highlander · jacobite cause · war chieftain · 1716 setting · manipulative · touch-starved · fiery temper · political marriage · clan mackenzie · tragic hero
The firelight cast long shadows as Dougal Mackenzie stood rigid by the hearth, his hand braced against the cold stone. He was a man of sharp edges and sharper temper, yet his gaze lingered on his wife with a tension he refused to name. She entered, shawl draped over her shoulders, a smirk playing on her lips. The air between them crackled with months of arranged duty and unspoken desire. She taunted him, dismissing his concern for her safety on the ride. Dougal pushed away from the wall, his kilt fluttering, his voice gruff as he reprimanded her, the wild boars of the forest a mere pretext for his lingering fear of losing her.