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Ever since she had made love with Niall by the loch, Tovie felt like a new woman. She possessed a confidence that had been lacking in her before. She had always been spirited, but it had been borne of anger and frustration, whereas now she felt at peace. Seeing his manly form stripped of all clothing had made her flushed with desire. When he had pulled her into the loch, it had been as though she was cleansed of all the dark feelings that were holding her back. The chill of the water had been nothing compared with the heat of his body. The way he touched her with his fingers and his tongue and…all the parts of him was just exquisite. Even now it made her toes curl and excitement leap within her heart at the thought of being with him again. It had been a sudden turn of emotion, and yet it did not feel strange to be so intimate with him in this way. As their bodies came together, she felt a sense of serenity, as though this was the man she was supposed to be with, and now she found that she did not wish to be free of this marriage at all.
It struck her as odd how quickly things could change when the right person was involved. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if she had been fated to be with Niall after all. If he had never left then he would have been the laird anyway, and she might well have been promised to him. The decisions of men always led to where the gods wanted them, and she was quite happy for the gods to have this in store for her.
The celebration beckoned, and she was eager to take part, to see the clans come together and be unified in glorious purpose. Now that she knew she could trust Niall, she was certain that he wanted the same thing for the clans as her, and although they were yet to sit down and hammer out the details, she was confident that all her hopes for the future would come to fruition.
Shara was there and bubbling with enthusiasm about how happy Tovie was. Tovie was smiling so much, and she did not want to ever stop. This was how a wife should feel. This was how it should feel to be married, and although the celebration was for the clans, Tovie was secretly treating it as another wedding since her first one had been so tainted. She wore a pale blue dress that reminded her of the water in the loch. She placed a choker around her slender neck and tied her hair back, creating a flowing pattern around the back of her scalp. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she now saw a beautiful woman rather than a victim. All of her scars had been on display for Niall to see, and he hadn’t recoiled in horror at any of them.
At first, all she had wanted was to run away from him, but now she could not bear to be apart, and although Shara was adamant that there were still things that needed to be done to her appearance, Tovie could not endure being apart from her husband for one moment longer.
* * *
Tovie descended the stairs to the castle and passed by the large chamber. It may have been the place where these celebrations usually took place, but it was not big enough to hold both the clans. Instead, a wide area had been set up outside the castle where people had gathered. As soon as she stepped outside, she was hit by a wall of noise as people were yelling with great cheer, competing in various games like throwing horseshoes toward a pole or competing in feats of strength.
The air was alive with the smell of roasting meat and baked bread. The cooks had outdone themselves, and Tovie told herself not to be concerned about the toll this was going to take on the clan’s stores because there were times in life when the need for a celebration was more important than being frugal with supplies. Besides, she hoped that now Niall was in command with her, they would be able to make some more favorable trade deals.
She spotted Niall standing on a raised dais with the elders of the village. He had a smile on his face and looked out over his people with great glee. Then his gaze fell upon her, and his smile widened. Her heart skipped a beat at seeing his reaction because there was no faking his genuine show of emotion. She glided over to him and took his hands. Despite enjoying everything that was happening around her, it all melted away when she was standing in front of him. He leaned down to kiss her, and because he was a man of such great height, she had to tilt her head back to meet his lips. His arm slid around her waist, and he turned her toward the celebration, where the two clans had mingled in such a way that it was impossible to tell the members of one from the members of another, and that was exactly how Niall and Tovie wanted it.
“It’s better than I ever could hae expected,” Niall said, a sense of wonder creeping into his voice.
“Aye, they all look sae happy, and I’m pleased tae see that the people who came with ye are looking healthier.”
“It’s amazing what good food can dae,” Niall said, gesturing to the stalls of food that people were gathered around. Tovie’s mouth watered at the smell. “Although it’s more than that. I know that they would nae hae been as welcomed by the rest of the clan if ye haed nae been sae welcoming as well. I want tae thank ye again for being kind tae them even though ye were still undecided about me.”
Tovie blushed a little, feeling ashamed that she had judged Niall so harshly. When they had first met, she had only been able to see his brother, but now that more time had passed, she was able to see nothing but him, and just the sight of him was enough to elicit a fiery and fervent reaction within. Their hands slipped together, and she nestled her head against his arm.
“I’m just glad we found each other,” she said softly. There were still elements of fear swirling within her heart, but they were weaker than before. Instead of being a constant needling and nagging, they were just whispers, and she hoped that in time they would fade to nothing.
In the middle of the celebration, Niall stepped away from her and clapped his hands loudly, getting the attention of everyone in attendance. A hush fell over them, and their eyes turned to the laird and his wife, who stood beside him.
“Ye hae no idea how wonderful it is for me tae see ye like this, two clans becoming one. I know that when I returned, it was nae under the best circumstances, and perhaps some of ye were wondering what haed happened tae make me leave in the first place. Perhaps ye never thought ye would see me again. Tae be honest, when I left, I was nae sure I would return. I didnae think this place would be a home for me again, but I was wrong. I learned a lot while I was away in the wild. I saw many things that I cannae even believe, and that ye would nae believe if I told ye.
“I learned what it truly was tae be a part of a family. The world can be a cruel place, and people die far tae easily. Those I took intae my clan were shunned from the world, turned away when they were in need, but here they hae found a home, and a large part is thanks tae my wife, Tovie.” He held out his hand, gesturing for her to come forward, which she did. “Tovie haes shown me kindness and compassion. She is an example for us all tae follow, and I could nae be happier that she was here waiting for me. I hope that the two of us can lead this clan well and bring ye nothing but joy and happiness. I hope that we can become one family because that is how I see ye all now, and it is what Tovie and I are.”
His words were met with rapturous applause, although to Tovie it was a distant sound as she was overwhelmed with emotion. To actually hear him speak like that in front of everyone made her feel so special. Fraser had never made any grand proclamations like that, not even at the wedding. He had tried to make her feel ashamed of being his wife, but not Niall. Her heart warmed as she clutched his hand and waved to the crowd, smiling with hope for the future. She turned to her husband. He ran his hand around the small of her back and pulled her into him, kissing her deeply. There was another loud cheer as people basked in the love of Niall and Tovie, and music began to play.
Tovie pulled Niall off the small stage and into the middle of the field, bouncing up and down in time with the merry tune. Others fell in step with them, and soon there was a huge mass of people dancing. Tovie spun and whirled, with the world a blur around her. She threw her head back and laughed with joy at the elation that surged through her, and she knew that this was the way life was supposed to be. No longer was it mired in fear but in hope, and she was excited to see how the years were going to unfold. Niall spun her around, and then she twirled back toward him, landing flush against his chest. For the moment that their bodies were pressed against each other, she experienced a hot flash as arousal surged within, and then she spun away again. She shared errant kisses with him, ensuring that every member of the clans knew he had her approval. He was her husband by law and by the yearnings of her heart. In every way that mattered, he was her love, and now he possessed her heart. It was a thing not easily given, but she knew he would protect it and cherish it.
The celebrations continued long into the night. They all drank and ate well. People were staggering and singing and all in good spirits. It was now impossible to tell which people were from which clan. They were all one, and it was clear that the future was in good hands. Tovie’s head was swimming with all the wine she had drunk. Niall wasn’t much better.
When the moon was high and the stars danced, they slipped away from the celebration and returned to their chambers, fumbling about in a creaking bed, eager to confirm their marriage once again. A candle burned in the corner of the room, but the real flame was in Tovie’s heart. Sweat prickled her young body as Niall’s hands roamed around her flesh, and she lost herself to long, languorous moans and rushes of pleasure that swept through her. She melted into him, and it was as though she was lost in a dream, although there was no doubt in her mind that the dream was real. His lips, his body, his hands… Everything about him was able to stir deep and profound emotions within her, and there was nowhere else she wanted to be, and nobody else she wanted to be with. He was her home now, and she would never have any thoughts of running away again.
