Mated By The Demon Collections: Paranormal Romance Read online

  He stared down at the trembling townsfolk with disdain in his eyes, shaking his head as he trotted on his horse to the front of the crowd.

  “Ah,” he said as he saw Friar Beeton, “so you are behind this madness. I should have known.”

  Jude, meanwhile, staggered over to the King, set Annie down at the King's feet, and then collapsed, too exhausted and spent now to even stand. The King stared out over the village, and drew his sword.

  “Look at you!” he shouted. “You were about to put an innocent woman to death, just because of this lying, cheating scoundrel's accusations! By all rights, I should have all of you executed and have this village razed and burned to the ground! You should be ashamed of yourselves! This friar here is a wanted criminal! He escaped from my dungeon, where he was awaiting execution for his crimes, which I assure you are numerous and serious. He is no holy man! He is a liar and a cheat and a thief! It is only fortunate that this man, this hero, Jude MacTavish, is my second cousin. He galloped through the night to bring me word of this injustice, and I'm glad he did! And you,” he said, turning around and pointing his sword at Casey, “you vindictive, conniving whore! You conspired with this wanted criminal to put an innocent woman to death! I should have my soldiers kill you right now! If anyone is a true witch here, it's you! But a quick death would be too kind for someone as truly evil as yourself. Jude, if you think it is fair, I want to imprison your half-sister for the rest of her life.”

  Jude stared up at Casey, and his eyes were burning with anger. She had tried to kill the woman he loved, and for that he would never forgive her – but she was still his sister.

  “My lord,” he said to the King, “I beg you to give her a lighter sentence, even in light of this terrible crime she has committed.”

  The King nodded.

  “You have a kind and forgiving heart, Jude MacTavish. For that, I will give her a lesser sentence. Five years of imprisonment then, but if after she comes out, she tries in any way to harm Annie again, she will be executed.”

  Jude nodded.

  “Thank you for your justice, my lord.”

  The King smiled briefly at Jude, but then put on a stern face again as he looked out over the crowd.

  “As for the rest of you – if any of you ever light a bonfire here again to burn a so-called witch, I will send my troops to imprison every single person here, and burn this accursed place to the ground. Do you understand?!”

  A murmur of affirmation rippled through the crowd.

  “Good. Now, troops, seize the friar. He's coming back to my castle, where my axeman will take his head off! You'll not be escaping justice this time, Beeton! But it will not only be a dark day,” he said with a smile as he turned to Annie and Jude. “No, it will be a day of joy and celebration as well. Annie, I have heard that you are working on medicine to combat the Black Plague? Well, I will put my best healers and any materials you need at your disposal, so that you can find this cure. Also, Cousin Jude, isn't there something you'd like to say to Annie?”

  Jude mustered all of his remaining strength, and got up on one knee, staring into Annie's eyes as he did. She knew what he was going to say, and the thought of it washed away all of the horror and tragedy that had befallen her in recent times, for now she could only see the future, burning bright with endless joy ahead of her, for the rest of her days.

  “Yes,” she whispered to herself before Jude even said any words. “Yes, with all my heart, yes!”

  “Annie,” said Jude solemnly, “will you be with me, by my side for the rest of my days? Will you marry me?”

  “Yes Jude!” she cried. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!”

  THE END

  Highlander Messenger

  Highlander Romance

  Riley Moreno

  Description: Conor McGregor was watching his friend die on the battlefield. In a last promise he agrees to take care of the man’s widow and her unborn child. Upon delivering the news of the man’s death to his wife, Heather McCloud, he finds himself enraptured. She is a beautiful woman, but she is grieving the loss of her husband. Conor stays around to help care for her as they fear she may lose the child. As he watches her he finds that he may be falling in love with her. Unsure if he can even break the news that her husband shared with him on the battlefield.

  Heather McCloud has just gotten the worst news of her life. The man she loved with all her heart was dead. She wants to crumple up and die at the news. But she must keep in mind their unborn child, still growing in her stomach. Dealing with the grief and pain isn’t easy for her and the servant seeks out help from the local witch.

  Conor McGregor found his best friend in the world, the only man who had believed him lying in the field. There was a nasty gash in between his armor on the side of his body. Conor could see the blood coming out from his friend’s side. But it wasn’t a quick flow, so maybe he could help him.

  “Aye Bradon, looks like you took a bit of a beating this time.” Conor tried to chuckle after his comment. However, he had noticed there was quite a bit of blood on the ground under Bradon. He had been here some time now. He knew his friend was dying and it didn’t sit well with him at all.

  “Conor, Conor, you have to make me a promise.” Bradon tried to reach out to his friend. But a grimmer of pain crossed his face and he stopped moving.

  Conor grabbed Bradon’s hand though. He could feel the life slipping out of Bradon’s body too quickly. “What is it? Anything for you my friend, you should know that without a doubt.” Conor stated.

  “I need you to look after Heather for me please? She’s just a few months pregnant now. She’s going to take this hard though.” Bradon stopped for a second and thought of his lovely wife back home. They had grown up together, had fallen in love at such a young age, he couldn’t imagine a life without her in it. He was slipping to death, and Heather was sitting in their home. Waiting for his return, not knowing that right at this moment her husband was dying on the battle field. “Can you please take her as your own? I mean if you can so she doesn’t have to raise our child alone? I know it’s a lot to ask of anyone. But I can’t bear to see her all alone. If I had to pick someone who I knew would honor my name and take care of it her, it’s only you.” Bradon stated.

  Conor looked at his friend shocked and wondering if the loss of blood had made him not think of what he was saying. “You want me to marry her?” He asked confused.

  Bradon’s eyes lit up and Conor knew that was exactly what he was asking. “Sure I will take care of her like she is my own.” Conor finally said. He had debated this problem in his mind quickly. Bradon’s wife, Heather, didn’t even know Conor. How would she react to this stranger walking in and first telling her, “Hey I’m sorry but your husband died in battle. Oh and by the way he asked me to marry you. So let’s go.” Conor couldn’t see that as a good situation to willingly walk into, but he had just agreed to do basically just that.

  “Thank you.” Bradon said and the light vanished from his eyes.

  Conor closed his eyelids and took out two coins. He placed them on the man’s eyelids and said a quick prayer over him. Not for the first time Conor wondered if he had checked the battle field soon could he have saved his friends’ life? He wasn’t really sure and it was something he had a feeling would haunt him for life.

  This would not be a journey home that he would want to take. He was going to tell a woman who he hadn’t met that her husband and his best friend had died. Conor took a few moments to think about what he had agreed too during those past moments of Brandon’s life.

  “Maybe I don’t have to marry her?” He questioned the answer he had given now. But he knew he was a man of honor, and so had Bradon. He didn’t want to go back on his word, he knew his friend would be watching him from above. If he didn’t marry Heather he would be going back on the promise he had made to Bradon.

  Sighing he tried to decide what to do with Bradon’s body. He would love to take it home to bury him there. But Bradon had been a big m
an, however, he could carry him on another horse along the way. Conor knew it was the right thing to do, and he wrapped up the body of his friend and put him over the saddle of a second horse.

  He turned the horse and went the way to where he knew Bradon had lived. Conor wished now that he had taken the time to come back with him once after another battle in the past. But for one reason or another he had always said, “No, maybe I’ll go with you next time.”

  Conor knew he had done this for one of many reasons. The most apparent in his mind was that Bradon and his wife would like to take that time to get reacquainted. But he also didn’t really want to see something up front that he hadn’t found in life yet, that was love. Conor had never found a woman who kept his interest for more than a passing second.

  He thought back to those times now. He figured what better way to keep his mind off of his friend and what he would be facing too soon. He didn’t look forward to telling Heather anything. He didn’t think that he would ever find a woman who would tame him. Someone to keep him coming back for more. How could he marry her? He didn’t even know her.

  Thinking back to the women he’d met in the past he knew that in all his 34 years so far, no one had settled him down. One thing or another would come up and he’d be gone, and the women would be heart broken. But no matter how much they would and had pleaded with him in the past, he just hadn’t developed any feelings of love for any of them.

  “Is that far to put her through being stuck with a man like me? What if she could find someone better on her own?” He wondered.

  Conor had to try and convince himself that his honor was more important. “But Bradon isn’t even alive, he’ll never know.” He said aloud. It would become a mantra on the trip he was sure.

  His mind was attempting to get him to feel like it was okay to only share the news of her husband’s death with Heather. He would help her a bit, make sure she gave birth, but from the side. He wouldn’t marry her, didn’t think it was right. However, he then would think of his honor and his promise to Bradon. “I don’t know what to do.” He finally admitted to himself.

  Chapter 2

  Heather McCloud hated when her husband was away in a battle. Not for the first time in her 29 years of life, she wished their lives would be different.

  “Why can’t you stop fighting. Just put down your claymore and never pick it up again. We have a child on the way now. Finally after all of these years, and you want to ride off and fight some battle for a reason you don’t know? Please Bradon don’t go this time.” She had begged with him before he had gone off this past time.

  She didn’t know why, but she had some overwhelming feelings of fear this time as he was preparing to leave. “I don’t feel good about this, please just stay.” She had pleaded yet another time.

  Now she sat here thinking about the last time she had seen him. It had already been 2 weeks since he’d left. The time had stretched and felt like it had been years though already to her. Ever since he had left she had been having dreams of him dying. So many mornings she had woke up and cried.

  “It is just you being pregnant, your emotions are all over the place.” One of the servants had told her one morning.

  It had been while she was eating breakfast and she had simply burst out crying. She had seen his dying face last night in her dreams. He had said goodbye to her, and it had seemed like he was so real. Heather had almost believed she would wake up to find him beside her again. But he wasn’t there and the dream of his death was once again at the forefront of her mind.

  “I keep dreaming it though, his death. I can’t do this, how can I raise our child myself?” Heather had cried out.

  Now a few hours later she was sitting by her window and staring out. Hoping that the servant was right, it was just the baby and her emotions. She thought about when they had first met, she had been 9 years old.

  Their families had both been in the same area living. Heather had loved to sneak out during the day when everyone thought she was studying. Instead she would go for a walk around town and sometimes off into the woods.

  That day she had gone out and ran into Bradon. He had been a boy through and through. She still remembered him telling her how unsafe it was for her to go into the woods by herself.

  “How old are you?” She had asked the boy.

  “I’m 11 years old. My name is Bradon McCloud. I’ll keep you safe.” He had said.

  Heather had almost fought him at that moment. She was old enough to take care of herself at 9. But there was something about the way he had said he would keep her safe that made her just agree. They had played together from that day forward.

  As they got older, she began to have feelings for him that she couldn’t explain. He had kissed her one day when he brought her back home. She had been 16 at that time and becoming a woman. Her breasts had already gotten quite large, and now she was also a taller woman.

  With her blonde hair and blue eyes she attracted a lot of attention from all the boys. But she had only ever had eyes for him. Bradon, he was the boy who had kept her safe for so many years. She knew she loved him.

  When he had asked her to marry him two years later she had gladly said yes. Of course they had been inseparable for so long by that time that no guys would approach her. She laughed wondering how many of them he had to threaten before they had stopped. Heather could see him doing that to keep them away. But the fact was he should have had no doubt about her love.

  She missed him so much every time he left home. Each time she would wait patiently for his arrival back to her arms. They had been lucky all these years they had together. Now finally too, they had a baby on the way. It had been something that neither of them had thought would ever happen.

  “I want to have a child with you. Maybe we should go visit that one lady in the other village.” Heather had said one time they had talked.

  “You mean the one they say is a witch?” Bradon had asked her at the time.

  “Yes, maybe she can help us have a baby.” Heather had responded.

  The first time she had mentioned it was when she was 22 and they had been married for 4 years. No matter how much they had tried when he was home though, she wouldn’t become pregnant. He had refused at that time to do it.

  But the fact was he had finally given in and they had seen her about 6 months ago. It had been a bit after that trip to the witch she had gotten pregnant. She had smiled at him knowingly. “We could have had a dozen boys and girls by now had we gone sooner.” She had said to him the morning they knew for sure she was pregnant.

  “A dozen boys and girls, we don’t need that many.” He had laughed at her.

  Heather had smiled at him and knew that he was right. But she would like to have more than one child. She had always found her lonely existence as an only child boring. Well at least until she had found him in the woods that first day!

  Now here she was once again awaiting his return. But this time it was different , they had a child on the way. She had tried so hard to convince him to stay away from the battle this time. She didn’t like the idea that she could be left to raise a child without him. But it was more than that in the long run she knew. He had been in her life for 20 years now, and out of those 11 they had been married. She would be losing her best friend in the world and the only man she had ever loved.

  “Don’t think that way.” She said to herself out loud. She had heard from the servant that she shouldn’t get too upset.

  “It will hurt the baby, and you might just lose it.” The servant had warned.

  Heather tried to pick up the shattered pieces of the dream and sweep them aside. Getting it all out of her mind was the only way she would be able to stop crying and worrying today.

  Chapter 3

  He knew he was close to where Bradon had told him he lived. He had almost come to visit one time in the past. He had followed the road up to almost this point and turned around. Now he really wished he would have come that time. Conor wasn’t looking for
ward to this visit and the news he was about to deliver.

  Conor had decided that he wouldn’t tell her about the marriage thing, at least not right away. He knew that it wouldn’t be something that would go over well. He had remembered the many stories of Bradon’s that had talked about the spitfire that was his wife, Heather.

  He smiled thinking of those stories now. He liked the one where Bradon had talked about this little girl coming into the woods and how he had found her out there.

  “I was honestly scared that she might get attacked by a wolf. But more than that she was a lovely little mess back then at that age!” Bradon had told Conor one time.

  Bradon had gone on to describe this little girl and how she had her chest all puffed out like she wanted to fight him about playing in the woods alone. “For some reason she didn’t do it, but I could see it in her eyes then. Later on I would learn all too well just how much spunk she had in her!” Bradon had commented to Conor.

  “Now I get to tell her this man is gone forever.” Conor said sadly. He hoped this would be easier than he could imagine. But he didn’t want to fool himself, who would take the death of their husband well? Not many women he could think of that he’d met in the past. He knew that when his father had died his mother had been devastated about it.