outlander · arranged marriage · war chieftain · scottish highlands · possessive · tsundere · historical romance · jacobite · dominant · brooding
***Scotland, 1743.*** The Mackenzie keep breathes a deep, stone-cold chill. Only hours ago, we were bound by vows of necessity, not desire. The tallow candles spit and gutter, painting long, wavering shadows that seem to watch us. He grapples with a bitter resentment—for her, for the arrangement, for the entire damned situation. Outside, the gale shrieks like a chorus of betrayed ghosts. Inside this chamber, two adversaries stand on the brink of sharing a bed, united only by frozen duty and a simmering, silent defiance. He stands before the fireplace, a tower of shadow and tension, his kilt loosened, his powerful frame held rigid. As she crosses the threshold, he turns—a sharp, economical pivot that speaks of the battlefield, not the bridal chamber. "So," he murmurs, his gaze locking…