He laughed. “I’d make even a cave a castle for ye. Ye ken ye’re never going to need for anything.”
“I know. I also know that I’ve never felt happier in my life, or more complete.”
“Even though ye were born hundreds of years from now? Dinna ye miss yer time?”
“I’ve never cared too much about conveniences. And I’ve never felt I belonged anywhere as much as I do here, with you. It could be a thousand years in the past, or a thousand years in the future. You’re my home.”
“And ye’re mine,” he said.
He kissed her then. And she sank into the warmth of her man’s mouth and hands.
With him, she would never feel like a prisoner, lost and abandoned.
But her heart was his captive.
And there was no sweeter prison.
THE END
Loved the book? Read the next instalment, Marjorie’s story, here
Scottish slang
aye – yes
bairn - baby
bastart - bastard
bonnie - pretty, beautiful.
canna- can not
couldna – couldn’t
dinna- don't ("Dinna do that!")
doesna – doesn’t
fash - fuss, worry ("Dinna fash yerself.")
feck - fuck
hasna – has not
havna - have not
hadna – had not
innit? - Isn't it?
isna- Is not
ken - to know
kent - knew
lad - boy
lass - girl
marrit – married
nae – no or not
shite - faeces
the morn - tomorrow
uisge-beatha (uisge for short) – Scottish Gaelic for water or life / aquavitae, the distilled drink, predecessor of whiskey
verra – very
wasna - was not
wee - small
wilna - will not
wouldna - would not
ye - you
yer – your (also yerself)
How I wrote this book
This book, actually, the whole Called by a Highlander series was inspired by you, my readers. When I asked you, what would you like to read next from me, the most popular answer was Highlander time travel romance. Ever since Outlander, I’ve always wanted to write about brawny Scots of my own.
To me, one of the most fascinating periods in Scottish history is the First Wars of Sottish Independence. The story of Robert the Bruce is remarkable. He was completely destroyed by Edward I in 1306, and yet already in 1307, he started rising against England like David against Goliath, with virtually no army, no money and no hope.
In many ways, he owed his success to the Highlanders who supported him no matter what. Among them, was Cambel clan (Campbells is the modern use), and the more I read about them, the more interesting their story was. By the end of 1308, Bruce won against his Scottish enemies: the MacDougalls, the Comyns and the Earl of Ross.
So I thought, what a fascinating period to travel back in time to!
When writing Time Travel Romance, certain beloved tropes and themes are difficult and even impossible to write. One of them, is enemies to lovers. Usually the time traveler is a complete outsider and has no reference and no relationships with the people living in the past.
But I wanted to take on the challenge, and I think I found one of the few instances where the time traveler can be an enemy of the locals.
Another fascinating element to writing historical fiction is research. I enjoyed learning how search and rescue officers track people, researching the war, and especially writing Scottish accents. Aye!
I hope you enjoyed the book and stay with me to wait for the next instalments in the series, because you have truly inspired so many fantastic ideas, and I cannot wait for you to discover more!
Mariah
Acknowledgments
Writing a book is similar to giving birth: it’s exciting, exhausting and rewarding. In the end, it needs a final push, and it’s meant to be done in a team. Or maybe it’s just me, after all, I wrote this book while I was pregnant with my daughter.
Highlander’s Captive wouldn’t be possible without my husband who encourages me and believes in me every day.
As always, my amazing editor, Laura Barth, helped me relentlessly through every hiccup in all the drafts of the story, and made sure every word was on the right place.
My proofreader, Laura LaTulipe, fixed every missed “ye” and “dinna” and every misplaced comma with an uncanny attention to detail.
My author friends have been with me every day of writing this story, cheering me on and celebrating every success: Emmanuelle de Maupassant, Celeste Barclay, Sasha Cottman, Merry Farmer, Caroline Lee, Elle St. Clair, Harmony Williams, SCinders, Scarlett Scott, and Tessa Candle. Your support and friendship means more than I can say.
My my readers who make it possible for me to not live the life of a business consultant and spend my life in hotels and airports, but to do what I love and be with my family every day.
Thank you!
Mariah
About the Author
When time travel romance writer Mariah Stone isn't busy writing strong modern women falling back through time into the arms of hot Vikings, Highlanders, and pirates, she chases after her toddler and spends romantic nights on North Sea with her husband.
Mariah speaks six languages, loves Outlander, sushi and Thai food, and runs a local writer's group. Subscribe to Mariah's newsletter for a free time travel book today!