With his arm extended, waiting for her to take it, she wanted to bolt. She made her way up the steps to the doors and Gabriel’s side. Elena tried to ignore the spark of energy she felt as she reluctantly took his arm. The moaning and protesting of the oak doors would be a sound that would no doubt haunt her dreams.
Crossing over the threshold, Elena tried not to think about the ceremony. She tried to push aside all thoughts of the attention on her. Although she knew every single eye was on her as she made her way down the aisle to the front of the church, she paid no heed to any of them. In the depths of her being, she cursed every person who witnessed the event.
Elena couldn’t help but notice her heart skipping. Yes, he was handsome. But she knew all too well how his good looks were just a trap to lure the unsuspecting into his traps and ploys. He wasn’t her prince. He was the villain in her story. Every ounce of her wanted to claw the smirk off his face, leave him as horribly disfigured as he had left her all those years ago.
With her lips twitching in anger and resentment, flashes of her childhood flickered through her mind. With each step, only one horror burned with fever within her mind.
Elena’s heart sank. She closed her eyes trying to block the image of the way he left her after she had fallen asleep in the barn reading. Her long beautiful locks were nothing more than scraggly jagged ribbons of hair after he chopped it off. She had been forced to wear a scarf for two years to hide the shame he left on her. Yet, here she was, moving steadily down the aisle with the only person in the world who made her want to turn rabid.
If he says one thin’ to me about my hair, I will claw his eyes out. I’ll leave him humiliated and ruined as he did me so long ago.
Elena and Gabriel stopped before the priest. The weight of Gabriel’s brooch on her shoulder felt like someone had placed bags of sand on her to keep her from fleeing. She watched as the priest pulled forth clan Murphy’s colors from the side table. If it weren’t for Darragh clearing his throat behind her, she would have stayed like a statue, festering with anger and remorse.
I daenae care what the others have to say about ye, Gabriel McAllister, ye’ll never be handsome. Ye’ll never be kind. Ye’ll be that rotten wee lad. I hated ye then, and I hate ye even more now.
I daenae care that there are hundreds of others who would kill to be yer wife, I’m nae one of them. I’ll never love ye. Never. And ye’ll never be able to make me.
Chapter 2
Sunlight pouredthrough the Kirk’s stained-glass windows illuminating the room, but Gabriel’s attention was on one person, Elena. She stunned him. The way the light danced in her hair made his heart skip. Her dress that hugged her body, showcasing her hour-glass curves ignited the passions within him. He had loved this woman for so long and thought of her for so many years that standing before her in the church caused his heart to overflow.
A part of him wished he could wrap her in his arms and shower her with affection. Remaining still, he watched as the priest bound their hands together with his family’s colors. A surge of pride coursed through him as he stood like a statue beside Elena.
The fact she didn’t glance at him or even acknowledge his presence didn’t bother him one bit. He knew she hated him, but that no longer mattered. Elena’s was his, now and forever.
A wisp of guilt fluttered through him causing his resolve to falter. But it was gone in the next breath.
If only ye ken I’m doin’ ye a favor by weddin’ ye. Would ye be so callous towards me?
As Gabriel watched the priest light the candles on the table, he exhaled. The small flames danced and played almost as if they were drawn to one another. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Elena’s eyes shifting to the flames.
It was the sound of the bells that pulled him from his thoughts. He had completely forgotten anyone was there beside them. Heat flooded him as he turned to face Elena. As she turned to him, he couldn’t help but notice her eyes remained locked on his chest. Although he didn’t suspect anything lingering on him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit discouraged.
“Ye may kiss yer bride,” the priest announced. Gabriel leaned closer to Elena. She stood still as he pressed his lips to hers. A chill ran over his spine causing him to pull away. Staring into her eyes, he noticed the rage within her.
Gabriel straightened and flashed her a crooked little smile. In the back of his mind, he knew there was nothing she could do or say. Elena was his now.
I’ve waited for ye this long, I can wait even longer, now that yer mine.
Rolling his shoulders, he cleared his throat and drew his sword from its sheath. Elena’s lips twitched a moment as he dropped to one knee and held his sword to her.
The collective hush in the crowd made his nerves rattle. Gabriel couldn’t help but wonder how long she would keep him on his knee with the sword above his head, but he didn’t care. He’d stay that way for as long as it took for her to realize she wasn’t getting out of the arrangement.
“Thank ye,” she said taking the sword with a trembling hand and passing the sword to her uncle. “It means a great deal to my family to receive such a gift.”
Looking up, Gabriel rose and took Elena’s hand as the sound of the bells rang throughout the Kirk once again. Gabriel flashed a bashful smile to Elena as he rushed her down the aisle.
The cool midday air swirled around his face as they stepped out of the church. Bagpipes played, drowning out the bells as the white carriage waiting for them at the curb looked like a beacon of hope.
“Well, it’s done then,” Elena said dropping her shoulders. Her eyes turned a bit red as Gabriel lead her to the opened carriage doors.
She stepped in and situated herself to the left. The moment she got inside, she dropped her head into her hands.
“Come now,” Gabriel said. “Marriage to me cannae be all that bad.”
Elena’s head whipped up, her lips trembled as her words remained on the tip of her tongue like spikes. She shook her head and turned her attention to the window. Crossing her arms she leaned back as Gabriel leaned forward. The heat of her body stifled the cool breeze. Jerking away from her, he smiled as he grabbed the small box on her seat.
“Time for the scatterin’, care to join?” He asked, prying open the lid to reveal the coins inside. Elena shook her head and said nothing.