Grey eyes sat rigid and furious staring at the words on the paper. Its been 2 weeks since the anonymous message arrived. He planned on taking her.

Marlaude planned on taking Tara.

Duncan sat back in his chair overlooking scrolls and papers of their strategized plan of attack in case Marlaude did try something.

He was anxious and his pride wounded with his rejection of marrying Erika. He wants revenge. But to what end.

Duncan fumed. He was not going to jeopardize his people because of this. Nor was he going to loose Tara. But, then he remembered their argument that started between them just moments ago.

"You are being unreasonable Duncan," Her arms crossed, a defensive pose that angered him.

He needed her open and soft. He needed her completely. And there were times when he was surprised by how much she meant to him. She was the one thing he couldn't imagine losing. And she was saying things he couldn't bear hearing.

"Please don't be upset about this, it's for the sake of your people," she whispered.

"I'm being remarkably calm, considering how violent I feel at this moment," he hissed.

"Duncan!" Guilt darkened her hazel eyes, and then tears glistened.

He looked away. "Don't!"

"What you ask is ludicrous and is not a selfless act on your part, Tara. T'is a sacrifice on mine to give you up. And I am not willing to make it," he clenched his jaw.

Restless, he went to the window, trying to find the calm he needed to deal with the danger Marlaude presented.

His knuckles popped as his hands fisted.
"So what do you pretend I do, Tara? Marry her then keep you as my mistress. Because I am not letting you go,"

She sucked in a shaky breath at his words. "Are you fucking serious?"

There was a terrible stretch of silence.

"Go to hell Duncan," she cried out.

He turned in time to see her stalking out of the room, her back rigid and tense. The sight of her abandoning him triggered something desperate. "Stop."

He caught her and she struggled against him.

"Let me go!"

His eyes closed and he pressed his face against hers.
"I won't let him, have you. Nor will I marry her."

"I'm so mad at you right now, Duncan." she grounded out with a sob.

"Don't fight me!" he tightened his grip on her.

She clawed at his forearms.
"Put me down," she cried.

He turned her around and pinned her to the nearby wall.
"What am I supposed to do when you tell me to marry another woman for the sake of my people and to let you go? I feel like I'm hanging on the edge of a cliff and my grip is slipping Tara, I can not lose you." he tightened his grip. His gaze settled heavily on hers.

"So you're going to risk your people, the ones you love because of me? Why don't you get that I'm not a part of your future Duncan. I'm not written in your past, present or future. I'm just a fluke; an accident that ended up here?" her eyes glistened with tears.

He stared down at her, he refused to hear those words.
Anger seethed through him and he gripped her chin and forced her to stare into his eyes filled with love, rage, and determination.

"You are meant to be here, you were meant for me. You may have not been a part of my past but I will make damn sure you are my future. Whether we rewrite it or all hell breaks loose because of it, you are mine." he slammed his lips against hers savagely taken hers with need and the immense love he had for her.

He wanted her to feel it. He would stop at nothing to be with her and risk everything to keep her.

He pulled away from the kiss and stared deep into her gaze, it pulled at him.
"How do you expect me to live with myself if you go through with this Duncan? Maybe you can, but I can't. I will never forgive you if you do this. Duncan with that you will lose me regardless," she lowered her gaze.

He scrambled for something to say that would make things right between them.

Her lower lip began to quiver and It unraveled him.

He pulled her close as she buried her face in his chest and sobbed. The riot of her emotions shattered him. He could handle chaos and turmoil of any war but not those of a woman. It was here in the eye of the storm where he felt the dizzying panic Marlaude was creating.

*********

A soft knock on the door pulled him out of his deep thoughts and he looked up to see her standing there. She had left so she could "gather her thoughts" and it seemed she was worse off then when she left because her eyes were red from crying.

He stood and slowly they met halfway in the middle of the room where she fell into his embrace. They stayed that way for what seemed an eternity before he pulled back and caressed her cheek. No words were said.

But before he could say anything, there was another tap at the door. Clenching his jaw at the ill timing, he bellowed .

"Enter," he turned to look at the door.

Ian one of the squires entered in a slight panic.
"Mlord, there are marauders and thieves terrorizing the village near the east wall. They are beginning to set fire to the homes."

Duncan clenched his jaw. He turned to look at Tara that held a worried gaze.
"Ready the men, tell my brother that I will be down immediately so we may leave."

He nodded then left.

He turned to Tara and caressed her cheek.
"When I return we will talk of this," he said.

She continued to look at him and saw this determination in his stare that would not let up.
She went lax in his arms and softened in his hold. He pulled her close and kissed her with the very essence of his being until she trembled in his arms.

His lips lingered near hers then her cheek and glided up to her temple and rested there for a while before pulling away.

With the warmth of her lips still on his, he reluctantly turned and left her there.

Within minutes all the men in the nearby garrison were armed and ready to ride out. On his charger, he looked up to the window to get a glance of Tara as she stood there. When she placed her palm above the window a cold shiver went down his spine he fought to control. He shook it off and nodded to her.

She watched below as he twirled the impatient horse around and rode off. The hairs on her neck stood. A feeling of impending doom crept up her spine but she shook it off and ignored it.

************

It was a long day and shebwasbtired of pacing back and forth with worry. Its been nearly 4 hours since he left and yet there was no word of what was going on.

She decided to occupy her time and walk the garden to distract herself. So much was at play here, she thought.
She shivered with Duncan's words and closed her eyes to shake off this feeling that what they planned was not good.

Her mind was far off in her thoughts that she didn't see the person appear beside her until the slight crinkle of leaves beneath their feet startled her.

She whirled around to face the person behind her and she gasped.

Erika...

Erika stood there with a panicked expression. She looked as if she had no sleep as the dark circles beneath her eyes were prominent.

Before Tara could speak she frantically stepped closer and grabbed her hand. They were ice cold and shaking.

"Please you must come quick," she stammered.

Tara frowned. "Why?"

Erika began to tug and pull at her. But Tara struggled and tried to pull away.

"T'is Lord Duncan he is badly hurt. He can not make it this far. One of my fathers' men found him." she quickly blurted out.

Tara shook her head. "No,"

"Yes....please he needs you. There is no time to waste." she insisted pulling her along.

Tears welled up in her eyes. That nagging feeling doubled within her. She couldnt afford to trust her gut instincts that something was not right here. What if he was really injured?

She let Erika lead the way. By then the skies were darkening into a rose purplish hue and most of his men were doing their rounds.

She was led along the walls to a tiny opening that led down a narrow path to the nearby stream of a river.

She followed Erika between it and over sharp jagged rocks until the neared a clearing where there three horses waiting.

That eerie feeling crept her spine once more as she held back and halted behind Erika.

Erika turned to look at her. They stared at one another for a brief second before Tara shook her head and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the 3rd horse.

Catching on to Erika's plot she whirled around quickly only to run face straight into a stone chest as strong arms circled her waist to keep her from falling back.

She struggled and tried to pull away from the large guard that held her tight against him. Before she could scream the sharp knock on her head followed by a sharp pain stunned her.

She gasped with cry and touched her nape as she felt something warm trickling down her back. Her fingers trembled as she saw blood on their tips. The dizzying soon followed as she swayed then darkness claimed her and she fell into the guards' arms.

Erika stood numb and shivering as the guard lifted Taras limp body ontop of the horse. Disgusted she tossed the bloody rock to the ground and quickly wiped her hands on her gown. She gave the keep one last look before she mounted her own horse and they left.

********
Hello, my beautiful people im sosorry for the late post...forgive me for the very short chapter but I was anxious to give you guys something.....

So....life and its busy ways has taken over mine for a short time but I'm happy to say I'm back in the land of wattpad writing and im forging on to get these chapters up and posted. I finally got the last chapters of this book legible as many of you may know this was written years ago, typed on word pad, lost, then found.... low and behold could not be read on our newer MS office software...so after trying to figure it out, polish it up and finally fix it... I finally have the last 3 chapters again....yay
Now, I have to work backward to match up the rest of the other 2....boooo...
But im giddy i'm nearly there...wheww....
But either way this is what I got so far and I'm so excited.
Hope you like it.
Let me know what you think...