Highland Conquest Read online

  Maggie stared at him, a gamut of emotions running across her face. He used to love watching her—whether she was dancing or laughing or scowling at him. Wild Maggie MacDonnell, who’d just as soon take your eye out with one of her daggers than try to catch your eye with pretty curls or a swishing walk.

  They’d been betrothed since childhood and he knew without a doubt she was meant for him. He felt it with a certainty in his bones, the same way he knew his father had been murdered despite what everyone said. The same way Gavin knew his son was alive.

  Unfortunately, she no longer had the same feeling for him.

  Well, he’d just have to convince her otherwise—he’d done it before, he could do it again. Of course, she’d been seventeen then, but still set against him. Against marrying anyone, really, and too used to doing whatever she pleased since her mother’s death, whether it was tossing daggers or jumping off cliffs.

  “Maggie,” he said again, his tone firmer this time. He had to get her out of the tree so he could see the damage the wolves had done.

  She raised a brow, and he knew he’d made a mistake.

  “You want me to come down?” she asked.

  “Aye.” A wariness tinged his words, and beside him he heard Gavin snort.

  Maggie shrugged and moved closer to the edge of the bough, saying, “Catch.” Then she jumped from the branch and kicked out with her feet, hitting him squarely in the chest. He fell from his horse and landed hard on the grass.

  He heard Gavin hoot with laughter, and looked up to see Maggie straddling Aristotle, her legs bare from mid-thigh to her toes, her skin scratched and bloodied. In one motion, she wheeled the stallion around and leaned to the side to pull her knives from the wolves—three of them. Then urged Aristotle into a gallop.

  Callum jumped up and whistled, loud and shrill, and his horse came to a jarring halt, almost knocking her off this time. She rounded to stare at him, a sight to behold with her flushed cheeks and flashing eyes, her tangled hair cascading over her shoulders. Then she pulled a dagger and hurled it at him. It landed in the tree trunk just above his head. Exactly where she’d intended.

  ’Twas a start. And Callum smiled.

  Maggie MacDonnell did not want him dead.

  Coming August 2018

  Order Alyson McLayne’s next book in

  The Sons of Gregor MacLeod series

  Highland Betrayal

  On sale August 2018

  Acknowledgments

  Writing this book was the first time I truly became a working mom. I wasn’t working my writing around my kids anymore, I was just working. I had a contract, I was writing to deadline, people were depending on me to hand in my work on time, and I’d cashed the check! My kids and I both had to learn what Mommy’s working means. They didn’t always like it, but we got through it with some great babysitters, late nights on my part, my husband stepping in to fill the void whenever possible, and friends helping out when they could. And now kindergarten has started—a.k.a. the heavens have opened up—and I feel like we’ve made it through the past year with everyone still feeling loved and cared for. So a big shout-out to Maddie and Cooper for being such troopers, and to everyone else who took such good care of them when I couldn’t, especially my husband. Words cannot express how much I love you guys.

  And to all the working moms out there—you work HARD. Don’t ever let anyone tell you chocolate and wine is bad for you—so is stress and information overload. Close your eyes for a minute, breathe, and have your treat. You deserve it.

  About the Author

  Alyson McLayne is a mom of twins and an award-winning writer of contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance. She’s also a dog lover and cat servant with a serious stash of dark chocolate. After getting her degree in theater at the University of Alberta, she promptly moved to the west coast of Canada where she worked in film for several years and met her prop master husband.

  Alyson has been nominated for several Romance Writers of America contests, including The Golden Heart, The Golden Pen, The Orange Rose, Great Expectations, The Molly’s, and The Winter Rose.

  Her self-published works in short contemporary romance include her Santa Barbara Billionaire Bachelors series: How to Catch a Bride, How to Claim an Heiress, and How to Outplay a Player. How to Catch a Bride (formerly The Fabrizio Bride) was recently nominated for a RONE Award.

  Alyson and her family reside in Vancouver with their sweet but troublesome chocolate Lab puppy named Jasper.

  Please visit her at alysonmclayne.com and look her up on Facebook (facebook.com/AlysonMcLayne) or Twitter (@AlysonMcLayne). She loves chatting with her fans!

  Thank you for reading!

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