Midnight's Promise (47 page)

“As long as she wears it, she’ll be immortal.”

Malcolm’s gaze jerked to the King of Kings. “I didna realize you could do this.”

“You both earned it. Any Druid here who wishes to live outside of MacLeod Castle will be offered the same token.”

“You have that kind of magic?”

Con just smiled before he raised his glass in salute and walked away. Malcolm managed to pull Evie out of Fallon’s arms as they danced by and shared what Con had given them.

“I don’t know what to say,” she said in shock.

For the second time that day, Malcolm slid a ring onto her finger. “We have forever.”

“How I love the sound of that.”

“Where do you want to live?”

She smoothed the lock of hair out of his eye. “Anywhere as long as I’m with you.”

“We’ll need to think of the bairn.”

Evie glanced down at her still-flat stomach and the way the white silk hugged her frame. “I’ll be waddling soon, so I guess we’ll need to think about a home.”

Malcolm found Brian near the hearth holding baby Emma in his arms as Camdyn and Saffron’s daughter cooed up at him. “Brian will need to return to his school.”

“Actually, Charon offered us a piece of land on the edge of Ferness as a wedding present. He said it was secluded.”

Malcolm shook his head in dismay. “I doona know what to say to everything they are doing for us.”

“You say thank you, and you take your wife out of here. I’m ready to have you all to myself, Mr. Munro.”

Malcolm didn’t need to be told twice. He took Evie’s hand and made a dash for the door. Once outside, they took the first vehicle they found, the red Jaguar F-type, and drove out of the bailey, the shouts of their friends filling the air.

*   *   *

Con glanced at Kiril and said, “She took your car again. You can always ride back with me.”

Kiril rolled his eyes. “No’ the way you drive.”

Lucan spewed his ale as he laughed. After he wiped his mouth, he grinned at Con. “We’ll have peace for a while.”

“Until another evil steps up,” Fallon said, but he was still looking fondly at the Jaguar as it sped away.

“And we’ll always be around to put evil in its place,” Quinn said.

Con looked at the three MacLeod brothers and nodded. “We make a good team.”

“Of course,” Lucan said with a wink to his brothers. “It’s why you were so hesitant to befriend us all those years.”

Con barked with laughter. “What will become of everyone now? Each Warrior is married.”

“Aiden and Britt are leaving first thing in the morning,” the youngest MacLeod brother said. “I hate to have my son leave, but it’s been a long time coming. He plans to propose to Britt on their travels, so we’ll have another wedding in the next few months.”

Lucan clinked his goblet with Quinn’s. “Good for Aiden. We all like Britt. It’s a good match.”

“Logan and Gwynn willna be the only pair expecting,” Fallon said, barely able to hold back his goofy smile. “Larena told me this morning she’s pregnant.”

Con looked at Lucan and Quinn expectedly.

Lucan shook his head. “No’ yet. It will happen, because I know it’s what Cara wants.”

“I’m waiting for Marcail to give me that look,” Quinn said after he took a drink of ale. “I suspect it’ll be any day now.”

“And the others?” Con asked.

As one, all four turned on the steps of MacLeod Castle and looked through the door into the great room. The bagpipes were playing, the drink flowed freely, and smiles were aplenty.

“It’s odd, is it no’?” Lucan asked. “I think back just four centuries earlier when I didna know how I would make it through another day alone.”

Quinn leaned a hand against the doorway. “Then you brought Cara inside.”

“And our lives were changed forever,” Fallon said. “We went from three lost brothers, to a castle full of family.”

“Doona forget about battling evil along the way,” Con added.

Lucan raised his goblet. “Too true. Back then I wouldna have believed that all of us would find happiness or vanquish our demons. But we did.”

“We triumphed,” Quinn said. “Our parents would be proud.”

“Aye,” Lucan said as he clamped Fallon on the shoulder.

Fallon raised his goblet. “To the MacLeods.”

“MacLeods,” Quinn, Lucan, and Con repeated before they all took a long drink.

Fallon caught Con’s eye. “The future is uncertain now.”

“No’ when you have allies. The Warriors can always count on the Dragon Kings.”

“And the Kings can always count on us,” Lucan said.

Con finished his drink and handed Quinn his empty glass. “Duty calls, but you’ll be hearing from us soon.”

He walked down the steps of the castle knowing he’d made the right choice in letting the Warriors know about the Dragon Kings, because evil wasn’t gone. It was closing in on Dreagan, and Con suspected they would need every friend they had to keep the Dragon Kings a secret from the world.

*   *   *

In the months following, Lucan and Cara remained at the castle, though they took frequent trips, the first of which was to Egypt to see the pyramids. They decided to spend quality time enjoying each other before they started their family.

Fallon and Larena readied the castle for their impending child, though Fallon often jumped them to Paris or Rome for a night out. Both wanted a castle full of children. There were no lasting effects from the
drough
blood in Larena thanks to Britt’s serum. Leaving the couple plenty of time to argue—and make up—about the name of their first child.

Quinn and Marcail decided to remain on MacLeod land and build their own home. Just as Quinn predicted, Marcail had given him that look. Three months later they learned she was carrying their second child.

Hayden and Isla embarked on an excursion to Australia and New Zealand for two months. They also remained on MacLeod land, choosing to build near the cliffs for a spectacular view. Just weeks after their home was finished, Isla surprised Hayden with the news that he was going to be a father. In Campbell fashion, it was a great excuse to throw a party and celebrate.

Galen and Reaghan also traveled, but remained closer to home and toured England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Undecided on where they wanted to live, they remained at the castle while considering options on MacLeod land and in Ferness.

Broc and Sonya chose a spot on MacLeod land and built their home, only to leave and travel through much of Europe including the Netherlands, Hungary, and Belgium. After a brief sickness, which Sonya thought was brought on by food, they were surprised to discover she was pregnant. Broc cut their trip short and quickly returned home to the safety—and the shield—of MacLeod land.

It took some convincing, but Gwynn talked Logan into a trip to Texas. Logan refused to get on a plane, so Fallon jumped them to her hometown of Houston. For almost three months they toured the US before Logan had Fallon jump them back to Scotland. The remaining months were used in building their home in a secluded part of the forest on MacLeod land where Logan knew his family would be safe, and the love of his life would always be by his side.

Ian and Dani took up residence in Ferness, in an old cottage they decided to renovate. Ian discovered he had a special talent for woodworking, and Dani loved decorating. They often shared meals with Charon and Laura as well Malcolm and Evie. Not a day went by that Ian didn’t feel the loss of his twin. It was with Dani’s love that he looked to the future, not the past.

Camdyn and Saffron remained at the house they built on MacLeod land. In between their duties as parents to Emma, Saffron was exposing Camdyn to the role of businessman. The family often went to meetings for the numerous companies she owned. Camdyn had a head for business, and it wasn’t long until he was running the companies alongside Saffron while waiting for the birth of their second child.

Ramsey and Tara kept a room at MacLeod Castle while they traveled all over the globe for weeks at a time, only to return for a month before traveling to a new destination. Because of the volatile magic running through Tara, it was decided it would be better if they didn’t chance subjecting a female child to what she had endured. They adopted a menagerie of pets instead. They too built on MacLeod land. Ramsey had found a family with his brethren, and he wished to remain close.

Arran and Ronnie resumed Ronnie’s archeological study, preferring to remain in the United Kingdom doing their digging. They discovered many ancient places some considered sacred to Druids. Arran worked beside Ronnie, making them an unbeatable team in the archeological field.

Charon and Laura continued on as before in Ferness, except Laura was now his business partner. Laura also accepted a ring from the Dragon Kings allowing her to become immortal as long as she wore it. Together, she and Charon grew his vast empire of holdings and businesses while looking after the people of Ferness.

Aiden and Britt did leave the castle right after Malcolm and Evie’s wedding. They traveled first to Spain before heading to Italy. On a gondola ride in Venice he proposed, and Britt happily accepted. While in Rome, they decided to get married, and Fallon teleported everyone to watch the wedding at the beautiful Santa Susanna church. After a large celebration, Aiden and Britt continued on their journey to Switzerland and France before returning to Scotland so she could finish her studies.

Phelan and Aisley decided to spend some time getting to know the Fae side of Phelan’s family, which took them to Ireland and there they remained for several months. Upon their return, they took up residence in Phelan’s cottage near the loch where Phelan tended his flowers and Aisley learned to cook.

After long deliberation, Malcolm and Evie settled on the piece of land gifted to them by Charon and built a modest house atop a hill with views of the mountains and a loch. As Evie predicted, she did waddle, but Malcolm was always at her side, finding ways to make her laugh or sharing moments where they both felt their daughter kick.

At exactly 4:16 a.m. on July 19
th
, Mallory Munro made her entrance into the world to the wondrous delight of both Malcolm and Evie.

The DARK WARRIOR series by

DONNA GRANT

Midnight’s Master

Midnight’s Lover

Midnight’s Seduction

Midnight’s Warrior

Midnight’s Kiss

Midnight’s Captive

Midnight’s Temptation

Midnight’s Promise

Praise for the Dark Warrior novels by

DONNA GRANT

MIDNIGHT’S KISS

5 Stars! TOP PICK!
“[Grant] blends ancient gods, love, desire, and evil-doers into a world you will want to revisit over and over again.”

—Night Owl Reviews

5 Blue Ribbons!
“This story is one you will remember long after the last page is read. A definite keeper!”

—Romance Junkies

4 Stars!
“The world of the Immortal Warriors is a thoroughly engaging one, blending powerful ancient gods, fiery desire, and touchingly human love, which readers will surely want to revisit.”

—RT Book Reviews

4 Feathers
“
Midnight’s Kiss
is a game changer—one that will set the rest of the series in motion.”

—Under the Covers

MIDNIGHT’S CAPTIVE

5 Blue Ribbons!
“Packed with originality, imagination, humor, Scotland, Highlanders, magic, surprising plot twists, intrigue, sizzling sensuality, suspense, tender romance, and true love, this story has something for everyone.”

—Romance Junkies

4 1/2 Stars!
“Grant has crafted a chemistry between her wounded alpha and surprisingly capable heroine that will, no doubt, enthrall series fans and newcomers alike.”

—RT Book Reviews

MIDNIGHT’S WARRIOR

4 Stars!
“Super storyteller Grant returns with … A rich variety of previous protagonists [which] adds a wonderful familiarity to the books.”

—
RT Books Reviews

5 Stars!
“Ms. Grant brings together two people who are afraid to fall in love and then ignites sparks between them.”

—Single Title Reviews

MIDNIGHT’S SEDUCTION

“Sizzling love scenes and engaging characters fill the pages of this fast-paced and immersive novel.”

—Publishers Weekly

4 Stars!
“Grant again proves that she is a stellar writer and a force to be reckoned with.”

—RT Book Reviews

5 Blue Ribbons!
“A deliciously sexy, adventuresome paranormal romance that will keep you glued to the pages.”

—Romance Junkies

5 Stars!
“Ms. Grant mixes adventure, magic and sweet love to create the perfect romance story.”

—
Single Title Reviews

MIDNIGHT’S LOVER

“Paranormal elements and scorching romance are cleverly intertwined in this tale of a damaged hero and resilient heroine.”

—Publishers Weekly

5 Blue Ribbons!
“An exciting, adventure-packed tale,
Midnight’s Lover
is a story that captivates you from the very first page.”

—Romance Junkies

5 Stars!
“Ms. Grant weaves a sweet love story into a story filled with action, adventure and the exploration of personal pain.”

—Single Title Reviews

4 Stars!
“It’s good vs. evil Druid in the next installment of Grant’s Dark Warrior series. The stakes get higher as discerning one’s true loyalties becomes harder. Grant’s compelling characters and the continued presence of previous protagonists are key reasons why these books are so gripping. Another exciting and thrilling chapter!”

—RT Book Reviews

4.5 Stars Top Pick!
“This is one series you’ll want to make sure to read from the start … they just keep getting better … mmmm! A must read for sure!”