and it always ended with them at an impasse, angry with one another.

  “We all have to do that sometimes, but it won't be so bad. You might get married to someone you already know.” As he said this he reached out a hand and stroked her shoulder. Allison pulled it away, causing Monty to growl in frustration. He stood up and stomped away, then turned around.

  “Why do you torment me like this? Do you not see that we would be perfect together? We are destined to be together. We have known each other all our lives, it would be so natural for us to be together, and you know we would be good rulers.”

  “Monty, there is no such thing as destiny. We make our own way through life and I know that you think there is something between us but I have no feelings for you other than those of friendship. I'm sorry for being so blunt but you keep bringing this up and it makes me rather uncomfortable. You are a loyal, good man, and a fine warrior. You are one of the best in the tribe, and would make anyone a worthy wife, but I do
not want to be married because of destiny or because it is the logical choice. I want to be married because I love someone, but I fear I will never find love at home. You understand, don't you?” she asked in a fretful voice. She looked up at him, at his turned back, and she could feel the simmering anguish inside him. When he didn't answer she turned back to the deer and continued to tend to the animal, draining the blood from its body.

  A pregnant, angry silence hung between them and Allison wished that things didn't have to be so complicated. Ever since she had grown older things had changed in a manner that she hated. When she was a child the world had seemed such a simple place. All she had to do was play and have fun, but ever since she had transformed into a woman and Monty had changed into a man, there had been an icy edge to their relationship. Through childhood the two of them had been inseparable and always went off on their adventures. Allison's mother had died when she was very young and her father never remarried, so she was an only child. Monty was of a similar age and he was an only child too, so the two of them went off together and explored the world around them. Then when Allison's breasts grew and Monty started to get taller and muscular she noticed the new way he was looking at her. It wasn't the way a friend looked at a friend, and she wished that things didn't have to change.

  Although they were still friends their relationship had taken on a new form. No longer were they inseparable as often whenever they spent time together Monty brought up his feelings for her, and they ended up arguing. Yet he would never give up, almost as though he thought that if he just kept pummeling away at her she would eventually change her mind, and often she thought that it would have been much easier if she did just love him, but she couldn't conjure up a feeling that didn't exist.